Ownership of smart equipment from Xiaomi opens up wide opportunities for automation of everyday life, but the initial setup often raises questions among iOS users. The process of integrating an air humidifier into a single ecosystem Mi Home requires strict adherence to the sequence of actions, especially when working with the Apple operating system. Unlike Android, where some permissions are given automatically, the iPhone needs to manually control access to geolocation and local network.
Successful pairing of devices depends not only on the correct version of the application, but also on the correctness of the selected settings of the router. Many users are faced with the fact that the gadget is simply not visible in the search system, unless the nuances of the Bluetooth protocol and Wi-Fi frequency are taken into account. In this material, we will analyze all the stages of connection, typical errors and ways to fix them, so that your humidifier works at full speed.
Preparation of the Mi Home application and account
The first step is to install the latest version of the software. Go to the App Store and make sure you have the latest version of the Mi Home app installed from developer Beijing Xiaomi Mobile Software Co., Ltd. Older versions may not support new communication protocols or have bugs in the device discovery module, which is critical for stable operation.
Users outside China may choose to create an account with a region that corresponds to your current location or use an international server, which ensures minimum signal latency and proper voice control over Siri in the future.
⚠️ Note: When registering, be sure to confirm the phone number with a code from SMS. Without the attached number, restoring access to the account will be almost impossible.
It is also important to check the privacy settings of the smartphone itself. In Settings → Privacy & Security → Location, make sure that the Mi Home app has a resolution of “While using the widget” or “Always.” Without this, the geolocation-based device search module will not work.
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Use the same Apple ID on all family devices so you don’t have to reset your home access for every family member.
Wi-Fi network requirements and router settings
Most Xiaomi humidifiers, such as the Mijia Smart Humidifier models, operate exclusively in the 2.4 GHz frequency range. Modern routers often combine 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz networks under one name (a Smart Connect feature), which can confuse the pairing process. Ideally, it is better to split these networks for setup time or temporarily disable the 5 GHz band in the router settings.
It's also critical to let the device access the local network, so when you first run the Mi Home on your iPhone, it'll ask permission to search for devices on the local network, and if you accidentally click "Disable," the app won't be able to pass Wi-Fi passwords to the humidifier.
Check if the router has included the “Customer isolation” function. AP» (AP Isolation: It prevents devices within the same network from communicating with each other, making it impossible to control the humidifier from a smartphone even if they are connected to the same router.
For stable operation of a smart home, it is recommended to reserve static IP-gateway address in settings DHCP This will prevent the situation when the router reboots the gateway address and the automation stops performing.
The process of pairing the humidifier with the iPhone
Directly adding the device starts with preparing the gadget itself. Make sure the humidifier is connected to the power grid and there is water in the tank. Press and hold the on button or a special reset button (often marked with a Wi-Fi icon or two buttons at once) for 5-7 seconds until the indicator starts flashing orange.
Open the Mi Home app on your iPhone. In the upper right corner, click on plus+. The system will start automatically searching for devices via Bluetooth. If the humidifier is new, it should appear in the Local Devices list with the caption "Not Connected."
☑️ Checklist before connection
If the automatic search didn’t give results, go to the top corner of the screen, select the category “Household appliances” or search for a model of your device, for example, Mijia Smart Humidifier 2. Follow the instructions on the screen: select your Wi-Fi network, enter a password and wait for the progress bar to complete.
⚠️ Warning: Do not press back during the connection process, even if it seems to be getting stuck.Data interruption may block the Wi-Fi module of the humidifier.
Comparison of Xiaomi moisturizer models
Different humidifier models may have their own characteristics in the process of setting and functionality, and understanding the differences will help to fine-tune automation scenarios in the future.
| Model | Type of filter | Support for 5 GHz | Noise level |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mijia Smart Humidifier 2 | Antibacterial | No (only 2.4) | 36 dB |
| Smartmi Evaporative | Evaporative cartridge | No (only 2.4) | 39 dB |
| Deerma F628 | Silver ionization | No (only 2.4) | up to 38 db |
As you can see from the table, the vast majority of budget and medium-sized models do not support 5 GHz frequency, which is due to the cheaper design and sufficiency of 2.4 GHz bandwidth for small telemetry data packets.
When choosing a place to install, consider that ultrasonic models (like the Mijia 2) can leave white plaque on furniture when using hard water, while evaporative models (Smartmi) do not have this drawback, but require replacement of filters.
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All Xiaomi household humidifiers use a standard connection protocol, so the instruction is universal for most models of the brand.
Setting up scripts and automation in iOS
When you successfully add the device to the Mi Home, you unlock the full potential of the smart home, and you can create automatic scenarios that will run without you, like turning on the humidifier when the temperature sensor shows humidity below 40%.
To create a script, go to the Script (or Smart) tab in the bottom menu of the app. Click on "Create a script" and select "When the humidity is lower..." As an action, select "Enable the humidifier" and set the desired power.
iPhone owners can integrate the devices into the Apple HomeKit app if the humidifier model supports this technology or through third-party gateways. However, native integration via Mi Home often provides more detailed settings, such as setting the exact humidity level or fan speed.
The secret to fine-tuning
Use geolocation to automate: set up the device to turn on when your iPhone leaves the home geofence so that the air is optimally humid by your return, but the device does not work in vain all day.
Solving Connection Problems
If the connection process freezes during the “Device Connection” or “Unable to connect to the network” stage, try restarting the router. Often the problem lies in a crowded DHCP table or a temporary failure in the distribution of addresses.
Another common reason is a complex Wi-Fi password: If a password uses special characters or contains Cyrillic, the humidifier module may not properly process it. Try temporarily simplifying a password consisting of only Latin letters and numbers to perform the setup.
⚠️ Warning: Make sure your smartphone doesn’t turn on Cellular Data mode during setup. iPhone may try to use mobile internet if the Wi-Fi signal seems weak, which will interrupt the transmission of settings.
As a last resort, perform a full reset of the humidifier. This is usually done by simultaneously pressing the on and off buttons (or Wi-Fi button) for 10-15 seconds before the beep, and after reset, the device will appear as new.