Smartphones of the Redmi i Xiaomi line have a unique shell MIUI or new HyperOS, which is significantly different from stock Android. One of the first tasks a new user faces is personalizing the home screen. Often standard widgets can be deleted accidentally or not installed by default, which creates a feeling of “emptiness” of the interface.
In this article we will look in detail at how to return or add a clock widget to the desktop of your device. We will consider not only standard methods through the widget menu, but also the nuances of working with themes, which often block the installation of third-party interface elements. You'll learn how to change styles, time formats, and solve common problems.
It is important to understand that energy-saving algorithms in the shell MIUI can aggressively unload the processes responsible for updating widgets. Therefore, correct configuration is not limited to simply dragging an icon onto the screen. It is necessary to take into account system limitations and features of the launcher.
The standard installation method is through the widget menu
The most obvious and frequently used method of adding a clock to the lock screen or desktop is available through the context menu. To do this, you need to unlock your smartphone and go to the main screen. Press and hold your finger on any free area of the screen for 1-2 seconds until the editing menu appears.
At the bottom of the display you will see a number of icons, among which we are interested in the “Widgets” item. By clicking on it, the system will open a gallery of available elements. In the list you need to find the category “Clocks” or “Clocks and Tools”. Here is a basic set of widgets that includes digital and analog options.
⚠️ Attention: If you are using a theme downloaded from a theme store, it may completely hide the standard system widgets. In this case, the widget menu will display only elements that are part of the active theme.
Select a suitable design and drag it to an empty space on your desktop. Once placed, the widget can be stretched or compressed by pulling the special handles on its borders, if the selected theme supports resizing. This allows you to adapt the element to your style of smartphone use.
Working with the theme store and third-party styles
The shell MIUI is famous for its deep customization, and the theme store is a central element of this process. If the standard clock isn't your thing, there are thousands of third-party designs available for download. However, installing a new theme often replaces all system widgets with custom ones.
To set a unique clock, go to the Themes application. In the search, enter the query “Clock widget” or “Clock widget”. Filter results by rating to find quality work. When applying a theme, the system will ask which components you want to activate: wallpaper, icons, system sounds or widgets.
- 🎨 Flexibility: You can only apply widgets from the theme, leaving your wallpaper, which gives a huge scope for creativity.
- ⚙️ Compatibility: Some widgets require specific companion applications, as reported in the theme description.
- 🔄 Updates: Third-party widgets may stop working after updating the Android version, requiring an update to the theme itself.
It is worth noting that some premium themes may contain advertising integrations or require a subscription. Free options are often not inferior in quality, but may have a less sophisticated settings interface. Always check user comments before installation.
Risks of using third-party themes
Some themes may contain code that slows down the interface or causes conflicts with system services. If, after installing the theme, the screen began to slow down or the widgets disappeared, it is recommended to reset the theme to the standard “Classic” in the design settings.
Setting the time format and appearance
After the widget is installed, the user often needs to change the displayed information. Standard widgets Xiaomi allow you to flexibly customize the display. Tap or hold on the widget to bring up the settings menu (if the feature is supported by the current theme).
In the configuration menu, you can switch between 12-hour and 24-hour format. There is also an option to display the second hand on analog watch faces, which can be useful for timing short tasks, but consumes additional battery power.
Settings → Advanced settings → Date and time → Use 24-hour formatFor deeper customization, including choosing fonts and colors, you may need to use the Themes app even for system widgets. The “Profile” section inside the theme store often hides settings for components that are not displayed in the main menu of the system.
Use widgets with dark backgrounds on Redmi AMOLED screens to significantly save battery power, since black pixels on such matrices do not consume energy.
Using Google Widgets and third-party applications
If the functionality of standard tools is not enough, the ecosystem Android offers alternatives. Widgets from Google (Google Clock) often have a cleaner design and better integrate with the search giant's services, such as calendar and tasks.
To install a Google widget, find the “Clock” item in the list of widgets with the Google logo. They are characterized by minimalism and the absence of unnecessary animation, which has a positive effect on the performance of budget models. Third-party applications from Redmi.
Third party apps from Google Playsuch as HD Widgets or Overdropprovide an unprecedented level of detail. You can create your own watch faces, combine fonts, backgrounds and additional weather indicators.
| Widget type | RAM consumption | Customizability | Integration with MIUI |
|---|---|---|---|
| System (MIUI) | Low | Medium | Full |
| Google Clock | Medium | Low | Good |
| Third-party (HD Widgets) | High | Maximum | Limited |
When using heavy third-party widgets, it is recommended to add the application to the battery exception list so that the system does not “kill” the time update process in the background.
Problem solving: widgets disappear or are not updated
One of the most common problems on smartphones Redmi is spontaneous disappearance widgets or stop updating the time. This is due to the aggressive energy saving policy of the shell MIUI. The system considers the widget to be a background process and closes it to save resources.
To fix this, you need to manually configure permissions. Go to Settings → Applications → All Apps. Find “Clock” or the name of a third-party widget in the list. Go to the “Autostart” item and turn it on.
- 🔋 Battery saving: Set the “No restrictions” mode in the battery saving menu for the watch application.
- 🔒 Locking: Lock the application in the running tasks menu (swipe down on the application preview) so that it does not close when cleaning memory.
- 📡 Synchronization: Make sure that network time synchronization is enabled so that the widget does not show the wrong time after a reboot.
⚠️ Attention: After updating the operating system HyperOS or MIUI permission settings may be reset. If the watch stops working after the update, repeat the procedure for setting up autorun.
☑️ Diagnosing problems with the widget
Additional functions and hidden features
Many users do not know that the clock widget on Redmi is not just a static picture. Clicking on most system widgets opens a full clock application with alarms, timer, and stopwatch. This allows you to quickly set a reminder without searching for an icon in the menu.
Some themes support “live” widgets that respond to touches or change color depending on the time of day. For example, the background can be light during the day and dark at night, so as not to dazzle your eyes in the dark.
It is also possible to display a second time zone (for another city), which is extremely convenient for those who often communicate with relatives or partners from other countries. This function can be configured in the menu of the widget itself, if the theme allows it.
Stable operation of widgets on Redmi depends not so much on the power of the processor, but on the correct power saving settings and permissions for a specific application.
Why does the clock widget show the wrong time?
Most often, the reason lies in disabled time synchronization via the network or an erroneous time zone. Check the date and time settings on the system, turn on “Auto-detection of time” and “Auto-detection of time zone”. Also, the problem may be in the cache of the Clock application, which should be cleared through the app settings.
Is it possible to change the font only on the clock widget?
It is not possible to change the font separately only for the widget using system tools. The widget font depends on the active theme. To change it, you need to download a theme with a different style of numbers or use third-party widgets from Google Play that have their own font settings.
The widget disappeared after a reboot, what's the matter?
This is a classic symptom of the energy saving system. Android “killed” the widget process when the screen was turned off or rebooted. It is necessary to enable autorun and remove background activity restrictions for the application responsible for the widget, as described in the problem solving section.