How to download music on Xiaomi Watch S1 Active: all the ways 2026

The Xiaomi Watch S1 Active smartwatch allows you to not only track activity, but also listen to music without a smartphone – right from the wrist. However, many users face difficulties when downloading tracks for the first time: the Mi Fitness app does not offer a direct add feature, and the internal memory is limited. In this article, we will discuss all the current ways to download music on the Xiaomi Watch S1 Active, including official and alternative methods, as well as solve typical problems with file formats and synchronization.

It’s important to understand that the Watch S1 Active only supports standalone playback through built-in 4GB of memory (of which ~2.5GB is available for the user). Music can be downloaded either through the proprietary Mi Fitness app (with limitations) or manually through the PC. We tested both options and highlighted key nuances, from supported formats (.mp3,.m4a) to optimal bitrates to save space.

Technical requirements: what you need to download music

Before adding tracks to your watch, check that you meet three basic conditions:

• 📱 Smartphone on Android 8.0+ or iOS 12+ with Mi Fitness app installed (version 4.6.0 or later) Older versions may not support music transfer.
• 🎵 Music files in formats.mp3 (recommended) or.m4a (AAC). The watch does not play.flac,.wav or.ogg.
• 🔋 At least 50% battery charge on the watch. Mi Fitness blocks file transfers at low charge.

Also note that the Xiaomi Watch S1 Active does not support streaming services (such as Spotify or Yandex Music) directly. All tracks must be downloaded to the watch memory. If you use a music subscription, first download songs to your smartphone offline, and then transfer them to the clock.

Method 1: Download music through the Mi Fitness app

The official method from Xiaomi is the simplest, but with limitations: first, the app allows you to download only playlists, not individual tracks. Second, the maximum size of one playlist is 100 songs (total volume up to 1 GB).

1. Open Mi Fitness and connect the watch to your smartphone via Bluetooth.
2. Go to Profile → Xiaomi Watch S1 Active → Music →
3. Click Add Music and select a playlist from your library (such as from Google Play Music or local files).
4. Confirm synchronization. The process can take 5-15 minutes depending on the number of tracks.

If the Music section is missing from the app, upgrade Mi Fitness to the latest version via Google Play or the App Store. On iPhone, the feature may not be available due to Apple restrictions - in this case, use the PC method.

Download the latest version of Mi Fitness|Connect the clock to your phone via Bluetooth|Check the format of music files (.mp3 or.m4a)|Charge the clock to a minimum of 50%|Free up space in the memory of the clock (if necessary)-->

Method 2: Manually copy music via PC (Windows/Mac)

If the official method doesn’t work or you want to download specific tracks (not entire playlists), use manual copying via computer. USB-Here's how to do it:

1. Connect to Xiaomi Watch S1 Active to the charging cable and insert it into USB-port.
2. The watch will display a notification Connected as a drive. Tap it and select Transfer Files (or MTP).
3. On a PC, open a Explorer (this PC is on Windows or Finder on Mac) and the Watch will appear as a removable disk (usually called MIWATCH).
4. Go to the Music folder (if you don't have one, create it manually) and copy music files in.mp3 or.m4a format.
5. Securely remove the device and restart the watch (press the power button for 10 seconds).

File names must be in Latin and without special characters (e.g. track01.mp3, not my song #1.mp3). Otherwise, the watch will not see the tracks. Also avoid nested folders - all files must lie directly in Music.

Supported formats and music optimization

The Xiaomi Watch S1 Active only plays files in two formats:.mp3 (recommended) and.m4a (AAC). Other formats (.flac,.wav,.ogg) are not supported.

To optimize the space before download, convert files to 192 kbit / s using programs like Audacity or Freemake Audio Converter. For example, a track lasting 3 minutes in 320 kbit / s will take ~ 7 MB, and 192 kbit / s – only ~ 4 MB.

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To quickly check the bitrate of a file on Windows, right-click on it → Properties → Details. On a Mac, use Command + I in Finder.

Problem Solving: The Watch Cannot See Music

If the tracks are not displayed in the music menu on the watch after downloading, check the following points:

• 🔍 The correct folder: files should be in /Music/, Not in the root or other directories.
• 📛 File names: Latin only, with no spaces or symbols ( or - allowed: track_01.mp3.
• 🔄 Reboot: After copying files, restart the clock (hold the power button for 10 seconds).
• 📱 Sync: in Mi Fitness go to Profile → Xiaomi Watch S1 Active → Update the data.

If the problem persists, try formatting the clock's memory.

1. Connect the watch to the PC in MTP mode.
2. In the Explorer, right-click on the MIWATCH drive and select Format (FAT32 file system).
3. After formatting, repeat copying the music.

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Formatting will delete all data from the clock, including settings and activity statistics. Before the procedure, back up to Mi Fitness (Backup section).

Critical Feature: Xiaomi Watch S1 Active does not support playlists in format.m3u. All tracks are played in alphabetical order of file names. To manage the order, add digital prefixes (for example, add digital prefixes, 01_track.mp3, 02_track.mp3).

Alternative methods: third-party applications

If standard methods don’t work, you can use third-party utilities to download music, for example, the Wear Music app (available for Android) allows you to transfer tracks to the watch over Bluetooth, but with some restrictions:

• ⚡ Transmission speed: ~1 MB/min (the album will take 30-60 minutes to download).
• 📴 Stability: requires a constant connection to the smartphone (when the connection breaks, the process is interrupted).
• 💰 Paid Features: Free version limits file size to 5MB.

For use of Wear Music:

1. Install the app from Google Play.
2. Connect the watch to your smartphone via Bluetooth.
3. In the app, select tracks and click Send to Watch.
4. Wait until the transfer is complete (don’t turn off Bluetooth!).

There are also PC applications like Mi Band Tools, but they often require unlocking the bootloader on the watch, which voids the warranty, and we don't recommend this method without firmware experience.

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Before using third-party apps, check reviews for the past 3 months – many utilities stop working after Xiaomi firmware updates.

How to control music on a clock

After downloading the tracks, playback control is carried out directly on the Xiaomi Watch S1 Active:

• 🎧 To start playing: swipe up on the main screen → Choose Music. → tap on the track.
• ⏯️ Pause/playback: Single pressing of the screen during playback.
• 🔀 Rewind: swipe left/right to move to the previous/next track.
• 🔊 Volume: Adjustable by buttons on the right side of the case (if Bluetooth headphones are connected).

The watch remembers the last track to be played, but does not support shuffle. To listen to music randomly, rename files with random prefixes before downloading (for example, rename them, rnd1_track.mp3, rnd2_track.mp3).

To connect Bluetooth headphones:

1. Activate the pairing mode on the headphones.
2. On the clock, go to Settings → Bluetooth and select the device from the list.
3. Confirm the connection on both devices.

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Xiaomi Watch S1 Active supports only one connected Bluetooth audio device at a time. To connect new headphones, first turn off the current Bluetooth menu.

FAQ: Frequent questions about music on Xiaomi Watch S1 Active