Connecting Xiaomi smartwatches to Samsung phone: full instruction with solutions to typical errors

Synchronizing Xiaomi’s smartwatch with a Samsung phone is a task that at first glance seems simple but often faces the nuances of compatibility.Users face Bluetooth connectivity issues, lack of notifications or incorrect fitness trackers. The reason lies in the differences in ecosystems. MIUI one UI, and the limitations of manufacturers on cross-platform integration.

In this article, we’ll look at all the ways you connect, from standard synchronization via Mi Fitness (formerly Mi Fit) to workarounds for models not officially supported by Samsung. We'll focus on setting up notifications, synchronizing health data, and solving errors like "device fails" or "connection interrupted." If you're using the Xiaomi Watch S3, Mi Band 8 or earlier models – instructions are relevant for all versions.

Xiaomi Smart Watch Compatibility with Samsung Phones: What You Need to Know Before Connecting

Before you start syncing, it’s important to understand which Xiaomi models are officially supported by Samsung and which will require workarounds.The manufacturer doesn’t block the connection directly, but some features may not work properly due to differences in data exchange protocols.

Highlights:

• 📱 Official support: Mi Band models 3/4/5/6/7/8, Xiaomi Watch S1/S2/S3, Redmi Watch 2/3 Connect to Samsung via the Mi Fitness app (available on Google Play.
• ⚠️ Restrictions: Samsung may not work: Phone calls answered in hours (notifications only) Sync with Samsung Health (manual export required) Incorrect display of Cyrillic notifications in old firmware
• 🔄 Alternative apps: Extended features (such as music management) will require third-party utilities like Notify & Fitness for Mi Band or Tools & Mi Band.

⚠️ Note: On Samsung phones with Android 13+ one UI 5.0+ You may need to manually allow notifications to be accessed for Mi Fitness in your system settings (Settings) → Annexes → Mi Fitness → Notifications → Without it, the watch will not show incoming messages.

2. Step-by-step instruction: connection through the official Mi Fitness app

This method is suitable for most Xiaomi models and is the most reliable. Follow the instructions carefully to avoid synchronization errors.

1. Install the Mi Fitness app: 📲 Download from Google Play (link). Avoid third-party APK — They may contain malicious code. 🔓 Allow all application requests (geolocation, notifications, contact access).

Add the device to Mi Fitness:

• 🔍 Open the application, click "Profile" → "Add the device".
• 📱 Choose your watch model from the list (e.g. Mi Band 8).
• 🔗 Wait for the watch name to appear in the list of available devices and confirm the connection.

Charge the clock > 50%|Bluetooth is on on the phone|Mi Fitness installed and updated|The clock is reset (if previously used)|Notifications for Mi Fitness are allowed-->

If the clock is not:

• 🔄 Reboot Bluetooth on your phone (turn off/on).
• 📱 Make sure the watch is in search mode (the Bluetooth icon is displayed on the screen).
• 🔧 Check if the connection is blocking power saving mode on Samsung (Settings) → Maintenance of the device → Battery → Energy saving regime).

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If Mi Fitness doesn’t see the watch, try connecting via the phone’s standard Bluetooth menu: find the device in the list, pair, then return to Mi Fitness and update the list.

3. Setup notifications and calls: how to make it work for Samsung

One of the main problems when connecting Xiaomi to Samsung is the lack of notifications about calls and messages. UI It limits the background activity of third-party applications:

Step 1. Allow auto-start Mi Fitness:

1. Go to Settings → Applications → Mi Fitness → Battery.
2. Enable the options "Allow AutoRun" and "Allow Background Operation".

Step 2: Set up notifications manually:

• 📱 In Mi Fitness, go to "Device Profile" → "Notifications".
• 🔕 Turn on the switches for "Calling", "Messages" and "Applications".
• ⚙️ For each messenger (WhatsApp, Telegram) allow access in Android settings (Settings) → Notifications → Additionally).

⚠️ Attention: On the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra and other flagships with One UI 6.0 may need to disable battery optimization for Mi Fitness. → Annexes → Mi Fitness → Battery → Optimize battery use → No restrictions.

4. Health Data Synchronization: Exporting to Samsung Health

Mi Fitness and Samsung Health don't automatically sync, but data can be manually transferred, which is true for users who keep statistics in the Samsung ecosystem.

