Samsung Galaxy Watch Active 2 and Xiaomi smartphones (including Redmi models and smartwatches) POCO) They operate on different ecosystems, such as Samsung’s Tizen and MIUI This creates the illusion of incompatibility, but in practice synchronization is possible with minimal restrictions. MIUI.
In this article, you will find not only basic connection instructions, but also solutions to unique problems that arise when pairing with Xiaomi devices, from the error “Device is not supported” to the loss of notifications from instant messengers. We tested the process on Xiaomi 13 Pro, Redmi Note 12 and POCO F5 with the latest versions of MIUI – all the steps are relevant for 2026.
1. Preparation of Xiaomi smartphone to connect
Before synchronization, you need to optimize your MIUI settings to avoid conflicts with the Galaxy Wearable app. The main problems arise from aggressive energy saving policies and background activity restrictions typical of Xiaomi firmware.
First, check:
- 📱 Android Version: Must Be No Lower than Android 8.0 (Android 10 is recommended for full compatibility)+). You can check the settings. → The phone. → Android version.
- 🔄 Updates MIUI: Install the latest security patches through Settings → System updates. At the time of testing, stable operation was observed on the MIUI 14/15.
- 🚫 Developer Mode: Activating it will help disable unnecessary restrictions. Go to Settings → About the phone and 7 times click on the version MIUI.
Pay special attention to the permissions for the Galaxy Wearable app:
⚠️ Note: Xiaomi by default blocks auto-start and background work of third-party apps. Without disabling these restrictions, the clock will permanently disconnect from the phone.
2. Installation of necessary applications
To fully work Galaxy Watch Active 2 will need to install three official applications from Samsung:
- Galaxy Wearable is the main app for managing the watch.
- Galaxy Watch Plugin is a plugin for data synchronization.
- Samsung Accessory Service is a service for connecting accessories.
Download them from Google Play Market (do not use APKs from third-party sources, this can lead to login errors).
Launch Galaxy Wearable and wait for component updates |
Sign in to your Samsung account (or create a new one)|
Allow all requests for contact, location and notifications |
Turn off battery optimization for all three apps in MIUI settings
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If you start Galaxy Wearable with a “Device not supported” error, follow these steps:
- Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management → Galaxy Wearable.
- Select Permissions and include all options (including access to SMS and call log).
- Go back and press the battery. → No restrictions.
- Reboot the phone.
3. Step-by-step connection of the watch to Xiaomi
When the preparation is completed, start synchronizing:
- Activate Bluetooth on your smartphone and watch. On Galaxy Watch Active 2, hold the Home button (bottom right) until the menu appears, then select Settings → Connections → Bluetooth.
- Launch the Galaxy Wearable app on Xiaomi and click Start.
- Select the Galaxy Watch Active 2 (if it is not on the list, update the app).
The process can take up to 5 minutes, at this time:
- 🔄 Don’t close the Galaxy Wearable app.
- 📴 Do not block the Xiaomi screen (turn off automatic lock in the display settings).
- 🔋 Make sure the clock is over 50% (at low battery levels, synchronization may be interrupted).
If you fail to connect to the device at the connection stage, try:
Solving the “failed to connect” error
4. Set up notifications and calls
By default, the Galaxy Watch Active 2 does not receive notifications from messengers on Xiaomi due to MIUI Optimization limitations.
- Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management → Galaxy Wearable → Notifications.
- Turn on the Display Notifications switch and select All Categories.
- Return to Galaxy Wearable, open Settings → Notifications, and activate the Repeat Notifications option.
For the correct operation of calls:
| Problem. | Decision | Note |
|---|---|---|
| No incoming challenges come | In Settings → Applications → Permissions → Auto Run enable Galaxy Wearable and Samsung Accessory Service. | Rebooting the phone is required. |
| No sound in the clock dynamics | Check the volume level on the watch: swipe down → speaker icon. | On Xiaomi, turn off the "Do Not Disturb" mode. |
| The microphone is not working. | In Galaxy Wearable, go to Settings → Permissions → Microphone and enable access. | Allow access to the microphone in the MIUI settings. |
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If notifications are delayed, in the Xiaomi developer settings (Settings → Additional → Developers) disable the option to Limit Background Processes.
5.Sync fitness data with Mi Fitness
The Galaxy Watch Active 2 collects step, pulse and workout data, but by default it is stored in the Samsung ecosystem. To transfer it to Mi Fitness (Xiaomi's health app), use Google Fit:
- Install Google Fit from the Play Market.
- In Galaxy Wearable, go to Settings → Accounts and Backup → Google Fit and connect your account.
- In Mi Fitness, open your profile → Settings → Connected apps and select Google Fit.
Please note:
- 📊 Sleep data is not synced correctly – use a separate app for this (for example, Sleep as Android).
- 🏃 Training started on the clock will show up in Mi Fitness with a delay of up to 1 hour.
- 🔋 Synchronization with Google Fit increases battery consumption 10-15%.
6. Optimization of battery consumption
When paired with Xiaomi Galaxy Watch Active 2 discharge faster than usual due to constant Bluetooth reconnections.
In MIUI settings:
- 🔋 Turn off the Adaptive Battery in Settings → Battery → Battery mode.
- 📵 Add Galaxy Wearable to the list of Protected Apps (in battery settings).
- 🔄 Set the data sync interval in Galaxy Wearable for 1 hour (default: 15 minutes).
On the clock:
- ⏱ Turn off the screen always on (Settings) → Display).
- 📡 Reduce the refresh rate of your pulse data to 10 minutes (Settings) → Heart monitoring).
- 🚫 Deactivate unnecessary widgets (weather, calendar) via Settings → Home page screen.
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When you use it actively (notifications + training), the Galaxy Watch Active 2 with Xiaomi keeps a charge of 1.5-2 days.
7. Solving common problems
Even after a successful connection, Xiaomi users face common bugs, and here are proven ways to fix them:
Problem 1: The clock shuts down after 5-10 minutes
⚠️ This is due to aggressive energy management in MIUI. B Settings → Battery → Battery Mode Select High Performance and Add Galaxy Wearable to Exceptions.
Problem 2: Samsung Pay Pay Pay Pay Payments Are Not Working
On Xiaomi with MIUI Global, Samsung Pay is blocked due to regional restrictions.
- 💳 Install Google Pay and link the card to it (watches support contactless payments via Google Pay) NFC).
- 🌍 Change the phone region to South Korea or the US in Settings → Additionally. → Region (requires resetting of settings!).
Problem 3: Communication goes missing when Xiaomi screen locks
Include in the developer settings (Settings → Additional → For developers) the option Do not turn off data transmission when blocking.
8. Alternative ways of connecting
If the standard method doesn’t work, try alternatives:
Method 1: Through the Wear OS app (for power users)
While the Galaxy Watch Active 2 runs on Tizen, some features can be customized via Wear OS:
- Install Wear OS from the Play Market.
- Turn on the Developer Mode on the watch (go to Settings → About the clock and tap 7 times on the Model Number).
- In Settings → Connections → Bluetooth on the watch, select Visibility for all devices.
- In Wear OS, click Set up manually and select the Galaxy Watch Active 2 from the list.
Method 2: Use of third-party launchers
Apps like Bubble Cloud or WatchMaker allow customization of the watch interface and improved compatibility with Xiaomi, and note that this can lead to:
- ⚠ Failures in the work of standard Samsung widgets.
- ⚠ Increased battery consumption 20-30%.
- ⚠ Loss of warranty when using informal firmware.