Xiaomi bracelet: how to use from scratch – from connection to advanced features

Xiaomi Mi Band fitness bracelets have long been synonymous with affordable and functional health electronics. These compact devices are not only able to count steps — they monitor sleep, measure heart rate, show notifications from a smartphone and even allow contactless payment. But many users use only 20% of the capabilities of a smart bracelet, simply because they are unaware of hidden features or afraid to break something when setting up.

This article will help you understand all the nuances from the first inclusion to fine customization. 7/8, Smart Band 8 Pro, we'll get around the typical mistakes of beginners and give practical tips on how to make the most of your gadget. Android/iOS, Adjust sports and health settings, and address common problems like “doesn’t connect” or “doesn’t show notifications".

Whether you bought your first Mi Band or upgraded from an older model, here you will find answers to questions that are not covered in the standard instructions, such as how to set up automatic sleep tracking without manually starting, why the bracelet vibrates at night, and whether you can use it while swimming, and we will also compare the capabilities of different versions of firmware and tell you what functions appear after the update.

1. First turn on and connect to the phone

Xiaomi’s new bracelet comes off with minimal battery power.Before you start setting up, make sure the device is charged at least on the back of the battery. 20% — Otherwise, it may turn off during synchronization. Use the original cable (included) and the power adapter to charge. 5V/1A. Connecting to fast charging is not recommended - it can shorten battery life.

To turn on the bracelet, follow the following steps:

1. Connect the bracelet to the charger on 5-10 Seconds (the charge indicator should appear).
2. Unplug the cable and press the touch button below the screen – the device vibrates and turns on.
3. The screen will show a greeting in Chinese/English – this is normal, the language will change after you connect to the app.

To communicate with the phone, you will need the official Mi Fitness app (formerly Mi Fit.) Download it from Google Play or the App Store depending on your OS. When you first launch, the app will ask you to register a Xiaomi account - this is a must, without it, data synchronization will not work.

Connection process:

• 📱 Open Mi Fitness and press "+" top-right → "Add the device".
• 🔍 Choose your bracelet model from the list (e.g. Mi Smart Band 8).
• 📶 Make sure your phone has Bluetooth and geolocation enabled (to find the device).
• 🔗 Click "Connect" and confirm the pairing on the bracelet (touch the ticks on its screen).

⚠️ Warning: If the bracelet doesn't find the phone, try restarting both devices and repeating the process. On iPhone, it sometimes helps to disable the "Limit Compatibility" feature in Bluetooth settings.

2. Basic setting: time, notifications, screen

Once you've successfully connected, the app will offer you to update the bracelet firmware -- don't miss this step, as the new versions fix bugs and add features. 5-15 Do not interrupt the process or turn off Bluetooth. During the update, the bracelet will reboot - that's normal.

Now, to the basic settings, in the Mi Fitness app, open the Profile tab" → Choose your bracelet → "Settings of the device. You can set it up here:

• ⏰ Time format: 12/24 hour, display of seconds.
• 🔔 Notifications: Select applications that will duplicate alerts on the bracelet (calls, SMS, messengers).
• 🌙 Do Not Disturb: Set a schedule when the bracelet will not vibrate (e.g. at night).
• 🔋 Screen: brightness, backlight time, automatic switching on when lifting your hand.

Pay special attention to setting notifications. By default, the bracelet vibrates at any alerts, which can drain the battery.

Mi Fitness → Notifications → Select applications → Leave ticks only on:


- Phone.




- SMS




- WhatsApp/Telegram (optional)




- Calendar.

Update the bracelet firmware|Set up the time format|Select important notifications|Turn off unnecessary vibrations|Check the brightness of the screen-->

For Mi Band models 7/8 A-set availableOD (Always On Display - Constant display of time. Activated in Settings → Display. → Always On. Keep in mind that this feature increases battery consumption on the 15-20%.

3. Health tracking: pulse, sleep, stress

Xiaomi's key feature is health monitoring, so let's figure out how to use these features properly to get accurate data.

The pulse measurement works in two modes:

• 🩺 Manual: Close the Mi Fitness app on your phone, on the bracelet, select "Pulse" from the menu. Keep your hand still for 30 seconds.
• ⏱️ Automatic: each 5-30 minutes (configured in Settings) → Heart monitoring. The frequency depends on the model.

For accuracy of measurements:

⚠️ Attention: Wear a bracelet on 2-3 finger above your wrist (not tight!) and do not measure your pulse immediately after exercise - wait 10-15 Alcohol and caffeine distort the results. 10-15%.

Sleep tracking is automatically enabled, but for detailed analysis you need to:

1. Wear a bracelet before bed (for the first time) 30-60 minutes).
2. Don't take it off until you wake up.
3. In the app, check the schedules of deep / light sleep and awakenings.

Mi Band 8 Pro and newer models can track daytime naps and siesta, and activate the "Trace daytime rest" option in your sleep settings.

Stress levels are calculated based on heart rate variability, from 1 to 100, where:

• 1-30 — relaxation;
• 31-70 — norm;
• 71-100 — Stress (recommended breathing exercises).

