Xiaomi Mi Band 4 setup: a complete guide from connectivity to hidden features

Why the right setup is important for the Mi Band 4

The Xiaomi Mi Band 4 fitness bracelet remains one of the most popular activity-tracking gadgets years after its release, combined with a range of features from sleep monitoring to music control, but most users only use 30% of the features because they don’t know how to set up the device properly.

This article will help you understand everything from the first connection to your smartphone to fine-tuning notifications and workouts. We will look at the official and hidden features, and give recommendations for optimizing the bracelet for different scenarios – sports, sleep or office work. Importantly, the manual is relevant for firmware 2026 and compatible with Android 10+ and iOS 14+.

We'll focus on common errors that cause a battery to run out quickly or sensors to work incorrectly, for example, many people don't know that constant weather synchronization reduces autonomy by 20 percent -- and that's easy to fix in settings.

Preparation for setting up: what to do before turning on the bracelet

Before you start setting up Mi Band 4, make sure you have everything you need:

📱 Android 6.0+ or iOS 10+ smartphone with free space (Mi Fitness app weighs ~150MB)
🔋 Charged bracelet (minimum 20% battery for first synchronization)
📶 Stable Internet connection (for downloading firmware and data)
🔐 Xiaomi or Zepp account (can be created during setup)

If you are upgrading with Mi Band 3, we recommend resetting your old bracelet to factory settings through the app to avoid conflicts when connecting a new device. Also check that the phone is enabled Bluetooth 4.2+ – without this, synchronization will be unstable.

📊 What version of the Mi Band you are using?

Mi Band 4

Mi Band 5/6

Mi Band 7/8

Another fitness bracelet

First time I'm buying.

If you don’t officially sell the Mi Band 4 in your country, you may need to change the region in the Mi Fitness app to China or India, which will unlock all features, including Mi Pay (if supported by your bank).

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If the bracelet does not turn on after charging, try holding the Touch button for 10 seconds - this will force the device to restart.

Step-by-step: first connection of Mi Band 4 to the phone

The setup process starts with the installation of an official app: Download Mi Fitness (formerly Mi Fit) from Google Play or the App Store. Alternative apps like Notify & Fitness or Tools & Mi Band offer more features, but may conflict with official software.

Account registration: Open the app and create a Xiaomi account (or log in via Google/Facebook).
Adding device: Click Profile → Add device → Bracelet → Mi Smart Band 4.
Bluetooth pairing: Make sure the bracelet is on a white indicator (meaning it is in search mode).
Update firmware: After connecting, the application will offer to update the software - agree, as the new versions fix sensor errors.

If the bracelet is not present, check:

🔄 Reboot Bluetooth on your phone (Settings → Bluetooth → Off/On)
📱 Delete the cache of the Mi Fitness app (Phone Settings → Apps → Mi Fitness → Memory → Clear the cache)
🔋 Connect the bracelet to charging for 5 minutes - sometimes the discharged device does not appear in the list

☑️ Checklist of successful connection

Bracelet charged at 20%+Bluetooth is on on the phoneMi Fitness app updatedXiaomi account created and confirmed

Done: 0 / 4

Once successfully connected, the bracelet will suggest adjusting the basic parameters of sex, age, weight and activity goal, and it is important to provide real data here, because it depends on the accuracy of calorie counting and training recommendations. For example, if you specify weight 10 kg less, the bracelet will understate energy expenditure by 15-20%.

Setup notifications: how to get only important alerts

By default, the Mi Band 4 shows all notifications from the smartphone, which quickly drains the battery and distracts.

Open Mi Fitness and go to Profile → Mi Smart Band 4 → Notifications.
Turn on the Call Notification and Notifications from the apps switch.
In the Applications section, select only those alerts from which are critical (for example, WhatsApp, Telegram, Mail).
Turn off unnecessary system notifications (e.g. from Google Play or games).

To save charge, we recommend:

⏰ Limit vibration time to 1 second (Bracelet settings → Vibration → Short)
📵 Turn off notifications at night (Do Not Disturb mode 23:00 to 7:00)
🔕 Use silent mode for unimportant applications (alerts will come but no vibration)

Type of notification	Recommended setting	Impact on the battery
Calls.	On (vibration + name of the caller)	Low.
Messages (messengers)	Included (no vibration text only)	Average.
Social media	Disabled or only likes/comments	High.
System alerts	Disabled (except for important alarm clocks)	Very high.

How to turn off notifications about the “long sitting”

Go to Profile → Mi Smart Band 4 → Reminders → Sedentary lifestyle and move the slider to the off position.. This will eliminate unnecessary vibrations if you work at the computer.

If notifications are delayed (more than 5 seconds), check:

⚠️ Warning: On phones Xiaomi/Redmi, turn on Autostart and Background Permission for the Mi Fitness app (Settings → Apps → Permissions → Autostart). Without this, Android can block sync to save power.

Personalization: dials, wallpaper and gestures

Mi Band 4 supports interchangeable dials, but their installation has nuances.

Open Profile → Mi Smart Band 4 → Dials.
Select a category (Sports, Classics, Minimalism).
Click on your favorite design and confirm the installation.

To install custom dials (for example, with AMOLEDWatchfaces) you will need:

Download the.bin file to your phone.
Use the AmazTools or Notify & Fitness app to download.
Reset the bracelet (Settings → Reset).

Pay attention to the gestures of the control:

👆 Hand Raising – Turn on the screen (can be turned off in Settings → Raising to Activate)
🔄 Double-touch - switching between screens
🔘 Holding the button – Return to the main menu

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Custom dials can contain viruses. download files only from trusted sources (for example, XDA Developers or Mi Band Mods).

