Connecting Xiaomi Watch 5 to a smartphone: full instructions with pictures and tips

The Xiaomi Watch 5 became one of the most popular gadgets of 2023-2026 thanks to a combination of stylish design, advanced health features and affordable price. However, many users face difficulties when connecting a device to a phone for the first time – especially when it comes to synchronizing with iPhones or smartphones on MIUI with non-standard firmware. This article will help you understand everything from choosing the right application to solving typical errors like “does not see the watch” or “constantly break the connection”.

We’ll look at three official ways to connect (via Mi Fitness, Zepp Life and Google Fit), and give you tips on how to set up notifications, update firmware and optimize battery consumption after synchronization. Focus on compatibility with iOS 17+ — there are pitfalls that the manufacturer is not saying. If you just unpacked a new watch or want to reconfigure the old one — read on!

1.What phones support Xiaomi Watch 5?

Before connecting, it is important to make sure that your smartphone is compatible with the Xiaomi Watch 5.

• 📱 Android: Version 6.0 and above (recommended) 8.0+). In practice, the devices are most stable. MIUI 12–14, ColorOS (Oppo/Realme) and pure Android (Pixel, Nokia).
• 🍎 iOS: iPhone 6s and newer with iOS 13 version+. However, for full operation (notifications, calls) you need iOS 15+.
• 🔄 Bluetooth: version 5.0 and higher. BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy, but older phones may have sync issues.

Important: Custom firmware (like LineageOS) or phones with modified Bluetooth stack (some Samsung models) may crash. If your phone isn’t on the list of trusted devices, try connecting through a third-party app like Notify & Fitness (for Android).

⚠️ Note: If your phone is released before 2018, even if you meet technical requirements, Bluetooth 5.0 problems may occur. BLE model-specification.

2. Which application to use for connection?

The manufacturer offers three official options for synchronization Xiaomi Watch 5:

1. Mi Fitness (formerly Mi Wear) is the main Android app that supports all features, including sleep monitoring, exercise and notifications.
2. Zepp Life (formerly Amazfit) is an alternative for Android/iOS. The interface is simpler, but some features (like Always-on Display) are only customized via Mi Fitness.
3. Google Fit is just for basic step-and-pulse synchronization. It doesn't support notifications and Xiaomi-branded chips.

Zepp Life is officially recommended for iPhone, but many users complain about the lack of Russian in some versions.

Comparison of application capabilities:

⚠️ Note: On iPhone via Zepp Life, you can’t configure quick responses to messages – this feature is only available on Android via Mi Fitness.

3. Step-by-step instruction: connecting to Android

Synchronization with an Android smartphone takes 5-10 minutes.

1. Install the app: 📥 Download Mi Fitness from Google Play. 🔓 Allow all rights requested: Contacts, Phone, Notifications, Location.
2. Turn on Bluetooth: 🔵 Go to Settings. → Connections → Bluetooth and activate it. 🔄 On the Xiaomi Watch 5, swipe down the screen and make sure the Bluetooth icon is highlighted.

Add the device.

• 🔍 In Mi Fitness, press «+» → «Add the device» → Choose the Xiaomi Watch 5.
• 📱 Wait for the code on your watch and phone to match.

Bluetooth enabled on your phone and watch

The latest update to Mi Fitness has been installed

The clock is at least 50% charged.

Phone is connected to the Internet (needed to download firmware)-->

After successful synchronization:

• 🔄 Update the firmware of the watch through the Device Profile → Update of the PO.
• 📲 Set up notifications in Mi Fitness → Notifications → Choice of applications.
• ⚙️ Personalize the dial in the Display section → Dials.

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If the clock is not, reboot the Bluetooth module of the phone: turn off / turn on the aircraft mode or restart the smartphone.

4. iPhone connection: features and limitations

Synchronizing Xiaomi Watch 5 with iPhone has nuances due to the limitations of iOS.

1. Install Zepp Life: 📱 Download the app from the App Store. 🔓 Allow access to Health, Notifications and Bluetooth.

Device pairing

• 🔵 Turn on Bluetooth on iPhone and watch.
• 🔍 In Zepp Life, select Add Device» → Xiaomi Watch 5.
• 🔄 Confirm the code on both devices.

Restrictions on iOS:

• ❌ You can’t answer your phone from the clock (only turn it off).
• ❌ No sync with Apple Health for sleep data.
• ❌ Notifications are delayed (up to 5 minutes).

⚠️ Warning: If the clock is permanently off after you connect, turn off background optimization for Zepp Life in your iPhone settings (Settings) → Zepp Life → Background update).

5. Solving typical connection problems

Even with the right setup, there can be errors.

If nothing helps:

1. 🔄 Reset the clock (press the button for 10 seconds).
2. 📱 Remove the device from Mi Fitness and add again.
3. 🔧 Reset the clock to factory settings (Settings) → System system → Reset).

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90% of connection problems are solved by resetting clock settings and re-syncing. Don't miss firmware updates - they often fix Bluetooth errors.

6.Configure after connecting: what to do first

After successful synchronization, we recommend:

• 🔄 Update the firmware: Go to the Device Profile → If the update does not come, check the region in the settings of the clock (language and region) → China sometimes gives early access to updates).
• 📊 Set up health monitoring: Turn on heart rate (recommended intervals of 1-5 minutes). Activate blood oxygen levels and stress.
• 🔔 Personalize notifications: In Mi Fitness → Notifications, select the apps you want to see alerts from. On Android, you can configure quick responses to messages.

To extend autonomy:

• ⚡ Turn off Always-on Display if you don’t need to (Settings) → Display).
• 🔋 Set up an energy saving mode for the night.
• 🔄 Reduce the pulse rate to 10–30 minutes.

7.How to transfer data from an old Xiaomi watch?

If you are upgrading with the Xiaomi Watch S1, Mi Band 7 or other model, the data can be transferred to:

1. Export history: 📤 In the old application (Mi Fit or Zepp) go to Profile → Export of data. 📥 Save the file to Google Drive or send it to your email.

Import to a new application

• 📥 In Mi Fitness, select Data Import and upload the file.
• ⚠️ Training history will be transferred, but sleep data may be incorrect.

The data history will be stored in the Xiaomi account, but notifications will only come to the current connected phone.

Hardware discharge:

1. Turn off the clock.


2. Press the physical button for 15 seconds.




3. Wait for the vibration and the Mi logo.

After reset, the clock will automatically restart and be ready for a new synchronization.