Connecting Xiaomi Watches to the Redmi 9 Smartphone: Full Instruction with Error Solutions

Why Xiaomi Smartwatches Aren't Connecting to Redmi 9 and How to Fix It

Synchronizing Xiaomi’s smartwatches (whether Mi Band 6/7, Xiaomi Watch S1 or newer models) with the Redmi 9 seems like an easy task — but in practice, users are faced with connection errors, lack of notifications or sudden communication breaks. The reason often lies not in the devices themselves, but in the wrong Bluetooth settings, an outdated version of the Mi Fitness app (now Zepp Life), or conflicts with energy-saving MIUI modes.

In this article, we will discuss the unique connection algorithm for Redmi 9, taking into account the features of its firmware and hardware platform (Helio G80 processor, Bluetooth 5.0 version). You will learn how to avoid typical errors (for example, “I failed to connect to the device”), which MIUI settings interfere with the stable operation of the watch, and how to transfer data from the old gadget to the new one without losing statistics.

Important: If you upgraded Redmi 9 to MIUI 14 or later, some of the steps will be different from the instructions for the older versions.

What Xiaomi watches are compatible with Redmi 9: support table

Not all Xiaomi smartwatch models work equally well with the Redmi 9. For example, the Mi Band 1/2 will not physically be able to connect due to the outdated Bluetooth protocol, and the Xiaomi Watch 2 Pro can slow down due to RAM restrictions in a budget smartphone. Below is the current compatibility table for 2026:

If your model is not in the table, check it on the official Xiaomi website (Device Compatibility section).Please note that even if the watch physically connects to the phone, some features (such as SpO2 measurement or stress test) may not be available due to the limitations of the Redmi 9 hardware.

Preparing the Redmi 9 phone to connect the clock

Before you start syncing, you need to optimize your Redmi 9 settings, which will avoid most errors associated with connection breakage or lack of notifications.

Update MIUI to the latest version (check in Settings → About Phone → System Update)

Remove old versions of Mi Fit or Zepp Life (they are in conflict)

Enable Developer Mode and Turn Off MIUI Optimization for Watch App

Reset Bluetooth settings (Settings) → Connections → Bluetooth → ⚙️ → Reset the settings)

Turn off charge saving for the watch application (Settings → Battery → Energy saving → Applications)

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Pay special attention to the MIUI optimization clause, which is that by default, the system aggressively closes the background processes, which may cause the clock to not sync data or not show notifications, to disable optimization:

1. Go to Settings → All settings → Special features → Developer mode (if not, tap 7 times on the MIUI version in the About Phone section).
2. Find MIUI Optimization and turn it off.
3. Return to Settings → Applications → Application Management, select Zepp Life and enable Auto Run, Background Activity, and Show Notifications.

⚠️ Note: If you use Redmi 9 with custom firmware (like LineageOS or Pixel Experience), some watch features (like quick unlock) may not work.

Step-by-step: how to connect Xiaomi watches to Redmi 9

Now, to the process of connecting, we'll look at two scenarios: first connection (new watch) and re-synchronization (like after a phone drops), and the instructions are relevant to the Zepp Life app (formerly Mi Fitness) because older versions of the Mi Fit are no longer supported.

Scenario 1: First Connection of a New Watch

1. Install the Zepp Life app: 📱 Download it from Google Play or AppGallery (if you don’t have Google services). 🔓 When you first start, resolve all requests (access to notifications, geolocation, contacts).

Scenario 2: Reconnect (after resetting or replacing the phone)

If you’ve already used a watch with another phone, you’ll need to reset it to factory settings before connecting to Redmi 9, otherwise you’ll get the error “The device is already linked to another account.”

1. On the clock, go to Settings. → System system → Resetting settings (for Mi Band it is usually swipe down) → ⚙️ → Reset).
2. Confirm the reset (the clock will reset).
3. In the Zepp Life app on Redmi 9, remove the old device (Profile) → watch → ⚙️ → Delete).
4. Repeat the steps in Scenario 1, starting with Clause 3.

