Step-by-step: how to connect Xiaomi watch to your phone via Bluetooth on Android

Xiaomi’s smartwatch is not just an accessory, it’s a full-fledged assistant in everyday life. It tracks physical activity, displays smartphone notifications, controls sleep, and even lets you control music. But to make all of these functions work, you first need to connect the device to your phone correctly via Bluetooth. If you’ve never synchronized a wearable gadget with a smartphone before, the process can seem complicated — especially if you’re talking about models with branded software like the Mi Band or Amazfit.

In this article, we will learn how to connect a Xiaomi watch (including the Mi Band). 7/8 Pro, Amazfit GTR/GTS, Xiaomi Watch S3 And others) to your Android phone via Bluetooth, what apps you'll need, and what to do if you don't get a connection, and you'll learn how to set up notifications, update your watch firmware, and avoid common bugs. The instructions are suitable for all modern smartphones Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO Android-based 10 newer.

What Xiaomi Watch Can You Connect to Your Phone via Bluetooth?

Xiaomi has several smartwatch and fitness bracelet lines, and not all of them sync the same way. Here are the main categories of devices and their connectivity features:

• 📱 Mi Band (1-8 Pro) – fitness bracelets with basic functions (stepmeter, pulse, notifications) are connected via the Mi Fitness app (formerly Mi Fit).
• ⌚ Amazfit (GTR, GTS, Bip, T-Rex – watches with advanced sports features using the Zepp app (formerly Amazfit).
• 🕒 Xiaomi Watch (S1/S2/S3, Color – full-fledged smart watch with Wear OS or MIUI Watch synced via Mi Fitness or Wear OS.
• 🏃 The Mi Watch Revolve is a hybrid of a fitness bracelet and smartwatch.

Important: Some models (such as the Xiaomi Watch S3) support dual connectivity – both through Mi Fitness and Wear OS, but the features will be different in each case. Also note that the Wear OS watch (such as the Xiaomi Watch S2) will not work entirely with the iPhone – only with Android.

Preparing Xiaomi phone to connect the clock

Before you start syncing, make sure your smartphone is ready to work with a wearable device.

1. Update Android. Go to Settings → About Phone → System Update and install the latest patches. Older versions of Android (below 10) may not support newer watch models.
2. Turn on Bluetooth. Go to Settings → Connections → Bluetooth and activate the module. It is also recommended to turn off Bluetooth power saving mode in Settings → Battery → Power Saving Mode.
3. Allow geodata. Many of the clock's features (like jogging tracking) require access to location. Enable it in Settings → Privacy → Permits → Geodata.
4. Remove old apps. If you've used a fitness bracelet before, uninstall Mi Fit or Amazfit and install the current versions (Mi Fitness or Zepp).

Also check that there is enough free space on the phone – watch apps weigh 100-200 MB, plus space for cache and firmware updates will be required.

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If you have a Xiaomi smartphone with MIUI 14+, turn on the “Improved Bluetooth Connection” option in Settings → Connections → Bluetooth → Additional. This will reduce sync delays.

Step-by-step: how to connect Xiaomi watch to the phone

Consider a universal connectivity algorithm, for example, the Mi Band 8 Pro and the Amazfit GTR 4. For other models, the steps will be similar, but application names may differ.

Step 1: Installation of the official annex

Download the application from Google Play:

• 🔹 For Mi Band and Xiaomi Watch (except Wear) OS): Mi Fitness.
• 🔹 For Amazfit: Zepp.
• 🔹 For the Xiaomi Watch S3 (Wear OS): Wear OS + Mi Fitness.

Step 2: Registration of an account

Launch the app and sign up (or log in) through:

• 📧 E-mail
• 📱 Phone number
• 🔄 Xiaomi Account (if any)
• 🤖 Google/Facebook (Zepp)

Without an account, you won’t be able to sync your data to the cloud and update your watch firmware.

Step 3: Adding a device

In the app, click Profile → Add a device (or similar button) and select your watch model from the list. For example, for the Mi Band 8 Pro:

1. Press the Mi Smart Band 8 Pro.
2. Bring the bracelet to the phone (distance not more than 10 cm).
3. Confirm the pairing on both devices.

