What you need for a Xiaomi smart home: equipment, hubs and setup

Xiaomi’s smart home ecosystem is one of the most affordable and functional on the market, automating lighting, climate, security and even appliances by controlling everything from a smartphone or voice. But where to start? Which devices are mandatory and which can be dispensed with? In this article, we’ll break down the minimum set of hardware you need to run a smart home, and we’ll also talk about the nuances of choosing hubs, sensors and compatibility with other brands.

The main advantage of the Mi Home system (now renamed Xiaomi Home) is cross-platform. The devices work with both Android and iOS, and some models support management through Google Assistant and Alice. However, without a properly selected central hub, many features will not be available. Next, a detailed analysis of each component, from mandatory to optional.

1. Central Hub: The Heart of a Smart Home

Without a hub, most Xiaomi devices will only work in manual mode — for example, a smart light bulb will turn on a timer, but will not work on the signal of the motion sensor. The hub connects all gadgets into a single network and allows you to create automation (scenarios like “if the door is open, turn on the light”).

For 2026, three models of hubs are relevant:

• 🔹 Xiaomi Mi Smart Home Hub 2 is the base model with support for ZigBee 3.0 and Bluetooth 5.0. Suitable for most tasks, but does not work with Matter.
• 🔹 Xiaomi Aqara Hub M2 — Advanced version with extended memory (up to 16 devices without lags) and support for HomeKit (for iPhone owners).
• 🔹 Xiaomi Mi Smart Home Gateway 3 is the latest model with Thread and Matter, compatible with Google Home and Amazon Alexa.

Which one to choose? If you have an iPhone and you're planning to integrate with Apple HomeKit, take the Aqara Hub M2. The rest of you are optimizing for the Mi Smart Home Hub 2, which is cheaper and covers 90% of tasks. Importantly, hubs are not compatible, devices connected to one hub won't be visible to another.

⚠️ Note: Xiaomi hubs require a constant connection to the outlet. If the electricity is cut, all automation will stop working, even if the devices are backed up (for example, sensors with batteries).

2 Smart lamps and lighting: where to start?

Light bulbs are the easiest way to experience the benefits of a smart home, allowing you to control the brightness, color and temperature of light from a smartphone, as well as adjust your schedule (for example, simulating the presence of a house).

• 💡 Xiaomi Mi LED Smart Bulb – basic lamp with white light (2700–6500K), without RGB. Perfect for a bedroom or corridor.
• 💡 Xiaomi Yeelight LED Smart Bulb – color lamp with 16 million shades, supports Music Mode (blinking to music).
• 💡 Xiaomi Aqara Smart LED Bulb – lamp with function Sunrise/Sunset (wake-up).

For full automation of lighting will need:

• 🔌 Xiaomi Mi Smart Wall Switch – switch, replacing the usual. allows you to control any lamps (not only smart ones).
• 📡 Xiaomi Mi Motion Sensor – motion sensor for turning on lights when entering a room.

Tip: If you rent an apartment and can't change the wiring, use smart sockets (like Xiaomi Mi Smart Plug) to control table lamps. They're cheaper than built-in switches and don't require installation.

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To save power, set up the “Switch off all lights if no one is home” scenario using the Xiaomi Mi Home Security Sensor.

Security Sensors: Protection and Control

Xiaomi smart home can not only automate household tasks, but also provide security.

For a complete security system, add the Xiaomi Mi Home Alarm, a siren that will work when any sensor is triggered, and it can be adjusted to different sounds from a quiet squeak to a loud alarm (up to 100 dB).

⚠️ Note: Xiaomi sensors use the ZigBee protocol, which can conflict with other devices at 2.4 GHz (such as some Wi-Fi routers).If sensors fall off the network, try changing the Wi-Fi channel in the router settings.

4.Climate control: smart thermostats and ventilation

Controlling temperature and humidity is one of the most popular functions of a smart home.

• 🌡️ Xiaomi Mi Temperature & Humidity Sensor 2 is a microclimate monitoring sensor that can be set up to alert if the humidity goes beyond normal (for example, for a children's room).
• ❄️ Xiaomi Mi Smart Air Conditioning Companion - module for controlling conventional air conditioning through the IR port. Allows you to turn on cooling on schedule or remotely.
• 🔥 Xiaomi Aqara Smart Radiator Thermostat – thermostat for heating batteries. automatically adjusts the temperature in the room.

