How to set the time on the smart watch Xiaomi: all the ways of 2026

Xiaomi smart watches are some of the most popular wearables on the market, but even experienced users sometimes have trouble adjusting time. Problems can range from the wrong time zone to the complete lack of synchronization with the phone. In this article, we will discuss all the current ways of setting time on different models – from the budget Mi Band to the flagship Xiaomi Watch 2 Pro – and also tell you how to fix typical errors.

It's important to understand that the customization algorithm depends on the firmware version, the watch model, and even the region of purchase (CN-versions) may require additional time zone manipulation, and we have taken into account all the nuances to make the instruction suitable for most scenarios.

Why is Xiaomi smart watches time lost?

Before you start setting up, you should understand the causes of the failure, most often the problem lies in one of the following factors:

• 📱 No sync with smartphone: The watch may not update the time if communication with the Mi Fitness or Zepp Life app is interrupted.
• ⚡ At a critical charge level (below 5%), the device goes into energy-saving mode, which can lead to resetting of settings.
• 🌍 If the phone has automatic belt selection and the clock is manually fixed, there may be discrepancies.
• 🔄 Firmware failure: Date and time settings are sometimes reset after software updates (especially for Amazfit). GTR 4 and Xiaomi Watch S3).

80 percent of the time, it's just a simple resynchronization with the phone, but if time is lost regularly, you'll have to dig deeper, check your phone's time zone settings, or even reset your watch to factory settings.

Method 1: Automatic synchronization through the application

The simplest and most recommended method is to allow the watch to automatically pull up time from the app, which works for all models that communicate with the smartphone (Mi Band 5/6/7/8, Xiaomi Watch, Amazfit, etc.).

Instructions:

1. Make sure the official app is installed on the phone: Mi Band – Mi Fitness (Android) or Mi Band (iOS), Xiaomi Watch and Amazfit – Zepp Life (formerly Mi Fit).

Bluetooth

Device Profile → Clock Settings → Date and Time

Autosynchronization of time

Synchronize with the phone

After that, the watch should update the time for 1-2 minutes. If this does not happen, try rebooting both the watch and the phone, and then re-synchronize them.

⚠️ Attention: On Xiaomi Watch S3 and Amazfit GTR 4 after updating the firmware to version 3.15.+ manual synchronization confirmation in the clock settings may be required (System section) → Time).

Method 2: Manual time setting (without phone)

If automatic synchronization doesn't work, or if you want to set the time manually (like changing the time zone on an airplane), you can do it directly on the clock.

• 🕒 Xiaomi Watch 2 Pro
• 🕓 Amazfit GTR 4 / GTS 4
• 🕔 Xiaomi Watch S1 / S2

Step-by-step:

1. Swipe your finger down the watch screen to open the Quick Settings panel.
2. Find the icon. ⚙️ Settings (or ⏰ Time) and tap it.
3. Select date and time (on some models - Time zone).
4. Turn off the Auto Update option (if it is active).
5. Manually install: 🕐 Time zone (e.g, UTC+3 Moscow). 📅 Date (day, month, year). ⏱️ Time format (12- or 24-hour).

Save the changes and restart the clock (press the power button for 5 seconds).

On the Mi Band (without screen), manual time setting is not possible, only through the app. If your model does not support manual input, move on to the next method.

Method 3: Sync with Mi Account (for global versions)

If the watch is tied to a Mi Account, time can be synced through the cloud.

• 📵 The phone is temporarily unavailable (for example, discharged).
• 🌐 You are traveling and you want your clock to automatically update your time zone.
• 🔄 You need to restore time after resetting settings.

How it works:

1. Make sure the watch is connected to Mi Account (check in the Mi Fitness app in the Account section).
2. Turn on the phone mobile Internet or Wi-Fi.
3. Open the app and wait for the data update (synchronization icon at the top of the screen).
4. If the time is not updated, go to the Device Profile → Additional → Sync data.

Important: this method only works for global versions of watches (with Global or EEA firmware) and in Chinese versions (CN), synchronization via Mi Account can be disabled.

Table: Compatibility of customization methods for different models

If your model is not in the table, check the documentation on the official Xiaomi website or in the Zepp Life app. For rare versions (for example, Xiaomi Mi Watch Lite), you may need to update the firmware.

Problem Solving: Time is lost or not updated

If none of these things worked, the problem is probably deeper than that.

1.The clock shows the wrong time zone

This is a common problem when traveling.

• 📱 On the phone go to Settings → System system → Date and time and disable the Automatic Time Zone option.
• 🕒 Manually select the desired belt (for example, Moscow, UTC+3).
• ⚙️ Reset the clock and re-synchronize it with your phone.

2.The time on the clock is lagging or in a hurry

If the clock is systemically behind by 1-2 minutes, the fault in the quartz generator (relevant to the Mi Band 3/4).

• 🔋 Completely discharge the clock, then charge to 100%.
• 🔄 Reset to factory settings (in the Mi Fitness app, select Untie the device).
• 📲 Reinstall the app and re-tie the clock.

3.The clock is not synchronized with the phone

Check the following:

• 📶 Make sure your phone is Bluetooth 4.0 enabled.+ and permissions for the Mi Fitness application.
• 🔄 Reboot both devices.
• 📱 In the phone settings, find the Mi Fitness app and allow it to Autostart and Work in the background.
• 🔧 Update the firmware of the watch through the app (Device Profile section) → Update of the PO).

⚠️ Attention: On Xiaomi Watch S1 1.7.65 is known to have a bug that causes time to be lost after disconnecting from the phone.+ or roll back to 1.7.50 via Mi Fit.

💡

If the Amazfit watch doesn't sync, try using the Notify & Fitness for Amazfit alternative app (available on Google Play).It often works better with unofficial firmware.

Additional settings: time format, alarm clocks, timer

In addition to the main time, on the Xiaomi smart watch you can configure:

• ⏰ Display format (12- or 24-hour). For this, go to Settings → Display. → Time format.
• 🔔 Alarm clocks. They can be added as an app (Mi Fitness). → Alarm clocks and clocks (for models with screens).
• ⏱️ Timer and stopwatch available in the Quick Access menu (swipe up on the home screen).
• 🌙 Do Not Disturb Mode Disables notifications at a specified time (configured in Settings) → Notifications).

The Xiaomi Watch 2 Pro and Amazfit GTR 4 also have a World Time feature, which allows you to add additional time zones.

1. Open the clock menu.
2. Select Additional → World time.
3. Add the city you want (like New York or Tokyo).

This is convenient for those who often communicate with people from other countries or travel.

💡

If you fly frequently, turn off automatic updates to your phone’s time zone and manually adjust it on your watch, which will prevent accidental flight disruptions.

FAQ: Frequent questions about setting up time on Xiaomi