How to connect Xiaomi watch to iPhone: full instructions with error solutions

Xiaomi smartwatches have long ceased to be exclusive to owners of smartphones on Android. Despite Apple’s limitations in working with third-party gadgets, synchronization of the Mi Band, Redmi Watch or Xiaomi Watch with the iPhone is possible — and works stably when set up correctly. The main obstacle for users is the lack of official support for Apple Health and the need to use proprietary applications Mi Fitness or Zepp Life.

In this guide, we’ll break down not only the basic connection, but also the nuances that are rarely mentioned in standard instructions: why the watch can turn off after 5 minutes, how to set up notifications from WhatsApp and Telegram, and what to do if the iPhone “can’t see” the gadget.

Which Xiaomi Watches Are Compatible with iPhone?

In theory, any Xiaomi smartwatch or fitness bracelet can connect to an iPhone, but there are nuances in practice: the main criterion is support for Bluetooth 4.0+ (all models after 2018 have it), but the functionality will be limited:

• 📱 Full compatibility: Mi Band 5/6/7/8, Redmi Watch 2/3, Xiaomi Watch S1/S2/S3, Xiaomi Smart Band Pro. These models are officially supported by Mi Fitness and Zepp Life apps.
• ⚠️ Partial compatibility: Mi Band 3/4, Amazfit Bip U (although the Amazfit brand is now separate from Xiaomi, some models still work through Mi Fitness) There may be issues with notifications.
• ❌ Incompatible: Mi Band 1/2, Xiaomi Mi Watch (first generation) – outdated models for which applications are no longer updated.

Importantly, even in supported models, some features will be blocked, for example, you can not sync data with Apple Health directly, only through third-party services like Health Sync.

Preparing iPhone for connection

Before you start syncing, make sure your iPhone meets the minimum requirements:

• 📲 iOS version: no lower than 12.0 (for Zepp Life - 13.0)+). Check in Settings → Mainstream → About this device.
• 🔄 Bluetooth: Must be on and in detection mode. Open Control Point (swipe down from the top right corner) and make sure the Bluetooth icon is illuminated.
• 🚫 Limitations: C Settings → Screen time. → Confidentiality restrictions → Bluetooth should be “Allow changes».
• 📱 App Store Region: Mi Fitness and Zepp Life apps may not be available in some countries. If you don't find them, switch to the US or Germany.

⚠️ Note: If your iPhone has previously installed beta versions of iOS, reset your network settings (Settings) → Mainstream → Transfer or discharge → Resetting network settings. This eliminates 90% of Bluetooth gadget connectivity problems.

We also recommend disabling VPNs and proxy servers – they can block the connection to Xiaomi servers. Check this in Settings → VPN and Settings → Wi-Fi → Setup proxy.

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If you already have other fitness bracelets connected (like Fitbit or Garmin), remove them from the Bluetooth device list before connecting Xiaomi. Profile conflicts can interfere with sync.

Step-by-step: Connect via Mi Fitness

Mi Fitness (formerly Mi Fit) is the main tool for syncing most Xiaomi devices.

1. Install the app: 📲 Open the App Store and find Mi Fitness (developed by Xiaomi Inc.). Download and install. 🔓 When you first start, you will need to register a Xiaomi account (you can use Google, Facebook or email).
2. Add the device: 🔍 Press «+» in the upper right corner or select "Add device». 📷 Scan it. QR-code from the watch screen (if any) or select the model manually from the list.

Synchronize

• 🔄 Make sure the watch is on and near the iPhone (no more than 1 meter away).
• 🔗 Click “Connect” in the app and confirm the pairing on the clock (usually you need to click on the touch button).

If the clock is not set, try:

• 🔋 Reboot both the watch and iPhone.
• 🔄 Turn Bluetooth on/off on your phone.
• 📱 Remove the Mi Fitness app and install it again.

The clock is over 50% charged |

Bluetooth on iPhone is enabled and in detection mode |

Mi Fitness app updated to latest version|

The device is not connected to another phone

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Alternative: Connecting via Zepp Life

The Zepp Life app (formerly Amazfit) often works more stable than Mi Fitness, especially with new watch models.

1. Download Zepp Life from the App Store (not to be confused with Zepp is another app for premium Amazfit models).
2. Register: Create an account or sign in via Xiaomi Account (if you have already registered with Mi Fitness).
3. Connection: Click Add Device → Select a model → Follow the instructions on the screen. For the Redmi Watch 3 and Xiaomi Watch S3, this is the preferred method.

The advantages of Zepp Life over Mi Fitness:

• 📊 More detailed statistics of sleep and training.
• 🔔 Best Notification Work (e.g., Emojis displayed in messages).
• 🔄 Less often, the clock is cut off.

⚠️ Note: If you first connected the watch through Mi Fitness and then decided to switch to Zepp Life, be sure to reset the clock settings to factory (Settings) → Reset on the gadget itself; otherwise, profile conflicts may occur.

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For models Xiaomi Watch S3 and later recommended to use Zepp Life — it supports additional features such as music management (although limited to iPhone).

Set up notifications and calls

One of the main reasons for buying a smartwatch is to receive notifications from your phone, and on iPhones, this process has the following features:

• 📱 Permits for Mi Fitness/Zepp Life: Go to the iPhone Settings → Notifications → Mi Fitness and enable: “Allow notifications”; “Sounds”; “Signs on the lock screen».
• 🔔 Selection of applications: In Mi Fitness or Zepp Life, open the Notifications section and select which apps you want to receive alerts from (for example, WhatsApp, Telegram, Gmail).
• ☎️ Calls: Xiaomi Watches can only alert you to an incoming call, but they can’t answer it (unlike Apple Watch).To turn on alerts, activate Call Notifications in the clock settings».

Limitations on iPhone:

• ❌ No notifications from SMS (third-party messengers).
• ❌ You can’t respond to messages with a voice or quick response.
• ❌ Notifications arrive with a delay of 1-3 seconds (on Android – instantly).

Solving common problems

Even with the right setup, users are faced with typical errors, and here's how to fix them:

Additional advice:

• 🔋 If the clock runs out too quickly after connecting to your iPhone, turn off constant data sync in the app settings.
• 📶 For stable operation, keep the iPhone on the iOS version at least 15.0 - in older versions there are bugs with Bluetooth LE.

Synchronize with Apple Health and other services

By default, Mi Fitness and Zepp Life do not transfer data to Apple Health. To circumvent this restriction, use third-party apps:

1. Health Sync (paid, ~300 ₽): Allows you to export steps, calories, heart rate and sleep data from Mi Fitness to Apple Health.Tunes: Install Health Sync from the App Store. Enable Apple Health access in the app settings. Select Mi Fitness as the data source and set up sync.

Google Fit

If you want to integrate with Google Ecosystem, connect Mi Fitness to Google Fit and then export the data to Apple Health via Health Sync.

⚠️ Note: When using Health Sync, sleep data may be duplicated in Apple Health. To avoid this, turn off automatic sleep recording in the Mi Fitness settings and leave only manual input.

Alternative services for athletes:

• 🏃 Strava: connects to Zepp Life directly (select Connect Strava in the app settings»).
• 🚴 Komoot: Imports Training Data via Google Fit.

FAQ: Frequent questions about connecting Xiaomi to iPhone