Connecting a hand watch to a Xiaomi smartphone: all the ways and nuances

Synchronizing a smartwatch with a Xiaomi phone gives you access to advanced features like health tracking, notifications, and music management. However, the connection process can be difficult — especially if the watch model is not from Xiaomi (for example, Amazfit or Huawei Watch), and the smartphone runs on custom firmware. In this article, we will analyze all the current ways of connecting, including bypassing typical errors like “device does not see” or “communication is constantly broken”.

It is important to consider that the algorithm depends on the watch manufacturer and the version of MIUI. For example, Mi Fitness is used for the Mi Band 7 and Watch 2 Pro, and Zepp Life is used for the Amazfit GTR 4. We will look at universal steps, as well as the hidden settings of MIUI 14+, which affect the stability of the connection over Bluetooth 5.2.

Xiaomi Watch and Phone Compatibility: What You Need to Know Before Connecting

Not all smartwatches are compatible with Xiaomi smartphones at full synchronization level.

• 📱 Phones: Officially supported models with MIUI 12+ Android 8.0+. Custom firmware (e.g. Pixel Experience) may have trouble notifying you.
• ⌚ Clock: devices Xiaomi/Amazfit Connect through branded applications, and third-party (for example, Samsung Galaxy Watch) – only in limited functionality (without payments and calls).
• 🔄 Bluetooth Versions: Bluetooth 4.2 is required for stable operation+. On the Redmi. 9A (Bluetooth 4.1) may have communication interruptions with Mi Band 8.

Before buying a watch, check their compatibility on the official websites:

• 🔗 For Mi. Band/Watch: mi.com/wearables
• 🔗 For Amazfit: amazfit.com/support

A critical nuance: if your Xiaomi phone is released before 2019 (for example, the Redmi Note 7), it may not support Bluetooth LE Audio – this will lead to problems with the transmission of sound on the Watch S3 or later.

2. Preparing Xiaomi phone for connection

Before synchronization, perform the mandatory settings on your smartphone:

Enable Bluetooth in the notification panel

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

Install the official watch app (Mi Fitness/Zepp Life)

Turn off power saving mode for Bluetooth (Settings → Battery → Power saving mode → Bluetooth)

Reboot your phone (required when you first connect)

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Pay special attention to the permits:

1. Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management → [Clock App Name].
2. Activate all permissions, especially: 📍 Geodata (for tracking activity) 📱 Notifications (for synchronization) SMS call) 🔋 Auto-start (so that the clock doesn't switch off in the background)

The problem with MIUI 14+: newer versions of the firmware have Bluetooth Protective Mode enabled by default, which blocks third-party connection to turn it off:

1. Open Settings → Connections and Sharing → Bluetooth.
2. Slip on the three points in the upper right corner → Additional settings.
3. Turn off the option Protective mode.

3. Step-by-step instruction: connection via Mi Fitness

This method is suitable for Xiaomi and Amazfit watches (if they support Mi Fitness).

1. Download Mi Fitness from Google Play or AppGallery. For MIUI users without Google services, use APK from the official mi.com website.

Account registration:

Sign in with Mi Account (required! Data sync will not work without an account) If you don't have an account, create it in the app.

Device search:

Turn on the watch (for Mi Band – click on the touch button, for Watch – hold the side button for 3 seconds). In the app, tap Add device → select the model from the list.

Pair:

You'll see a Bluetooth connection request on your phone, confirm it. You may need to enter the clock. PIN-code (usually 0000 or 1234).

Firmware update:

Once connected, the app will prompt you to update the watch software. Don't interrupt the process! If the connection is broken, the watch may stop turning on.

Important for Mi Band 8: If notifications don’t work after you connect, go to Profile → Notification Settings and manually activate the option to Show notifications on your device.

4. Connect via Zepp Life (for Amazfit watches)

The Zepp Life app (formerly Mi Fit) is used for Amazfit watches as well as some Xiaomi models (e.g. the Watch S1 Pro).

1. Installation: Download Zepp Life from Google Play or App Store.
2. Pair: Open the app → Add the device. Select a watch model (e.g. Amazfit GTR 4). Bring the watch to the phone at a distance of < 10 cm, this will speed up the search.

