The situation of smartwatches suddenly losing connection to the main device is familiar to many owners of the Xiaomi ecosystem. Users often find that notifications stop coming and health data are not synchronized, even though the devices are in close proximity. This can occur on budget models like the Redmi Watch, and on more advanced Amazfit or Mi Band. The problem lies not so much in hardware defects, but in aggressive optimization algorithms built into the MIUI shell or the new HyperOS.
The system seeks to maximize the battery life of the smartphone, so it forcibly closes the background processes, including services responsible for the stability of the Bluetooth connection. As a result, the disconnection occurs spontaneously: you can notice this when the phone screen goes out and in a couple of minutes the connection is severed. Understanding the logic of the operating system is the key to solving the problem.
In this article, we will take a look at all the possible causes of failures and provide a step-by-step setup guide. Statistics show that 85% of the time the problem is solved by changing the energy saving settings for a particular application. You don't have to carry your gadgets to a service center if you can properly configure the software part of your smartphone.
Aggressive energy saving: the main enemy of stability
The main reason for connection breaks is the built-in battery saving feature. Xiaomi's Android shell is known for its tight control of background apps. The system can count a companion app (for example, Mi Fitness or Zepp LifeBluetooth stops receiving commands to maintain communication, and the clock is turned off.
To prevent this, you need to manually change the priority of the application, you need to prevent the system from restricting its operation, which will affect the overall power consumption of the smartphone, but will ensure a permanent connection to the wearable device, ignoring this step makes all other settings meaningless.
☑️ Setting up energy saving
Note that after updating the operating system, the settings may reset to factory settings. So if the problem returned after the MIUI update, first check this setting.
⚠️ Warning: Installing the “No Limits” mode can lead to an increase in the battery consumption of a smartphone 5-10% daily due to the constant activity of communication modules.
Set up auto-run and application permissions
Even if you set up the battery, the app may not start automatically after the phone is restarted.In the Xiaomi ecosystem, there is a separate autostart control mechanism that blocks many programs by default.Without an active process in the phone's memory, the watch will shut down immediately after the smartphone screen goes out for a certain time.
Also, permissions are critical. An application needs access to location (even if GPS is not used all the time), contacts, call logs, and notifications. Lack of any of these permissions can lead to incorrect synchronization, and the system can perceive the absence of rights as an error and break the connection.
To properly adjust, perform the following actions:
- 📱 Open the Security app and find the Permits section» → «Auto-start».
- 🔍 Find your watch app (Mi Fitness, Zepp, Notify for Mi Band) and turn on the slider.
- ⚙️ In the settings of the application itself, make sure that all the permissions requested are activated.
Why do I need a geolocation permit?
Problems with Bluetooth module and cache
Sometimes a software failure goes deeper, in the very stack of the Bluetooth operating system, and the accumulated cache of Google Play services or the Bluetooth system module can cause device addressing conflicts, as the phone “sees” the watch but cannot establish a stable connection, or the connection is cut off after a few seconds.
In these cases, cleaning the cache and reconnecting the device helps. Don't immediately reset the phone completely, start with softer methods. Often, just forget the device in the Bluetooth settings and create the pair again, this will update the encryption keys and reset the possible errors of the handshake protocol.
The sequence of actions for deep cleaning:
- Go to Settings → Applications → All applications.
- Find the “Bluetooth” list (may be called “Bluetooth Services” or have an Android logo).
- Click on “Clean” and select “Clear Cache” and then “Clean All”.
- Reboot your smartphone and try to re-connect the clock.
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If the watch is quickly turned off again after reconnecting, try removing it from the list of paired devices on the phone itself via the Bluetooth menu, not just through the companion app.
Conflicts of application versions and firmware
The workflow is often caused by the dissynchronization of software versions. The app on the phone can be updated to the latest version, while the clock is old firmware, or vice versa. Developers constantly make changes to the data protocols, and version incompatibility leads to breaks.
This is especially true when you switch between different companion apps, for example, if you used Mi Fit before and then switched to Mi Fitness, the old data may conflict with the new settings, in which case it is recommended to completely uninstall the application, clean the residues and install it again.
Below is a table of compatibility of popular applications and devices:
| The device | Recommended annex | Minimum version of Android | Frequent errors |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mi Band 6/7/8 | Mi Fitness / Zepp Life | Android 6.0+ | Pedometer reset |
| Redmi Watch 3 | Mi Fitness | Android 8.0+ | Lack of GPS |
| Amazfit GTR | Zepp | Android 7.0+ | Synchronization gap |
| Xiaomi Watch S1 | Mi Fitness / WearOS | Android 8.0+ | Problems with notifications |
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Always update your companion app to the latest version from Google Play or the official site, as versions from third-party stores may be stripped down.
The Impact of Third-Party Apps and VPNs
Don't discount the impact of other software installed, phone acceleration apps, antiviruses, or task managers can take control of a Bluetooth module, they can view the constant signal from a watch as parasitic activity and block it, especially for antiviruses with real-time protection.
Problems may also arise when using VPN-services or applications to change the region. VPN They may conflict with local network requests that send the clock to check the time or weather. VPN, Add the watch app to the tunneling exceptions.
What to do if you use a third-party launcher or system modifications:
- 🛡️ Check your antivirus settings and add the watch to the whitelist.
- 🚫 Turn off the memory accelerators that clean up RAM minutely.
- 🌐 Check the clock when it is off. VPN.
⚠️ Note: Dual Apps for instant messengers can create virtual interfaces that confuse the notification system, which causes the watch to stop receiving data from the main application.
Hardware limitations and distance
While software settings solve most problems, physics cannot be ignored.Bluetooth Low Energy has a limited range, especially in noisy ether.If there is a thick wall, metal object or human body between the phone and the clock (water absorbs radio waves), the signal can weaken to a critical level.
In addition, other wireless devices affect the module. 2.4GHz Wi-Fi routers, microwave ovens, and even USB 3.0 ports (which interfere with this range) can jam the signal. If the phone is in the bag with the router or next to a running microwave oven, turning off the clock is the normal protective reaction of the module.
It's also worth checking the battery status in the watch itself, because if the device is a few years old, the battery might have degraded, and the Bluetooth module simply doesn't get enough voltage to work at peak loads, and then just replacing the battery or a new device will help.