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To reduce stress levels according to the bracelet, try a 5-minute breathing exercise: inhale for 4 seconds → delay → Exhale for 6 seconds. The bracelet can vibrate, reminding you to relax.

Sporting functions: training and activity

Xiaomi bracelets support up to 150 sports (depending on the model).

1. On the bracelet, scroll down to the Sports Modes icon.
2. Choose the type of activity (running, cycling, swimming, etc.).
3. Press the screen to start. During exercise, you can see your current pulse, distance traveled, and calories burned.
4. To stop, press the screen. → "Complete".

After training, the data is automatically synchronized with the application, where you can see:

• 📊 Graphic pulse during loading;
• 🏃‍♂️ Rate and distance (if included) GPS phone-on);
• 🔥 VO₂ max – Evaluation of your physical form;
• 💪 Recovery time (how much rest to the next workout).

For swimming (Mi Band 7/8 have 5 ATM protection):

• 🏊‍♂️ Select the "Swimming in the pool" or "Open water" mode".
• 📏 Specify the length of the pool (25/50 meters) for accurate counting of circles.
• 🚫 Do not press the buttons underwater – this can cause a crash.

To improve distance measurement accuracy without a phone, calibrate the bracelet. To do this, run 1 km through the stadium (exact distance) and compare it with the bracelet data.

5. Advanced features: payments, music, weather

Xiaomi’s bracelets today are much more than just step counting, and here are some features that many people don’t know about:

Contactless payments (available for Mi Band 7 Pro and newer in Russia):

• 💳 Link the card in the Mi Fitness app (profile) → The device → Contactless payments).
• 🔐 Mastercard and Visa cards are supported (Sberbank, Tinkoff, Alfa-Bank, etc.).
• 🛒 To pay twice, press the bracelet button and bring it to the terminal (max. amount - 5000).₽).

Music management:

• 🎵 While playing music on the phone, you can switch tracks directly from the bracelet (swipe left / right).
• 🔊 Volume control works only on Android (on the iPhone only track switching is available).

Weather and alarm clocks:

• 🌦️ Weather updates automatically when synchronized. To see the forecast, scroll the bracelet screen to the left.
• ⏰ Alarm clocks are set up in the application (Device) → You can create up to 10 alarm clocks, including smart alarm clocks (vibration in the light sleep phase).

Phone search:

• 📍 If you lost your phone, find the icon "Search for the phone" on the bracelet" → device will give a loud signal.
• 🔋 It only works if the phone is within Bluetooth range (up to 10 meters).

For models of Smart Band 8 Pro, the function "Gests" is available - you can adjust actions with certain movements of the hand (for example, raising your hand to turn on the backlight or shaking to skip the track).

6.Problems and solutions

Even reliable devices sometimes fail, and here are the most common problems and ways to solve them:

If the bracelet has stopped synchronizing the data:

1. Open Mi Fitness and manually start sync (pull the screen down).
2. Check if Bluetooth and geolocation are enabled on the phone.
3. Remove the bracelet from the application and connect again.

⚠️ Note: If after updating the firmware bracelet began to glitch (reboot independently, do not show the time), reset to factory settings: Settings → About the device → All data will be stored in the cloud Xiaomi.

For models with GPS (Mi Band 7 Pro and newer is important:

• 📡 The first satellite search can take up to 10 minutes – go out into the open space.
• 🔄 For accuracy before training, update the data AGPS bracelet settings.

7. Model comparison: which bracelet to choose

If you haven’t bought a bracelet yet or are thinking about upgrading, here’s a quick comparison of the current models (2023-2026 years):

For athletes, the best choice is the model with GPS (7 Pro or 8 Pro, as they are more accurate in tracking routes without a phone.If you only need basic functions (steps, pulse, sleep), just enough Mi Band 8.

Please note the compatibility with the iPhone:

• ✅ All functions work except for quick response to messages.
• ❌ Notifications from some messengers (Viber, Skype) may not come.
• 🔄 Data synchronization takes longer than Android.

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For maximum autonomy, turn off Always On Display, reduce the pulse rate, and deactivate notifications from unnecessary apps.

8. Alternative firmware and customization

For power users who lack standard features, there are custom firmware like Amazfit Mod or Notify & Fitness.

• 🎨 More dials (including animated ones);
• 📱 Advanced Notifications (with emojis and long texts);
• 🔧 Additional screen settings and gestures.

Installation of custom firmware:

1. Download the firmware file (for example, with 4PDA).
2. Install the Notify & Fitness for Mi Band app.
3. Connect the bracelet through this application and download the firmware.

⚠️ Attention: Castom firmware can cause warranty loss and unstable device performance.Before installing, back up your data in the original Mi Fitness app.Not all features (such as contactless payments) will work after firmware is installed.

To return to standard firmware:

• In the Mi Fitness app, find the Updates section.
• Click "Restore factory firmware."
• Wait until the process is complete (the bracelet will reboot several times).

Before experimenting with firmware, check compatibility with your bracelet model. For example, firmware for the Mi Band 7 will not work for the Smart Band 8.

FAQ: Frequent questions