How to Find and Enable Xiaomi Device: From Phone to Smartwatch

Why is Xiaomi not on or on the network?

You lost your Xiaomi smartphone, your Mi Band smartwatch, or any other ecosystem device, and now it's not answering your calls, it's not Bluetooth-detected, or it's not on at all? The reasons can range from simple battery drains to software failures or even theft. In this article, we'll look at all the ways to find a device, turn it on remotely, or restore access if it's locked.

It is important to understand that the algorithm of actions depends on the type of device. For smartphones (Redmi, POCO, Mi), Find Device functions are available (analogue to Find iPhone), and for smart watches or Xiaomi speakers, their methods of searching through the Mi Home or Wear OS applications. If the device does not turn on physically, you will need hardware diagnostics (for example, checking the charging port or battery).

Before you start your search, answer two key questions:

• 🔋 Is the device discharged or turned off? – If so, then first you need to provide power (connect to charging or use wireless charging for supported models).
• 🔒 Is Mi Account Connected to Your Device? – Without a Xiaomi Account, most remote management features will not be available.

Method 1: Search for Xiaomi smartphone through the official service Find Device

If your Xiaomi smartphone is lost but is on and connected to the Internet, use the official Find Device service (formerly Mi Cloud).

• 📍 Determine the location of the device on the map (with an accuracy of 5-50 meters depending on the signal) GPS).
• 🔊 Turn on the sound signal even in silent mode (volume - 100%).
• 🔒 Lock the device and display a message with a contact for communication.
• 🧹 Delete all data remotely (if recovery is not possible).

To use the service:

1. Go to i.mi.com and log in to the same Mi Account that is linked to the lost device.
2. In the Devices section, select the desired gadget from the list (if there are several).
3. Click Find the device and the system will show the last known location.

⚠️ Note: If geolocation services or mobile data are disabled on the device/Wi-Fi, Find Device won't be able to locate, so if you do, try turning on the beep, it'll work when you're connected to the network.

Device is on and connected to the Internet |Mi Account is tied to the device | Phone settings have enabled the option "Find the device" | There is enough battery charge on the device (minimum 10%)

-->

Method 2: Remotely enable your smartphone via Mi Account (if it is turned off)

If Xiaomi is off but has a charge, you can try to turn it on remotely via Mi Account, which only works for devices with bootloader or root rights unlocked, but in some cases even helps on standard firmware.

Instructions for advanced users:

1. Install ADB and Fastboot on your computer.
2. Connect another Xiaomi device (or emulator) with the same Mi Account.
3. Enter the command to send the wake-up signal at the terminal: adb shell am broadcast -a android.intent.action.BOOT_COMPLETED Note: This method does not guarantee 100% result, as it depends on the firmware version and model.

For most users, a more reliable way is to wait until the device turns on itself when connecting to a charge. Modern Xiaomi smartphones (such as the Redmi Note 12 or POCO F5) automatically turn on when a minimum charge level (usually 3-5%) is reached.

Method 3: Search for Xiaomi smart watches and fitness bracelets

For Mi Band, Xiaomi Watch or Amazfit devices (which also belong to the Xiaomi ecosystem), the search algorithm is different. These gadgets do not support Find Device, but they can be found through:

• 📱 Mi Fit/Zepp app – shows the latest sync with the phone (accuracy up to 100 meters).
• 🔊 The function "Find the bracelet" in the device settings (the sound signal is triggered if the gadget is in range of Bluetooth).
• 🌍 Activity map – if the clock is on GPS, You can see the route in the app (for example, for Xiaomi Watch). S3).

If the smartwatch is dead, it can only be physically “waked up”:

1. Connect to the charger (a magnetic cable is used for the Mi Band 7/8).
2. Wait 10-15 minutes – most models turn on automatically when they reach 20% charge.
3. If the screen is unresponsive, reset (for Mi Band: press the touch button for 20 seconds).

Method 4: Restoring access if the device is locked

If you find a Xiaomi device but it is locked (forgot your password, pattern lock, or PIN), there are several ways to unlock it:

For smartphones:

• 🔑 Reset via Mi Account – if the device is tied to the account, after 5 failed attempts of entering, the option Forgot the password will appear? → Enter the username and password from Mi Account.
• 📱 Fastboot mode – connect your phone to your PC, go to Fastboot (clip Volume Down) + Power) and execute the command: fastboot oem unlock Attention: This will erase all data!

For a smartwatch:

• ⚙️ Reset via app – in Mi Fit or Zepp select device → Untie. → confirm the reset.
• 🔄 Hardware reset – for Mi Band, press the touch button for 30 seconds until vibration appears.

⚠️ Note: On devices with data encryption (for example, Xiaomi 13 Pro or POCO F4) Reset via Fastboot can cause loss of access to internal memory even after unlocking.

💡

If you often forget passwords, turn on the Smart Lock option in your smartphone settings (Settings → Screen Lock → Smart Lock) to unlock your phone over a Bluetooth device (such as a smartwatch) or on trusted Wi-Fi networks.

Method 5: Search through Google Find My Device (for devices with Google Mobile Services)

If you have Google services installed on your Xiaomi smartphone (not just Mi Services), you can use an alternative service called Find My Device, which works even if Xiaomi’s Find Device is disabled.

The benefits of finding my device:

• 🔍 More accurate geolocation through integration with Google Maps.
• 📱 It works on all devices with Google Play Services (including Google Play Services). POCO Redmi for the global market).
• 🔒 Ability to lock the device and leave a message on the screen.

How to use:

1. Go to Find My Device and log in to the same Google account that you use on your phone.
2. Select the lost device from the list.
3. Press Playback (sounds 5 minutes at full volume) or Lock the device.

If the device is turned off, the service will show the last known location and notify you when it reconnects to the internet.

💡

For maximum protection, enable both search features on Xiaomi’s smartphone: Find Device (from Xiaomi) and Find My Device (from Google).

What to do if the device is stolen?

If you suspect theft, act quickly:

1. Lock your device through Find Device or Find My Device.
2. Delete data remotely if sensitive files are stored on the phone (bank applications, photos, etc.).
3. Contact the police – provide the IMEI device (you can find out through a box or check, or in Mi Account → Devices → Information).
4. Check your account activity – if an attacker tries to log in to your Mi Account, you will receive an email notification.

For IMEI lock-up:

• In Russia and CIS countries, contact the operator (for example, MTS, Beeline) with a statement about blocking.
• In Europe and the United States, IMEI can be blacklisted through local services (e.g. Stolen Phone Checker).

⚠️ Note: After remote deletion, it will not be possible to restore data even if the device returns to you. Backups in Mi Cloud will only be saved if they were created before the lock.

FAQ: Frequent questions about finding and enabling Xiaomi devices