The Xiaomi Watch 2 Pro stands apart in the mid-range Wear OS field with a Parisian hobnail stainless steel bezel, a BIA body composition sensor, and standalone 4G LTE - features that typically appear on watches costing considerably more. A distinctive design combined with substantive health sensing. Merge is what enables the iPhone connection: notifications, Apple Health syncing, contacts, music control, and camera control from a watch that punches well above its price.
What works with iPhone
Once connected through Merge, the Watch 2 Pro functions as a capable iPhone companion. Every notification from your iPhone arrives on the watch, with per-app controls to configure what reaches the wrist. Health data syncs to Apple Health via Merge: heart rate, steps, distance, floors climbed, calories, workouts with GPS routes, and pace all route through Merge's health bridge. The BIA hardware is described in the watch's sensor specifications - body composition data appears on-device.
iPhone contacts sync to the watch for wrist-level access. Music playback and volume are controllable from the watch, and camera control lets you trigger the iPhone remotely when the camera app is open. The 5ATM rating covers pool swim tracking.
Android phone required for first-time activation
The Watch 2 Pro's initial activation needs an Android phone - the Google account sign-in that happens during first-time setup runs exclusively through the Wear OS by Google app on Android. It's a one-time step with no workaround for iPhone users. Borrow an Android phone if you don't own one: turn on the watch, connect it to the Android device over Bluetooth, sign into a Google account, and let the watch complete its setup. The whole thing wraps up in 10-15 minutes. After that, switch to your iPhone, open Merge, and the Android phone is no longer involved at any point.
Pairing Xiaomi Watch 2 Pro with iPhone using Merge
- Complete the Xiaomi Watch 2 Pro's initial activation using an Android phone and the Wear OS by Google app.
- On your iPhone, search the App Store for Merge Watch and install it.
- On the Watch 2 Pro, open Play Store, search for Merge Watch, and install it.
- Open Merge on your iPhone - approve the Bluetooth permission when prompted, then keep it foregrounded.
- On the Xiaomi Watch 2 Pro, open Merge and approve the Bluetooth permission when prompted.
- Tap Start Pairing - the watch stays discoverable for five minutes.
- On your iPhone, open Settings → Bluetooth and wait for the watch to appear in the list, then tap it to pair.
- Once paired, your iPhone will appear in Merge on the watch - tap it to complete the connection.
- Set up your Merge subscription via the iPhone app if prompted.
- Grant notification and health permissions on both devices when asked.
Using the Xiaomi Watch 2 Pro day to day with iPhone
The stainless steel case and hobnail bezel give the Watch 2 Pro a visual character that most smartwatches at any price point don't attempt - it reads as an intentional design object rather than a utility device. The BIA sensor records body composition on-device for local tracking. Health data syncs to Apple Health via Merge throughout the day, with contacts and camera control rounding out the wrist-level access. The Snapdragon W5+ Gen 1 and 2GB of RAM keep the Merge service responsive alongside continuous health monitoring.
