Introduction: Why Xiaomi Apps May Not Show Time incorrectly
Owners of Xiaomi, Redmi or POCO smartphones often face a situation where the time in some applications does not coincide with the system clock of the device, this can manifest itself as a shift by several hours, and the complete absence of time display in messengers, social networks or banking services, the reasons for this behavior lie in the settings of the MIUI firmware itself, and in the peculiarities of individual programs.
In this article, we’ll look at all the ways you can check and synchronize time, from basic date/time settings to hidden firmware features and third-party utilities, and focus on the nuances of automatic network synchronization, manual time zones, and conflicts between system clocks and application data. If you notice that Telegram messages arrive 3 hours late and WhatsApp doesn’t display time at all, here’s the solution.
It is important to understand that the problem is not always related to the hardware of the smartphone, most often the fault of the software settings that can be fixed in a few minutes, then step-by-step instructions for all versions of MIUI (including MIUI 14 and HyperOS).
Method 1: Checking the system clock and time zones
The first thing you need to do is make sure that your smartphone has the right date, time and time zone, and even if the home screen is the right time, you can set the manual mode or the wrong time zone in the settings.
- Open Settings → Additional settings → Date and time.
- Make sure the Auto-Date and Time Switch is active (blue slider).
- Check if "Time Zone Auto-Detection" is enabled.
- If the automatic mode is disabled, manually select your region in the Time Zone list (for example, Moscow, GMT+3).
⚠️ Note: Some Xiaomi models (e.g. Redmi Note 10 Pro) POCO X3 Pro) after the firmware update, the time zone settings are lost. MIUI 14 or HyperOS, be sure to check this item.
Make sure date and time autodetermination is enabled |
Check the correct time zone |
Reboot the smartphone after the changes |
Check time with another device (for example, a laptop)-->
If after this manipulation, the time in the applications is still incorrect, move to the next method, perhaps the problem lies in the settings of a particular application or conflict with the sync servers.
Method 2: Synchronize time through Xiaomi account settings
MIUI firmware is closely integrated with Xiaomi’s account, and sometimes time synchronization failures are associated with it, especially for applications using cloud services (Mi Cloud, Mi Fit, Mi Home).
- Go to Settings → Xiaomi account.
- Slip on your profile and select "Synchronization".
- Make sure that the date and time synchronization slider is active.
- If you don’t have an option, update the Mi Account app via Google Play.
⚠️ Note: On HyperOS devices (e.g. Xiaomi 14 or Redmi) K70) The path to sync settings may vary.Look for the Cloud and Account section in the main settings.
If the problem persists, try logging out of your Xiaomi account and re-entering it, which will reset the sync cache and may eliminate the time server Conflict, and remember that it will require Internet access.
MIUI 12/13|
MIUI 14|
HyperOS|
The other one/I don't know-->
Method 3: Set up time in individual applications
Some apps (e.g. Telegram, Viber, Discord) have their own time settings, independent of the system settings. If other programs show time correctly and one or two do not, the problem is likely to lie in their internal settings.
Here’s how to fix it for popular messengers:
- 📱 Telegram: Open Settings → Chats and calls → Time format. Select "Local time" instead of "Server time".
- 💬 WhatsApp: This messenger doesn't have separate time settings, it takes data from servers. If time is lost, try clearing the app's cache in Settings. → Annexes → WhatsApp → Warehouse.
- 🎮 Discord: Go to User Settings → Appearance and enable the "Use" option 24-hour clock (if you need a 24-hour format).
- 🏦 Banking apps (SberBank, Tinkoff, etc.): Usually take time from the bank's servers. If it is incorrect, check your phone's settings for manual date changes (banks block access if time mismatches).
⚠️ Attention: B MIUI 14 and HyperOS have a bug that causes some applications (e.g, VK Or OK, they can show you a 1 to 2 hour shift in messages, and that's because of a bad work. API The solution is to upgrade the firmware to the latest version or roll back to a stable build.
How to get back to a stable version of MIUI?
Method 4: Use of widgets and third-party watches
If the system time is displayed correctly, but you need to quickly watch it directly from apps (for example, in Mi Fit or Zepp Life), you can add a watch widget to the home screen or use specialized utilities. This is true for users who often switch between time zones or need additional features (for example, world time or stopwatch).
Instructions for adding a widget:
- Press and hold the empty space on the main screen.
- Select "Widgets" in the lower menu.
- Scroll through the list to the “Clock” section and select the appropriate option (e.g., “Analogue Watch” or “Date Digital Watch”).
- Drag the widget onto the screen and adjust its size.
For advanced features, we recommend installing one of these applications:
| Annex | Functions | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Clock Widget | 100+ styles of widgets, world time, alarm clock | Google Play |
| Digital Clock Widget | Minimalistic digital watch with color setting | Google Play |
| World Clock Time Widget | Time display in several cities at the same time | Google Play |
| Chronus | Weather, calendar, tasks + hours in one widget | Google Play |
⚠️ Attention: On Xiaomi with a shell POCO Launcher (set by default on the POCO F5 or POCO X6 Pro) Watch widgets may not display correctly. In this case, try changing the launcher to a standard one. MIUI Launcher or update POCO Launcher to the latest version.
Method 5: Reset the time and date settings (if nothing helps)
If all previous methods failed, the configuration files responsible for time synchronization may have crashed, in which case resetting the date and time settings to factory settings will help, a procedure that does not affect personal data (photos, contacts, messages), but will return all synchronization parameters to the original state.
How to perform the reset:
- Open Settings → System → Resetting settings.
- Select "Date and Time Reset" (some models may refer to this as "Network Reset").
- Confirm the action with a pattern lock or password.
- After resetting, restart the device.
If the time in the applications is still displayed incorrectly after reset, this may indicate a hardware malfunction of the RTC (Real-Time Clock) module. In this case, contact the Xiaomi service center - self-repair can lead to a loss of warranty.
💡
Before resetting your time settings, turn off automatic sync in your Google account (Settings → Accounts → Google → Account Sync) to prevent conflict with Google servers after the reset.
Method 6: Verification of synchronization with NTP servers
Xiaomi smartphones use the Network Time Protocol (NTP) protocol to synchronize time, which accesses the exact time servers on the Internet. If these servers are not available (for example, due to a provider lock or DNS problems), the clock on the device can float. To diagnose and fix this:
- Install the ClockSync app from Google Play.
- Open it and press "Sync Now".
- If the synchronization is successful, but the time in the applications is still incorrect, the problem is in the applications themselves or their servers.
- If synchronization fails, try changing the NTP server manually (e.g. pool.ntp.org or time.google.com).
For advanced users, you can manually ping the NTP server through Termux (root rights required).
su
ping time1.google.comIf the ping doesn’t go away, the problem is on your ISP’s side: Try connecting to another network (e.g., via mobile internet instead of Wi-Fi) or use a VPN.
Additional tips for specific Xiaomi models
Some Xiaomi models have unique features of working with time, here is what owners of popular devices need to know:
- 📱 Redmi Note 12 Pro+: On this model in MIUI 14 has a bug with automatic winter/summer time switching, so the solution is to manually update the time zone when the season changes.
💡
If your Xiaomi has different status bar and app time, it’s a sign of conflict between MIUI/HyperOS and Android services. Solution: Turn off Double Watch in status bar settings (Settings → Screen → Status bar).