Xiaomi’s modern smartphone with a MIUI or HyperOS shell is a complex ecosystem where standard apps often duplicate each other or conflict with user preferences. Google’s standard calendar can seem too simple, while Xiaomi’s native app is overflowing with ads or unnecessary features you don’t need. Users often find themselves faced with the situation when trying to create an event from another service, the system offers to choose an app again each time, which is annoying and time-consuming.
Understanding how to change your default calendar is critical to effectively organize your personal time and business meetings. Incorrectly configured reminders can simply not come or get lost in the depths of an unconnected account. In this article, we will detail how the Android operating system works on Xiaomi devices so that you can prioritize the scheduling tool that is convenient for you.
The setup process doesn’t require root rights or complex manipulation of system files, but it does require attention to interface details.We’ll look at both the system’s regular tools and workarounds for cases where the desired menu item is hidden by developers.You’ll learn how to manage accounts, configure synchronization, and resolve the typical conflicts between Google Calendar and Mi Calendar.
Why Change the Standard Calendar App
The main reason users are looking to change the default app is because of the different functionality and interface. Xiaomi’s native calendar is often integrated with local services that may be useless outside of China, or contains intrusive advertising. At the same time, many users are used to Google’s ecosystem, where events are synchronized with email, tasks and smart speakers without additional settings.
And then there are specialty scheduler apps like Business Calendar or TimeTree that offer unique widgets and collaborative scheduling features, and if you've installed this software, it makes sense to make it the main one, so that instant messengers can be linked to the right interface, which greatly improves productivity and reduces digital noise.
It’s important to note that changing the default app affects not only link opening, but also the way Google Assistant or Xiao AI works. When you say “meet me tomorrow at five,” the system needs to know which database to save the event in. If priority is not given, the assistant can choose the app at random or ask your opinion every time.
⚠️ Note: Before removing or disabling a standard app, make sure all your data is synced to the cloud. Local events stored only in the phone's memory can be lost without recovery.
Also worth considering is the impact on device autonomy: Some third-party calendars have more aggressive battery optimization or, conversely, consume more resources due to constant background updates. Choosing the right app helps balance between functionality and smartphone life on a single charge.
The difference between Mi Calendar and Google Calendar
Xiaomi devices have two main calendars pre-installed, and understanding their differences is key to a competent setup. Mi Calendar (often displayed simply as a "Calendar" with a red icon) is deeply integrated into the MIUI shell. It can display the lunar calendar, Chinese holidays, and has specific widgets that may not work properly with other launchers.
Google Calendar is the standard for a pure Android operating system, with its main advantage being cross-platform and lack of binding to a specific iron manufacturer. If you plan to switch to another smartphone in the future, such as Samsung or Pixel, using Google services will instantly transfer all events without losing data.
Here are the main differences that should be considered when choosing:
- 📅 The Mi Calendar has a denser layout of elements, while Google offers a minimalist and “airy” design, easy to read quickly.
- 🔄 Sync: Google syncs with all of the company’s services (Gmail, Meet, Tasks), while Mi Calendar works better with Mi Account and local holidays.
- 🔔 Notifications: Notification system in MIUI Aggressively 'kills' background processes: Google Calendar sometimes requires additional permission tweaks to ensure events are recalled in time.
Users often confuse the two apps, especially when they see events from both accounts on the same list. In fact, one application can only act as an aggregator, displaying data from different sources. However, the application chosen by default will create new events when interacting with the system.
The Hidden Function of the Mi Calendar
How to assign a calendar application by default in settings
The procedure for assigning a priority application may vary depending on the version of the MIUI shell or HyperOS. In the newer versions of Android (11, 12, 13, 14), the system has become more tightly controlled this parameter, sometimes hiding direct selection of the Calendar in the general list.
You first need to go to the main settings menu on your smartphone, find a section called Apps or All Apps, and in some versions of the interface, this item is hidden inside the Advanced Settings menu, and your goal is to get to the control of the system launch parameters.
Next, you should find the item "Default Apps." If this item is not in the general list, try searching by settings by entering the "default" query. In the menu that opens, find the category "Calendar." If the system allows, just select the desired application from the list (for example, Google or Business Calendar).
