How to connect Xiaomi watches to Android phone: instructions for all models of Mi Band and Watch

Xiaomi smartwatches and fitness bracelets have long been an integral part of the brand ecosystem, but their first connection to a smartphone often raises questions from users. Even if you already have experience with Mi Band or Xiaomi Watch gadgets, each new model may require refined steps — especially when it comes to synchronizing with Android phones (including Redmi devices, POCO and clean OS versions).

The main problem that users face is incompatibility of application versions, Bluetooth errors or the lack of response of the clock to synchronization attempts. We analyzed the current data for 2026, given the latest firmware updates for the Mi Band 8, Xiaomi Watch 2 Pro and other models, and you will find here solutions for the rare cases when the watch refuses to connect at all efforts.

What Xiaomi watch can be connected to Android-smartphone

Not all Xiaomi smartwatches are Android compatible — some models (such as the Xiaomi Watch S3 in the Chinese version) may require firmware with a global region.

• 📱 Mi Band series: Mi Band 8, Mi Band 7/7 Pro, Mi Band 6 (Older, but with limited functionality).
• ⌚ Xiaomi Watch: Watch 2 Pro, Watch S3 (Global version, Watch S2, Watch Color 3.
• 🏃 Specialized models: Xiaomi Smart Band 8 Pro (c) GPS), Mi Band 8 Active (budget version).

Important: Watches marked NFC (for example, Mi Band 7 NFC) in Russia may not work properly due to restrictions on payment Mi Pay.

Also, consider that the Xiaomi/Redmi/POCO phone based on MIUI may have a pre-installed Mi Fitness app (formerly Mi Fit), but its version is often outdated.

Preparing the phone before connecting

Before you start syncing, make sure your smartphone meets the minimum requirements:

• 📲 Android Version: No lower than 6.0 Marshmallow (for Mi Band 8 and later – 8.0 Oreo and higher).
• 🔄 Bluetooth: version 4.2 or later (check Settings) → The phone. → Specifications).
• 📱 Free space: at least 500 MB for installing the application and cache.
• 🔒 Permissions: Access to location, contacts and notifications (required for proper operation).

If you have a Xiaomi/Redmi/POCO phone on MIUI, follow the following steps:

1. Open Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Find Mi Fitness (or Zepp Life for new models) and enable AutoRun and Permissions to work in the background.
3. Reboot the phone – it will reset the Bluetooth cache.

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If you have Mi Band 8 or newer, update the watch firmware through the official app before connecting. Older versions of the software can cause a device not found error.

Step-by-step: how to connect the clock to the phone

Consider the universal algorithm for most Xiaomi models. If you have a specific model (for example, Xiaomi Watch S3), look at the section with the features of the connection.

Step 1: Installation of the application

Download the official application depending on the model of the watch:

• 📱 For the Mi Band. 8/7/6 Xiaomi Watch 2 Pro: Mi Fitness (formerly Mi Fit).
• ⌚ For the Xiaomi Watch S3 Watch Color 3: Zepp Life.

After installation:

1. Sign up or sign in through your Xiaomi account (required!).
2. Select the region of Russia (or your country) – this affects the available features.
3. Allow all application requests (especially location and notifications).

Step 2: Activate Bluetooth and search for your device

Turn on Bluetooth on your phone and watch:

• 🔵 On the phone: Settings → Bluetooth (or swipe down for quick access).
• ⌚ On the clock: Press the button (or touch area) before the connection indicator appears.

At Mi Fitness/Zepp Life,

1. Click Add Device (the + icon in the upper right corner).
2. Choose your model from the list.
3. Bring the watch to the phone at a distance of less than 10 cm.

The latest update to Mi Fitness/Zepp Life| is installed

Bluetooth is enabled on both devices |

Watch charged at least 50% |

The phone is connected to the Internet (Wi-Fi or mobile data)-->

Step 3: Synchronization and adjustment

After successful connection:

• 🔄 The app will offer to update the firmware of the watch – agree (this will eliminate most bugs).
• ⚙️ Set up the basic parameters: Time zone (should match your phone); Measurement units (meters/kilometers, kg/pounds); Notifications (select the apps you want to see on your watch).

Critical detail: if the watch does not display notifications after you connect, check the power saving settings on the phone. MIUI needs to disable battery optimization for the Mi Fitness app.

Features of connection for different watch models

Some Xiaomi devices require additional actions. Consider the most popular models:

The Xiaomi Watch S3 and Watch 2 Pro feature is available as a standalone GPS, but you need to activate it manually:

1. Open Zepp Life → Device Profile → GPS Settings
2. Select High Accuracy (increases battery consumption) mode.
3. To save charge, use the Energy Saving mode (accuracy is lower by 10-15%).

Common mistakes and their solutions

Even if you follow instructions correctly, you can have failures, and here are the most common problems and ways to fix them:

• 🔴 Unable to connect error: Remove the watch from the Bluetooth device list on your phone and reconnect.Reinstall the Mi app Fitness/Zepp Check if the connection is blocked by an antivirus (for example, Avast or Avast). 360 Security).
• ⚠️ Watches do not vibrate at notifications: Enable vibration in the watch settings (Device Profile) → Notifications → Check if the phone is in Do Not Disturb mode.
• 🔋 Fast battery discharge: Reasons for fast discharge 1. Permanent. GPS: If the High Accuracy mode is enabled, the clock will run out of 12-18 Use energy conservation for everyday use. 2. Too Frequent Synchronization: In Mi Fitness, set the data update interval no more often 1 hourly. 3. Old software: update the firmware of the watch through the application.

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If Xiaomi watches don’t connect despite all attempts, try using a second phone (preferably a different brand) for initial setup. After successful synchronization, you can return the watch to the main device.

⚠️ Note: If you are using Xiaomi Watch S3 With Chinese firmware, trying to connect to Android can cause the clock system to crash, in which case you will need manual firmware through the Mi Flash Tool (instruction for experienced users).

How to transfer data from old watches to new ones

When you replace the Mi Band 6 with the Mi Band 8 or other model, you can save your activity history, settings and achievements.

1. Connect your old watch to your phone and sync all the data in Mi Fitness.
2. Remove the old device from the app (Profile → Delete the device).
3. Add a new watch – the application will offer to move the settings from the backup.
4. Confirm the data transfer (this will take 2-5 minutes depending on the amount of information).

Important: Sleep and pulse data from the past 30 days are automatically transferred, but older records may be lost. To avoid this, export the story to Google Fit:

• 📊 Open Mi Fitness. → Profile → Export of data.
• Select Google Fit and log in.
• Confirm synchronization – the data will be available in any fitness application.

⚠️ Note: if you use a Xiaomi account with a link to another region (e.g. China), the data transfer may not work. Create a new account with the region Russia and try again.

Additional functions after connection

After successful synchronization, you can customize the advanced features of your watch:

• 🎵 Music management: In Mi Fitness, enable player control. From now on, you can switch tracks to Spotify, YouTube Music or a standard player.
• 📸 Remote camera shutter: Activate the function in the clock settings. Open the camera on your phone and press the button on the watch to take pictures.
• 🔒 Unlocking the phone: In Phone Settings → Lock screen → Additionally, enable Unlock via Mi Band. Now the phone will unlock when the clock approaches (only works on the phone). MIUI).

For Xiaomi Watch 2 Pro and Watch S3, voice assistants are available:

1. Install the Google Assistant or Alice from Yandex on your phone.
2. In the settings of the clock, turn on the option Voice input.
3. You can now send voice messages or run commands right from the clock.

FAQ: Answers to Frequent Questions