Xiaomi’s Apple Watch integration gives Xiaomi 18 Pro owners a way to keep using selected watch features after moving from an iPhone. With the required software and a compatible watch, it can forward calls, SMS, app notifications and Super Island live activities, sync some health data to Xiaomi’s fitness app, and ring either device to help find it nearby. Initial Apple Watch activation still requires an iPhone, so this is a cross-device bridge—not full iPhone-style watch management.
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Compatibility and setup
Xiaomi’s published requirements are a Xiaomi phone running HyperOS 4.0.1 or later and an Apple Watch Series 6 or newer, Apple Watch SE (2nd generation or newer), or an Apple Watch Ultra model running watchOS 11 or later.
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To connect them:
- Pair and activate the Apple Watch with an iPhone first.
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- Turn on Bluetooth on both the Xiaomi phone and the watch.
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- Install Xiaomi’s connection app on the Apple Watch, then use the Xiaomi phone’s camera to scan the pairing code shown on the watch.
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- Complete the pairing and allow the requested permissions on both devices.
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What the Xiaomi–Apple Watch connection can do
Once connected, the watch can receive incoming calls, SMS and app notifications from the Xiaomi phone. Xiaomi’s Super Island live activities can also appear on the watch; reports say incoming calls can be answered there. The published descriptions cover receiving SMS and notifications, but do not establish that replies to messages are supported.
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Health data flows from the watch to Xiaomi’s fitness app. Reported examples include steps, heart rate, calories, sleep and exercise duration. Xiaomi also describes two-way nearby finding: the phone can make the watch ring, and the watch can make the phone ring. This is a ring-to-find feature, not evidence that the watch connects to Apple’s full Find My network through the Xiaomi phone.
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The main limitation: an iPhone is needed at the start
The Xiaomi connection does not remove the iPhone requirement for initial Apple Watch activation. Xiaomi’s setup process also depends on Bluetooth and permissions, and the published feature list describes selected cross-device functions rather than every capability of an Apple Watch paired with an iPhone.
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In practical terms, check whether your exact watch model and watchOS version meet the requirements, and consider whether you rely on watch features beyond calls, notifications, health-data syncing and nearby ringing. Xiaomi’s announcements position the integration as useful for people switching from an iPhone while keeping their Apple Watch, not as a complete replacement for the Apple ecosystem.
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How it fits Xiaomi’s broader cross-device features
Apple Watch support is one part of Xiaomi’s broader effort to connect its phones with Apple devices. Xiaomi’s Xiaomi 18 Pro launch coverage also described cross-device unlocking, message exchange, cloud photo syncing and file sharing with iPhones. Its HyperConnect service page documents the Apple Watch pairing flow and two-way ringing.
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Xiaomi’s built-in option versus Merge Watch
For someone with an eligible Xiaomi 18 Pro, Xiaomi’s option is integrated with HyperOS and includes Super Island forwarding, syncing to Xiaomi’s fitness app and two-way ringing.
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Merge Watch is a third-party alternative aimed at connecting Apple Watches with Android phones. Its materials advertise features including message replies, health syncing and ECG-data support, and its supported-model listings include Apple Watch Series 4 and 5—models outside Xiaomi’s stated Series 6-and-newer requirement. Merge also says Apple Watch needs one-time iPhone activation. These are Merge’s advertised capabilities; they should not be taken as proof that Xiaomi lacks every such feature in all circumstances, nor does Xiaomi’s published list confirm them.
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The practical choice depends on your phone and watch: Xiaomi’s integration is the direct route for compatible 18 Pro owners who want its listed cross-device functions, while Merge advertises a broader Android route and supports some older watch models. In either case, keep the initial iPhone activation requirement in mind.
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