☑️ Checklist for setting priorities
However, in Xiaomi shells, you often find that the default calendar choice is blocked or hidden, in which case the system will ask you every time how to open a link or create an event. This is not a bug, but a feature of the implementation. If you encounter this, do not panic - the solution exists and is described in the following sections.
Once you have selected a new app, try creating a test event through a voice assistant or from another app to check the result. If the system has started asking for choices again, then the setting has not survived and you need to reset preferences.
Setup through application management and reset settings
If the direct selection in the Default Apps menu is unavailable or not working properly, you need to use a forced association reset method, which causes the system to “forget” the previous choice and prompt you to select the application again, after which you can tick “Always”.
To do this, go to Settings → Apps → All Apps. Find the app that is currently opening when creating events (such as Mi Calendar). Click on it to open the app information page. At the bottom of the screen or in the menu (three dots in the corner), find the default or default button.
Click on the "Clear Default Settings" or "Reset" button, and after that, the system will stop prioritizing the application. Now, when you try to create an event or open a calendar link, a dialog box will appear on the screen asking "What to open?"
In the list that appears, select the desired application (for example, Google Calendar) and be sure to click the Always button (or Default) button. From now on, the system will ignore other calendars installed when you automatically act.
| Action. | Mi Calendar. | Google Calendar | Third-party (e.g. TimeTree) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Creating an Event From SMS | Automatically. | Requires customization | Depends on the app. |
| Synchronization with Gmail | Through the account. | Native. | Through the CalDAV protocol |
| Desktop widgets | Rich choice | Standard. | Unique designs |
| Battery consumption (background) | Medium. | Low (optimized) | Tall (often) |
⚠️ Warning: When resetting default settings for system applications, don't delete their data unless you're sure of the consequences.
This method is the most reliable for Android versions, where manufacturers hide direct switches.It works on the Xiaomi Redmi Note, Poco and the flagship Mi series equally efficiently.
Solving synchronization and notification problems
A common problem with changing the main calendar is that notifications stop coming, and that's because MIUI has an aggressive energy saving system that freezes the background, and if you switch to Google Calendar, but the notifications don't come, you have to set up autostart.
Go to the Safety app (green lightning icon) → Permissions → Auto Start. Find your new calendar and turn on the slider. It is also recommended to go to the battery settings and select the No Limits mode for the selected application, which ensures that the system does not kill the reminder process.
Another important aspect is accounts: Make sure that the calendar app itself has the right account for creating default events, and it often happens that the app is worth the price, but it tries to save the event to the phone's local calendar, which is out of sync.
💡
Expert advice: To check synchronization, create an event on your computer through your browser, and then force the app on your phone to update. If the event occurs, the synchronization works correctly.
If the events are duplicated (the same thing is displayed twice), check if the layers are simultaneously rendered, go to the calendar settings and make sure that the tick is only on one data source, or use the Hide calendar function for duplicate accounts inside the aggregator application.
In some cases, cleaning the app cache helps. Go to Settings → Apps → [Your Calendar] → Memory → Clear the cache. Don’t confuse it with Clear Data, as this will remove the app’s local settings.
Use of third-party calendars and widgets
The Android ecosystem allows you to install any alternative calendars from the Google Play Market. Popular options like Business Calendar 2 or DigiCal offer functionality that is not available for stock solutions: integration with weather, tasks, more flexible widget design.
To use this app fully, it also needs to be assigned to the primary, using the methods described above. Third-party applications often have their own widgets that look much more modern and informative than the standard ones. You can put on your desktop a weekly to-do list with an hourly breakdown.
However, the use of third-party software on Xiaomi has its nuances: the MIUI shell can block the display of widgets of third-party applications or prevent them from updating in real time. To solve this problem, you may need to lock the application in memory (swipe down in the menu of running applications and press the lock).
⚠️ Warning: Third-party widgets may consume more battery power than standard widgets due to constant interface updates.
When choosing an alternative, note that CalDAV support is available if you are using enterprise Exchange servers or Yandex.Calendar, which will provide two-way synchronization without the need to install additional synchronization applications.
💡
The main conclusion: Successful calendar change depends not only on the choice of the application, but also on the correct setting of permissions for auto-start and work in the background in the context of aggressive optimization of MIUI.