Why Xiaomi removed the smart alarm from MIUI: official reasons and workarounds

Owners of Xiaomi smartphones based on MIUI 12-14 noticed an unpleasant change: from the standard app “Clock” disappeared smart alarm clock — a feature that automatically adjusted the wake time to the phases of sleep of the user. It used to help wake up at the optimal moment, avoiding feelings of weakness, but now it is not even in the latest firmware. Why did this happen?

There is almost no official comment from Xiaomi on this, but an analysis of updates, user reviews and technical nuances reveals several key reasons.

• 🔍 Official and unofficial versions of the function removal
• 📱 Which models lost the smart alarm clock and which did not
• ⚙️ How to return functionality through hidden settings or third-party applications
• ⚠️ Risks of using alternative solutions

Spoiler: It’s not just Xiaomi that’s the problem, but other manufacturers are losing similar features, not so much because of the brand’s greed, but because of changes in Google’s policy to collect biometric data while sleeping.

Xiaomi official position: what is said in the documentation

There is no mention of removing the smart alarm clock in the release notes for MIUI 13 and MIUI 14, but the standard responses to users' appeals in support of Xiaomi are:

⚠️ Warning: According to internal documentation, the Smart Alarm feature has been temporarily suspended due to a non-compliance with Google Play's new sleep data processing requirements.The company is working on an alternative solution.

This indirectly confirms that the issue is related to GDPR and Android's privacy policy, because MIUI used:

• 📊 Data from the accelerometer (movements in a dream)
• 🎤 Recordings from a microphone (analysis of snoring or breathing)
• 🔋 Information about sleep phases from the Mi Fitness app

After Google Play’s 2023 stricter rules (mandatory biometrics disclosure), many manufacturers have simplified or removed such features, such as Huawei removing Smart Awakening from the EMUI 13, and Samsung restricting it to work only with branded wearables.

Technical reasons: why the function became "illegal"

The main problem lies in Google’s requirements for health data applications, and from 2023, the app must:

1. Hold a medical device certificate (for Xiaomi, this means additional certification costs).
2. Provide the user with full control over the data (the possibility of deletion, export, refusal of collection).
3. Do not use data for targeted advertising (and MIUI is known for integrating with Xiaomi advertising services).

As a result, Xiaomi was faced with a choice:

• 💰 Invest in certification and feature refinement (which will increase the cost of smartphones).
• ❌ Remove the feature to avoid problems with Google Play.
• 🔄 Move it to a separate application (e.g. Mi Fitness), but with limited functionality.

The company chose the second option, simplification, and now the standard Watch has only a basic alarm clock without a sleep phase analysis, but in some regions (e.g. China), the function is still available, confirming the version of geographical restrictions due to local data laws.

3. Which Xiaomi models have lost the smart alarm clock?

The changes affected almost all smartphones on MIUI 13/14, but there are nuances:

Interesting fact: on some devices (for example, Xiaomi 13 Ultra) the function is hidden in the engineering menu. It can be activated via ADB, but this requires unlocking the bootloader and can lead to a data reset.

4. How to return a smart alarm clock: 3 working ways

If you are used to the function and do not want to give it up, there are several workarounds:

Method 1: Installation of third-party applications

The easiest way to do this is to use alternatives from Google Play:

• 🌙 Sleep as Android – analyzes sleep phases, integrates with Google Fit and Mi Band.
• 🛌 Pillow – automatically selects the time of awakening, works without advertising (paid).
• ⏰ Alarmy – An alarm clock with wake-up tasks (e.g. scanning) QR-code).

Cons: These apps drain the battery more than the built-in alarm clock, as they need constant access to sensors.

Method 2: Activation through ADB (for Advanced)

On some models, the function can be returned via ADB:

1. Enable USB debugging in Settings → About Phone → MIUI version (click 7 times on the line with the version).
2. Connect your phone to your PC and execute the command: adb shell settings put global smart_alarm_enabled 1
3. Reset the device.

⚠️ Note: This method does not work on all firmware and can cause a failure in the standard clock!

Method 3: Using Mi Band or other wearable devices

If you have a Mi Band 7/8 or Xiaomi Watch S3, you can set up a smart wake-up via the Mi Fitness app:

1. Open Mi Fitness → Profile → Settings → Smart alarm clock.
2. Activate the option and sync with the bracelet.
3. Set a wake-up interval (for example, ±30 minutes from the main time).

Advantage: Sleep data is collected by the bracelet, not the phone, so there is less battery load.

Make a data backup|Check the version. MIUI|Install ADB-Drivers (if you need method 2)|Download an alternative application (method 1)-->

5.Why are alternatives worse than the original function?

Users who switched to third-party alarms note several problems:

• 🔋 Increased battery consumption – apps like Sleep as Android keep sensors active all night long.
• 📱 Conflicts with MIUI — Some alarm clocks do not work correctly with Xiaomi energy saving modes.
• 💰 Subscriptions and Ads – Free versions often limit functionality.
• 🔒 Data is left to third parties – unlike the built-in solution, third-party applications can transfer sleep information to external services.

For these reasons, many users prefer to roll back on the old firmware or wait for Xiaomi to return the feature in a modified form, for example, HyperOS (the new shell from Xiaomi) promises improved control over health data, which may allow the return of the smart alarm clock.

💡

If you use Sleep as Android, turn off the Snoring Monitor option in your settings, which will reduce battery consumption by 15-20%.

6. The future of the smart alarm clock: will Xiaomi bring back the function?

There is a possibility of returning the function, but with reservations:

• 🔄 HyperOS (replacement) MIUI) It can turn on a smart alarm clock, but with a mandatory link to the Mi Account to comply with Google’s requirements.
• 📱 For flagships only, it is possible that the feature will be exclusive to Xiaomi 15 or MIX Fold 4.
• 💡 IoT integration – the alarm clock can work together with Yeelight smart bulbs or Xiaomi speakers for a smooth wake-up.

Xiaomi is rumored to be testing a new AI-powered sleep analysis system that will process data locally (without transferring to servers), which will circumvent Google’s restrictions, but is not scheduled to be released until 2026.

Meanwhile, users can follow the updates in the beta versions of MIUI or try custom firmware like Xiaomi.eu, where sometimes they return deleted features.

💡

If a smart alarm clock is critical, consider buying a ColorOS-based smartphone (like Oppo Find X6) or One UI (Samsung Galaxy S23), which have similar features for now.

7. Frequent Questions About Xiaomi's Smart Alarm