Smart Watches have become an integral part of Xiaomi’s ecosystem, but their first connection to a smartphone often raises questions among users. Even if you’ve already used the Mi Band fitness bracelet, the process of synchronizing a full-featured watch can be different – it requires not only Bluetooth pairing, but also installing specialized software, setting up notifications and sometimes even updating the device’s firmware.
In this article, we will analyze all possible connection scenarios: from budget models Amazfit Bip to flagship Xiaomi Watch S3. Particular attention will be paid to typical errors, due to which the clock is not determined by the phone, and give unique recommendations for speeding up synchronization for devices based on Wear OS. If your watch was already paired with another smartphone, you will find instructions for resetting without losing data.
What smart watches are compatible with Xiaomi phones
Before buying or trying to connect, it’s important to make sure your watch model is supported by the Xiaomi ecosystem.Most of the brand’s devices and its sub-brands (Amazfit, Haylou) work with MIUI phones without any problems, but there are nuances:
- 📱 Full compatibility: Xiaomi Watch S1/S2/S3, Mi Watch, Amazfit GTR/GTS, Haylou Solar – These models were designed specifically for synchronization with the Mi Fitness or Zepp app.
- ⚠️ Limited support: Watches on Wear OS (Xiaomi Watch 2 Pro requires Google Play Services installation and may conflict with Chinese firmware MIUI.
- ❌ Incompatible models: devices from Huawei (Watch) GT), Samsung Galaxy Watch or Apple Watch will not be able to fully synchronize with Xiaomi – the maximum will be connected as a normal Bluetooth headset.
To check the compatibility of a particular model, check the official list of supported devices in the Mi Fitness app (Add Device section). If your watch is not there, but runs on the basis of proprietary Xiaomi firmware, try manually activating pairing mode - we will talk about this in the next section.
Preparing Xiaomi Phone for Connection
To avoid pairing errors, the phone needs to be configured correctly, and on devices with MIUI 12 and later, most users just need to turn on Bluetooth and allow access to the location, but if you have a Redmi Note 10 or older, you have to take a few extra steps:
- Update MIUI to the latest version via Settings → About Phone → System Update. Older versions of the firmware may not support the Bluetooth 5.0+ protocols needed to keep the watch running smoothly.
- Clear the Bluetooth cache: Go to Settings → Annexes → Application management → Systemic → Bluetooth, press Storage and select Clear Cache.
- Turn off Bluetooth power saving mode in Settings → Battery and Performance → Battery Consumption Management – otherwise communication will be interrupted.
If you’ve previously connected other wearables (like the Mi Band), remove them from the list of associated devices in Settings → Connected Devices → Bluetooth. Conflict of multiple gadgets is one of the most common reasons why watches don’t connect.
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On phones with MIUI 14+, enable the “Fast Connection” option in Bluetooth settings, which will speed up the search for watches by 30-40%.
Step-by-step: how to connect Smart Watch to Xiaomi
The process of pairing takes no more 5 So if you follow a very specific algorithm, we're going to take a generic method that's suitable for you to use. 90% model Xiaomi/Amazfit/Haylou. If your watch is working on Wear OS, Please skip to the special section below.
Install the Mi Fitness or Zepp app|Charge the clock to minimum. 50%|Turn on Bluetooth on your phone|Make sure the watch is paired (usually hold the button). 3-5 seconds)-->
Step 1: Installation of the application
Download the official application depending on the model of the watch:
- 📲 Mi Fitness for the Xiaomi Watch S1/S2, Mi Watch Lite.
- 📲 Zepp (formerly Amazfit) – for Amazfit GTR/GTS, Haylou.
- 📲 Wear OS by Google – Xiaomi Watch 2 Pro only.
After installation, sign up or log in via your Xiaomi/Google account. Without authorization, synchronization (steps, pulse) will not work.
Step 2: Activate the pairing mode on the clock
Depending on the model, activation occurs in different ways:
| Model clock | How to enable the pairing mode |
|---|---|
| Xiaomi Watch S3 | Hold the side button for 5 seconds until it appears. QR-code. |
| Amazfit GTR 4 | Go to Settings → Connect → Add the device. |
| Haylou Solar 2 | Press and hold the touch button on the screen for 3 seconds. |
| Mi Watch Lite | Swipe down on the home screen and select the Bluetooth icon. |
Step 3: Search and Connect in the Application
Open the app (Mi Fitness/Zepp) and:
- Click Add Device (the + icon in the upper right corner).
- Select your watch model from the list. If you don't have one, choose another.