If after installing the custom dial, the bracelet began to glit (does not show the time, freezes), reset:

Settings → Additional → Resetting settings

Set up training and health monitoring

The Mi Band 4 can track 6 types of training in automatic mode (walking, running, cycling, swimming, elliptical trainer, rowing) and 17 types in manual.

🏃‍♂️ Set personal records in Profile → Sports → My achievements – this will help the bracelet adjust the load.
📊 Turn on Autodetect Workouts (Settings → Sport → Autodetection), but turn it off for yoga or strength exercises – these are often recognized as “walking.”
💓 Activate continuous heart rate monitoring only during exercise, not all the time, saving ~30% charge.

For swimming:

⚠️ Warning: Before the first dive, check that the bracelet is tightly seated on the arm (no more than 1 cm clearance) and that the Settings menu → Screen → Locking water is enabled Swimming mode, otherwise water can get under the body and cause corrosion of the contacts.

Sleep data is analyzed automatically, but its accuracy depends on:

🛏️ Correctly specifying the time of the break (Profile → Sleep → Edit)
📵 Shutdowns of notifications overnight (they interfere with sensors)
🔋 Bracelet charge not lower than 50% (at low charge sensors work unstable)

Parameter	Recommended setting	Reason.
Heart rate measurement	Every 10 minutes.	Balance between accuracy and autonomy
Autodefinition of sleep	Included.	Increases accuracy of sleep phase analysis
High pulse notifications	120+ strokes (individually)	Prevents overloading

Hidden features and life hacks for Mi Band 4

Many of the features of the bracelet are not obvious at first glance.

🔍 Phone search: Double-pressing the bracelet button makes the phone make a sound (even if it is in silent mode).
🎵 Music control: There is a Music item on the wristband menu – they can switch tracks and adjust volume (works with Spotify, YouTube Music, Apple Music).
🔋 Battery savings: Turn off Auto Brightness and set it to 20% - that's enough for reading in daylight.
🔒 Screen Lock: Enable the Unlock Password (Settings → Screen → Password) so that no one can see your notifications.

For advanced users:

🛠️ Language Change: If the bracelet displays characters, set the language through AmazTools (select Russian or English).
📡 Alternative firmware: Custom Firmware adds NFC support for payment (if the chip is in your bracelet version).

How to turn on the Theatre mode

This mode turns off all notifications and vibrations for 2 hours. Activates through Settings → Theatre Mode. Useful in movies or at important meetings.

If you want to use the bracelet to pay for purchases (in models with NFC), you will have to:

Replace the region in the annex with China.
Link a bank card via Mi Pay (does not work with all banks).
Set up a PIN code to confirm payments.

Troubleshooting: What to do if the bracelet doesn't work

Even the reliable Mi Band 4 sometimes fails, and here are the most common problems and solutions.

Problem.	Reason.	Decision
Not synchronized with the phone.	Bluetooth conflict or app cache	Clear the Mi Fitness cache and reboot the phone
Not showing notices	Lack of permissions from the application	Check the settings → Applications → Mi Fitness → Permissions
It's discharged fast.	Constant monitoring of heart rate or bright screen	Turn off continuous pulse measurement and reduce brightness
He doesn't count steps.	Flawed fit or sensor failure	Tighten the strap and recalibrate the pedometer (Settings → Steps → Calibration)

If the bracelet is not activated:

Connect it to charging for 30 minutes (even if the indicator is not on).
Press and hold the 15-second button, and it will reset the device.
If it doesn’t help, try charging from another adapter (sometimes the problem is a weak current).

⚠️ Warning: If the bracelet becomes a brick after the firmware update (it doesn't respond to charging and button), don't try to disassemble it yourself. Contact the service center - this is often solved by flashing it through JTAG.

For reset to factory settings:

Settings → Additional → Resetting settings → Confirm

After resetting, the bracelet will automatically reset and be ready for a new setup.

FAQ: Answers to Frequent Questions About Mi Band 4

Can I use Mi Band 4 without a smartphone?

The bracelet will count steps, show time and pulse, but will not store data for more than 7 days (without synchronization with the phone, the story is erased), and notifications and weather updates will not work.

How to transfer data from Mi Band 3 to Mi Band 4?

Automatic transfer is not possible, but you can export the story from Mi Fitness: Open Profile → Settings → Data Export. Save the file to your phone. Once you connect the Mi Band 4, the data will be downloaded automatically (if the account is the same).

Why does the bracelet show the wrong number of steps?

The reasons can be different: 👕 The bracelet is worn on a non-mining hand (left hand for right-handers, right hand for left-handers). 🚶‍♂️ When walking, the hand does not move enough (for example, if you are carrying a bag). 📱 The phone has another pedometer (for example, Google Fit) on, which conflicts with the Mi Band. Solution: recalibrate the pedometer manually (Settings → Steps → Calibration) and walk 20 steps with the phone in your hand.

How to turn off vibrations when notifying?

There are two ways: For all notifications: Bracelet settings → Vibration → Disable. Selectively: In the Mi Fitness app, turn off vibration for specific applications (Notifications → App settings). If the vibration is too weak, check that the strap does not clamping the body - this extinguishes the motor.

Can I change my band to Mi Band 4?

Yes, the bracelet supports 18mm wide, spring-mounted straps. Xiaomi's original straps cost ~500 rubles, but third-party straps (such as those from Amazfit or Huawei) are also suitable. To remove the old strap: Turn the bracelet down. Find a small lock button on the back of the strap. Press it with a screwdriver or a clip and pull the strap aside.