Xiaomi Smart Watches: How to Use From the Ground Up – From Connection to Hidden Features

Xiaomi’s smartwatches are no longer just a sports accessory — they’re a full-fledged assistant in everyday life. But even Mi Band 8, Xiaomi Watch 2 Pro or Redmi Watch 3 owners often use only 20 percent of their capabilities. Why? Because the manufacturer doesn’t always explain how to set up the device correctly, sync it to a smartphone, or activate hidden features like continuous sleep monitoring or a voice assistant.

This article is not just a guide, but a practical life hack for those who want to get the most out of their watches, and we will learn how to connect the watch to the phone (including solving pairing problems), adjust notifications so that they do not annoy, use training modes to accurately track activity, and even learn how to extend battery life by 30-50%, and also reveal secrets that Xiaomi does not mention in official manuals.

Whether you bought your first smartwatch or have been using it for a long time, you feel you could use it more efficiently, and here you will find answers to questions that are not covered in the manual or in the YouTube reviews, starting with the most important thing: the right connection.

1. Connecting Xiaomi smart watches to the phone: step-by-step instructions

The first thing that you start with any smartwatch is pairing it with a smartphone. It seems like it's complicated? But many users have errors like, "Unable to connect" or "Device not found." Most often, the problem is the wrong sequence of actions or the outdated version of the application.

To connect, you will need the official Mi Fitness app (for Mi Band) or Xiaomi Wear (for Xiaomi Watch), download it from Google Play or the App Store and follow the instructions:

• 📱 Install the app and register (or log in via your account) Xiaomi/Google).
• 🔍 Turn on Bluetooth on your phone and allow the application to access geodata (this is mandatory for correct operation!).
• ⚙️ In the app, click "Add device» → Choose your watch model from the list.
• 🔄 Reset the clock to factory settings if it was already connected to another phone (press the button on the case for 10-15 seconds).
• 📶 Wait for the watch name to appear in the list of available devices and confirm the connection.

If the clock is not there, try the following:

⚠️ Attention: On Android 12+ iOS 16+ Mi Fitness background may be blocked. Go to your phone settings → «Annexes» → «Mi Fitness» → «Battery and turn off optimization.

2.Setting up notifications: how to filter out spam and leave only important ones

By default, Xiaomi smartwatches show all smartphone notifications, from WhatsApp messages to discount alerts in stores. This quickly drains the battery and distracts from business. Fortunately, the settings are flexible: you can only leave calls, SMS and messages from selected applications.

To set up notifications:

1. Open the Mi Fitness/Xiaomi Wear app.
2. Go to the section "Profile» → Choose your watch → «Notifications».
3. Activate the Notifications switch and select the apps you want to see alerts from.
4. In the Notification Style section, set up whether they will be displayed in full or only as an icon.

For Xiaomi Watch 2 Pro and later, the Smart Notifications feature is available – the watch analyzes your activity and shows only the most important alerts (for example, calls from people who are in contact with you).

Settings of hours → Notifications → Smart notifications → Enable

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If you don’t receive call notifications, check the permissions for the Mi Fitness app in your phone settings: “Master over other windows” and “Autostart” should be allowed.

You can also set the vibration for different types of notifications:

• 📞 Calls - Long Vibration (3 pulses).
• 💬 Messages - short (1 impulse).
• ⚠️ Important alerts (alarm clock, low charge) – repeated vibration.

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Disable notifications from unnecessary apps (social networks, games, promotional mailings) – this will save up to 20% of battery life per day.

3. Tracking activity and exercise: how to get accurate data

One of the key functions of a smartwatch is to monitor physical activity, but many users complain that the pedometer is lying and calories are considered incorrect, and the problem is usually two things: incorrect personal data in the profile and incorrect sensor settings.

To ensure that the watch shows accurate data:

1. Update your profile in the app: 👤 Indicate your real weight, height and age (this affects calorie counting). 🏃 Choose your activity level (Seated, Moderate, Active»).
2. Calibrate the pedometer: Walk 50 steps with your phone in your hand - the watch should show a similar amount. If the difference is greater than 10%, calibrate the sensor manually through Settings → Stepper → Sizing.

• 🚶 Walking – for walking or walking around the house.
• 🏃 Running – only for intense runs (includes) GPS, if).
• 🚴 Bicycle – captures the speed and distance through the GPS.

