The situation when Samsung smartwatch suddenly loses connection to the Xiaomi phone is one of the most common complaints of owners of a bundle of Android gadgets of different brands. Users often face the fact that the Galaxy Watch stops synchronizing notifications, does not track workouts or simply displays the icon of a broken connection, although the watch is nearby. This is not just a software failure, but the result of aggressive energy saving policies embedded in the shells of MIUI and HyperOS, which by default “kill” the background processes of third-party applications.
The problem is that Xiaomi’s security system considers a constant connection to a watch as a waste of resources, even if it’s a critical service for you. Unlike Samsung’s native smartphones, where all services are optimized for collaboration, you have to manually configure a lot of hidden parameters in conjunction with Xiaomi. If you just purchased a watch or updated your phone’s firmware and faced breaks, you will need to perform a comprehensive setup.
In this article, we’ll take a look at all the technical details, from Bluetooth settings to the deep system limitations of background activity. You’ll learn which menu items to change to ensure the Galaxy Wearable works smoothly. Ignoring at least one of the steps can nullify all efforts, so it’s a good idea to go the entire setup path sequentially.
Aggressive energy saving MIUI and HyperOS
The main reason for the instability is the built-in Battery and Performance mechanism, which tightly controls running applications. Xiaomi’s system by default puts any applications that are not on the list of system in deep sleep or completely completes their process after turning off the screen. For Galaxy Wearable and Bluetooth, this means instant disconnection of the connection, as the background service stops sending “pulsating” activity signals.
To fix this, you need to change the energy saving strategy for all components of the Samsung ecosystem. Standard battery settings are not enough, you need to go to advanced settings. Search the Galaxy Wearable application list, click on it and select the Battery option. Here, it is critical to set the value "No limits" that will allow the application to run in the background for as long as you want, without fear of being "killed" by the system.
But one application is not enough. The background process list also needs to allow Galaxy Watch Plugin, Samsung Accessory Service, and Bluetooth (system process). If you miss one of these elements, the communication chain will be broken at the system level, even if the watch application itself is launched.
⚠️ Note: After the firmware update MIUI or HyperOS, power saving settings are often reset to factory values. be sure to recheck the "No Limits" status for all Samsung services after every major phone upgrade.
It’s also worth noting that some versions of the shells have a Battery Optimization feature that works on top of individual settings, and it needs to be turned off for selected applications so that the system doesn’t try to “smartly” allocate resources by forcibly closing the connection.
Set up autostart and lock
The second layer of protection that prevents stable operation is autorun control. Xiaomi has a separate mechanism that prevents applications from running with the system or recovering from a forced stop. If the Galaxy Wearable does not have the right to autorun, then after the phone restarts or its temporary “death” in memory, the watch will not be able to restore communication on its own.
To activate autorun, go to your phone's settings, search for the Apps section, and select Autorun. In the list that opens, find all the apps associated with the watch: Galaxy Wearable, Watch faces Studio (if used), Samsung Accessory Service. The switch next to them must be activated (burn green or blue). Without this step, the phone will "forget" the existence of the watch every time you clear RAM.
There is also a mechanism to lock applications in RAM. When you open the menu of running applications (swipe from the bottom up and hold or menu button), find the Galaxy Wearable app window. Pull it down or press the lock in the corner (depending on the launcher version) to lock it, which will signal to the system that this application is a priority and it can not be unloaded from RAM if memory is not enough.
☑️ Checklist settings Xiaomi
Remember that the lock in Task Manager only works until the phone is restarted or the battery is completely drained, which is why the Auto Start + No Limits bundle is fundamental to continuous operation.
Bluetooth problems and connection profile
The technical side of the connection often suffers from Bluetooth profile conflicts. Xiaomi smartphones can use their own Bluetooth driver stacks, which do not always correctly interact with Samsung protocols. A common phenomenon is the desynchronization of A2DP (audio) and HFP (calls), which leads to the fact that the watch seems to be connected, but data is not transmitted.
The first step in solving such problems is to completely clean the Bluetooth cache. To do this, go to Settings → Apps → Show all apps → Enable system process display → Bluetooth. From the storage menu, click on Clear Cache and Clear Data. After that, the phone will require a reboot. This action will reset all temporary connection files and often eliminate handshake errors between devices.