Step 4: Set up permissions

The application will request access to:

• 📍 Geodane (to track activity)
• 📱 Notifications (to show) SMS call)
• 📁 Storage (for backup copies)
• 🔋 Auto-run (to make the application work in the background)

Allow all requests, otherwise some of the clock's functions will not be available.

Step 5: Update the firmware

Once connected, the app will suggest updating the watch firmware, and you'll agree that this will fix the bugs and add new features, and it'll take 5-15 minutes to do this, and don't turn off Bluetooth or shut down the app during the update!

Install the official application (Mi Fitness/Zepp)

Registering a Xiaomi/Zepp account

Enable Bluetooth and geodata on your phone

Charge the watch to at least 50%

Remove old versions of applications (Mi Fit, Amazfit)-->

Solving problems with connecting Xiaomi watches over Bluetooth

Sometimes the watch doesn't want to connect to the phone, despite the right actions, and here are the most common mistakes and ways to fix them:

If nothing helps, reset the clock to factory settings:

1. On the Mi Band: Hold the touch button for 15 seconds.
2. On Amazfit: Go to Settings → System → Reset.
3. On Xiaomi Watch S3: Settings → System → Recovery and Reset.

Configure notifications and additional functions

Once you've successfully connected, you can configure what notifications will arrive on the watch and activate additional features.

1. Notifications

In the Mi Fitness or Zepp app, go to:

• 📱 Device profile → Notifications
• 🔄 Turn on the switches for: - Incoming calls — SMS — Messages from messengers (WhatsApp, Telegram, etc.) - Calendar - Mail
• ⚙️ Set up vibration and display notification text.

Activity tracking

Activate functions:

• 🏃 Stepmer (automatic and manual counting)
• ❤️ Pulsemeter (continuous or scheduled)
• 💤 Sleep monitoring (deep, light, REM-phase)
• 🚴 Sports modes (running, cycling, swimming, etc.)

3. Music and camera control

Some models (such as the Xiaomi Watch S3 or Amazfit GTR 4) have:

• 🎵 Player control (pause, next track)
• 📸 Remote camera descent (for selfies)
• 🔍 Phone search (watch vibrates if phone is far away)

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To keep notifications steady, add Mi Fitness/Zepp to autostart and exclude battery optimization.

How to update the firmware of Xiaomi watches through your phone

Regular firmware updates fix bugs, add new features and improve stability. Here's how to check and install updates:

1. Open the Mi Fitness or Zepp app.
2. Go to your device profile (e.g. Mi Band 8 Pro).
3. Click on Firmware Update (or System Updates in Zepp).
4. If a new version is available, click Download and Install.
5. Wait until it is completed (don't turn off Bluetooth!) the watch will reboot automatically.

Important: Before upgrading, charge your watch to at least 60% and make sure your phone is connected to Wi-Fi (updates weigh 10–50MB).

⚠️ Warning: If the connection is interrupted during the firmware update, the watch may stop turning on. In this case, try rebooting it (hold the 20 seconds button) or plugging it into charging for 1 hour.

Compatibility of Xiaomi Watches with Other Phones (not Xiaomi)

Xiaomi watches can be connected not only to the brand’s smartphones, but also to devices from other manufacturers (Samsung, Google Pixel, Huawei, etc.).

• ✅ Full support: All features work on Android 8.0+ (except for Wear OS-Watches that need Android 9+).
• ⚠️ iPhone restrictions: You can connect Mi Band or Amazfit, but there will be no notifications from third-party apps (calls and calls only) SMS).
• ❌ Huawei issues: On phones without Google Play (like Huawei) P50) You will need to install apps through AppGallery or APK.

For stable operation on non-Xiaomi phones:

1. Turn off battery optimization for the Mi Fitness/Zepp app.
2. Enable constant activity in the background (in the application settings).
3. Update Bluetooth stacks through Settings → System → Software Update.

FAQ: Frequent questions about connecting Xiaomi watches