Connecting smartwatches to Xiaomi phone: full instruction with problem solving

Synchronizing a smartwatch with a Xiaomi phone is a process that seems simple only at first glance.In practice, users face compatibility issues, Bluetooth connection errors, or misfunctioning of the proprietary Mi Fitness app (now Zepp Life), this article will help avoid typical errors and configure the device as efficiently as possible, whether you are using the Mi Band 8, Watch 2 Pro or the budget model Redmi Watch 3 Active.

The Xiaomi ecosystem is that even budget smartwatches support advanced features when set up correctly, from monitoring sleep to controlling music on your phone, but it requires not only a physical connection, but also the correct account binding, firmware updates and notification settings, and we will take every step from preparing the phone to solving rare bugs that are not described in the official documentation.

1. Smartwatch compatibility with Xiaomi phones

Before you start connecting, make sure your devices are compatible. Xiaomi launches the watch under several brands: Mi Watch, Redmi Watch, Amazfit (in some regions) and Mi Band fitness bracelets. Here are the key points:

• 📱 Minimum phone requirements: Android 6.0+ iOS 10.0+ (for the Mi Band 7/8 Older models like the Redmi Note. 4 may not support the latest versions of the application.
• 🔄 Region restrictions: Some features (e.g., Xiaomi Pay or voice assistant) only work in China.
• 🔗 All modern Xiaomi watches use Bluetooth 5.0+. If your phone only supports Bluetooth 4.2 (e.g. Redmi) 5A), Possible problems with data synchronization.

To check the Bluetooth version on your phone, go to Settings → About Phone → MIUI → Full Specification. If your device doesn’t meet the requirements, consider alternative ways to connect (for example, through third-party apps like Notify & Fitness).

⚠️ Note: Amazfit watches (e.g., Amazfit series, GTR 4 or GTS 4) require Zepp apps, not Mi Fitness, and try to connect them through standard Xiaomi software will result in the error "Device not supported".

2. Preparing Xiaomi phone for connection

Before syncing, you need to set up your phone to avoid errors like "Disconnected to the device" or "Disconnected to the clock." Follow this checklist:

Enable Bluetooth in the settings

Update MIUI to the latest version

Remove old versions of Mi Fitness/Zepp

Disable Power Saving Mode for Bluetooth

Reboot your phone (recommended)

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Pay special attention to the permissions for the Mi Fitness application:

1. Open Settings → Applications → Application Management → Mi Fitness.
2. Activate all permissions, especially: 📍 Geodata (for jogging tracking) 📱 Notifications (for displaying messages) 🔋 Auto-start (so the clock doesn't switch off in the background)

Additionally. → Battery utilization

"No limits"

If you have previously used a fitness bracelet from another brand (such as Huawei or Honor), remove the relevant apps (Huawei Health, Honor Health) as they may conflict with Mi Fitness.

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If you have Xiaomi with custom firmware (e.g. Pixel Experience), before connecting the watch, disable Xposed or Magisk modules, which modify the operation of Bluetooth, which often cause the error "Can not find the device."

3. Step-by-step connection instruction

Now, to the synchronization process itself, the instructions are suitable for most models, but there are nuances for specific devices (they are listed in the corresponding sections).

Step 1: Installation of the application

• 📲 Download Mi Fitness (for Mi) Band/Redmi Watch) or Zepp (for Amazfit) from Google Play or AppGallery.
• 🔑 Sign up or sign in to your Xiaomi account (required for Mi Watch 2 Pro and newer).

Step 2: Activation of the clock

1. Charge the watch to a minimum of 50% (the Mi Watch requires 70%).
2. Press and hold the power button (or touch area on the Mi Band) until the logo appears.
3. Select a language (if you have an option) and confirm that you are ready to connect.

Step 3: Synchronize with the phone

1. Open Mi Fitness and click "Add Device".
2. Select a watch model from the list. If your model is not available, select "Other device" and type the name manually.
3. Confirm pairing on the phone and the watch (on the screen the code will appear, which should match the code in the application).
4. Wait for the firmware update to complete (it can take up to 10 minutes). Do not interrupt the process, even if the watch is rebooted several times - this is normal for the first Mi Watch S1 models.

Once successfully connected, the app will prompt you to set up notifications, alarms, and other functions. We recommend you to immediately update the watch firmware to the latest version through the Device Profile → Software Update.

