Xiaomi Mi Band 5 is one of the most popular fitness bracelets on the market, which, despite its budget price tag, offers features comparable to premium devices. Launched in 2020, it is still a hot choice for those looking for a balance between price and opportunity, but many users use it only at 30% of its potential, without even knowing about the hidden chips.
In this article, we will take a look at all the features of the Mi Band 5, from basic (stepmeter, pulsemeter) to advanced (stress analysis, music management), focus on unique features that are not available in newer models (for example, Mi Band 6/7), and also reveal the life hacks on setting up through the Mi Fit app (now Zepp Life). If you think that your bracelet can only show time and count steps, you are very mistaken!
1. Health monitoring: pulse, saturation and sleep analysis
The main feature of the Mi Band 5 is 24/7 health monitoring. The bracelet is equipped with an optical heart rate sensor PPG, which every 1-5 minutes (configured in the app) measures the pulse. The accuracy of measurements is comparable to medical pulse oximeters of the budget class - the error is ± 3-5 beats per minute at rest.
Key opportunities:
- 🩺 Continuous pulse measurement with a customizable frequency (from 1 to 30 minutes) In sleep mode, data is collected every minute.
- 🩹 High/low pulse alert (thresholds are manually adjusted) useful for people with arrhythmia or hypertension.
- 😴 Phased sleep analysis: deep, light and REM-The bracelet even defines a daytime nap of 20 minutes or more.
- 💤 A 100-point sleep quality score with recommendations for improvement (e.g., “go to bed before 23:00").
Separately, it is worth noting the function of measuring saturation (SpO₂) — This is important for assessing the general condition of the body, especially during illness or when exercising at altitude:
⚠️ Attention: Sensor SpO₂ Mi Band 5 is less accurate than medical devices. ±2% It is better to use specialized equipment to diagnose apnea or serious lung disease.
How to turn on the saturation measurement:
- Open the Zepp Life app (formerly Mi Fit).
- Go to Profile. → Mi Band 5 → Sleep monitoring.
- Activate the Measurement option SpO₂ and set a time (for example, from 22:00 to 8:00).
2. Fitness tracker: pedometer, calories and 11 sports modes
The Mi Band 5 is not just a step counter, but a full fitness tracker with 11 sports modes, including running, cycling, swimming (waterproof to 50 meters), yoga and even jumping rope. Unlike the newer models, there is no automatic activity recognition, but there is a unique feature called "PAI" (Personal Activity Intelligence).
PAI is an algorithm that measures your physical activity on a scale of 0 to 100, and the higher your physical activity, the better your cardiovascular health.
- 🏃 50+ Scores - excellent form, low risk of heart disease.
- 🚶 30-50 points – average activity level, it is recommended to increase the load.
- 🛋️ Less than 30 points – sedentary lifestyle, high risk of health problems.
How does a pedometer work? The bracelet uses a 3-axis accelerometer and machine learning algorithms to filter out false positives (e.g. when you're driving in a car), accuracy of ±5% when walking and ±10% when running (compared to professional trackers like Garmin).
| Parameter | Mi Band 5 | Mi Band 6 | Mi Band 7 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sporting regimes | 11 | 30 | 120+ |
| Auto-recognition of activity | ❌ No. | ✅ Aye (walking/running) | ✅ There are 6 species) |
| PAI (activity assessment) | ✅ There is. | ✅ There is. | ❌ Cleaned. |
| Waterproofness | 5 ATM (50 m) | 5 ATM (50 m) | 5 ATM (50 m) |
If the bracelet does not correctly count steps (for example, in transport), calibrate it:
Find a smooth path with a length of 30-50 meters|Take it 3-5 times by hand.|In the app, go to Profile → Mi Band 5 → Stepper → Sizing|Enter the number of steps and save the settings-->
3.Smart Notifications and Music Management
The Mi Band 5 not only shows the time, but also syncs with your smartphone to display notifications from messengers, social networks and calls, and you can configure which apps will send alerts to the bracelet.
Key features:
- 📱 Displaying emojis and emojis in notifications (such as from WhatsApp or Telegram).
- 🎵 Music control: track switching, volume control (works with Spotify, YouTube Music, Apple Music).
- 🔕 Do Not Disturb – Disables all notifications for a specified period of time.
- 🔄 Quick Answers (Android only): You can send pre-saved text (e.g., "I'm on my way" or "I'll be back later").
How to set up notifications:
- Open Zepp Life and go to Profile → Mi Band 5 → Notifications.
- Enable Call Notification and Notifications from the Apps.
- Select the applications you want to see on the bracelet.
- For quick answers, go to Settings → Quick Answers and add your templates.
⚠️ Note: On iPhone, notifications only work for incoming calls and SMS. Alerts from third-party messengers (such as Viber or Instagram) are not supported due to iOS restrictions.
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If the bracelet doesn’t vibrate when notified, check the sync settings in Zepp Life → Profile → Mi Band 5 → Vibration. Reconnecting the device sometimes helps.
