Choosing wearables for Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO smartphones has become an exciting quest because of the huge number of options available.The market is crowded with devices that promise perfect integration, but not all of them reveal their potential in pairs with the shell of MIUI or HyperOS. Users often face a situation when a beautiful watch refuses to show notifications from messengers or incorrectly synchronize health data.
In this article, we will discuss in detail what watches will connect to Xiaomi’s phone without dancing with diamond and complex settings. We will look at both proprietary solutions from the Mi Home ecosystem and third-party gadgets based on Wear OS, which require a special approach to Android resolutions.
Understanding the backgrounds of MIUI is key to any tracker running smoothly. The aggressively system unloads the background applications to save energy, which often leads to a break in the connection to the watch. So choosing a model is only half the success, the second half lies in the correct software setup.
Ecosystem Mi Home: native solutions and sub-brands
The most obvious and hassle-free choices are devices made directly for the Xiaomi ecosystem, including Huami’s Mi Band fitness bracelets (now Zepp Health) and Mi Watch smartwatches, which use communication protocols optimized specifically for Qualcomm and MediaTek chipsets, which are often installed in Xiaomi smartphones.
A special place is occupied by products of sub-brands such as Amazfit and Haylou. Although they can be positioned as independent, their software base often echoes MIUI. For example, the Amazfit GTS or GTR series watches provide deep integration, allowing not only to receive notifications, but also to manage music, alarm clocks and even the weather on the wrist with minimal delay.
Importantly, these devices often require more than one application to work, and basic management is done via Mi Fitness (formerly Zepp Life), but advanced functionality may require a MIUI plugin. Without this component, some system fonts or dials may not display correctly.
- 🔋 High energy efficiency thanks to Bluetooth Low Energy protocol optimization.
- 📲 Automatic installation of the necessary drivers at the first interface.
- 🌐 Full localization of the interface and support of the Russian language out of the box».
- 🛠 The ability to update the firmware of the watch directly through the smartphone interface.
Third-party manufacturers: Samsung, Huawei and Garmin
Many users are wondering if it is possible to connect to the phone Xiaomi watches of other well-known brands such as Samsung, Huawei or Garmin. The answer is unequivocal: yes, the technical ability to connect via Bluetooth is available in all modern smartphones based on Android.
The Wear OS (formerly Android Wear), which includes Fossil, TicWatch and the new Samsung Galaxy Watch, works like full-fledged minicomputers. They require the installation of a variety of Google services, which may be limited in China but are stable on global versions of MIUI. Problems can arise with the synchronization of contacts and calls, since Xiaomi often blocks third-party applications from accessing the microphone and telephony.
Huawei and Honor devices use their own protocols and Huawei Health app (formerly Wear OS). Their stable performance on Xiaomi often requires manual auto-start tuning and removing battery limitations. Unlike the native Mi Band, the system doesn't "know" the device in person, so it considers it a normal energy consumer that needs to be limited.
The problem with Bluetooth on older models
It’s also worth mentioning the Realme brand and their Watch.They use the Realme Link app, which oddly enough works pretty stable on Xiaomi, albeit with occasional connection breaks when using GPS on the phone actively.
Technical requirements and versions of Android
It is not enough to enable Bluetooth to successfully pair. A critical parameter is the version of the Android operating system installed on your smartphone. Older watch models may not support newer versions of Android (13, 14), while modern gadgets may require a minimum version of Android 8.0 or higher.
Special attention should be paid to permissions. MIUI has a complex system of permissions, which is divided into standard and special. For watches, the permissions on "Above Other Applications", "Autostart" and access to geolocation even in the background are critical. Without these conditions, the watch will constantly lose communication with the phone.
Below is a table of compatibility of popular watch series with MIUI versions:
| Clock series | Min version of Android | Annex required | Stability at MIUI 14 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mi Band 8 | Android 6.0+ | Mi Fitness | Tall. |
| Amazfit GTR 4 | Android 7.0+ | Zepp | Tall. |
| Samsung Watch 5 | Android 8.0+ | Galaxy Wearable | Medium |
| Garmin Venu | Android 7.0+ | Garmin Connect | Low (requires settings) |
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For stable third-party watches on Xiaomi, be sure to turn off the energy savings for the partner app in the battery settings.
Step-by-step instructions for connecting and setting up
The process of connecting the watch to a Xiaomi smartphone may vary depending on the accessory manufacturer, but the basic algorithm of actions remains the same: first you need to prepare the smartphone: turn on Bluetooth, GPS and make sure that the battery charge of both devices is at least 20%.
Download the official app from Google Play Market. Avoid installing modified versions APK-files from unverified sources, as they may contain malicious code or lack the necessary security certificates to work with Bluetooth.
Once you install the app, start searching for the devices. If the watch is new, it should go into pairing mode automatically. If the device has been previously used, you may need to reset to factory settings via the Settings → System → Disconnect menu.
☑️ Checklist of successful connection
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When pairing the watch and smartphone, a confirmation code will appear on the screen, make sure the codes match before you click "Confirm." Then you will synchronize the time, date and install updates.
⚠️ Warning: Do not attempt to pair the clock through the standard Bluetooth menu in your Android settings. This will cause a connection error. The entire process must be initiated exclusively from within the partner app.
Solving Notification and Synchronization Problems
The most common problem for owners of the Xiaomi + Watch bundle is the lack of notifications from WhatsApp, Telegram or Viber. This is because MIUI aggressively kills background processes. To fix this, you need to go to the settings of the application through which the watch is connected (for example, Zepp or Mi Fitness), and in the Notifications section allow access to the list of applications.
There is also a common problem when notifications arrive late or the clock does not vibrate, in which case you need to check the settings of the messenger app itself, and inside WhatsApp or Telegram, sound and vibration must be allowed, otherwise the watch will receive a “quiet” notification that will be ignored.
If the timing of steps or pulse is not correct, try to clear the cache of the Mi Fitness or Zepp application. Go to Settings → Apps → All Apps → [App name] → Memory → Clear the cache. It is important not to confuse cleaning the cache with cleaning the data, as in the second case you will have to re-tether the clock.
- 🔔 Check if the “Do Not Disturb” mode on the clock is turned on.
- 📶 Make sure your smartphone has active mobile internet or Wi-Fi.
- 🔄 Reboot both devices to reset temporary network errors.
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90% of notification problems on Xiaomi are solved by fixing the application in memory and banning it from closing the system.
Comparison of features: Mi Band vs. Wear OS
When choosing a Xiaomi phone watch, users often fluctuate between simple trackers like the Mi Band and full-fledged smartwatches on Wear OS. The former benefit from autonomy: they last up to 14 days without recharging; the latter require charging every 24-48 hours, but offer the installation of apps, maps and the ability to respond to messages with voice.
Integration with the smart home ecosystem is another important aspect: Xiaomi watches allow you to control light bulbs, sockets and cameras directly from the wrist through Mi Home scripts. Watches on Wear OS can also do this, but often require the installation of additional widgets or third-party launcher apps, which complicates the interface.
In terms of sport, a dedicated Garmin or Suunto watch connected to Xiaomi will yield more accurate data thanks to advanced algorithms, but synchronizing it with Google Fit across third-party bridges (like Health Sync) can be paid or unstable.Native Mi Band syncs with Mi Fitness instantly and for free.
⚠️ Note: When installing third-party dials on Wear OS From Xiaomi phone make sure they don’t require constant updates in the background, otherwise the watch battery will run out in a few hours.