- Hold the phone to the clock at a distance of less than 10 cm – this will speed up the search.
- Confirm pairing on both devices (on the watch you may need to press a button or swipe).
Once successfully connected, the app will offer to update the firmware of the watch — don’t refuse, as older versions of the software often contain synchronization errors. The update will take 5-15 minutes depending on the model.
What to do if the clock is not there?
Features of the Wear OS (Xiaomi Watch 2 Pro)
Xiaomi Watch 2 Pro runs on Wear OS by Google, which requires a different approach. It is not without Google Play Services, which by default can be disabled on Xiaomi phones with Chinese firmware.
If after installing the Wear OS application, the clock does not connect:
- Make sure that you have Google Play Services installed on your phone (version no lower than 23.18.13).
- Turn on Bluetooth debugging in the phone developer settings (how to activate: Settings → About Phone → MIUI version – press 7 times).
- In the Wear OS app, select Set up manually and enter the code from the watch screen.
⚠️ Attention: On phones with MIUI for Russia (without Google services) Wear connection OS-You can't watch a clock, so you'll have to reflash the device to the global version or use alternative applications like Gadgetbridge (but with limited functionality).
After the successful connection, do not forget:
- 🔄 Set up automatic data synchronization in Settings → The device → Synchronization.
- 🔔 Allow notifications for applications in Settings → Notifications.
- 🔋 Disable battery optimization for Wear OS phone-setting.
Configure notifications and additional functions
By default, the Smart Watch only displays basic notifications (calls, SMS) to set up alerts from instant messengers, social networks or emails:
- Open the Mi Fitness/Zepp app and go to the Device Profile → Notifications.
- Activate the Notification switch from your phone.
- Select the apps you want to see on your watch (e.g. WhatsApp, Telegram, Gmail).
- Set up the display style: full text or only the app icon.
For models with voice assistant (e.g. Xiaomi Watch S3):
- 🎤 Activate XiaoAI in the clock settings (Settings) → Voice assistant).
- 🔊 Set up quick commands to control music or a smart home.
- 🌍 Select the language of the assistant (Chinese, English and Russian are available in the latest firmware).
⚠️ Attention: On phones with MIUI 13+ For the correct operation of notifications, you must manually allow the auto-run of the Mi Fitness application in Settings → Annexes → Application management → Auto-run. Without this notification, they'll be late or not coming at all.
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To save hours, disable notifications from underutilized applications – this can increase the time of operation by 15-20%.
Solving common connection problems
Even if you follow the instructions correctly, users are faced with errors, and we have collected the TOP-5 problems and ways to solve them:
| Problem. | Reason. | Decision |
|---|---|---|
| The watch is not on the appendix | Bluetooth conflict or outdated firmware | Clear the Bluetooth cache on your phone and reset the clock (hold the 10 seconds button) |
| Synchronization interrupted | MIUI energy saving blocks background work | Add Mi Fitness to battery exclusions (Settings → Battery → Applications selection) |
| No notifications coming. | No permission to display over other windows | Allow “Map on top” in the Mi Fitness app settings |
| The clock is constantly off. | Weak Bluetooth signal or interference from other devices | Disable other Bluetooth gadgets and reconnect the clock |
| No firmware updates. | Not enough space on the clock or slow internet | Connect to 5GHz Wi-Fi and make sure the clock charge is >70% |
If none of these methods helped, try resetting the clock to factory settings:
- On the clock: Settings → System → Reset.
- On the phone: Remove the device from Mi Fitness and clear the app data.
- Repeat the connection process from scratch.
For Amazfit models with the error “Can’t connect to the server”, changing the region in the Zepp account to China (even if you are not in China) will help – this bypasses the geolocation restrictions.
How to transfer data from old watches to new ones
When replacing smartwatches, many users want to keep their activity history, alarm settings, and personal records. Unfortunately, there is no direct data export between different models, but you can use workarounds:
- 📊 For the Xiaomi Watch → Xiaomi Watch: Data is automatically synced to your Xiaomi account.Just log in to the same account on the new watch.
- 🔄 For Amazfit. → Xiaomi: Export data via Zepp to Google Fit, then import to Mi Fitness.
- 📱 For a Wear watch. OS: Use backup through Wear OS (section Settings → System system → Backup).
To move the alarm settings:
- Take screenshots of the old clock.
- Manually play alarm clocks on the new watch (Mi Fitness has a function of mass addition).
⚠️ Note: When you link a new device to a Xiaomi account, the old data can automatically be deleted after 30 days unless you confirm it is saved to the cloud. → Profile → Cloud storage and check backup status.