Account setting:

Zepp Account

Mi Account

Xiaomi

Synchronization of data:

"Can't connect" error?

• 🔋 Charge level of the clock (should be) > 20%).
• 📶 Internet connection stability (the application checks the certificates of the device online).
• 🔄 App version (upgrade to the latest in the store).

💡

If the Amazfit watch does not sync steps, in the settings of the Zepp Life application, turn off the option “Traffic Saving” – it blocks background data transfer.

5. Connecting third-party watches (Apple Watch, Samsung, Huawei)

Xiaomi phones can connect to other brands’ watches, but with limitations: For example, the Apple Watch will only work as a fitness tracker (without calls and Apple Pay), and the Galaxy Watch will work without Samsung Health.

To connect the Samsung Galaxy Watch to Xiaomi:

1. Install Galaxy Wearable and Google Play Services for Wear OS.
2. In Bluetooth phone settings, select Additional Settings → Wear OS Compatibility Mode (available on MIUI 13+).
3. Reboot both devices after pairing.

💡

The Wear watch. OS (For example, the Galaxy Watch. 4) will consume 30-40% More power when connected to a Xiaomi phone than to the original Samsung smartphone, which is due to the optimization of Bluetooth protocols in the smartphone. MIUI.

6. Solving common problems

If the clock is connected but is not working properly, use these tips:

• 🔌 Watches do not charge from the phone: Check the cable (the original connector is required for the Mi Band). on Xiaomi 12 Pro and later, turn off Charging Optimization in the battery settings.
• 📵 Communication is constantly broken: In your phone's Bluetooth settings, turn off Automatically disabling unused devices. For Amazfit, update the watch firmware via Zepp Life.
• ⚠️ No notifications: In the settings of the watch app, enable the option to Show notifications and add it to the AutoRun list (MIUI blocks background activity by default).
• 🔄 Watches do not sync data: Go to Settings → Annexes → [Watch appendix] → Memory and clear the cache.

⚠️ Note: If after the update MIUI The watch stopped connecting, reset them to factory settings (for Mi Band: Settings) → This is due to the change of Bluetooth protocols in new firmware versions.

To diagnose problems, use the hidden Bluetooth menu on Xiaomi:

1. Open the Phone app.
2. Enter ##4636##.
3. Select Bluetooth Information → check the connection status.

7. Optimization of the hours after connection

To ensure that the watch is stable and economically consumes the charge:

• 🔋 Energy saving: In the watch settings, turn off the Constant screen light (saves up to 20% charge).For Amazfit, activate Battery mode in the Zepp Life app.
• 📶 Data Synchronization: Set up automatic synchronization once every 6 hours (in Mi Fitness: Profile) → Settings → Data synchronization. Frequent synchronization drains the phone.
• 🛡️ Security: Enable screen lock on the clock (PIN or pattern lock if you use Mi Pay.

Hidden MIUI feature: Xiaomi phones can set up automatic clock connection when approaching.

1. Go to Settings → Connected Devices → [Your Watch] → Additional settings.
2. Activate the Auto Connection option.
3. Set a range (for example, 2 meters).

⚠️ Warning: If you use Mi Band to unlock your phone, turn off Smart Lock in your security settings MIUI. Otherwise, the clock will be discharged for 1-2 Due to continuous Bluetooth scanning.

8. Alternative ways of connecting

If standard methods don’t work, try alternatives:

• 🔗 For Huawei or Honor watches, use Notify & Fitness (available on Google Play) to receive notifications even without official support.
• 🖥️ Through PC: If the watch is not connected to the phone, try updating its firmware via your computer: Download Mi Fit for PC from the official website. Connect the watch to the PC via a Bluetooth adapter. Follow the instructions of the update wizard.
• 🔄 Through Developer Mode: On Xiaomi phones, you can turn on Bluetooth Debugging Mode: Settings → The phone. → Version. MIUI (Tap 7 times) Settings → Additionally. → For developers → Turn on Bluetooth debugging This will help diagnose connection problems through ADB.