How to connect the fitness bracelet Xiaomi Mi Band to the smartphone: instructions with photos and tips

Why you need to connect Mi Band to your phone and what it does

Xiaomi Mi Band fitness bracelets have long since ceased to be just pedometers — they have become full-fledged devices for monitoring health, managing notifications and even contactless payments. But all these features become available only after the bracelet is properly connected to a smartphone. Without synchronization, you will only get basic functionality: time display and number of steps, which is only 10-15% of the device’s capabilities.

Once paired with your phone, the Mi Band will automatically sync your heart rate, sleep quality, stress levels, and even blood oxygen (depending on the model).In addition, you can set up notifications for calls, instant messengers, alarms, and reminders through the Mi Fitness app, and if you have an NFC model (such as the Mi Band 7 Pro or the Mi Band 8 Pro), you can link your bank card to pay with a single touch.

But there are nuances: not all phones work equally well with Xiaomi bracelets. For example, on the iPhone, some functions may be limited due to Apple’s policy, and on some budget Android smartphones, Bluetooth 5.0 problems may occur. In this article, we will discuss the unique ways of connecting for different models of the Mi Band (from the 5th to the 8th version) and the typical mistakes that users make when you first set up.

What Mi Band models support phone connection

All Mi Band bracelets, starting with the Mi Band 2 (2016), can sync with smartphones, but the functionality depends heavily on the firmware version and device model.

Note that if you have a Mi Band 4 or older model, you will need the Mi Fit app to connect, which Xiaomi no longer updates. For new bracelets (starting with the Mi Band 7), Mi Fitness is used - it has a different interface and advanced health analysis features.

Preparation for connection: what to do before pairing

Before you start setting up, make sure that all the prerequisites are met, which will help you avoid 90% of the typical errors that users encounter:

• 📱 Update your operating system on your phone. On Android, check the version in Settings. → About the phone, on the iPhone - in Settings → Mainstream → Update of the PO.
• 🔋 Charge the bracelet to at least 50%. If the charge is below 20%, the Mi Band can shut down during synchronization.
• 📲 Remove old Xiaomi apps (if any) for example, if you have both Mi Fit and Mi Fitness installed, it can cause conflict.
• 🔄 Turn on Bluetooth and allow the application to use geolocation (this is necessary for the pedometer to work correctly).

Pay special attention to permissions. On Android, after installing Mi Fitness, go to Settings → Applications → Mi Fitness → Permissions and turn on:

• 📍 Geodata (for accurate calculation of distance traveled).
• 📱 Notifications (to have the bracelet show incoming calls and messages).
• 🔋 Auto-run (to keep synchronization running in the background).

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If you have an iPhone, restart your phone before connecting, which helps avoid the “failed to find the device” error, which often occurs due to Bluetooth conflict with other gadgets (such as AirPods headphones).

Also check if the phone is power-saving. It can block background data synchronization. On Android, this setting is in Settings → Battery → Power-saving mode, on iPhone, in Settings → Battery → Low-power mode.

Step-by-step: how to connect Mi Band to Android

The process of pairing on Android is easier than on iOS, thanks to the more open architecture of the system.

1. Install the Mi Fitness app from Google Play. For older models (up to Mi Band 6), you may need Mi Fit.
2. Sign up or sign in to a Xiaomi account. If you don't have one, create it via email or phone number.
3. Turn on Bluetooth on your phone and unlock the bracelet screen (press the touch button or shake your wrist).
4. In the application, click Profile → Add device → Bracelet → Mi Smart Band.
5. Select your model from the list and confirm the pairing on your phone and bracelet (it will show vibration and connection request).
6. Wait for the firmware update (if available). Don't interrupt the process!

Bracelet charge > 50%|Bluetooth on|Mi Fitness app is installed|Xiaomi account created/active|Appendix permits issued-->

After successful connection, the application will offer to configure the main parameters:

• 🕒 Time zone (must coincide with the phone).
• 🏃 Activity goals (steps, calories, sleep time).
• 🔔 Notifications (select messengers whose calls will be duplicated on the bracelet).
• 🔒 Screen lock (you can set the phone to unlock using a bracelet).

