Connecting Xiaomi Smart Watches to Your Phone via Bluetooth: A Complete Guide to Error Solutions

Why Xiaomi Smart Watches Can't See Your Phone (And How to Fix It)

Matching a smartwatch with a Xiaomi phone via Bluetooth seems like a simple task — until you encounter errors like “Device not found” or “failed to connect.” The problem often lies not in the watch itself, but in the settings of the smartphone or the conflict of versions of the Mi application. Fitness/Zepp Life, for example, on phones with MIUI 14 and later automatically blocks background Bluetooth activity to save charge, which leads to a break in the connection through the 5–10 minute.

Another common trap is trying to connect a Redmi Watch 3 or Amazfit GTR 4 through a standard Bluetooth phone menu.This only works for basic audio transmission, but not for synchronizing steps, notifications or pulse. To work properly, you must use a proprietary app, and its version must match the watch model (for more details in the section on compatibility).

In this article, we will analyze not only the standard connection procedure, but also:

• 🔍 How to get around the “Device is not supported” error on older Xiaomi smartphones (e.g. Redmi Note 8 Pro)
• ⚡ Why the clock shuts down after 1-2 hours and how to make it work
• 📱 Hidden settings MIUI, And those who are in trouble (and how to get rid of them)
• 🔄 Alternative ways to connect without an official application

What Xiaomi smart watch supports Bluetooth connection

Not all Xiaomi smartwatches are compatible with the brand’s smartphones, especially when it comes to models for the Chinese market (with the prefix CN in the title), below is a table of compatibility of popular devices with phones on MIUI and Android:

Note that if your watch is released for the Chinese market (such as the Mi Band 7 NFC version of CN), it may not work with global versions of the application, in which case you will have to install Chinese firmware on your phone or use alternative programs like Notify & Fitness.

⚠️ Attention: On phones POCO shelled MIUI for POCO Some watch features may not be supported (e.g. music management) before buying, check compatibility on Xiaomi Compatibility.

Step-by-step: how to connect the clock to the phone Xiaomi

The pairing process depends on the model of the watch, but the general scheme looks like this:

1. Install the official annex: 📱 For Mi Band and Xiaomi Watch – Mi Fitness (download in Google Play or App Store) 🌐 Redmi Watch and Amazfit – Zepp Life (Android/iOS)

Register an account

Mi Band

Redmi Watch

Turn on Bluetooth.

• On the clock: Usually hold the power button for 3-5 seconds until the Bluetooth icon appears.
• On your phone: go to Settings → Connections → Bluetooth and activate the switch.
• Add the device in the app: Open Mi Fitness/Zepp Life → Press"+" or "Add device" → Select a watch model → Follow the instructions on the screen.
• Confirm pairing on both devices (it may be necessary to enter a code or press a button on the clock).

If the clock is not set, try:

• 🔄 Reboot your phone and your watch.
• 🗑️ Remove the device from the list of conjugates in the Bluetooth settings of the phone and try again.
• 📵 Temporarily shut down VPN Firewall (they can block the connection).

Download the latest version of the app | Charge the watch at least 50% | Enable geolocation on the phone | Turn off power saving mode for Bluetooth | Make sure the watch is not connected to another device-->

Solving Connection Problems: Errors and Fixing Them

Even with the right actions, the pairing can be interrupted. Let's look at the typical mistakes and how to fix them:

1. "Device not found" error

Reasons:

• 📵 Bluetooth on the clock is off or discharged.
• 🔄 The watch is already paired with another phone (you need to reset them through Settings). → Reset).
• 📱 The phone has enabled the mode Hidden devices in the Bluetooth settings.

Solution: Hold the button on the clock for 10-15 seconds to reset, then repeat the search.

2.The connection breaks in a few minutes

This is a MIUI 13/14 problem where the system aggressively optimizes the background processes to fix:

1. Go to Settings. → Annexes → Application management → Mi Fitness/Zepp Life.
2. Choose the Battery. → No restrictions.
3. Turn on Auto Start and Background Activity.
4. In Bluetooth settings, turn off Bluetooth when you lock the screen (if there is such a point).

