Connecting Xiaomi Watch 4 to iPhone: full instructions with solutions to typical problems

The Xiaomi Watch 4 is one of the most popular fitness trackers on the market due to its combination of functionality and affordable price. However, iPhone owners often face difficulties in trying to sync: the official Mi Fitness app is unstable, and some features (such as quick responses to notifications) are simply not available due to the limitations of iOS. In this article, we will analyze all the ways to connect, including bypassing typical bugs, setting up notifications and integrating with Apple Health.

It’s important to understand that while Xiaomi is positioning its watches as cross-platform, their interaction with the iPhone has a number of technical nuances. For example, to transfer health data will require an additional Health Sync app, and some functions (like music management) will work only through third-party utilities. We tested all methods on iOS 17.4 and Xiaomi Watch 4 firmware version 1.0.87.14 – current in May 2026.

If you have just unpacked your watch or have tried to connect it, but you have encountered an error called "Device failed to find" or "Synchronization interrupted" - this will help solve the problem. We will also explain how to circumvent the limit on the number of connected devices in Mi Fitness (maximum 5 gadgets), which often causes failures.

1. Preparing the watch and iPhone before connecting

Before you start syncing, make sure both devices are ready to go, and skipping this stage is the main cause of errors like "Clocks are unresponsive" or "It is impossible to complete pairing."

On Xiaomi Watch 4:

• 🔋 Charge the watch to at least 50% (at low charge, it may shut down during setup).
• 📱 Turn on Bluetooth – swipe down the watch screen and tap the Bluetooth icon (it should turn blue).
• 🔄 If the watch has already been connected to another phone, reset: go to Settings → System → Reset settings.

On the iPhone:

• 📲 Update iOS to the latest version (check in Settings → Main → Software Update).
• 🔗 Make sure that Bluetooth and Wi-Fi are on (even if you connect over Bluetooth, some data is synchronized over the Internet).
• 🚫 Turn off VPN or power saving mode — they can block the connection to Xiaomi servers.

If your Xiaomi account is registered in China and your iPhone is configured to another region (such as Russia or Europe), sync errors may occur.

⚠️ Warning: Link your watch to a Mi Account with a region that matches Apple's ID region. For example, if your Apple ID is tied to Russia, create a new Xiaomi account with Russia region via account.xiaomi.com.

2. Installation and configuration of the Mi Fitness application

The official watch management app is Mi Fitness (formerly Mi Wear), which can be downloaded from the App Store, but there is a caveat: the iOS version is trimmed compared to Android, for example, it does not have the ability to install third-party dials or customize gestures.

Step-by-step installation instructions:

1. Download Mi Fitness from the App Store.
2. Open the app and sign in to your Xiaomi account (or create a new one if you don’t have one).
3. Click Add Device → Select Xiaomi Watch 4 from the list.
4. Follow the instructions on the screen: confirm the pairing on the clock (click the tick) and wait for the synchronization to complete.

If you have a “Can’t Find the Device” error at the connection stage, try:

• 🔄 Reboot Bluetooth on iPhone: Turn it off and turn it back on at Control Point.
• 📱 Re-start the Mi Fitness app (remove it from multitasking).
• 🔌 Connect the watch to charging — sometimes this helps stabilize the connection.

Xiaomi account is registered|Bluetooth is enabled on both devices|The clock is over 50%|Mi Fitness app updated to latest version-->

Once you've successfully connected, the app will offer to update the firmware of the watch. Don't refuse to update - new versions often fix iOS compatibility bugs.

⚠️ Warning: If the clock is interrupted during a firmware update (for example, due to battery drain), it may stop turning on. Charge it to 100% and make sure that the iPhone does not go to sleep.

3. Health data synchronization with Apple Health

By default, Mi Fitness doesn’t transmit steps, sleep, or heart rate data to Apple Health, but requires a third-party bridge app, such as Health Sync or Mi Fit to Health.

Instructions for setting up Health Sync:

1. Download Health Sync from the App Store.
2. Open the app and allow access to Apple Health (click Allow All Requests).
3. In the Sources section, select Mi Fitness.
4. Specify what data to sync (steps, sleep, weight, pulse) and click Sync.

Important nuances:

• 🔄 Synchronization works only manually – there is no automatic data exchange.
• 📊 Not all metrics are transmitted correctly, such as blood oxygen levels.SpO₂) may be incorrectly displayed.
• 🔒 Health Sync is a paid app (around 300 ₽), but there is a free trial for 3 days.