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If the watch doesn’t appear in the list of devices to connect, try rebooting the Bluetooth module on Redmi 9: turn off and turn on Bluetooth, then restart the phone.

Solving common connection errors

Even if you follow instructions correctly, Redmi 9 users often run into problems, and below is a list of bugs and fixes based on analysis of the 4PDA and Mi Community forums.

Error 1: “I couldn’t connect to the device”

Causes and solutions:

• 📵 Bluetooth is unstable: Go to Settings → Connections → Bluetooth and remove all the stored devices. Then reboot the phone.
• 🔄 Version Conflict: Delete Zepp Life, clear the cache (Settings) → Annexes → Zepp Life → Warehouse → Clear the cache and install the latest version.
• 🛡️ Lockdown MIUI: Add Zepp Life to Settings → Battery → Energy conservation → Applications without restrictions.

Error 2: The clock is connected but not synchronizing data

This is a problem for Redmi 9 due to aggressive MIUI optimization.

• ⚡ Turn off power saving: In battery settings, select High Performance Mode for Zepp Life.
• 📶 Check the Internet: Synchronization requires network access. If you use mobile Internet, make sure that background traffic is allowed for Zepp Life.
• 🔄 Forced Synchronization: In the app, go to Profile → watch → ⚙️ → Synchronize data.

Mistake 3: Notifications don't come in the clock

This is most often due to the notification access settings in MIUI:

• 🔔 B Settings → Notifications → Notifications Management Find Zepp Life and Turn on All Switches.
• 📱 In the Zepp Life app itself, check: Profile → watch → Notifications → Notification settings.
• 🚫 Make sure that apps (such as WhatsApp or Telegram) are not blocked in Settings → Annexes → Permits → Auto-start.

⚠️ Note: If you use dual messengers (cloned applications in the app) MIUI), The solution is to disable cloning for messengers or select the main account in the notification settings.

How to transfer data from old watches to new ones

When you change your watch (e.g., from Mi Band 6 to Xiaomi Watch S1), many users lose their training history and health data. To avoid this, use the cloud backup in Zepp Life:

1. On an old watch: 📤 Sync all data with the application (Profile) → watch → Synchronize). 🔄 Make sure that in Profile → Settings → Account included Cloud Backup.
2. On a new watch: 🆕 Connect them to the same Xiaomi account (see the instructions above). ☁️ In the application, select Profile → your new watch → Recover data.

Importantly, the steps and sleep data are transferred completely, but alarm and notification settings will have to be reset, and some watch models (such as the Xiaomi Watch 2 Pro) do not support transferring personal records from older devices.

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Cloud backup in Zepp Life only works when linked to a single Xiaomi account, and if you used different accounts on old and new watches, you can’t transfer data.

Additional settings for maximum functionality

After a successful connection, we recommend setting up the watch for optimal use with the Redmi 9. This will help avoid the battery drain of the watch in 1 day or missing important notifications.

1. Optimization of the battery consumption of the watch

• ⚡ Turn off the constant pulse (if not necessary): Profile → watch → Heart monitoring → Frequency → Manually.
• 🌙 Set your sleep schedule: this will reduce the number of night measurements.
• 📶 Turn off Auto Weather Update if it is not critical.

2. Set up notifications

• 🔔 Enable Vibration for Notifications in the Settings of the Watch.
• 📵 Add important applications to the whitelist (e.g. Bank or Mail).
• 🚫 Disable notifications from unnecessary apps (such as games).

3. Security and unlocking

• 🔓 Set up Phone Unlocking in Hours: Redmi 9 Settings → Lock screen → Device unlocking.
• 🔐 Enable Device Search in Zepp Life in case of loss.

If you are using the Xiaomi Watch S1 Pro or a newer model, Voice Assistant will appear in the settings, but on Redmi 9 this feature may not work stable due to RAM limitations (only 4 GB), and we recommend turning it off if the watch starts to slow down.

FAQ: Frequent questions about connecting Xiaomi watches to Redmi 9