Many Android users are struggling to combine Xiaomi’s flagship smartphone with Samsung’s Galaxy Watch. Despite both devices running Android, their native apps are tailored to different brands, which often causes confusion when setting up, especially when standard device searches fail or the system requires unnecessary services.
The process of integrating gadgets from different manufacturers requires careful attention to Bluetooth settings and MIUI resolutions. Unlike pairing with Samsung devices, you will have to manually activate several hidden settings. The key is the correct sequence of software installation, since a violation of the procedure can lead to an endless search cycle for the device.
In this article, we will take a look at every step of the connection, from operating system preparation to fine-tuning notifications. You will learn how to bypass the limitations of the HyperOS shell and ensure the activity tracker works smoothly. For the bundle to work smoothly, it is critical to install the Samsung Gear plugin just before the watch is turned on, not after.
Preparation of Xiaomi smartphone to pair
Before trying to connect devices via Bluetooth menus, you need to prepare the software environment of the smartphone. the shell MIUI or HyperOS is known for its aggressive battery saving, which can block the work of the background processes of smart watches. The first step is to check the version of Android and update system components through Settings → About the phone.
Next, make sure that all the necessary geolocation services are activated in the system. Bluetooth Low Energy protocols used to transmit pulse and step data require constant access to the system. GPS-Without the location enabled, the watch can connect to calls, but will not transmit health data to the app.
It is also important to clear the cache of old connections if other activity trackers have been connected to the phone before, which will prevent address conflicts and speed up the process of discovering a new device, and it is recommended to restart the smartphone before installing specialized software.
- 🔋 Check the battery power of your smartphone – it should be above 50% for stable installation of heavy service packages.
- 📡 Insert the module. GPS and set high location accuracy in security settings.
- 🔄 Remove old Bluetooth profiles from list of previously used gadgets.
- 🌐 Make sure your smartphone is connected to a stable Wi-Fi network for fast downloading of components.
⚠️ Note: If your Xiaomi has an antivirus or third-party memory cleaner installed, add future Samsung apps as exceptions, otherwise the system will forcibly close their background process.
Installation of necessary applications and services
The main mistake users make is to try to use only the Galaxy Wearable app. To fully work the watch, especially the Watch 4 and later models running on Wear OS, you need to install a whole range of services from Google and Samsung.
Once you install the main app, take your time to search for the watch, and the system will request additional plugins like the Samsung Gear Plugin and Samsung Accessory Service, which are the bridge that allows the Xiaomi phone to “understand” specific clock commands, without which the functionality will be reduced to a basic time display.
Google Play services require special attention. On Xiaomi devices, they are often disabled or limited by default. Go to the application settings, find Google Play Services and make sure they have permissions to work in the background and access to Bluetooth.
☑️ Checklist of the installation
It is important to give all installed components maximum access rights. From the Settings menu → Apps → Application Management, find every element of the Samsung ecosystem and allow it to work in the background. This will prevent the connection from breaking when the phone screen goes out.
The process of primary pairing of devices
When the software is ready, you can go to the physical connection. Turn on the watch with the side button, and wait for the welcome screen to appear. On your smartphone, launch the Galaxy Wearable app and press the Start button. The phone will start scanning the surrounding space.
Once your model, like the Galaxy Watch 5, appears on the list, click on it to pair. Both devices will have a digital code on their screen. Make sure the codes match, and confirm the action by pressing the confirmation button. The process of installing security certificates can take several minutes.
During the setup, the system will suggest updating the watch software. It is strongly recommended to agree to the update, even if it takes time. New firmware versions often contain compatibility patches with third-party Android smartphones, which is critical for the Xiaomi bundle.
| The adjustment phase | User action | Expected output | Implementation time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Searching device | Launching scanning in the application | Displaying the watch model in the list | 10-30 seconds. |
| Authorization | Code comparison and confirmation | Installation of a secure connection | 15 seconds |
| Setting up rights | Acceptance of all authorization requests | Full access to sensors and notifications | 1-2 minutes |
| Update of the PO | Download and install patches | Up-to-date version of Wear OS | 5-15 minutes |
⚠️ Warning: Do not interrupt the process of updating the firmware of the watch, even if it seems that the process is stalled. Interrupting during the recording stage may lead to the need for service recovery.
What to do if the search does not begin?
Configure access rights to MIUI and HyperOS
The most critical step for Xiaomi owners is manually setting up energy savings. The default system kills the clock’s background processes, believing them to be battery-consuming. To keep the watch running consistently, you need to go to Settings → Apps → All apps and find Galaxy Wearable.
From the app menu, select “Battery Consumption” and set “No Limits” to prevent the system from turning off the app to save energy, a similar procedure to be repeated for all Samsung related services installed earlier.
You also need to activate autostart. In the same app settings menu, find Autostart and turn it on. Without this, after restarting the phone, the watch may stop syncing data until the application is manually opened.
- 🛡️ Turn off battery optimization for all Samsung components in the developer menu.
- 🔔 Allow display over other windows for pop-up notifications.
- 📂 Give permission to access files and media to save dials.
- 📞 Activate access to call log and contacts for phone book.
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To ensure notifications work, lock the Galaxy Wearable app in the list of running processes (pull down and press the lock) so that the system does not unload it from memory.
Typical Compatibility Problems
Despite the correct setup, users may experience connection instability. A common problem is that the watch constantly loses touch with the Xiaomi phone. This is often solved by disabling the Adaptive Connection feature in the Bluetooth settings of the smartphone itself, as it may incorrectly switch frequencies.
Another common difficulty is the lack of vibration when notifying from messengers, in which case you need to re-travel the way Galaxy Wearable → Settings of the clock → Notifications and re-activate sliders for the desired applications. Sometimes you need to completely remove the messenger application from the clock and install it again.
If the watch doesn’t see the pulsemeter or sleep data isn’t synced, check the Google Fit service. Samsung Watches transmit health data through this service, and the Samsung Health app on Xiaomi phone may not see it without the right bundle of accounts.
⚠️ Warning: When resetting your watch to factory settings, remember to remove it from the Bluetooth list on your phone, otherwise you will encounter a pairing error when you try again.
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90% of the problems with the breakup on Xiaomi are solved by removing the background activity restrictions for Samsung applications in the battery settings.
Enhanced capabilities and service integration
Once set up successfully, you can set up watch faces from the Watch Faces store, manage music, and use NFC to pay if the region and bank support Samsung Pay on third-party devices, but some ecosystem-specific features may not be available.
For example, ECG and pressure measurement officially work only in conjunction with Samsung smartphones, which on Xiaomi can be blocked software, although there are workarounds through third-party regionalization applications that change the region of the watch to Korea or the United States.
Integration with voice assistant also has nuances: instead of Bixby, which doesn't work well outside the ecosystem, you'd better configure Google Assistant, which allows you to effectively manage your smart home and ask questions using the watch microphone, which is especially convenient when combined with Mi Home devices.