4. Set up notifications and functions

By default, Xiaomi watches show only basic notifications (calls, SMS). To expand the functionality, follow the following steps:

Notifications from annexes

1. In Mi Fitness, go to Device Profile → Notifications.
2. Activate the "Application Notifications" switch.
3. Select the apps you want to see on your watch (such as WhatsApp, Telegram, Gmail).
4. Adjust the display style: “Vibration only”, “Sound + vibration” or “Raise your hand to view”.

Additional functions

• 🎵 Music control: Enable the “Player Control” option in the watch settings to switch tracks directly from the screen.
• 🔍 Phone Search: Activate Find Your Phone – the clock will vibrate when you lose communication with your phone.
• 💤 Sleep monitoring: For accurate sleep tracking, turn on "Sleep Mode" and specify the time of withdrawal in the app.

For models Mi Watch 2 Pro and later available advanced options:

• 🗣️ Voice Assistant: Only Xiao is supported AI (Chinese version) or Google Assistant (requires manual configuration via Google Assistant ADB).
• 💳 Xiaomi Pay: Only works with Chinese bank cards. Alternatives like Garmin Pay are available for other regions (on some models).

⚠️ Attention: On phones with MIUI 14+ And the power saving mode on the watch can be delayed by up to 5 minutes. To fix this, add Mi Fitness to the list of "Apps without restrictions" in the battery settings.

5. Solving common problems

Even when you set up correctly, users are faced with bugs, and here are the most common errors and ways to fix them:

If the Mi Band or Redmi Watch is permanently off, check:

1. Distance between devices (maximum 10 meters in the room).
2. The presence of interference from other Bluetooth devices (for example, wireless headphones).
3. The firmware version of the watch (update via Mi Fitness).

For Mi Watch models with Wear OS (such as Mi Watch S3), additional setup may be required via Google Play Services.If the watch does not sync data with Google Fit, reinstall the app and re-assign your account.

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If the watch has stopped responding to touch after the firmware update, reset via Settings → System → Reset. This will solve the problem 90% of the time for the Mi Band 6-8 models.

6. Alternative ways of connecting

If the standard method doesn’t work, try one of these options:

Method 1: Connecting with Notify & Fitness

• 📲 Install Notify & Fitness for Mi Band from Google Play.
• 🔌 Connect your watch via standard Bluetooth, then select it from Notify & Fitness’s Devices list.
• ⚙️ Set notifications, vibrations, and other settings manually.

This app supports even outdated models like Mi Band 3 and allows you to customize the watch interface.

Method 2: Using ADB to unlock functions

For advanced users: some features (e.g. Google Assistant on the Mi Watch 2 Pro) can be activated via ADB.

adb shell settings put global hidden_api_policy 1

After this command, restart the clock. Please note that improper use of ADB can result in a reset or locking of the device.

Method 3: Connecting to iPhone

While Xiaomi officially supports iOS, the functionality on the iPhone is limited to:

• ✅ Basic notifications (calls) are working, SMS).
• ❌ Xiaomi Pay, Voice Assistant and some widgets are not supported.
• 🔄 Data synchronization is less common (every 30 minutes instead of 5 minutes on Android).

7. Optimizing the clock to save battery life

Xiaomi smartwatches are known for their long run time, but when used actively, the charge can be consumed faster.

• 🔋 Turn off the permanent pulsemeter: In the clock settings, select "Measure every 30 minutes" instead of "Continuously".
• 🌙 Use dark dials: AMOLED-screens (e.g. on Mi Watch 3) consume less power when black is displayed.
• 📶 Limit Background Synchronization: In Mi Fitness, turn off automatic data synchronization over the mobile network.
• 🔔 Reduce notifications: Leave only critical applications (calls, SMS, messengers).

For GPS models (such as the Amazfit GTR 4), turn off automatic location detection if you don’t use jogging, saving up to 20% of your charge per day.

If the clock is discharged in 1-2 days instead of the declared 7-14, check:

1. Battery status (Mi Fitness has a Battery Status section).
2. The presence of background processes (for example, not closed training).
3. Ambient temperature (at below 0°C or above 40°C, the battery goes down faster).

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For Mi Band 7/8 models, you can use magnetic charging from the Mi Band 6, but charging will be slower (about 2 hours instead of 1 hour).

8. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)