How to connect Xiaomi watch to another phone: from reset to sync

Transferring Xiaomi’s smartwatch to a new phone is a challenge faced by every second owner of the Mi Band, Amazfit GTR or Xiaomi Watch S3. It would seem that it is difficult: untied from the old smartphone, tied to the new one. But in practice, users face synchronization errors, firmware freezes or loss of data about steps and training. In this article, we will analyze all the ways of connecting – from the standard through Mi Fitness to manual reset via ADB if the watch does not “see” the new phone.

The main problem is that Xiaomi is linking devices to a Mi Account account, not a specific phone, which means that it is theoretically easy to log in to the same account on a new smartphone. However, in practice, a full clock reset is often required, especially if it is a question of switching from Android to iPhone (or vice versa), or changing the account region, we have tested all the methods on models from Mi Band 5 to Xiaomi Watch 2 Pro – and are ready to share working solutions.

If you've already tried to connect and you've got an error like "Device tied to another account" or "Can't find a watch," don't rush to bring it to the service. In 90% of cases, the problem is solved software--without loss of warranty and without needing to call for support. The main thing is to follow the instructions in order and not miss steps.

1.Preparation: What to do before connecting

Before you try to connect your watch to your new phone, you must take the necessary steps, and ignoring it is the main cause of synchronization errors.

✅ Check the compatibility of the watch model and the phone. Not all Xiaomi smartwatches work with iPhones. For example, the Mi Band 7 Pro officially supports iOS, but with limited functionality (no notifications from third-party apps). The full compatibility list can be found on the Xiaomi support website.

📱 Update your firmware on your watch and phone. Outdated software often causes crashes. On your watch, check firmware relevance through Settings → About device → Software update. On your phone, update:

• 🤖 Android: Settings → System → System Update
• 🍎 iPhone: Settings → Main → Software Update

🔄 Sync your old phone, and if you don't want to lose your activity history, move it to the Mi Account cloud:

1. Open the Mi Fitness app (or Zepp for Amazfit).
2. Go to the profile and make sure that sync with the cloud is enabled.
3. Wait until the data load is complete (the cloud icon should turn green).

💡

If you’re using the Amazfit GTR 4 or GTS 4, the data is automatically synced to the Zepp Life app, but for reliability, export the story to Google Fit or Apple Health through the app’s settings.

2. Standard method: connection via Mi Fitness

The easiest method is to use the official Mi Fitness app (formerly Mi Fit) and is suitable for most models, including the Mi Band 6/7/8, Xiaomi Watch S1/S2 and Amazfit Bip 3.

📌 Step-by-step instruction:

1. Install Mi Fitness on your new phone from Google Play or App Store.
2. Sign in to the same Mi Account as your old phone.
3. Click "Add device" and select a model of your watch.
4. Follow the instructions on the screen: Confirm the pairing on the clock (usually you need to click on their screen).

⚠️ Warning: If the watch has already been linked to another account, the system will suggest resetting it to factory settings. Don't ignore this step, otherwise the sync will not end.

Install Mi Fitness on your new phone |

Sign in to the same Mi Account|

Charge the watch to at least 50% |

Start the process of adding the device

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🔹 What to do if the clock is not in place?

• 🔋 Check the battery charge (should be) ≥30%).
• 📶 Make sure your phone is Bluetooth enabled and geolocated.
• 🔄 Reset the clock: Press the button (or touch zone) for 10-15 seconds.
• 📱 Try connecting from another phone (to diagnose the problem).

Mi Band 6/7/8|

Xiaomi Watch S1/S2/S3|

Amazfit GTR/GTS|

Redmi Watch 3/4|

Another model-->

3.Reset Xiaomi watches to factory settings

If the standard connection doesn't work, you'll need a hard reset, which will delete all the data from the watch, but allow it to be linked to the new phone, and the way you reset depends on the model:

🔧 For the Mi Band 5/6/7/8 and Redmi Watch:

1. Open the Settings menu on the clock → About the device → Reset settings.
2. Confirm the action (usually press and hold the screen for 3 seconds).
3. Wait for the reboot (the watch vibrates and shows the Xiaomi logo).

🔧 For Xiaomi Watch S1/S2/S3 and Amazfit:

⚠️ Warning: Once reset, the watch automatically unplugs the old Mi Account, which is the only way to link it to the new phone if the previous owner (or you) forgot the login details.

