How to send a message to Xiaomi smart watches: from SMS to voice notes

Xiaomi smartwatches are no longer just fitness trackers — now full assistants that can receive notifications, messages and even calls. However, many users are faced with the problem of how to send text to the watch screen when only a smartphone is at hand? Spoiler: there are more ways than it seems at first glance.

In this article, we’ll look at all the current methods, from standard SMS via the Mi Fitness app to workarounds for models without message support (yes, there are!), and pay special attention to the nuances: why the Mi Band 7 doesn’t show notifications from VKontakte, how to set up sending voice notes to the Watch S1, and what to do if messages come with a delay, and also a table of compatibility models and methods that will save you hours of experimentation.

Important: instructions are relevant for firmware 2023-2026 and work on all devices under the Xiaomi, Redmi and Amazfit brand (if they are synchronized through Mi Fitness or Zepp Life). For owners of Apple Watch or gadgets of other brands – sorry, this article is not for you.

Method 1: Sending SMS via Mi Fitness (for all models)

The most versatile method is to use the official Mi Fitness app (formerly Mi Fit), which works even on budget Mi Band 5/6/7, where there is no full keyboard.

1. Open the Mi Fitness app on your smartphone.
2. Go to the Profile section → My devices. → [name of your watch].
3. Slip on Notifications. → Communications.
4. Choose a contact or enter the number manually.
5. Write text (up to 160 characters for SMS) and send it.

⚠️ Note: On the Mi Band, the message will appear as a notification with the ability to read, but you can not respond from the clock - only from a smartphone. On the Xiaomi Watch 2 Pro and later, you can respond with voice or quick templates.

Make sure the watch is connected to your phone via Bluetooth|Enable notification permission for Mi Fitness in settings Android/iOS|Check the balance. SIM-Cards (if sent through the operator's network)|Update the Mi Fitness app to the latest version-->

If the message doesn't reach:

• 🔄 Restart the clock (press the power button for 10 seconds).
• 📱 Reset the app cache in the phone settings.
• 🔗 Turn off/enable Bluetooth on both devices.

2. Method 2: Send notifications from messengers (WhatsApp, Telegram, Viber)

If you need to send a message from a messenger instead of an SMS, the algorithm is different: Xiaomi Watches don't know how to send messages to WhatsApp or Telegram on their own, but they can duplicate notifications from your phone. Here's how to configure this:

On Android:

1. Open your phone settings → Applications → Mi Fitness → Notifications.
2. Turn on the Display Notifications switch.
3. Return to Mi Fitness, select the watch → Application Notifications.
4. Activate the desired messengers (for example, WhatsApp, Viber).

On the iPhone:

1. Start Mi Fitness, go to Profile → My Devices → [your watch].
2. Tap Application Notifications and select messengers.
3. In iPhone Settings, allow notifications for Mi Fitness.

⚠️ Note: On iPhone, notifications arrive with a delay of up to 5-10 minutes due to iOS restrictions:

• 🔧 Check if the mode is not turned off Do not disturb on the clock.
• 📵 Make sure the messenger is not locked in the background (on Android: Settings) → Battery → Optimization).

WhatsApp|Telegram|Viber|SMS|Other-->

3. Method 3: Voice Messages and Notes (for Xiaomi Watch and Watch S)

Xiaomi Watch, Watch S1 and Watch 2 Pro models support voice input, which is convenient if you are driving or playing sports.

1. On the clock, open the application menu (swipe up from the main screen).
2. Choose Voice Notes or Recorder (name depends on the model).
3. Click on the microphone icon and say the text (maximum 30 seconds).
4. The message will be saved in the Mi Fitness app in the Notes section.

To send a voice note as a message:

• 📱 Open Mi Fitness on your phone.
• Go to Profile. → Voice notes.
• Select the record and click Share → send through the messenger.

💡

If voice messages are recorded with noise, turn on Noise Reduction mode in the watch settings (available on the Watch 2 Pro and later).

⚠️ Note: Voice notes do not automatically sync to the cloud — if you reset the clock to the factory settings, the records will be deleted.

Method 4: Quick Answers and Templates (for Mi UI models)

On a Mi UI watch (like the Xiaomi Watch S1 Active), there is a quick response feature that allows you to send pre-prepared phrases without typing.

1. In the Mi Fitness app, select the watch → Notifications → Quick answers.
2. Add up to 10 templates (e.g., “I’m on the way,” “I’ll be back later”).
3. When receiving a message on the clock, swipe left and select the desired template.

Limitations:

• 📛 The templates only work for SMS and calls (not for messengers).
• 🔤 The length of one template is up to 50 characters.
• 🔄 On iPhone, quick answers are sent as SMS, Even if the message came to WhatsApp.

Method 5: Bypasses for models without message support

If you have a Mi Band 4 or other model without notifications, you can use workarounds:

1. Notify for Mi Band (Android): 📥 Install from Google Play. 🔗 Connect to the clock through Settings → Connect the device. 📩 Set up forwarding notifications from any applications.

IFTTT (for advanced users)

• 🔧 It will. API-Key from Mi Fitness (instructions on the site) IFTTT).

⚠️ Warning: Third-party apps like Notify for Mi Band can drain the watch’s battery 2-3 times faster.

Frequent problems and their solutions

Problem 1: Messages arrive on the clock but are not displayed.

• 🔍 Check if notifications are hidden in Mi Fitness settings (Notifications) → Hidden applications).
• 🔄 Reconnect the clock to the phone.

Problem 2: You can't respond to a message from the clock.

This is a model limitation. You can only respond to the Mi Band from a smartphone, you can only respond to the Xiaomi Watch with voice or templates.

Issue 3: Notifications are duplicated.

• 📱 Turn off notifications for the messenger in Mi Fitness, if they are already enabled in the phone settings.
• 🔕 In Android Settings, disable duplication of notifications for the app.

💡

If the watch does not show notifications from a particular messenger (for example, VKontakte), check if it has blocked Android in the background. To do this: Settings → Applications → [Messenger] → Battery → Optimization → Without restrictions

7. Alternative methods: Email and cloud services

If SMS and messengers are not suitable, you can send text to the watch through email or cloud services.

1. Postal mail: 📧 Link your email to your Xiaomi account in Mi Fitness. 📩 Send an email to your address with the Note theme – the text will appear in the hours’ notifications.

Google Keep / Xiaomi Notes:

• 📝 Create a note in Google Keep or Xiaomi Notes.
• 🔗 Enable Note Synchronization in Mi Fitness (Profile) → Settings → Synchronization).

⚠️ Note: Cloud services only work when you have an active Internet connection on your phone. On iPhone, syncing notes may not work due to iOS restrictions.

FAQ: Answers to popular questions