Modern wearables from Xiaomi and the Amazfit ecosystem have gone from simple pedometers to full-fledged information centers on the wrist. Users often face a situation when the smartphone rings but the bracelet is silent, or important messages from messengers come with a delay, which causes irritation and makes you doubt the health of the device, although most often the problem lies in the software settings of the operating system.
To work properly, the smartwatch must have a stable Bluetooth connection and give the companion app all the permissions it needs. Without that, Android or iOS will block data transmission in the background to save battery life. In this article, we will detail an algorithm that will help activate the display of incoming events.
The setup may vary depending on your tracker model, whether it’s the popular Mi Band 7, Mi Band 8 or the more advanced Watch series models. It’s important to understand that notification management takes place not so much in the menu of the watch itself as in the interface of the Mi Fitness or Zepp Life mobile app. Let’s dive into the technical details of the process.
Basic requirements for the operation of notifications
Before proceeding to specific activation steps, you need to make sure that the basic pairing conditions are met. the Bluetooth connection must be active and stable, and the distance between devices should not exceed 10 meters in line of sight. If the clock is turned off or in Do Not Disturb mode, data transmission is automatically suspended.
The second critical point is the version of the smartphone operating system and the companion app itself. Developers regularly release updates to fix sync bugs. Outdated software may contain bugs that block background services. Check for updates in Google Play or App Store.
- 📱 Make sure Bluetooth is on and the device is visible for search.
- 🔋 The battery charge of the watch should be higher. 10-15% stable operation of the communication module.
- 📶 Smartphone must have an active Internet connection for initial synchronization of notification rules.
It is also worth noting that some antivirus programs or memory cleaners can aggressively terminate the Mi Fitness application process, in which case the system believes that you are not using the watch, and closes the communication channel.
⚠️ Note: If you use a dual-sim phone, call notifications may only come from one. SIM-The card that is selected by default for voice calls in Bluetooth settings.
Setup in Mi Fitness and Zepp Life
The process of activating push notifications is based on the correct configuration of the mobile application, which acts as a gateway that filters incoming traffic and sends it to the bracelet. Mi Fitness and Zepp Life interfaces have similar logic, but differ in the location of menu elements.
In the Mi Fitness app, you need to go to the Profile tab, select your device from the list, and find the Notification Settings item, which opens a list of all the apps installed on your phone, and you need to manually activate sliders opposite the programs you want to see on the watch screen.
In Zepp Life (formerly Mi Fit), the algorithm is similar: go to Profile -> Mi Band (or model name) -> Notification settings. Here, it's important not just to turn on the common switch, but also to check the detailed settings for each application separately. Sometimes the common switch is active, but the specific messenger is disabled.
On iOS (iPhone), the list of apps that can transmit notifications is automatically generated based on those programs that have already sent at least one notification to the phone itself. If the application does not appear in the list of available for the watch, try sending a test message to this messenger.
- 📩 To activate WhatsApp, make sure notifications for this chat are enabled on the phone.
- 📞 Check if access to contacts is allowed for the companion app so that caller names are displayed correctly.
- 🔔 Use the Testing feature (if available in your firmware version) to check for vibrations.
System permissions Android and iOS
The most common reason for broken notifications is the lack of system permissions. Android, since version 10, strictly controls the access of applications to data from other programs. Without permission to Access Notifications, the watch will not physically be able to receive a copy of the incoming message.
To check this, open your smartphone's Settings, look for Apps or Notifications. In the Special Access list, look for Access to Notifications. In the list that opens, look for Mi Fitness or Zepp Life and make sure the switch is green. Without that step, all other settings are useless.
On iOS devices, the situation is different: it’s more centralized, you need to go to Settings -> Bluetooth, find your watch, click on the “i” icon and make sure that the “Show Notifications” option is enabled, and the main iPhone notification settings check if the companion app is allowed to display data on the lock screen.
| Parameter | Android | iOS (iPhone) |
|---|---|---|
| Access to notifications | Definitely in special opportunities | Automatically via Bluetooth |
| Working in the background | Removal of battery restrictions required | Background content update |
| Location (GPS) | Often required for BT stability | Requires “Always” or “When Used” |
| Auto-start | You need to allow in the system settings | Not required |
Special attention should be paid to the permissions for geolocation. Many users wonder why a watch app needs GPS. This is a requirement of the Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) protocol in Android: without enabled geolocation, the system does not allow scanning and connection to peripherals.