Women's Health: Tracking the Cycle and Pregnancy
One of the most underrated features of the Mi Band 5 is a women's health tracker, which tracks menstrual cycles, predicts ovulation, and even accompany pregnancy (up to 12 weeks).
- 📅 Cycle duration (21 to 35 days).
- 🩸 Intensity of symptoms (pain, mood swings, dizziness).
- 👶 Probability of conception (shows "dangerous" and "safe" days).
- 📊 Statistics for the year with forecast of the next cycle.
How to set up a tracker:
- In the Zepp Life app, go to Profile → Women's health.
- Specify the date of the last menstruation and the average duration of the cycle.
- Enable the option of Cycle Reminders (1-3 days before the start).
- If you wish, activate the Pregnancy Mode (available after confirmation of conception).
Important: data is only synchronized with the Zepp Life app and not shared with third-party services (such as Apple Health or Google Fit). If you need integration, use Mi Fitness (alternative software for Xiaomi devices).
What if the bracelet is not predicting the cycle correctly?
5. Hidden functions: alarm clock, phone search and breath control
Many users don’t know that the Mi Band 5 is much more than the official instructions say, here are 5 hidden tips that will make your use of the bracelet more effective:
- Smart Wake-up: The wristband analyzes the sleep phases and wakes you up at light sleep 30 minutes before the set time. This helps you wake up alert. Setup: Zepp Life → Profile → Mi Band 5 → Alarm clock → Smart wake up.
- Phone search: If you lose your smartphone, swipe down on your bracelet and tap the phone icon. The device will ring (even if it's silent).
- Breath control: Relax mode helps reduce stress through breathing exercises. Enabled through Zepp Life → Profile → Mi Band 5 → Relaxation.
- The screen is always on: You can make the time displayed constantly (though this will reduce the time to 5-7 days). Activated in Settings → Display → Always on.
- Secret dials: In addition to standard themes in Zepp Life, you can install custom dials through sites like AmazonFit (instruction below).
How to set an informal dial:
Download the dial file (.bin) from the verified site|Connect the bracelet to your PC via Bluetooth (use Mi Band Master or Notify & Fitness)|In the app, select Set the dial → Download the file|Reset the bracelet (press the touch button for 10 seconds)-->
⚠️ Note: Unofficial dials may contain malicious code. Install them only from trusted sources (e.g. AmazonFit or Mi Band Mods).
6.Autonomy and charging: how to extend the life of the battery
Officially, the Mi Band 5 holds a charge of up to 14 days, but in practice this figure varies from 7 to 20 days depending on the settings.
- 🔋 Constant monitoring of the pulse (especially at intervals of 1 minute).
- 📶 Frequent notifications (each alert includes screen and vibration).
- 🌙 Active sleep tracking (measurement) SpO₂ minutely).
- 💡 Screen highlighting at maximum.
How to extend autonomy:
| Setting up | Impact on the battery | Recommendation |
|---|---|---|
| Pulse interval | ⚡⚡⚡ (strong) | Set 10–30 minutes instead of 1 minute |
| SpO₂ sleepy | ⚡⚡ (mean) | Turn it off if you don't have to. |
| Notifications | ⚡ (weak) | Leave only important (calls, SMS) |
| Screenlighting | ⚡ (weak) | Set a 2-3 brightness level |
| Phone search | ⚡⚡ (mean) | Use only when necessary |
Charging tip: Use only the original cable (or a certified USB-Type A). The bracelet charges to 100% in 1.5-2 hours. If the battery goes down quickly (less than 3 days), try resetting:
- In Zepp Life, go to Profile → Mi Band 5 → Untie the device.
- Reset the bracelet to factory settings (press the touch button for 20 seconds).
- Reconnect and reset from scratch.
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If the bracelet doesn’t turn on after discharging, hold it on charge for 10-15 minutes – sometimes it takes time to “wake up” the power controller.
7.Mi Band 6 and 7: Should I upgrade?
If you’re thinking about buying the Mi Band 5 or upgrading to a new model, here are the key differences:
| Function | Mi Band 5 | Mi Band 6 | Mi Band 7 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Screen. | 1.1" AMOLED (126×294) | 1.56" AMOLED (152×486) | 1.62" AMOLED (192×490) |
| Auto-tracking sleep | ✅ There is. | ✅ There is. | ✅ Available (improved) |
| SpO₂ | ✅ There is. | ✅ There is. | ✅ Yes, I do) |
| Voice assistant | ❌ No. | ❌ No. | ✅ Aye (Alexa) |
| Price (2026) | ~1 500 ₽ | ~2 200 ₽ | ~3 000 ₽ |
Should we upgrade?
- ✅ Yes, if you need a large screen, voice assistant or automatic activity recognition (in Mi Band 7).
- ❌ Not if you're comfortable with the current functionality, and autonomy and price are more important. Mi Band 5 is still the best choice in terms of price/quality ratio.
The unique advantage of the Mi Band 5 over the new models is the support of custom dials without restrictions (in the Mi Band 7, Xiaomi blocked the installation of unofficial themes).