Xiaomi Mi Band 4 (Mi4): How to set up a watch from scratch – from synchronization to hidden features

Why you should set up Mi Band 4 and what you need

The Xiaomi Mi Band 4 (or Mi4, as they are often called in Russia) remains one of the most popular fitness trackers even years after its release. Its main advantages are autonomy up to 20 days, waterproof 5 ATM, color AMOLED- screen and extensive functionality for modest money. However, many users face problems already at the first setup stage: the watch does not sync, does not show notifications or quickly discharge. In this article, we will analyze all the stages of settings – from connecting to a smartphone to thin workouts and settings.

You will need to work:

• 📱 Android 5.0+ or iOS 10.0+ (officially supported, but older versions may have bugs).
• 🔋 Charged Mi Band 4 watch (minimum 20% battery)
• 🌐 Stable Internet connection (for downloading applications and updates).
• 📲 Mi Fit app (you can download it from Google Play or App Store).

If you already have a watch on your hand but don't respond to touch, don't panic. Mi Band 4 automatically locks the screen after 5 seconds of inactivity, and unlocks by double touching or raising your hand (if activated).

Step 1: Connecting Mi Band 4 to your smartphone

The first thing you need to do is link the watch to your phone through the Mi Fit app, which takes no more than 5 minutes, but there are a few things that few people know about, such as if you use an iPhone, you will need to allow access to Notifications and Fitness and health in iOS settings to work properly.

Instructions for connection:

1. Install and open the Mi Fit app.
2. Sign up or sign in through your Xiaomi, Google, Facebook account.
3. Click Profile → Add Device → Bracelet → Mi Smart Band 4.
4. Turn on Bluetooth on your phone and wait for the watch to appear on the list.
5. Confirm the connection on the phone and on the watch itself (touch the ticks on the Mi Band 4 screen).

If the clock is not there, try:

• 🔄 Reboot Mi Band 4 (press the touch button for 10 seconds until vibrations appear).
• 📱 Restart Bluetooth on your phone.
• 🚫 Remove the device from the list of conjugated devices in the phone settings and repeat the search.

⚠️ Warning: On Android, the Mi Fit app can request access to Locations, which is necessary for the bracelet search function to work properly (if you lose it). By refusing this permission, you are unable to use geolocation to search for the watch.

Step 2: Initial setup in Mi Fit

Once connected, the app will prompt you to perform a basic setup, and it's important to correctly specify your personal data, because it depends on calories, pulse zones, and training recommendations, for example, if you put the wrong weight, the watch will understate or overstate the data on calories burned.

What you need to set up first:

• 👤 User profile: gender, date of birth, height, weight (affects the calculation of steps and calories).
• 🏃 Activity goals: the number of steps per day (8000 by default, but can be changed).
• 🔔 Notifications: Enable call alerts, SMS and instant messengers (supported by WhatsApp, Telegram, Viber, etc.).
• 🌙 Sleep mode: Activate automatic sleep tracking (the clock determines sleep phases by arm movement).

Pay special attention to the section Device Settings → Screen:

• 🔄 Screen Autoturn: If turned on, the watch will automatically unfold the image when worn on the right/left hand.
• 🌈 Brightness: We recommend setting the 3-4 level (maximum quick battery drain).
• ⏱ Time to lock: 5 seconds default, but can be increased to 10 for convenience.

Indicate accurate personal data (height, weight, age)

Enable notifications for the desired applications

Activate automatic sleep tracking

Set up the brightness and lock screen

Update the firmware of the watch (if available)-->

Step 3: Update firmware and reset settings

If your Mi Band 4 is unstable (hangs, doesn’t sync, discharges quickly), check the firmware version first. Xiaomi regularly releases updates that fix bugs and add new features. For example, one of the latest firmware has support for music control gestures (shake your hand to switch tracks).

How to update firmware:

1. Open Mi Fit and go to Profile → Mi Smart Band 4 → Firmware Update.
2. If a new version is available, click Update and wait until it is completed (don’t turn off Bluetooth!).
3. After the update, the clock will reset automatically.

If the update has hung or the watch has stopped responding, reset to factory settings:

1. On the watch, go to Settings → More → Reset (or press the touch button for 15 seconds until the vibration appears).
2. Confirm the reset on the Mi Band 4 screen.
3. After reset, reconnect the watch through Mi Fit.

⚠️ Warning: Resetting removes all data from the watch, including your training history and screen settings. However, the information in the Mi Fit app will be saved if you log in. If the watch doesn't respond to touches after a reset, wait 5-10 minutes (they can take a long time to load).

