Xiaomi Watch App: What is it called, where to download and what are alternatives

You bought a Xiaomi smartwatch — whether it’s the Mi Band 8, Xiaomi Watch 2 Pro or Redmi Watch 3 Active — but don’t know what app you need to set it up? Or maybe the old Mi Fit stopped working and the new Zepp Life seems too complicated? This problem is familiar to many users: the brand regularly changes software names, breaks down functionality between different programs and even hides some features behind regional restrictions.

In this article, we will not only answer the question “what is the name of the app for Xiaomi watches”, but also:

• 🔍 Let’s take a look at all official applications (Mi Fit, Zepp Life, Wear OS) and their differences.
• 📱 We will show you how to determine what software you need for your watch model.
• 🔄 Explain why Xiaomi is constantly renaming software and what to do about it
• ⚙️ Disclose hidden features that are not shown in standard settings.
• 🛠️ Offer alternative applications for advanced users (including Notify & Fitness and Gadgetbridge).

And you'll also learn how to bypass regional locks, why some features are only available in China, and what to do if the app can't see your watch, and let's start with the main thing: we'll sort out the chaos of names.

1. Official Xiaomi Watch Apps: Mi Fit, Zepp Life and Wear OS

Since 2015, Xiaomi has released more than 20 smartwatches and fitness bracelets, but has not standardized the app name for them. Today, there are three official programs at the same time, and which one will suit you depends on the device model and the region of purchase.

Here’s the current picture (the 2026 data is relevant for all new devices):

⚠️ Warning: If you bought a watch in China (for example, through AliExpress or Taobao), it can only work with the Chinese version of Zepp.

1. Create a Mi Account with the Chinese region
2. Use a VPN to access Chinese servers
3. Or to flash the watch on the global firmware (risky!).

2.How to determine what app you need for your watch

To avoid guessing, download the software using the following algorithm:

1. Look at the watch model on the box or in the device settings (path: Settings → About phone → Model).
2. Check out the year of release: 📅 Until 2021 → Mi Fit; 📅 2022–2026 → Zepp Life; 📅 Xiaomi Watch 2 (any year) → Wear OS.
3. Please specify the region of purchase: 🌍 Purchased in Europe/Russia/Asia (except China) → Zepp Life; 🇨🇳 Purchased in China → Zepp (Chinese version).

🔎 Hint: If you're not sure, check the official Xiaomi support database and type in your watch model.

Find a watch model on a box or in settings|Check the year of release of the device|Clarify the region of purchase (China or global)|Download the recommended application from an official source|Check firmware updates after connecting-->

⚠️ Warning: Some models (e.g., Xiaomi Watch S1 Pro) can work with both Zepp Life and Wear OS, but the functionality will be different. In Wear OS you will get access to Google Assistant and third-party apps, and in Zepp Life you will get access to Xiaomi branded features (e.g., stress monitoring using Zepp Health algorithms).

3.Why Xiaomi is constantly changing app names

Since 2015, Xiaomi has changed the name of the main app for wearable devices 4 times:

• 📱 Mi Fit (2015–2021) → for Mi Band 1–6
• 🔄 Zepp (2020–2022) → for Amazfit devices (subsidiary brand);
• 🌍 Mi Fitness (2021, only for Europe) → did not catch on;
• 🆕 Zepp Life (from 2022) → unified software for all new devices.

The causes of this chaos:

1. Huami’s rebranding as Zepp Health: Huami, a maker of wearable devices for Xiaomi, changed its name to Zepp Health in 2020 and began promoting its own brand, Amazfit, which led to the software separation.
2. Google Wear OS: For a Wear OS watch (such as the Xiaomi Watch 2), we had to create a separate app because Zepp Life doesn’t support this platform.
3. Regional restrictions: China has its own data retention laws, so local users get a version of Zepp with advanced features (e.g., sleep analysis in 4 phases instead of 2).

💡 Insight: If you see Mi Fitness on the Play Market or App Store, don't download it. It's an outdated version of Mi Fit that hasn't been updated since 2021 and may not support new devices.

4. Hidden features in Zepp Life and Mi Fit: What is not shown on the menu

The official Xiaomi apps hide some of the features of the watch, and here's what you can manually enable:

🔧 List of hidden opportunities:

• 📊 Advanced sleep statistics: In the Chinese version of Zepp, sleep analysis breaks down into 4 phases (light, deep, REM awakenings), and in the global version, only 2. To get the full data, you need to change your account region to China (risky!) or use alternative applications like Sleep as Android.
• 🏃 Pedometer setting: By default, Xiaomi lowers the number of steps by 10-15%. In Zepp Life → Profile → Settings → Steps you can calibrate the sensor by going 20 steps with your phone in your hand.
• 🔋 Battery Savings: In the Settings of the Watch menu → The display hides the Power Saving Mode item, which turns off the constant backlight of the screen. Activates only through the app, not on the watch itself.
• 📵 Notification Block: You can prevent notifications from specific apps (such as games or social media), but this option is hidden in Zepp Life → Notifications → Application Filter.

⚠️ Warning: If you activate Developer Mode in Zepp Life, some features (such as heart rate monitoring) may not work properly. After testing, be sure to turn this mode off in the settings.

5. Alternative apps: When Zepp Life isn't fit

If the official software doesn’t suit you (for example, due to the lack of Russian in the Chinese version of Zepp or limited functionality in Wear OS), try these alternatives:

🔹 When to use alternatives:

• 🚫 The official app does not support your model (e.g. Mi Band 1 in Zepp Life)
• 🌐 Notifications from apps that are not listed on Zepp Life (e.g. VK or Telegram) are required
• 🔧 Want to customize dials or change the logic of the sensors;
• 📊 You need to export raw data for analysis to Excel or Google Sheets.

💡

If you use Gadgetbridge, unplug the watch from the official app (Zepp Life or Mi Fit) before connecting it.

6 Connection problems: The watch doesn't find the app

The most common complaint of users is that Xiaomi watches do not connect to the application.

1. Check compatibility: ❌ Mi Band 8 won't work with Mi Fit; ❌ Xiaomi Watch 2 won't connect to Zepp Life (wear OS is needed).
2. Update firmware: On your phone: Update Zepp Life/Wear OS in Play Market/App Store; On the watch: check for updates in Settings → System → Software Update.
3. Reset settings: On the clock: Settings → System → Reset; In the app: Remove the device from the list and add again.
4. Check Bluetooth: Turn off and turn on Bluetooth on your phone again; Make sure the watch isn’t connected to another device; On Android: Clear the Bluetooth cache in Settings → Apps → System → Bluetooth.

⚠️ Warning: If you bought a watch in China, it can be linked to a Chinese Mi Account account, and you can untie it by:

1. Install the Chinese version of Zepp;
2. Sign in to the account of the previous owner (if the watch used) or create a new one with a Chinese phone number;
3. In the settings of the clock, select Untie the device;
4. Reset the clock to factory settings.

🔹 If nothing works, try:

• 📱 Connect the watch through another device (e.g., a tablet);
• 🔄 Use an alternative application (e.g., Gadgetbridge);
• 📧 Write in support of Xiaomi with the model of the watch and the version of the application.

💡

90% of the connection problems are solved by resetting the watch settings and reinstalling the app, and if the watch is bought in China, it will not work with global versions of the software without detaching from the Chinese account.

FAQ: Frequent questions about Xiaomi watch apps