Xiaomi smartwatches are no longer just a time-display accessory, but today they are full-fledged gadgets that can replace a fitness bracelet, a smart home remote control, and even a partially smartphone, but many users use only 20-30% of their capabilities, unaware of hidden features and advanced application scenarios.
In this article, we’ll take a closer look at what Xiaomi smartwatches can do, from basic features like pedometers to exotic features like sleep control or smartphone gesture control. We’ll focus on the differences between popular models (Mi Watch, Watch S1, Watch 2 Pro) and how to unlock their potential 100%. If you think your watch is just showing time and counting steps, be prepared to be surprised.
1. Health monitoring: more than pulse and steps
The basic set of health features is even in Xiaomi’s budget models, but flagship watches (Watch 2 Pro, S1 Pro) offer a medical level of diagnosis.
- 🩺 Measure blood pressure (requires calibration with a blood pressure monitor, but shows dynamics)
- 💓 Take an ECG (in certified models, such as the Mi Watch Color 2)
- 😴 Analyze sleep phases with 95% accuracy (According to Xiaomi)
- 🫁 Control the saturation of blood with oxygen (SpO₂) real-time
Important: for accurate readings, pressure and ECG measurements require pre-tuning in the Mi Fitness application and regular calibration, without which the data may differ from medical devices by 10-15 mm Hg in pressure.
Hidden feature: Xiaomi Watch S1 has a stress analysis for heart rate variability (HRV). If the score is above 60 ms, the body is at rest, below 40 ms, severe stress. This feature is hidden in the Health → Stress menu.
2 Fitness tracker: 100+ sports and hidden modes
Xiaomi officially claims to support 100+ sports modes, but in practice there are more.
- 🏊 Swimming in the pool (automatically determines style and counts circles)
- 🧘 Yoga and Pilates (tracks the correctness of postures according to the accelerometer)
- 🚴 Cycling with connection to speed/cadence sensors (via Bluetooth)
- ⛰️ Climbing with barometer (in models with pressure sensor)
Secret mode: If you turn on Exercise → Other types and select Free Training, the watch will record all metrics (pulse, calories, trajectory) without reference to a particular sport.
| Model clock | Number of regimes | GPS support | Water protection (ATM) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mi Watch Lite | 10 | ❌ No. | 5 ATM |
| Watch S1 Active | 117 | ✅ Built-in | 5 ATM |
| Watch 2 Pro | 150+ | ✅ Dual-band GPS | 5 ATM |
⚠️ Note: When swimming in open water (sea, lake) even with protection 5 ATM It is not recommended to press the buttons underwater - this can violate the tightness. Use a touch screen or voice commands (if supported).
3. Smart home management: from light bulbs to robots
Xiaomi smart watches are integrated with the Mi Home ecosystem, allowing you to control more than 2,000 devices right from the wrist.
- 💡 Lighting control (on/off, brightness and color change)
- 🔌 Control of sockets (remote shutdown of an iron or kettle)
- 🤖 Control of the robot vacuum cleaner (start cleaning, return to base)
- 🚪 Opening locks (compatible with Xiaomi Smart Door Lock)
How to set up:
- Install the Mi Home app on your smartphone
- Add all smart home devices to one network
- In the settings of the clock, turn on the option Smart Home → Synchronization of devices
- Bare commands (e.g., "Switch on the light in the living room") are supported only in models with a microphone (Watch S1 Pro).
Sync your Mi Account with your watch|Add devices to Mi Home|Update the watch firmware|Check the Wi-Fi connection-->
⚠️ Note: If after updating the firmware of the watch, devices from the smart home list are missing, reset the synchronization: → Smart home. → Reset. It'll bring back all the bindings without adding the devices again.
4. Multimedia: Music, Photography and Voice Assistant
Few people know, but Xiaomi smart watches can become a full-fledged music player or remote for photography.
- 🎵 Autonomous music playback (up to 2 GB of memory in Watch 2 Pro)
- 📸 Control of the smartphone camera (delay in shooting, change of modes)
- 🎤 Xiao's voice assistant AI (It only works on Chinese firmware)
- 📞 Call reception (in models with SIM-card or phone connection)
Lifehack: To download music for the clock:
- Connect the watch to your PC via Bluetooth (in file sharing mode)
- Copy. MP3-files in the Music folder on the clock
- Use a standard player or Spotify (requires a premium account)
Limitation: The audio format must be MP3 with a bitrate not higher than 320 kbps. FLAC or WAV files are not played.
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To quickly find a watch if it is lost at home, use the "Device Search" feature in the Mi Fitness app. The watch will emit a loud beep, even if it is in silent mode.
5 Performance and autonomy: how to extend battery life
Autonomy smart watches Xiaomi varies from 5 days (Watch) S1 s AMOLED-Up to 14 days (Mi Watch Lite with E-Ink) but there are ways to extend the work:
- 🔋 Turn off the active screen (saves up to 30% of charge)
- 📡 Reduce the frequency of data synchronization (every 30 minutes instead of 5)
- 🚫 Turn off unnecessary notifications (especially from messengers)
- 🌡️ Use dark themes (on the subject) AMOLED-screens reduce consumption)
Table of autonomy of popular models:
| Model | Battery (mAh) | Autonomy (days) | Fast charging. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mi Watch Lite | 230 | 10-14 | ❌ No. |
| Watch S1 Active | 470 | 7-10 | ✅ 2 hours to 100% |
| Watch 2 Pro | 760 | 5-7 | ✅ 1 hour to 80% |
⚠️ Note: If the clock is discharged per day, check the background processes in the Settings menu → Battery → Use: Often, poorly optimized dials from third-party developers are to blame.
How to reset the clock to factory settings?
6. Hidden functions and life hacks
Even experienced users are unaware of some of the features:
- 🔐 Hidden Do Not Disturb Mode: Hold the Power button for 3 seconds → select "Flight mode" + "Disable notifications"
- 📱 Presentation management: The watch can be used as a remote for PowerPoint or Google Slides (Mi Remote add-on is required)
- 🚗 If you connect your watch to the Xiaomi Car Key, it will remember the parking place and show you the route back.
- 💳 Bezel contact payments: in Watch S1 Pro has built-in NFC Mi Pay (only available in China, but you can link Mirror card)
Expert trick: To turn on the developer mode (to access debugging settings), go to Settings → About the clock and tap 7 times on the build number. A menu will appear with options like “Demo” (useful for taking pictures of the screen without notifications).
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The most useful hidden feature is "The screen is always on" in low power mode, which shows the time, steps and pulse on a black and white screen, using only 5% of the charge per day.
7. Model comparison: which watch to choose in 2026
The range of Xiaomi smart watches is extensive, but for most users, 3 models are relevant:
| Parameter | Mi Watch Lite 2 | Watch S1 Active | Watch 2 Pro |
|---|---|---|---|
| Screen. | 1.55" TFT | 1.43" AMOLED | 1.43" AMOLED (466x466) |
| GPS | ❌ No. | ✅ Built-in | ✅ Dual-band |
| NFC | ❌ No. | ❌ No. | ✅ Mi Pay |
| Price (2026) | ~3 000 ₽ | ~8 000 ₽ | ~15 000 ₽ |
Selection recommendations:
- 🏃 For sports: Watch 2 Pro (exact) GPS, 150+ regimes, barometer)
- 💼 For the office: Watch S1 Active (Stylish Design, AMOLED, 10 days of autonomy)
- 💰 Budget option: Mi Watch Lite 2 (basic features, 14 days of operation)