Connecting smart watches to Xiaomi Redmi phone: full instruction with error solutions

Why Smart Watches Can't See Your Xiaomi Redmi and How to Fix It

Synchronizing a smartwatch with a Xiaomi Redmi phone seems like a simple task — until you encounter errors like “device not found” or endless search on Bluetooth. The problem often lies not in the watch itself, but in the wrong settings of the phone or outdated software. For example, the Redmi Note 12 Pro+ with MIUI 14 can block the background activity of applications to save battery, which makes the Mi Band 8 or Redmi Watch 3 unable to establish a stable connection.

In this article, we will examine three official ways of connecting (via Mi Fit, Zepp Life and MIUI Bluetooth), and solve common errors: from the lack of response to the pairing request to failures when updating the firmware of the watch, paying special attention to the hidden MIUI settings, which the manufacturer does not advertise, but which directly affect the stability of communication.

If you've already tried to connect and you've got an error, don't rush to reset your watch to factory settings. 80 percent of the time, the problem is solved by changing one or two settings on your phone, and let's start with the device preparation.

Preparing Xiaomi Redmi phone before connecting

Before you start pairing, make sure your Redmi is ready to work with wearables.

• 📱 Version. MIUI: lower MIUI 12.5 (for models older than Redmi 10) On older versions, Bluetooth 5.0 may be problematic.
• 🔄 System Updates: Check for Updates in Settings → The phone. → Updating the system.
• 🔋 Battery charge: phone and watch must be at least 50%.At low charge Xiaomi automatically limits background processes.
• 📶 Internet connection: to download the firmware of the watch will require stable Wi-Fi or mobile Internet.

The critical setting that many people forget is location permission for Mi Fit/Zepp Life apps, which without it, the watch won't be able to synchronize steps and workouts.

1. Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Choose Mi Fit (or Zepp Life)
3. Press Permissions → Location and set the value to Allow always.

Install the latest version of MIUI| Charge phone and watch >50%|Enable Bluetooth and GPS|Allow location for Mi Fit/Zepp Life|Deactivate power saving mode-->

We also recommend turning off the power saving mode in Settings → Battery and Performance → Energy saving mode. This feature aggressively closes the background processes, which can shut down the clock 5-10 minutes after connecting.

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If you have a Redmi with NFC, but the watch does not support contactless payment, do not turn on NFC while pairing.

Method 1: Connect via Mi Fit (for Mi Band and Redmi Watch)

Mi Fit is the official tool for syncing most Xiaomi smartwatches, including the Mi Band, Redmi Watch and Amazfit lines.+:

1. Download and install Mi Fit from Google Play or the App Store.
2. Sign up or sign in to your Xiaomi account (required! without an account, your watches don't sync).
3. Allow all application requests: notifications, location, access to contacts (for calls).
4. Click Profile → Add the device and select the model of your watch.
5. Follow the instructions on the screen. When the clock vibrates, confirm the pairing on the phone.

If after connecting to Mi Fit, the error "Device is disabled" is displayed, follow the following steps:

⚠️ Attention: Redmi with MIUI 13/14 After pairing, you must manually enable Autostart and Background Activity for Mi Fit. Otherwise, the clock will turn off when the screen is locked.

Mi Band 8|Redmi Watch 3/4|Amazfit GTR/GTS| Another Xiaomi | Watch of another brand-->

Method 2: Sync through Zepp Life (for Amazfit and new models)

From 2023, Xiaomi is gradually moving its smartwatch to the Zepp Life platform (formerly Amazfit), which supports the Redmi Watch 3 Active, Amazfit GTR 4 and other new models.

1. Download Zepp Life from the official store (beware of fakes!).
2. Sign up with Xiaomi Account or Zepp Account (if you have an Amazfit watch).
3. In the main menu, click + → Add the device.
4. Select a watch model and follow the instructions. QR-Code - scan it through your phone.

An important difference from Mi Fit: Zepp Life requires manually configuring data synchronization with Google Fit/Apple Health.

1. Go to Profile → Settings → Linked accounts.
2. Select the service (Google Fit, Apple Health, Strava).
3. Log in and allow access to the data.

If the watch does not update the firmware after connecting, check:

• 🌐 Internet connection (updates downloaded via Zepp Life).
• 🔋 Charge of the clock (should be) >60%).
• ⏳ Time on the phone (if the date is incorrect, the update will be blocked).

