Smartwatch Troubleshooting Guide: Fixing the Most Common COLMI Problem

Even well-made smartwatches occasionally run into issues. Pairing problems, notifications that stop appearing, heart rate readings that seem off, GPS that won't lock, displays that don't wake on wrist raise — these are the most common issues COLMI users encounter, and almost all of them have straightforward solutions. This guide covers every significant troubleshooting scenario for COLMI smartwatches and smart rings, walking you through the fixes step by step so you can get back to tracking your health without a lengthy support ticket.

Pairing and Connection Issues

Watch Won't Appear When Scanning in Da Fit

This is the most common setup issue and usually has one of several causes:

Bluetooth is off on your phone. Go to your phone's Settings → Bluetooth and confirm it's enabled. This sounds obvious but is the cause of approximately 30% of pairing failures.
Da Fit doesn't have Bluetooth permission. On iPhone: Settings → Da Fit → Bluetooth → On. On Android: Settings → Apps → Da Fit → Permissions → Nearby Devices (or Location) → Allow. Without these permissions, Da Fit physically cannot scan for Bluetooth devices.
The watch is already paired to another device. If the watch was previously paired to a different phone, it may need to be reset first. On the watch, go to Settings → System → Factory Reset (menu labels vary by model). After reset, try pairing again.
The watch display is off. Your watch must be awake and displaying the screen for Da Fit to discover it. Press the side button to wake the watch, then immediately scan in Da Fit.
Too far apart. Keep the watch within 30cm of your phone during initial pairing. Move them apart only after pairing is confirmed.
Other Bluetooth devices interfering. If you're in an environment with many active Bluetooth devices (office, crowded public space), try pairing in a quieter location with fewer nearby devices.

If none of the above resolves it: restart both the watch (Settings → System → Restart) and your phone, then try the pairing process again from the beginning.

Watch Keeps Disconnecting from Phone

Intermittent disconnection is usually caused by one of these:

Battery optimisation killing Da Fit in the background. This is the most common cause on Android. Android's battery management system may terminate Da Fit's background process to save power, breaking the Bluetooth connection. Fix: Settings → Apps → Da Fit → Battery → set to "Unrestricted" or "Don't optimise." The exact menu path varies by Android manufacturer (Samsung, Xiaomi, Oppo, etc. all have slightly different battery settings menus).
iPhone background app refresh disabled. On iPhone: Settings → General → Background App Refresh → Da Fit: On. Without this, Da Fit cannot maintain its Bluetooth connection when not in the foreground.
Phone Bluetooth range issues. Standard Bluetooth range is 10 metres in open air, reduced significantly by walls and obstacles. If your watch and phone are in different rooms, the connection may drop. This is expected Bluetooth behaviour.
Watch firmware out of date. Older firmware sometimes has Bluetooth stability issues resolved in updates. Check for firmware updates in Da Fit → Device → Firmware Update.

Watch Paired but Data Not Syncing

If the watch shows as connected in Da Fit but health data isn't appearing in the app:

Pull down to refresh the Da Fit home screen to trigger a manual sync
Keep the watch within close Bluetooth range of your phone for a full minute
Check that Da Fit has notification access permission (required for the full sync pathway on some Android phones)
Force-stop and reopen Da Fit, then wait for automatic sync
If sleep data specifically isn't appearing: ensure the date in Da Fit is set correctly — timezone mismatches can cause sleep records to appear on the wrong day or not appear at all

Notification Issues

Phone Notifications Not Appearing on the Watch

This is one of the most frequently reported issues and almost always has a permissions-related cause:

Notification access not granted to Da Fit (Android). Go to Settings → Apps → Special App Access → Notification Access → find Da Fit and enable it. This is separate from the standard notification permission and is often missed during initial setup. Without notification access, Da Fit cannot read your phone's notifications to relay them to the watch.
Notifications not enabled for the specific app in Da Fit. Open Da Fit → Device → Notification Reminder → check that the specific app (WhatsApp, Gmail, etc.) has its toggle enabled. Not all apps are enabled by default.
Phone is in Do Not Disturb mode. If your phone is silencing notifications (DND enabled, phone face-down, Focus mode on iPhone), notifications won't relay to the watch.
Watch Do Not Disturb is active. Check if DND is enabled on the watch itself: swipe down from the watch face to see the quick settings panel and check for a DND icon.
Watch is not connected. Notifications only relay when the watch and phone are actively connected via Bluetooth. Check the connection status icon on the watch face.
Battery optimisation killing Da Fit (Android). As above — if Android has terminated Da Fit's background process, notifications cannot relay. Add Da Fit to your battery optimisation whitelist.

