The Chinese giant’s wearable electronics owners often face confusion when they first launch their devices. The question of what the Xiaomi smartwatch app is called becomes especially relevant when new models appear on store shelves and old programs change their names or functionality. It used to be simple: there was one universal solution for all gadgets, but the company’s strategy has changed, dividing the ecosystem into several independent segments.
Today, software choices are directly dependent on the year your device is released and marketed. The wrong app will simply not see your gadget or refuse to transmit health data, making the initial setup procedure impossible. In this article, we will break down all the nuances so that you can quickly find the right software and start using all the features of wearable electronics.
To make matters worse, the Xiaomi sub-brand Redmi also uses similar communication protocols, but sometimes requires specific software versions to be installed. Understanding the differences between Mi Fitness and Zepp Life will save you hours of Google Play and App Store searches.
The main program for new models: Mi Fitness
For most modern devices released after 2021, the main control center has become the Mi Fitness program (formerly known as Xiaomi Wear), a single platform that combines functionality for smartphones, TVs and, of course, next-generation wearable devices, and this software is the answer to the question of what the app for the Xiaomi Watch S1, Watch S1 Pro, Watch 2 Pro and more recent versions is called.
Mi Fitness has undergone a major change to become more minimalistic and sports-oriented. Here you will find detailed charts of heart rate, blood oxygen (SpO2) and sleep quality. The app supports synchronization with Google Fit and Apple Health, allowing you to aggregate data from all your sources of activity in one place, creating a unified picture of health.
⚠️ Note: When installing Mi Fitness on your iPhone, be sure to allow access to all sensors and background geolocation, otherwise notifications about calls and messages may come with a delay or not at all.
It is important to note that Mi Fitness requires you to create or log in to Mi Account. Without authorization in the Xiaomi ecosystem, the functionality of the program will be severely limited: you will only be able to view basic steps, but you will not be able to customize dials or update the firmware of the watch.
Classic bracelet solution: Zepp Life
If you own the popular Mi Band fitness bracelets (especially versions 4, 5, 6 and early 7), your main tool will remain the Zepp Life app.It used to be called Mi Fit, and many users still know it that way.The renaming came after the Huami division (now Zepp Health) became an independent developer, although the production of the bracelets is still overseen by Xiaomi.
Unlike Mi Fitness, Zepp Life is more detail-driven and socially connected, and you can challenge your friends, add smart home devices (lamps, scales), and use more flexible notification settings. For older watches like the Amazfit Bip or the early Mi Watch Lite, this is also the right solution.
- 📱 Support for a wide range of old and new Mi Band bracelets.
- 🏃♂️ Detailed training statics with the possibility of exporting data.
- 🏠 Integration with smart home devices from Yeelight ecosystem and other partners.
- ⌚ Possibility of installing third-party dials through the built-in store.
Note that Zepp Life sometimes requires you to create a separate Zepp account, which is not always the same as Mi Account, although logging in via Google or Facebook accounts makes it easier.
Can you use Zepp Life for a new watch?
Comparative table of device compatibility
To clear up the doubts, consider the specific models and the software that will match them, and mistakes at this point make the watch unmatched or unstable. Here's a table to help you navigate.
| Model of the device | Recommended annex | The alternative | Features |
|---|---|---|---|
| Xiaomi Watch S1 / S1 Pro / S2 | Mi Fitness | No. | Full Call Support and NFC |
| Mi Band 4 / 5 / 6 | Zepp Life | Mi Fitness (limited) | Best History Work at Zepp |
| Mi Band 7 / 8 / 9 | Mi Fitness | Zepp Life | Mi Fitness gives more metrics |
| Redmi Watch 2 / 3 / 4 | Mi Fitness | No. | Required for updating dials |
| Xiaomi Watch Color / Lite | Mi Fitness | No. | Global versions |
As the table shows, the division is not only by brand, but also by year of release and series of the device. Global versions of the watches designed for the European market almost always require Mi Fitness, while Chinese versions or devices released several years ago can be tied to Zepp Life.
If you bought a device on AliExpress or other marketplaces, pay attention to the region of the version. Sometimes the Chinese require the installation of a Chinese version of the application, which may not have Russian in the interface, although the data will be synchronized.
💡
The main rule is: look at the box or instructions – there is always a manual. QR-code to download exactly the application that your particular model needs.
Installation and initial setup process
Once you have decided what the app for your Xiaomi smartwatch is called, you need to install it correctly.Downloading software from third-party sites can lead to malware viruses infecting your smartphone or installing a modified version of the program that will steal your personal health data.
Always use the official stores: Google Play for Android or App Store for iOS. In the search box, type the exact name: "Mi Fitness" or "Zepp Life". The developer should be Xiaomi Inc. or Anhui Huami Information Technology.
The process of pairing is as follows:
- Turn on Bluetooth on your smartphone and make sure that geolocation is active (this is the requirement of Android OS for finding devices).
- Launch the installed application and log in to your account.
- Click the "Add device" button or the plus in the corner of the screen.
- Wait until the app finds the watch. Don't try to pair the watch through the phone's standard Bluetooth settings menu - this will cause a connection error.
- Confirm the pairing on the watch screen and in the application.
☑️ Checklist before connection
In some cases, especially when using iOS, the system may request permission to create a local network, which is necessary for health data and firmware updates, so consent is mandatory. If the clock is not there, try restarting your smartphone, which solves 90% of the problems with finding Bluetooth devices.
Solving Connection and Synchronization Problems
Even with the right app, users can run into difficulties. A common problem is that step data is not synchronized or the pulsemeter shows an error. First of all, check if you have energy-saving mode on your smartphone. Aggressive battery optimization often kills the application's background process, breaking the connection with the clock.
For Android smartphones, you need to add an app to battery exclusions and allow auto-run. On iPhone, it is important not to close the app completely (swipe up), but to leave it hanging in the background. Also check the Bluetooth version: Bluetooth 5.0 and higher is desirable for modern features such as music transfer or voice calls.
⚠️ Note: If the watch has stopped responding to the press after updating the application, perform a full reset through the menu settings of the watch itself, and then create them again.
Another cause of failure can be a crowded app cache. Clearing the data and cache in the smartphone settings often helps restore normal synchronization. If nothing helps, remove the device from the paired list in Bluetooth and in the application itself, and then repeat the setup procedure from scratch.
💡
Expert advice: If you change your phone, be sure to untie the watch from the old device in the app before trying to connect it to the new one.
Update of firmware and advanced settings
Once successfully connected, the app will offer a software update to the watch, and the firmware is the internal code of the device that manages all of its functions. Regular updates from Xiaomi close security vulnerabilities, improve sensor accuracy, and add new dials.
The upgrade process is critical to the stability of the work, because when you download and install a new version, the screen of the watch can go out and the device can reboot, and this is a normal workflow that should not cause panic.
- 🔋 Make sure the clock is more charged. 30-40% beforehand.
- 📶 Don’t disconnect your smartphone from the internet and keep your watch near your phone.
- 🚫 Do not press buttons on your watch during the update.
In the advanced app settings, you can set (vibration) for different events, select Do Not Disturb mode on a schedule, and enable a wrist lift to turn on the screen. For sports models, you can set your heart rate and calorie targets, which makes training more efficient.