It is also important to check your visibility settings. In some cases, to save power, Xiaomi hides the device from the scan list, which prevents the clock from triggering reconnection when a signal is lost. Make sure that the Bluetooth settings include the “All Device Visibility” option or similar if it is available in your version of the software.
| Parameter | The standard value of Xiaomi | Recommended value | Impact on the Galaxy Watch |
|---|---|---|---|
| BT Energy Saving Mode | Activated. | Disconnected/Standard | Prevents the module from falling asleep |
| Visibility of the device | Only for couples. | Apparently, everyone. | Accelerates reconnection |
| Bluetooth version | Automatically. | 5.0+ (preferably) | Stability of the communication channel |
| Double audio | Off. | Off. | Reduces the load on the channel |
Why does resetting network settings help?
If the problem persists, try looking for the Bluetooth AVRCP version option in the developer menu (if it's enabled) and try changing it from 1.5 to 1.4 or 1.6. This can help if the problem is related to metadata transfer or media management.
Application and plugin version conflicts
Samsung relies heavily on specific versions of plugins. Often users install the Galaxy Wearable app from the Google Play Store, but forget that to work correctly with the Galaxy Watch 4, 5, 6 and newer models requires an additional Watch Plugin plugin. In Xiaomi, this plugin is often not installed automatically or installed incorrect version.
Samsung Accessory Service is a system service that provides low-level communication between the phone and Samsung accessories. If this service is outdated or damaged, the watch will shut down chaoticly. Make sure that all Samsung components are updated to the latest version on Google Play or Galaxy Store (if installed).
There is also a nuance with access rights. When you first run the app asks for a lot of permissions: access to location, contacts, phone, microphone. In MIUI/HyperOS, some of these permissions can be given “Only in Use”, which is not enough for the watch. Go to Settings → Applications → Galaxy Wearable → Permissions and make sure that critical features (especially “Location” and “Phone”) are “Always” or “Allowed”.
⚠️ Attention: Permission to access location (GPS) Bluetooth is a mandatory Bluetooth for Android, and without it, the watch will not be able to maintain a stable connection, regardless of the battery settings.
Sometimes it helps to completely reinstall the bundle of apps in strict order: first remove the watch from the phone's Bluetooth menu, then remove the Galaxy Wearable, Plugin and Accessory Service apps. Once you reboot the phone, install them again, starting with Accessory Service.
The Impact of Third-Party Applications and Optimizers
Many Xiaomi users like to install third-party memory cleaners, antiviruses, or speed-up apps (Clean Master, DU Battery, etc.) these programs often work more aggressively than the MIUI system itself. They can force Bluetooth or Samsung Accessory Service processes to close, considering them as “junk” occupying RAM.
If you have such utilities installed, be sure to add Samsung services to their whitelist (whitelist) or exclude from the check. Ideally, for a stable operation of smart watches, it is better to abandon such applications altogether, since the built-in optimization tools of Xiaomi (if you configure them correctly, described above) cope with the task better.
It’s also worth checking whether Do Not Disturb or Sleep mode is on the phone itself.In Xiaomi, these modes can block notifications from passing to the watch, creating the illusion of a communication break, although technically the connection may be active. Check the Do Not Disturb mode settings in the Sound and Vibration section.
Another hidden enemy could be In Your Pocket mode or the proximity sensor, which in cheap security windows can overlap, making the phone think it's in your pocket and turning off wireless interfaces to save power.
Radical methods and resetting settings
If none of the mild methods worked, there may have been a build-up of configuration errors that cannot be fixed point by point, in which case a complete reset of network settings and resetting (pairing) is an effective but time-consuming method.Be sure to back up the clock through the Wearable app before doing so so so you don't lose your workout dials and settings.
Reset the network settings on your phone: Settings → Connections → Network Reset (or Wi-Fi and Bluetooth Reset). After that, the phone will reset. Next, delete the watch from the list of associated devices, click Reset on the watch itself (in the watch menu: Settings → General → Reset).
In the most difficult cases where the problem manifests itself at the core level (like after the Android beta update), it may be necessary to completely reset the phone to factory settings. Statistics show that 85% of problems with Xiaomi’s Galaxy Watch shutdown are solved by power saving settings, and only 5% require a full reset.
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Use the "Find My Phone" feature on your watch, and if your phone is sound-response, it means the connection is active, and the problem is that it's the notifications, not the Bluetooth channel.
Remember that older watch models (Gear S2, S3) may have compatibility issues with newer versions of Android 13/14 on Xiaomi, as Samsung is gradually ending support for older protocols for these devices.