Call Notifications Not Appearing (Non-Calling Models)

For COLMI watches without Bluetooth calling (V72, V73, M42, P80, P81, etc.), incoming calls should show caller ID on the watch face. If calls aren't showing:

Ensure phone call notification access is enabled for Da Fit
On iPhone: check that Da Fit has permission to access your contacts and phone calls in iPhone Settings → Da Fit
On Android: ensure Da Fit has phone permission (Settings → Apps → Da Fit → Permissions → Phone)

Heart Rate and Health Monitoring Issues

Heart Rate Readings Seem Too High or Too Low

Inaccurate heart rate readings from optical sensors are almost always caused by fit or positioning issues:

Watch is too loose. The sensor must maintain consistent contact with skin. If the watch moves on your wrist, the sensor signal becomes noisy and readings are unreliable. Tighten the strap until the watch stays still on your wrist during movement without being uncomfortable.
Watch positioned incorrectly. The sensor on the back of the watch should sit against the soft skin on the underside of your wrist, approximately 1 to 2cm above the wrist bone. Positioning over the wrist bone itself produces worse readings.
Cold skin. Cold temperatures cause peripheral vasoconstriction — blood vessels near the skin surface narrow, reducing the signal the optical sensor can detect. Warm your hands before taking a resting heart rate reading.
Tattooed skin over the sensor. Dark ink tattoos on the wrist over the sensor area can significantly interfere with optical readings. Try wearing the watch on the other wrist or repositioning the watch so the sensor is on untattoed skin.
Very high-intensity exercise. During intense intervals with significant arm movement, motion artefact can cause readings to be temporarily inaccurate. This is a fundamental limitation of optical wrist sensors and affects all devices, including premium brands. For zone-based interval training, a chest strap remains more accurate.

Heart Rate Not Recording During Sleep

Ensure continuous heart rate monitoring is enabled in Da Fit → Device → Heart Rate Monitor, not just on-demand measurement
Ensure the watch is worn to bed with adequate strap tension — some users loosen straps for sleep comfort and compromise sensor contact
Check the monitoring frequency setting: every 5 minutes is appropriate for sleep; less frequent may miss some overnight readings

SpO2 Measurement Showing Error or Not Completing

Remain completely still during the 30-second measurement — any movement during the measurement triggers an error and restarts the reading
Ensure the watch is snugly fitted with the sensor in contact with skin
Warm your hands before measuring in cold conditions
Try the measurement on the opposite wrist
Ensure you're not pressing on the watch face during measurement, which can affect the sensor reading

GPS Issues (P82, V75, V76)

GPS Won't Acquire a Signal

Go outside. GPS cannot acquire satellite signal indoors or with significant overhead obstruction. Take the watch outdoors with a clear view of the sky before starting a GPS workout.
Wait longer for first fix. Cold GPS start (first use, or after significant time without GPS use) takes longer than subsequent starts. In open sky, allow up to 60 to 90 seconds for the initial satellite acquisition. Don't give up after 30 seconds.
Restart the watch. If GPS consistently fails to acquire, restart the watch (Settings → System → Restart) and try again outdoors.
Update firmware. GPS firmware improvements are sometimes included in watch firmware updates. Ensure your watch is on the latest firmware via Da Fit → Device → Firmware Update.

GPS Route Looks Wrong or Has Large Gaps

GPS accuracy degrades under dense tree canopy and in urban canyons (streets with tall buildings on both sides). Some track deviation and smoothing in these environments is normal.
If the entire route is missing, the sports mode may not have been started correctly before the activity. Always start the sports mode and confirm GPS lock before beginning your workout.
Check the Da Fit route map immediately after syncing. If the route starts partway through your activity, GPS lock was achieved after you began — wait for lock confirmation on the watch before starting next time.