Method 3: Manually connect via MIUI Bluetooth (if applications don't work)

If Mi Fit or Zepp Life refuse to see the watch, you can try connecting directly through the MIUI system settings. This method is suitable for all models, but requires additional configuration:

1. Open Settings → Connections and Sharing → Bluetooth.
2. Turn on Bluetooth and wait for the watch to appear on the list (usually the name begins with the Mi Band or Redmi Watch).
3. Click on the device and confirm the pairing on the clock (by button or touch the screen).
4. Once connected, go back to Mi Fit/Zepp Life and select Already Connected via Bluetooth.

This is a way to save you a lot when the app is stuck in the device search phase, but it has a limitation: without Mi Fit, you can't:

• 📊 Get detailed statistics on sleep and exercise.
• 🔔 Set up notifications from apps.
• ⚙️ Update the firmware of the watch.

⚠️ Attention: Redmi with MIUI 14 After manually connecting via Bluetooth, the watch can be displayed as "Audio Device." To fix this, go to Bluetooth Settings → Settings (cog next to the clock) → Type of device and select Other.

Solving common connection errors

Even with the right setup, you can encounter errors.-5 problems and solutions:

1.The clock is switched on but immediately switched off

Reason: MIUI kills Mi Fit background processes to save battery life.

Decision:

1. Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management → Mi Fit.
2. Enable AutoRun, Background Activity and No Battery Restrictions.
3. Add Mi Fit to Secure Applications (in the Battery section).

2. "Failure to update the firmware" error

Reason: Unstable Internet connection or insufficient space on the phone.

Decision:

• 📶 Connect to Wi-Fi (mobile internet may be interrupted).
• 🗃️ Free up at least 500MB of memory on your phone.
• ⏱️ Allow the clock to charge up to 80% before upgrading.

3. Notifications don't come in on the clock

Reason: Notified permissions for Mi Fit or Zepp Life are not given.

Decision:

1. Go to Settings → Notifications → Mi Fit.
2. Turn on all switches, including Sound and Pop-ups.
3. In the Mi Fit app itself, check the list of permitted notifications (Profile → Notifications).

4.The clock doesn't synchronize step data

Reason: No access to geolocation or physical activity.

Decision:

• 📍 Enable Location for Mi Fit in the permission settings.
• 🏃 Include Physical Activity in Settings → Annexes → Mi Fit → Permits.
• 🔄 Reboot the watch and phone, then sync the data manually in the app.

5.The clock is plugged in but does not vibrate at notifications

Reason: Do not disturb or low vibration is turned off in the watch settings.

Decision:

1. On the clock, go to Settings → Do not disturb and turn off the mode.
2. In Mi Fit, check the vibration settings (Profile → Notifications → Vibration settings).
3. Update the watch firmware (sometimes vibration bugs are fixed in new versions).

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If none of these methods worked, try resetting the clock to factory settings. To do this, press the 20 seconds button on the watch before the Xiaomi logo appears.

Optimizing the hours after connection

After successful pairing, adjust the watch for maximum convenience:

1. Set up notifications

To receive notifications only from the required applications:

1. Open Mi Fit or Zepp Life.
2. Go to Profile → Notifications → Notifications Management.
3. Select the apps you want to see on your watch.

2. Battery savings

To keep the clocks running longer:

• 🔋 Turn off the Constant pulse (if not necessary) in the clock settings.
• 🌙 Set the Sleep Mode to automatically turn off the screen from 23:00 to 7:00.
• 📵 Reduce the brightness of the screen to 50–60%.

3. Synchronization with other services

To automatically transfer data from the watch to Google Fit or Apple Health:

1. In Mi Fit, go to Profile → Settings → Linked accounts.
2. Choose the service and log in.
3. Allow access to data on steps, sleep and training.

4. Firmware update

Regular updates fix bugs and add new features to update the firmware:

1. Connect the watch to charge and make sure it is >60% charge.
2. Open Mi Fit or Zepp Life.
3. If an update is available, a notification will appear. Click Update and wait until it is completed.

⚠️ Warning: Do not interrupt the update process! If the watch "hangs" on the Xiaomi logo after the update, wait 10-15 minutes. If the problem does not disappear, reset (Settings) → Reset on the clock).

FAQ: Frequent questions about connecting smartwatches to Xiaomi Redmi