⚠️ Attention: On smartphones Xiaomi (MIUI/HyperOS) With aggressive energy savings, you may need to manually set the “No Limits” application mode in the “Battery” menu».
Solving problems with specific applications
Often, common notifications work and messages from certain messengers, such as Viber or Telegram, don’t come, because of the individual settings within the messenger apps themselves, which may have their own switches that prevent notifications from being displayed on external devices or the lock screen.
On Telegram, you need to go to Settings -> Notifications and Sounds and make sure notifications are turned on for all chats, and check if the tick is “No Sound and Vibration” because the clock often duplicates silence status. Similar to WhatsApp: the Notifications section must be activated.
Why don't they come? SMS?
If you use corporate email or specific applications for work, they can fall into the category “Important” or, conversely, hide in the background. In the Android notification settings, find a specific application, click on it and select the notification category (for example, “New emails”), then make sure that it is not selected “No Sound” mode and allowed to display on the lock screen.
- 📧 For Gmail, check notification settings for each individual account.
- 💬 Viber has a separate “Vibration” switchboard – if it’s disabled, the watch can ignore the event.
- 📢 Instagram Direct notifications can only come when you have an Internet connection at the time of the push request.
Battery optimization and background work
Modern smartphones aim to extend battery life as much as possible, so they ruthlessly "kill" processes they think are not in use right now.The Mi Fitness app must run constantly in the background to respond instantly to an incoming call.If the process is completed by the system, the notification will only come after you open the app.
For MIUI and HyperOS devices, there is a special application protection mechanism. Go to Settings -> Apps -> All Apps, find Mi Fitness, select Battery and set No Limits mode. It is also recommended to enable Auto Start so that the application starts immediately after the phone is turned on.
On pure Android (Pixel, Motorola, Nokia), the path can be different: Settings -> Apps -> Mi Fitness -> Battery -> Unlimited. On Samsung, this is called "Battery Optimization" - you need to find the app in the list and select "Do not optimize."
☑️ Checklist of battery optimization
Remember that turning on constant background activity increases your smartphone charge, albeit slightly. However, this is the price for guaranteed real-time notification delivery. If you notice that notifications come in packs after unlocking your phone, then background work is still blocked.
Additional settings and modes
Beyond basic activation, there are subtle settings that improve the user experience. For example, the Raise to Wake feature is often associated with displaying notifications. If it is turned off, the watch screen may not light up when a new message arrives, although it will vibrate.
Do Not Disturb (DND) mode on the watch has its priorities. You can set the schedule or automatically turn it on. Some Xiaomi models have a "Repeat Calls" setting, where a call from the same person made twice within 3 minutes makes its way through the silence mode.
Also worth mentioning is the ability to manage notifications directly from the watch screen. Depending on the model, you can swipe the notification to remove it from the screen, or click on it to see details (if the app supports advanced answers).
💡
To make the notification text appear in full, increase the font size in the Mi Fitness app, but remember that this can shift other interface elements on smaller screens.
Time synchronization is an important aspect: If the time on the watch and phone is different, notifications may come late or not display the correct time stamp. Usually synchronization occurs automatically when you connect, but sometimes manual updates are required in the application.
⚠️ Warning: Resetting the clock to factory settings will remove all configured notification rules.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Why do notifications only come when the phone screen is unlocked?
Can I reply to a Xiaomi watch?
How to turn off vibrations only for certain applications?
Notifications stopped working after the Android update. What do I do?
Conclusion
Set up notifications on Xiaomi watches is a process that requires attention to detail, especially in terms of system resolutions of the smartphone. Following these steps, you can turn your gadget into a reliable assistant that will not miss any important call or message, the main thing is to ensure that the application is constantly working in the background and the correct access rights.
Remember to check the watch’s firmware updates periodically, as manufacturers often improve the stability of Bluetooth connections and add support for new types of notifications.
💡
The key to success is comprehensive setup: in-app permissions, access to notifications in Android/iOS, and removing battery restrictions.