Phone-Connected GPS Not Working (Non-GPS Models)

For COLMI watches without built-in GPS, route tracking uses your phone's GPS:

Ensure location permission for Da Fit is set to "Always" (not "While using app") in your phone settings — this allows GPS tracking when Da Fit is running in the background during exercise
Keep Da Fit open (running in background) throughout your outdoor workout
Disable battery optimisation for Da Fit to prevent Android from terminating the GPS session mid-workout
Ensure your phone has a GPS signal before starting the workout (check that your phone's maps app can locate you before beginning)

Display and Watch Face Issues

Display Doesn't Wake When I Raise My Wrist

Adjust raise-to-wake sensitivity in Da Fit → Device → Lift Wrist to View. Increase sensitivity if the display isn't waking reliably.
The raise-to-wake gesture requires a relatively deliberate wrist rotation toward your face. A gentle turn of the wrist may not trigger it; a more pronounced wrist raise typically does.
Raise-to-wake can be temporarily disabled to save battery. Check that it's enabled in device settings.
Some models disable raise-to-wake automatically during Do Not Disturb hours. Check your DND schedule settings.

Watch Face Won't Download From Da Fit

Ensure the watch is connected to Da Fit via Bluetooth when downloading a face — face data transfers via Bluetooth, not over internet directly
Keep the watch and phone in close proximity (within 30cm) during the download, which takes 15 to 60 seconds
Ensure your phone has internet access (the face file downloads from the internet to Da Fit, then transfers to the watch)
If the download consistently fails, try a different watch face first. If others download successfully, the specific face may have a temporary server issue.

Battery and Charging Issues

Battery Draining Faster Than Expected

Always-on display enabled. AOD is the single largest battery consumer. Disable in Display settings if battery life is a concern.
High screen brightness. Reduce to auto or a lower manual setting.
Continuous heart rate monitoring at high frequency. Change to every 5 minutes instead of real-time continuous.
GPS left active after a workout. Ensure sports mode is properly ended after each GPS session, not left running.
Very cold conditions. Cold weather temporarily reduces battery capacity. Keep the watch warm against your skin in cold environments.
Many notifications. Each notification activates the display and vibration motor. Reduce enabled notification sources if battery drain is significant.

Watch Not Charging

Ensure the magnetic charging cable is properly aligned with the charging contacts on the back of the watch. The magnets should snap it into position — if it's not snapping, rotate 180 degrees and try the other orientation.
Clean the charging contacts on both the watch and cable with a dry cloth. Sweat, skin oils, and dirt on the contacts can impair charging contact.
Try a different USB power source. Some USB ports and chargers don't provide sufficient current. Use a phone charger or a mains USB adapter rather than a laptop USB port.
If the watch appears completely dead (no response to pressing the button), leave it on charge for 15 to 20 minutes before trying to wake it. Deeply depleted batteries take several minutes before the watch can power on.

Software and Firmware Issues

Watch Frozen or Unresponsive

Hold the side button for 8 to 10 seconds to force restart the watch. Most COLMI models will restart after a long button press.
If force restart doesn't work, leave the watch to drain its remaining battery completely, then place on charge. After charging begins, the watch should restart automatically.

Firmware Update Failing

Ensure the watch battery is above 20% before starting a firmware update — updates should not be initiated on low battery
Keep the watch and phone within 30cm throughout the update process
Don't use your phone for other Bluetooth-intensive activities during the update
If the update fails and the watch appears stuck, wait 5 minutes, then try a force restart (long press side button). The watch will typically restore to its previous firmware version.

Da Fit App Crashes or Won't Open

Force-stop Da Fit (Android: Settings → Apps → Da Fit → Force Stop) and reopen
Clear the Da Fit cache (Android: Settings → Apps → Da Fit → Storage → Clear Cache). Note: clearing cache doesn't delete your health data, which is stored in your account.
Update Da Fit to the latest version from the App Store or Google Play
If crashes persist after updating, uninstall and reinstall Da Fit. Your health data syncs from your account, so reinstalling doesn't delete your history as long as you're logged into the same account.

When to Contact Customer Support

If you've worked through the relevant troubleshooting steps above without resolving your issue, the problem may be a hardware fault rather than a software or settings issue. Contact our customer support team if:

The display has dead pixels, discolouration, or physical damage
The watch won't charge even with a confirmed working charger and clean contacts
Heart rate monitoring gives completely erratic readings (random spikes to 200+ bpm at rest) that persist after correct fitting and repositioning
The watch has stopped powering on entirely and won't respond to charging
GPS consistently fails to acquire in open outdoor conditions after firmware updates and restarts

Reach out through our store's contact page with your order number, model name, and a description of the issue. Our team typically responds within 24 hours and we'll work to resolve the issue under our returns and warranty policy.

Smartwatch Troubleshooting Guide: Fixing the Most Common COLMI Problems