Step 4: Set up notifications and calls

One of the main features of the Mi Band 4 is call and message alerts, but many users are faced with notifications that either do not arrive or duplicate, most often the problem lies in the settings of the Mi Fit or in the limitations of the phone's operating system.

How to set up notifications:

1. In Mi Fit, go to Profile → Mi Smart Band 4 → Notifications.
2. Turn on the Call Notice and Message Notice switch.
3. Select the apps you want to receive alerts from (such as WhatsApp, Telegram, Gmail).
4. On Android, go to Phone Settings → Apps → Mi Fit → Notifications and allow notifications to be displayed.
5. On iPhone, go to Settings → Bluetooth → Mi Band 4 → Allow notifications.

If the notifications still don't come:

• 🔄 Restart your phone and watch.
• 📵 Make sure the phone is not on Do Not Disturb mode.
• 🔋 Check if the watch is running out (at a charge below 10%, some functions are turned off).
• 📲 Update the Mi Fit app to the latest version.

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If you use two smartphones (e.g., a work and a personal), the Mi Band 4 watch can only be connected to one device at a time. To reconnect it to another phone, first remove the watch from the Mi Fit on the first smartphone.

Step 5: Exercise and Health Monitoring

The Mi Band 4 tracks 6 types of workouts: walking, running, cycling, gym, swimming and skiing, and monitors your heart rate, blood oxygen (SpO₂) and sleep quality all the time, but many of the functions are disabled by default, and you have to manually activate them.

How to set up training:

1. In Mi Fit, go to Profile → Mi Smart Band 4 → Training Management.
2. Choose the sports you want to track (up to 6 types can be added).
3. Activate Autodetection (the watch itself recognizes running or walking after 10 minutes of activity).
4. Set up workout goals (for example, burn 300 calories per run).

For health monitoring:

• 🩺 Pulse measurement: Enable Continuous monitoring (affects autonomy) or adjust the Measurement Interval (e.g., every 30 minutes).
• 😴 Sleep tracking: Activate Deep Sleep Analysis for detailed phase statistics (light/deep sleep, wake-ups).
• 🩸 Oxygen level (SpO₂): Measured manually in the watch menu (Status → SpO₂).

⚠️ Attention: The pulse data and SpO₂ data on the Mi Band 4 are for informational purposes and cannot be used for medical diagnosis. For example, in arrhythmia, the clock may not be accurate. Use specialized devices for accurate measurements.

Step 6: Battery savings and autonomy

Officially, the Xiaomi Mi Band 4 holds a charge of up to 20 days, but in practice, this figure is very dependent on settings. If your watch runs out in 3-5 days, most likely, power-intensive functions are included.

The main "eaters" of the battery:

• 🔦 Continuously active screen: turn off Settings → Screen → Always on.
• 📊 Continuous pulse monitoring: Set the interval to 30 minutes instead of 1 minute.
• 🔔 Frequent notifications: Turn off alerts from unnecessary apps.
• 🌐 Phone Search: This feature uses Bluetooth LE in active mode.

Optimal settings for maximum autonomy:

If the watch is dead, it won't turn on immediately after you plug in to charge. Mi Band 4 requires a minimum of 10-15 minutes of charging before the screen lights up and the battery light goes up. Don't panic if nothing happens after you plug in to USB - just wait.

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The most effective way to extend autonomy is to turn off the always active screen and continuous heart rate monitoring, which will add up to 15 days of non-recharging.

Step 7: Hidden functions and life hacks

Many users don’t even realize that the Mi Band 4 has much more to do than count steps, and here are some hidden features that will make it easier to use the watch:

Non-obvious chips:

• 🎵 Music control: While playing a track on your phone, you can swipe songs left/right on the watch screen.
• 🔍 Phone search: Select More → Find the phone from the watch menu and the phone will start ringing at full volume.
• 🌧 Weather forecast: Add the weather widget to Mi Fit (Profile → Mi Smart Band 4 → Widgets on the screen).
• 🔋 Fast phone unlock: On Android, you can set up automatic smartphone unlock when you bring Mi Band 4 (Mi Fit and Smart Lock required).
• 💧 Swimming mode: Activate swimming mode in the workout menu before swimming – this will turn off the touch screen to avoid accidental touch.

Another useful life hack is changing the dial, and Mi Fit has over 50 free themes, including animations, to install a new one:

1. Open Profile → Mi Smart Band 4 → Screen themes.
2. Select your favorite theme and click Install.
3. Synchronize your clock (Bluetooth will be required).

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If you don’t have enough standard dials, you can install custom dials through third-party apps like Amazfit Watchfaces (you need to manually install.bin files).

FAQ: Frequent questions about Mi Band 4