📊 Comparison of resetting methods for popular models:

4. iPhone connection: features and limitations

If you are switching from Android to iPhone, note that the functionality of Xiaomi watches on iOS is limited. For example, Mi Band 7 will not work:

• 🚫 Notifications from WhatsApp, Telegram and other messengers (only) SMS and calls.
• 🚫 Quick responses to messages.
• 🚫 Some widgets (weather, calendar)

📱 Instructions for iPhone:

1. Install Mi Fitness from the App Store.
2. Sign in to your Mi Account (if you don’t have one, register a new one).
3. Turn on iPhone: 📌 Settings → Bluetooth (must be enabled permanently). 📌 Settings → Privacy → Geolocation Services → Mi Fitness (Always). 📌 Settings → Notifications → Mi Fitness (Allow).

"Add device"

⚠️ Warning: On iOS, Xiaomi watches can automatically disconnect from Bluetooth to save charge. To avoid this, turn off the Low Bluetooth power feature in your iPhone settings.

💡

On the iPhone, Xiaomi smartwatches work in a “stripped-down” mode. If you are interested in notifications from messengers or advanced features, consider buying a watch with full support for iOS (for example, the Apple Watch or Amazfit GTR 4 with firmware for the iPhone).

5. Solving connection errors

Even if you follow the instructions correctly, you can have failures, and let's look at the most common mistakes and how to fix them.

🛑 Error: "The device is linked to another account"

🔹 Reason: The watch was not reset before connecting to a new phone.

🔹 Decision:

1. Complete the reset (see Section 3).
2. If the reset doesn’t work, sign in on the new phone to the same Mi Account the watch was previously linked to.

🛑 Error: "It is impossible to synchronize data"

🔹 Decision:

1. Check your phone’s internet connection (synchronization requires the cloud).
2. Log out of the Mi Account in the app and log in again.
3. Remove the watch from the device list in Mi Fitness and add it again.

💡

If the Xiaomi Watch S3 or Amazfit GTR 4 doesn’t sync workout data, try exporting it manually through Settings → Export data in.gpx or.tcx format.

6 Transfer the steps and training data to a new phone

When changing phones, many users lose their activity history. To avoid this, use one of the following ways:

☁️ Sync through the Mi Account cloud:

📊 Exports to Google Fit or Apple Health:

1. In Mi Fitness, go to Profile → Settings → Linked accounts.
2. Connect Google Fit (for Android) or Apple Health (for iPhone).
3. Allow exporting data on steps, training and sleep.

💾 Manual export to file:

For the Amazfit GTR 3/4 and Xiaomi Watch S2 models, data export in.csv or.gpx format is available:

1. In the Zepp app (for Amazfit) or Mi Fitness, select the right training.
2. Click Export and save the file to your phone or cloud.

⚠️ Attention: pulse and blood oxygen levels (PHOTO)SpO₂If they are critical (e.g. for medical monitoring), take screenshots of the graphs on your old phone.

7. Alternative ways of connecting (if nothing works)

If standard methods don't work, try advanced solutions that take longer, but often help in desperate situations.

🔧 Method 1: Connect via ADB (for Android)

This method is suitable if the clock is “hang” during reset or does not respond to commands. You will need a computer with ADB drivers installed.

📌 Instructions:

1. Download and install Platform Tools.
2. Connect your phone to your PC and enable USB Debugging (Settings → About Phone → Assembly Number (7 taps) → For developers → USB Debugging).
3. Open the command line in the adb folder and execute: adb devices adb shell am start -n com.xiaomi.hm.health/com.xiaomi.hm.health.device.AddDeviceActivity
4. Follow the instructions on your phone screen to force the device to be added.

🔧 Method 2: Using third-party applications

If Mi Fitness can’t see the watch, try alternative programs:

• 📱 Notify & Fitness for Mi Band (for Mi Band) - supports advanced features.
• 📱 Tools & Mi Band – allows you to reset your watch without official software.
• 📱 Amazfit Watch Faces (for Amazfit) – sometimes helps wake up non-responsive watches.

🔧 Method 3: Feedback with Xiaomi

If none of these methods work, please contact us for support:

1. Go to the Xiaomi support website.
2. Select "Smart Devices" → "Wearable Devices".
3. Describe the problem by saying, Model watches, model old and new phones, steps you've tried before.

Attach a check or confirmation of purchase (if the hours are guaranteed).

FAQ: Frequent questions about connecting Xiaomi watches