How to connect Xiaomi smart watch to Android phone: full instructions with photos and tips

Xiaomi smartwatches and fitness bracelets have long been an integral part of the brand ecosystem, but many users face difficulties when connecting to a smartphone for the first time, especially if we are talking about new models like the Xiaomi Watch 2 Pro or Mi Band 8, where the synchronization process is different from the old versions.

We will not only look at the standard Mi Fitness connection procedure (formerly Mi Fit), but also at alternative ways for older models that may not be supported by the latest software versions. Special attention will be paid to firmware compatibility – this is critical for devices purchased abroad or with unofficial versions of the software. If your watch refuses to connect despite all efforts, at the end of the article you will find a table with error codes and ways to fix them.

What Xiaomi watch can be connected to Android-smartphone

Xiaomi has several line of wearables, and not all of them are compatible with Android equally well.

• 📱 Mi Band (3/4/5/6/7/8) — fitness bracelets with basic health monitoring features support all Android versions from 5.0 Lollipop, but new models require Android 6.0+.
• ⌚ Xiaomi Watch (S1, S1 Pro, 2, 2 Pro, Color – full-fledged smartwatch with Wear OS (Starting with Watch 2 or proprietary firmware, you need the Mi Fitness app version 5.6.0.+.
• 🏃 Amazfit (lines) GTR, GTS, Bip – although the brand is owned by Huami (a subsidiary of Xiaomi), they use a separate Zepp app.

Important: Xiaomi Watch S1 and later require a smartphone with Bluetooth 5.0 support. If your Android device is older than 2018, check the specifications in the settings along the Settings path → About Phone → Bluetooth version. Bluetooth 4.2 is enough for Mi Band models 3/4, but notification problems may occur on older versions of Android.

What application is needed to connect

Until 2022, all Xiaomi devices connected through the Mi Fit app, but after the rebranding of the ecosystem, a new software was released - Mi Fitness (not to be confused with Google Fit!).

⚠️ Note: If you are trying to connect Mi Band 3 via Mi Fitness and see the “Device Not Supported” error, download the old Mi Fit 4.6.0 version from apkmirror.com.

The Xiaomi Watch 2 Pro with Wear OS will also require the installation of Google Wear OS from the Play Market, without which some features, such as installing third-party dials or a voice assistant, will not work.

Step-by-step: how to connect Xiaomi watches to Android

Consider the universal algorithm for most models: If you have a Xiaomi Watch S1 or newer, skip the steps associated with the Mi Fit - they are only relevant for older bracelets.

Charge the clock to 50% or higher

Turn on Bluetooth on your phone

Install the Mi Fitness app

Register a Xiaomi account (if not)

Shut down. VPN (It can block Xiaomi servers)-->

1. Install the Mi Fitness app from Play Market. If you have an old bracelet model (Mi Band 3/4), download Mi Fit 4.6.0 from APKMirror.
2. Launch the app and log in via Mi Account. If you don't have an account, register it directly in the app (you'll need a phone number or email).
3. Click on the icon "+" In the top right corner, select "Add device." In the list, find your watch model. Xiaomi Watch 2 Pro may require scanning. QR-clock-screen.
4. Turn on Bluetooth on your phone and wait for the app to find your device. The clock will be prompted to confirm the connection — press a button (on the bracelets) or tap the screen (on the clock).
5. After successful synchronization, update the watch firmware if the app suggests it. For the Mi Band 8 and Xiaomi Watch 2, updates are critical - without them, notifications may not work.

⚠️ Warning: If you see an error at the connection stage, “I couldn’t connect to the device”, try it:

• 🔄 Restart your phone and watch.
• 📱 Remove the device from the list of paired Bluetooth devices in the phone settings (Settings) → Connected devices → Bluetooth).
• 🔧 Enable the developer mode on the clock (for Xiaomi Watch 2 Pro: Settings) → About the clock → Assembly number - tap 7 times).

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If the clock is not determined by the app, try connecting to it via the phone's standard Bluetooth menu, and then back to Mi Fitness. Sometimes this helps wake up the communication module.

Set up notifications and calls on Xiaomi watches

By default, after connecting to the clock, only notifications about calls and SMS come. To configure notifications from messengers (WhatsApp, Telegram, Viber), you need:

1. Open Mi Fitness, go to the section "Device Profile" → "Notifications".
2. Activate the "Show notifications" switch and select applications that should duplicate the alerts on the clock.
3. For Xiaomi Watch 2 Pro, go to Settings of the Watch → Notifications → Permissions and enable access for each messenger.

📌 Important: On Android 10+ You need to manually allow Mi Fitness to access notifications:

1. Go to Phone Settings → Applications → Mi Fitness → Notifications.
2. Enable the option "Access to Notifications" and select "Allow".

For the Mi Band 7/8 and Xiaomi Watch S1 models, the Quick Answers feature is available to configure it:

• 💬 In Mi Fitness, go to Notifications → Quick answers".
• 📝 Add up to 10 response templates (e.g., “Respond later”, “OK”, “Reset” or “Reset").
• 🔄 On the clock, when receiving a message, swipe up the screen to see buttons with templates.

Solving common connection problems

Even with the right setup, users often encounter errors, and here are the most common ones and ways to fix them:

⚠️ Note: If after updating the firmware of the watch (Mi Band 8 or Xiaomi Watch 2 Pro) stopped working notifications, reset the settings on the watch:

1. On the bracelet: Settings → Reset → Confirm (for Mi Band).
2. On the clock: Settings → System → Resetting settings.

After reset, you will have to reconnect the device to the phone.

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If you watch Xiaomi Watch S1 Or newer ones not defined by the app, check if the phone is enabled with Developer Mode and Bluetooth debugging. OS.

How to connect Xiaomi watches to multiple phones

Xiaomi does not officially support the simultaneous connection of the watch to two smartphones, but there are workarounds:

• 📱 For the Mi Band: You can pair a watch with two phones, but the data will only sync with the last device connected. To switch, you just need to turn off Bluetooth on the first phone and connect with the second one.
• ⌚ For Xiaomi Watch (Wear) OS): Use the Multidevice function in the clock settings. Path: Settings → Connections → Multi-device: You can add up to 2 phones, but the notifications will only be duplicated on the main device.

🔹 Important: When connecting to the second phone on the Mi Band watch 7/8 You reset your notification settings, and you have to reset them to Mi Fitness on every device.

To synchronize health data between two Xiaomi accounts, use the “Data Export” feature in Mi Fitness:

1. On the main phone, export the data to a.gpx or.tcx file.
2. On the second phone, import the file through Profile → Data Import.

Alternative ways to connect (without Mi Fitness)

If the official app doesn’t work or you want to use additional features, consider these options:

• 🔧 Notify & Fitness for Mi Band (Play Market) - allows you to configure notifications more flexible than in the standard application. 3-8 Xiaomi Watch S1.
• 🖥️ Gadgetbridge (open-source) – works without a Xiaomi account, but requires manual configuration. 1-6.
• 📱 Wear OS by Google – only for Xiaomi Watch 2 Pro. Allows you to install apps from the Play Market directly on the clock.

⚠️ Note: When using Gadgetbridge, disable automatic sync in Mi Fitness, otherwise both apps will conflict. Notify & Fitness stopped working properly with Mi Band 8 after an update in December 2023.

For the Xiaomi Watch 2 Pro with Wear OS, you can use Google Assistant instead of XiaoAI:

1. Install Google Assistant on your phone’s Play Market watch (the watch must be connected to the same Google account).
2. Hold the Home button on the clock to activate the voice assistant.

FAQ: Frequent questions about connecting Xiaomi watches