Connecting Mi Band to iPhone: features and limitations

On iOS, the pairing process is almost the same as on Android, but there are key differences:

1. Download Mi Fitness from the App Store. Mi Fit for iOS is no longer supported.
2. Allow notifications for the application in Settings → Mi Fitness → Notifications.
3. Turn on Bluetooth and make sure your iPhone is not connected to other devices (e.g. headphones).
4. Add the device through Profile → Add the device.
5. Confirm the pairing on the bracelet (button or touch screen).

On an iPhone, you can't:

• ❌ Change the dials from the official gallery (only standard ones).
• ❌ Use Always-on Display (Mi Band screens go out after 5 seconds).
• ❌ Configure control gestures (for example, skipping tracks in the player).

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On iPhone, the Mi Band bracelet consumes 20-30% more power due to the Bluetooth in the background. If you notice a quick discharge, turn off unnecessary notifications.

Also, there may be a "Disconnected to the device" error on iOS to fix it:

1. Close the Mi Fitness app via swipe up (in the multitasking menu).
2. Turn off Bluetooth, then turn it back on.
3. Reboot the iPhone.
4. Repeat the connection attempt.

Setup of notifications and data synchronization

Once connected, it's time to set up notifications so that the bracelet shows incoming calls, messages from messengers and reminders.

1. Open Mi Fitness and go to Notifications (or Bracelet Settings → Notifications).
2. Turn on the "Show notifications" switch.
3. Select applications that must be duplicated on the bracelet (WhatsApp, Telegram, SMS, etc.).
4. Set up the vibration and backlight of the screen when you receive new notifications.

For proper notifications on Android, check:

• 🔕 Permission to display notifications for Mi Fitness in system settings (Settings) → Annexes → Mi Fitness → Notifications).
• 🔄 No restrictions for the application in the mode of energy saving.
• 📵 Disabling battery optimization features for Mi Fitness (in some firmware, for example, MIUI or EMUI, This can block notifications).

If notifications do not arrive:

⚠️ Attention: On Android 12 phones+ and MIUI 13+ Automatic background restriction for applications can work. To fix this, go to Settings. → Annexes → Mi Fitness → Battery and select "No restrictions".

No additional steps are required to synchronize health data (steps, sleep, pulse) — it happens automatically every 30-60 minutes, but you can manually run it by pulling the bracelet screen down (on models with a touch screen) or through the application (Device Profile → Sync).

Common Mistakes and How to Fix Them

Even with the right connection, users often face problems, and here are the most common errors and solutions:

If after all the manipulations the bracelet does not connect, try to reset it to the factory settings:

1. On the bracelet, go to Settings → About the bracelet → Reset (for models with a screen).
2. For the Mi Band 5/6 without screen: Press the touch button for 15 seconds until you feel the vibration.
3. Reconnect the bracelet through the app.

Additional functions after connection

Once you've successfully synchronized, you get access to the enhanced capabilities of the bracelet.

• 💤 Sleep monitoring: include in Settings → Regimes → Sleep to track the phases of deep and superficial sleep.
• ❤️ Pulse measurement: set up an automatic measurement each time 1-30 minutes in Settings → Heartbeat.
• 🏃 Training: Choose sports (running, cycling, swimming) in Settings → Training.
• 🔒 Unlocking the phone: activate in Settings → Unlocking the screen (works only on Android).
• 💳 NFC-Payments (for Pro models): link your bank card to Settings → Mi Pay.

On the Mi Band 7 Pro and Mi Band 8 Pro, the voice assistant feature (Android only) is available to activate:

1. Open Mi Fitness and go to Bracelet Settings → Voice Assistant.
2. Select Google Assistant or Alice (for Russian users).
3. Allow access to the microphone.
4. You can now control the bracelet with your voice (e.g., say, “OK Google, start running training”).

For Mi Band 8 owners, the unique "AI Figure" feature is available - body composition analysis from a photo.

1. Take a photo in the Mi Fitness app (Health → AI Figures).
2. Specify your height, weight and gender.
3. Get an analysis of fat percentage, muscle mass and training recommendations.

FAQ: Frequent questions about connecting Mi Band