How to increase the brightness on Xiaomi smart watches: all ways for Mi Band, Watch and Redmi Watch

The dim screen on Xiaomi smartwatches is one of the most common problems users face, especially in sunny weather, when it becomes almost impossible to see the time or notifications, but don’t be quick to blame the manufacturer: in 90% of cases, the brightness can be increased programmatically without having to replace the display.

Many Mi Band 7/8, Xiaomi Watch 2 Pro or Redmi Watch 3 owners don’t even realize that their device supports automatic backlight adjustment depending on the lighting. Some models allow you to manually set the maximum values that are hidden by default in the settings. In this article, we will analyze all the available methods from basic to advanced, including solving problems with “hang” brightness after updates.

Before you start settings, make sure your watch is at least 30% charged. On some models (such as the Mi Band 6), when the charge level is below 20%, the system automatically reduces the brightness of the screen to extend the running time. Also check if the power saving mode is activated - it often limits the backlight to a minimum.

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1. Basic brightness settings in the Mi Fitness/Zepp Life app

The main way to control brightness is through the official app. The interface may vary slightly depending on the watch model, but the overall algorithm is the same.

For Mi Band 5/6/7/8 and Redmi Watch 2/3, use the Mi Fitness app (formerly Mi Fit). Owners of Xiaomi Watch S1/S2 or Watch 2 Pro will need Zepp Life (formerly Amazfit), both apps available for Android and iOS.

Step instructions:

1. Open the app and connect the watch via Bluetooth.
2. Go to the Profile section → Your device.
3. Select the Display Settings or Screen.
4. Find the Brightness slider and move it to the right to the stop.
5. Activate the Auto Brightness option if it is available for your model.

Some firmware may call the Auto Brightness option Adaptive Lighting or Light Adjustment. If the brightness slider is not available at all, then your model supports only fixed levels (more on this below).

Battery level (minimum 30%)

Is the energy saving mode turned off?

Mi Fitness/Zepp Life app updated

Is the clock synchronized with the phone?-->

2. Hidden brightness levels: how to unlock the maximum value

Some Xiaomi models (such as the Mi Band 7 Pro or Watch S1 Active) artificially limit maximum brightness in standard settings.

It works for MIUI Watch devices (most modern models) and you'll need:

• 📱 Smartphone on Android (for iPhone method is not suitable).
• 🔌 Developer Mode on the Watch.
• 💻 Utility. ADB (Android Debug Bridge).

Step-by-step:

1. Activate Developer Mode on the Watch: Go to Settings → About the Watch and tap 5 times on the firmware number.
2. Enable ADB debugging in the developer menu that appears.
3. Connect the clock to the PC and execute the command: adb shell settings put system screen_brightness 255 where 255 — maximum.
4. Reset the clock (Settings → Reset).

adb shell settings put system screen_brightness_mode 0

This command turns off automatic adjustment, fixing the value at the maximum.-->

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Attention: Increasing brightness to 100% can reduce battery life by 15-30%. AMOLED-Xiaomi Watch 2 Pro will also accelerate pixel burnout when you constantly display time.

3. Automatic brightness control: setting up the illumination sensor

Xiaomi’s watches with ambient light sensor (Mi Band 8 Pro, Watch S3) can automatically adjust brightness to lighting conditions, but by default the algorithm often works incorrectly – for example, on a sunny day the screen remains dim.

To optimize autobrightness:

• 🌞 Calibrate the sensor: go outside in the daytime and manually set a comfortable brightness level. The watch will remember this value as a reference for bright lighting.
• 🌙 Repeat the procedure in a dark room to set the lower bound.
• 🔄 In the Mi Fitness app, go to Display Settings → Sensitivity of autobrightness and select High.

If auto-adjustment is unstable, try resetting the sensor settings:

1. Open the Settings on the clock → System → Reset.
2. Select Reset sensor settings (not to be confused with a full reset!).
3. Reset the device.

Constantly.

Only in the daytime.

Disconnected - adjusting manually

I don't know if it's on my model.-->

4.Brightness problems after firmware update

Many users complain that the screen has become dimmer since the software update, which is due to the optimization of power consumption in newer versions of the firmware.

Method 1: Reverse the firmware

• 📥 Download the old firmware version from the official Xiaomi website (Wearables section).
• 📵 Connect the watch to your PC and use the Mi Flash Tool utility to roll back.

Method 2: Resetting settings

1. Go to Settings → System → Reset.
2. Select Reset all settings (does not delete health data).
3. After the reset, the brightness will return to factory values.

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Note: On Mi Band 6 and older models, you may need to re-assign to your Xiaomi account after reset.

5. Alternative ways to improve screen visibility

If you can’t increase the brightness, try these methods:

• 🎨 Change the dial: Dark topics on AMOLED-In the Mi Fitness app, select a dial with white digits on a black background.
• 🔍 Enlarge the font: In the settings of the clock (Display) → Size fonts, choose Big. It won't brighten, but it will improve readability.
• ☀️ Use Always-On Display (AOD): Supported models (Watch 2 Pro, Watch) S3) activate the mode in Settings → Screen. → Always-On. The screen will always be on at minimum brightness.
• 🔋 Turn off energy saving: Go to Settings → Battery and deactivate the option Saving charge.

For models with poor sun visibility (such as the Redmi Watch 2 Lite), you can use anti-reflective glass, which reduces reflections, but slightly reduces the sensitivity of the sensor.

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Nana AMOLED-In the case of the Xiaomi Watch 2 Pro, black is not illuminated at all, so dark dials save battery and improve contrast in bright light.

6. Hardware problems: when to carry in the service

If none of the software methods worked, there may be a problem with the display itself.

• 💡 The brightness does not change manually or automatically.
• 🔳 On the screen, stripes or spots are visible at maximum illumination.
• 🔋 The clock is discharged in a few hours even after resetting.
• 🛠️ The screen flickers or spontaneously dims.

Typical hardware faults:

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Note: On Mi Band 5 and older, the screen is glued to the body with a special glue. Self-replacement often causes dust to enter the display. Xiaomi service centers use UV lamps and professional tools for this.

The cost of screen repair in official services:

• Mi Band 7/8: 1800–2200 ₽ (display-module replacement).
• Xiaomi Watch 2 Pro: 3500–4500 ₽ (including sensor calibration).
• Redmi Watch 3: 1500–1900 ₽.

Frequently asked questions