Method 1: Through Google Fit (recommended):

1. In Mi Fitness go to "Profile" → "Settings" → "Accounts and connect Google Fit.
2. In Samsung Health, open "Settings" → "Connected Services and select Google Fit.
3. Allow the importation of steps, sleep and pulse data.

Method 2: Manual export (for advanced users):

• 📊 Use the Health Sync app to automatically sync between Mi Fitness and Samsung Health.
• 🔧 Set up export rules: for example, only transmit step and sleep data, ignoring duplicates.

Google Fit|Samsung Health|Mi Fitness|Apple Health|Other-->

Important: In manual export, blood pressure and oxygen levels (SpO₂) This may not be possible due to different processing algorithms in Xiaomi and Samsung.

5. Solving typical connection errors

Even when you set it up properly, users are faced with errors, and let's look at the most common ones and how to fix them.

Error "Device not supported":

• 📱 It is found on older Samsung models (such as the Galaxy). S8) Android 9 and below.
• 🔧 Solution: Install the old version of Mi Fit (until 2022) from the archive APK (APKCombo).

The clock is permanently switched off:

• 🔋 Check the battery power of the watch (below 15% can cause communication breakdown).
• 📶 Make sure your phone has power saving mode turned off for Mi Fitness.
• 🔄 Reinstall the app and repeat pairing.

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If none of these methods worked, try connecting the watch through alternative software (like Notify & Fitness for Mi Band), which often works better with Samsung than the official app.

6. Alternative ways to connect: when Mi Fitness is not working

If the official app refuses to cooperate, you can use third-party solutions, they offer advanced features, but require more rights.

Notify & Fitness for Mi Band app:

• 🔗 Link to Google Play.
• ✅ Benefits: Support for all Xiaomi models, including outdated Flexible Notifications (Application Filtering) Widgets for quick access to features
• ⚠️ Disadvantages: Requires permission to access notifications and can drain the battery faster.

Tools & Mi Band app:

• 🛠️ Allows you to adjust gestures (for example, controlling music by shaking your hand).
• 📊 Supports data export to Google Sheets for analysis.

Manual Bluetooth connection (without applications):

1. Enable the developer mode on the watch (for Xiaomi Watch) S3: Settings → The phone. → POS version → Tap 5 times).

⚠️ Warning: Third-party apps may request device administrator rights or special permissions. Do not install them from unverified sources - this may lead to data leakage or blocking of your Mi Account account.

7.Operation optimization: how to extend battery life and improve stability

Xiaomi’s connection to Samsung is often accompanied by a quick discharge of the watch or phone.

For the watch:

• 🔋 Turn off "Constant pulse" in settings (clock settings) → Heart monitoring → Regime. → Hand-held).
• 🌙 Set "Sleep Mode" to automatically turn off the screen at night.
• 📵 Reduce the frequency of data synchronization (e.g., once every 30 minutes instead of 5 minutes).

For the phone:

• 📱 B Settings → Annexes → Mi Fitness → Mobile data disable "Background data transmission".
• 🔄 Limit background activity: Settings → Maintenance of the device → Battery → Background constraints.

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If the watch starts to discharge quickly after updating the firmware, try to roll back to the previous version through Mi Fitness (Section "Software Update").

8.Reset and reconnect: When nothing helps

If all attempts to connect ended in failure, the last step remains – a complete reset.

Xiaomi's watch reset:

1. On the clock, go to Settings → System → Reset settings.
2. Confirm the action (usually press and hold the button for 5 seconds).
3. After restarting, repeat the connection procedure from scratch.

Resetting Bluetooth settings on Samsung:

• 📱 Go to Settings. → Connections → Bluetooth → ⋮ (menu) → Reset the settings.
• 🔄 Reboot the phone.
• 🔗 Repeat mating with the clock.

Removal of the Mi Fitness cache:

1. Open Settings → Applications → Mi Fitness → Memory.
2. Click "Clear Cache" and "Clear Data".
3. Log in again and connect the clock.

⚠️ Note: After resetting the clock, all data (steps, sleep, exercise) will be deleted. If it is important, pre-export it to Google Fit or take screenshots of statistics in Mi Fitness.

FAQ: Answers to Frequent Questions