Few people know, but the watch Xiaomi Watch 2 Pro and Mi Band 8 has a hidden mode “Interval training» (HIIT), It automatically detects the shifting load (e.g., running and walking) and to activate it, hold your finger for 3 seconds when you choose to exercise, and you'll see an additional menu.

4. Health monitoring: pulse, sleep and stress levels

Xiaomi's modern watches can track not only steps, but also heart rate in real time, sleep quality and even stress levels. However, by default, many functions are disabled to save battery. Let's figure out how to set them up correctly.

Pulse measurement:

• ❤️ Automatic – the clock measures the pulse every 5–30 minutes (configured in Settings) → Heart monitoring).
• 🔍 Manual – Press the screen on the home screen and select “Pulse».
• ⚠️ Warnings – You can set up alerts when you exceed the maximum/minimum threshold.

For accurate measurement:

⚠️ WARNING: Wear your watch 2-3 fingers above your wrist (not too tight!) and don’t take your pulse immediately after exercise – wait 5-10 minutes to stabilize.

Sleep tracking:

Xiaomi watches automatically detect sleep phases (deep, light, REM), But it's necessary:

1. Wear a watch 30 minutes before bedtime (they record the preparation for sleep).
2. Do not leave them until they wake up (even if they wake up at night).
3. In the Mi Fitness app, specify the time of break and lift (for calibration of algorithms).

New models (Mi Band 8, Xiaomi Watch 2 Pro) have a feature called Sleep Breathing Analysis, which helps detect possible apnea (stopping breathing) to activate it:

Settings of the clock → Sleep → Advanced analysis → Include

Charge the clock to 100%|Put them on a non-working hand.|Turn off night notifications|Make sure the strap is not too tight.-->

5. Battery savings: how to extend the work hours by 2 times

One of the most common complaints about smartwatches is fast battery life: on average, the Mi Band lasts 5-7 days, and the Xiaomi Watch lasts 2-3 days, but with the right settings, you can increase this time by 30-50% without losing key features.

The main "eaters" of charge:

• 🔍 Constant monitoring of the pulse (especially every 5 minutes).
• 📶 Active. GPS (enabled by default in running/bicycle modes).
• 🔔 Frequent notifications (vibration and screen highlighting).
• 🌙 Always-On Display (Constantly Burning Screen on Xiaomi Watch).

Optimal settings for savings:

For models with AMOLED-There's a trick in the Xiaomi Watch 2 Pro, Redmi Watch 3: install black wallpaper and turn off animations, and that's going to reduce the power consumption of the screen by 30 percent:

Settings → Display → Dial Style → Select “Dark”

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If the watch runs out in a day, check the background: some applications (such as AliExpress or TikTok) can drain the battery through persistent notifications.

6. Hidden functions that are not mentioned in the instructions

The manufacturer often hides useful chips in the back of the menu, and here are a few that will make the watch more convenient to use:

• 🔊 Voice Assistant (available on Xiaomi Watch) S2 Hold the side button for 2 seconds to activate Xiao AI (It recognizes commands in Chinese/English. For Russian, you can link Alice or Google Assistant via phone settings.
• 📸 Phone Camera Control: In the Mi Fitness app, enable the Camera Control option – now you can take a photo remotely by clicking on the watch screen.
• 🔋 Ultra-low consumption mode: if the charge is running out, activate it through Settings → Battery → Saving mode – the clock will work for another 2-3 days, showing only the time.
• 🌍 Offline maps for running (on Xiaomi Watch 2 Pro): download the route in advance through the Xiaomi Wear app, and GPS It will work without a phone.
• 🎵 Music management: swipe down on the home screen to see the player (works with Spotify, YouTube Music, Apple Music).

Another little-known possibility is gesture tuning, for example, you can turn on:

• 🙌 Raising your hand to turn on the screen (saves a button).
• 👆 Double touch to return back (on the menu).
• 🤏 Closing the palm to turn off the alarm clock.

The gestures are activated here:

Settings → Gestures → Select the right options

7. Solving common problems

Even time-tested devices fail, and here are the most common problems and solutions:

If the clock is not switched on after the discharge:

1. Connect them to charge for 30 minutes (even if there is no indication).
2. Press and hold the button for 15-20 seconds.
3. If it doesn’t work, try another cable (sometimes the contact problem).

⚠️ Note: Do not use powerful adapters (for example, from your phone) to charge — 5V/0.5A. Higher voltage can damage the battery.

FAQ: Answers to Frequent Questions