For split system owners, there is a more advanced solution, the Xiaomi Mi Air Conditioner (e.g. Mi Air Conditioner X), which supports control through the app, voice commands and sensor integration, such as setting a scenario: "If the temperature is above 25°C and someone is at home, turn on the air conditioner at 22°C."

5. Voice control and integration with other systems

You can control a smart home not only with your smartphone, but also with your voice.

• 🎤 Xiaomi Mi AI Speaker – a speaker with voice assistant XiaoAI (works only in Chinese, for other languages need workarounds).
• 🎤 Google Nest Mini or Amazon Echo Dot – if you want to manage your devices in English/Russian via Google Assistant or Alexa.

Integration with Google Home or Apple HomeKit requires:

1. Install a hub with Matter support (e.g. Xiaomi Mi Smart Home Gateway 3).
2. Connect devices to Xiaomi Home, then export them to Google Home through Works with Google Assistant.

Limitation: Not all Xiaomi devices support Matter. For example, older Mi Door/Window Sensor (first generation) sensors won’t be visible on Google Home.

Install Hub with Matter| Connect devices to Xiaomi Home| Link Xiaomi account to Google/Amazon| Set up voice commands in the assistant app

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6. Additional devices: what else can be automated?

In addition to basic scenarios (light, security, climate), the Xiaomi ecosystem allows you to automate:

• 🚪 Xiaomi Mi Smart Door Lock is a smart lock with fingerprint, code and control through the app.
• 🧹 Xiaomi Mi Robot Vacuum-Mop 2 is a wet cleaning robot that integrates with scenarios (e.g., scheduled cleaning when no one is home).
• 🔌 Xiaomi Mi Smart Power Strip – Extension with USB-Useful for turning on/off the timer technique.

For gardeners, there's the Xiaomi Mi Flora, a sensor for houseplants that tracks soil moisture, temperature and light, and sends notifications when the plant needs watering.

Tip: If you use the Xiaomi Mi Band or Xiaomi Watch, you can associate them with a smart home, such as setting a scenario where “if your heart rate is above 120, turn on air conditioning” (good for athletes).

7. Setting up and creating scenarios: step-by-step instructions

Once you buy the devices, you need to connect them to the hub and set up automation, and this is done in the Xiaomi Home app:

1. Open the app and add a hub through Add Device → Gateway.
2. Connect other devices (lamps, sensors, sockets) through Add Device → select category.
3. Go to the Automation section → Create a script.
4. Select a condition (e.g., “Motion Sensor Acted”) and an action (e.g., “Lun the lamp”).

Examples of useful scenarios:

• 🌅 «If the time is 7:00 and the alarm is off, turn on the light at 30% brightness).
• 🚪 «If the door is open for more than 5 minutes, send a notification and turn on the siren».
• 🌡️ «If the temperature is above 28°C and someone at home, turn on air conditioning at 24.°C».

⚠️ Attention: Too many active scenarios (over 20) can cause delays in the hub. For example, instead of two scenarios: “Light on when moving during the day” and “Light on when moving at night”, use one rule with a time condition.

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The most stable scenarios work with devices of the same protocol (for example, only ZigBee), Mixing Wi-Fi and ZigBee in one scenario can lead to delays.

8. Frequent mistakes and how to avoid them

When setting up a Xiaomi smart home, users often face typical problems:

• 🔌 Devices do not connect to the hub - check that the hub and device are on the same 2.4 GHz (not 5 GHz) network. Also make sure the hub is on a blue light (green means error).
• 📶 Sensors fall off the network - the reason may be a weak signal ZigBee. Try to move the hub closer to the center of the apartment or add Xiaomi Mi ZigBee Repeater.
• ⏱️ Delays in script execution – reduce the number of active automations or break them into several hubs (if devices are more than 30).

Another common mistake is buying devices from different regions, such as the Chinese version of the Xiaomi Mi Door Sensor won’t work with a European hub. Check the region of the device before buying (usually listed in the title: CN – China, EU – Europe).

FAQ: Answers to popular questions