The alternative is to use the Mi Fit to Health app, which works on the same principle but has a simpler interface, but it doesn't support synchronization of workouts, so if you're interested in running or cycling data, you'd better go for Health Sync.

4. Set up notifications and calls

One of the main problems when connecting Xiaomi Watch 4 to the iPhone is the limited operation of notifications. Unlike Android, where the watch can show full alerts with a response, on iOS, only:

• 📩 Basic notifications (SMS, calls, calendar)
• 🚫 No way to respond to messages with voice or text input.
• 🔔 Notifications from third-party messengers (WhatsApp, Telegram) are only displayed if they come via standard API iOS (i.e. not all chats will be duplicated).

To include notifications:

1. Open Mi Fitness → go to the profile of the watch.
2. Select Notifications → turn on the option to Show Notifications.
3. In iPhone, go to Settings → Bluetooth, find MI BAND-XXX (the name of your watch) and turn on Show notifications.

If notifications do not arrive:

💡

To get notifications from Telegram to the clock, turn on the “Show Preview” option in the Telegram notification settings on your iPhone (Settings → Notifications → Telegram → Preview).

5. Solving Typical Connection Errors

Even when you set it up properly, users often encounter errors, and let's look at the most common ones and how to fix them.

Error: "Can't find the device"

• 🔄 Reboot your iPhone and watch.
• 📱 Remove the watch from the device list in Settings → Bluetooth and try to connect again.
• 🔌 Connect the watch to charging — sometimes it doesn't show up because of the low charge.

Error: "Synchronization interrupted"

• 🌐 Check your internet connection – without it, Mi Fitness can’t complete the setup.
• 🔒 Temporarily disable VPN or the ad blocker (they can block Xiaomi servers).
• 📦 Reinstall the Mi Fitness app.

Error: “The device is already linked to another account”

This problem occurs if the watch has previously been connected to another phone.

1. On another phone (where the watch was tied), open Mi Fitness → remove the Xiaomi Watch 4 from the device list.
2. If you don’t have access to your old phone, reset the clock to factory settings (Settings → System → Reset).
3. Repeat the connection procedure on the iPhone.

💡

If the watch doesn't connect despite all attempts, try using the Android device to set it up first, and then re-tether it to the iPhone. This method works 80% of the time.

6. Alternative ways of connecting (if Mi Fitness does not work)

If the official app refuses to work, you can try third-party solutions, which do not provide full functionality, but at least allow you to synchronize the main data.

Method 1: Notify & Fitness for Mi Band

This app (available on the App Store) allows you to:

• 📊 Synchronize footsteps, sleep, and pulse.
• 🔔 Configure notifications more flexibly (including responses to messages).
• 🎨 Install third-party dials (through bypassing iOS restrictions).

Cons: The app is paid (about 500 ₽), and some features (such as music management) still don’t work.

Method 2: Using an Android emulator

If you have access to a computer, you can:

1. Install an Android emulator (e.g. BlueStacks).
2. Download Mi Fitness for Android and link the watch to your account.
3. Set up the basic settings and then reconnect the watch to the iPhone.

This method helps bypass the limitations of iOS, but it takes time and technical skills.

Method 3: Amazfit App (for some models)

Some users have reported that the Xiaomi Watch 4 can be connected via the Amazfit app (also from Xiaomi), but this method is unstable and can cause malfunctions in the watch.

7. Optimization of the clock with the iPhone

To ensure that Xiaomi Watch 4 works well, follow these guidelines:

Savings in battery charge:

• 🔋 Turn off the constant pulse (in Mi Fitness → Watch Profile → Heart Monitor, select Manual).
• 🌙 Turn on sleep at night (saves up to 20% charge).
• 📵 Disable notifications from unnecessary applications.

Increased stability of the connection:

• 🔄 Reset the clock once a week (hold the power button for 10 seconds).
• 📱 Regularly update the Mi Fitness and watch firmware.
• 🚫 Do not connect your watch to your iPhone and other device (like an Android tablet) at the same time.

Backup of data:

As synchronization with Apple Health is not perfect, we recommend:

• 📥 Once a month export data from Mi Fitness to CSV (click on the chart → Export).
• 🔄 Use Google Fit as an intermediate storage (via Health Sync).

💡

If the watch starts to discharge quickly after connecting to the iPhone, check the background settings in Mi Fitness: turn off the option "Permanent connection" (it puts the battery down hard).

8. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)