3.The app doesn't see the clock, even though Bluetooth is on

The problem is often related to the app's cache or version conflict.

1. Clear the Mi Fitness/Zepp Life cache in your phone settings.
2. Remove the application and install it again.
3. If you use MIUI 14, roll back to the 5.6.0 version (which is more stable for older watches).

⚠️ Note: Some Redmi Note models with a Mediatek processor (e.g. Redmi Note 11) may need to disable Dual Bluetooth in the engineering menu (#4636## → Bluetooth → Disable Dual Mode. This will temporarily solve the problem of unstable connection.

Setup of notifications and data synchronization

Once you've successfully connected, you need to configure what notifications will come in on the clock and how often you'll sync.

1. Open the Mi Fitness/Zepp Life app and select your watch.
2. Go to Notifications (or Alerts in English).
3. Turn on the switches for: 📞 Incoming calls 💬 Communications (SMS, WhatsApp, Telegram and others.) 📅 Event reminders 🏃‍♂️ Notification of activity objectives

Synchronization frequency

Every hour.

For models Xiaomi Watch S3 and Amazfit GTR 4 available additional setting Quick answers – you can set the templates of messages that will be sent directly from the clock (for example, “I’m on the way” or “I’ll be back later”).

If notifications do not arrive:

• 🔕 Check if Mi Fitness has been added to the notification blacklist (Settings) → Notifications → Blacklist).
• 📵 Make sure the watch is on Do Not Disturb.
• 🔄 Restart your phone and watch.

💡

If you have a Mi Band 8, activate Always-on Display in the screen settings so you can see the time and notifications without raising your hand, saving battery life.

Alternative ways of connecting (without an official application)

If the proprietary software does not work or you want to expand the functionality, you can use third-party solutions:

1.Appendix Notify & Fitness

Supports most Xiaomi/Amazfit models and allows:

• 📊 Export data to Google Fit or Apple Health.
• 🔊 Set up vibrations for different types of notifications.
• 🎨 Change the dials without restrictions (unlike the official software).

Download it on the official website (there is a version for Android and iOS).

2. Gadgetbridge (for advanced users)

Open source software with support for Mi Band and Amazfit.

• 🔓 No link to Xiaomi account.
• 📈 Detailed statistics of sleep and activity.
• 🛠️ Opportunity to run alternative software (e.g. AmazfitMod).

Cons: complicated setup, no Russian. You can download on Github.

3. Connect via Mi Home (only for some models)

Xiaomi Mi Watch and Redmi Watch 2 can be linked to the Mi Home ecosystem to control a smart home from the wrist.

1. Open Mi Home and add the device through the + → Wearables.
2. Follow the instructions on the screen (scanning will be required) QR-clock-code).
3. After the connection, the watch will appear in the list of smart home devices.

⚠️ Note: Using third-party apps may result in a loss of warranty for the watch.In addition, some features (e.g. Xiao) AI or NFC-Payment) will not be available without official software.

How to extend the battery life after connecting

When you pair it with your phone, it's going to use up more of its charge because it's always in sync, and to prolong its autonomy, you can use it.

• ⏳ Reduce the frequency of data synchronization to 1 time in 2-3 hours (in the application settings).
• 📴 Disable notifications from unnecessary apps (such as games or social media).
• 🌙 Activate the mode Do not disturb at night.
• 🔦 Reduce the brightness of the watch screen to 50–60%.
• 🚫 Turn off the constant pulse (if monitoring is not required) 24/7).

For models with AMOLED-screen (e.g. Amazfit) GTR 4) the added benefit of using dark dials, and on the Mi Band 8, you can turn off the animation of raising your hand, which will save up to 15% of the charge per day.

If the battery is running out too fast (less than a day), check:

• 🔋 Status of the battery in the application (section About the device) → Battery).
• 📲 Is the watch connected to the phone and another device at the same time (e.g., a tablet).
• 🔄 Is background synchronization running with Google Fit or Apple Health.

💡

Disabling Auto-Detect Workouts can increase your workout time by 20 to 30 percent, as the watch will not be constantly scanning your movements.

FAQ: Frequent questions about connecting Xiaomi smartwatches