How to set up the fitness bracelet Xiaomi Mi Band 4: the full guide

Xiaomi Mi Band 4 is one of the most popular fitness bracelets on the market, combining affordable prices, stylish design and rich functionality. Even a few years after its release, the device remains relevant due to regular firmware updates and stable operation. However, many users face difficulties in the first setup, from problems with communication with a smartphone to incorrect sensors.

In this article, we will look at all the stages of setting up the Mi Band 4, from connecting to the phone to fine-tuning notifications and sports modes, focusing on the typical errors that prevent the device from working at full power, and also reveal the hidden features of the bracelet, which are not written in the official instructions.

Whether you’ve bought a new or used bracelet, after reading this article, you can customize it to your needs — whether it’s sleep monitoring, exercise control, or just a stylish accessory with notifications. And if you already have experience with the Mi Band, check if you missed any useful features!

Preparation for setting up: what to do before connecting

Before you start syncing the bracelet with your smartphone, follow a few mandatory steps that will save time and eliminate common problems such as not being able to find the device via Bluetooth or bugs when updating the firmware.

First, make sure your smartphone meets the minimum requirements:

• 📱 Operating system: Android 5.0 and higher or iOS 10.0 and higher.
• 🔄 Bluetooth: version 4.0 or later (turn it on in advance!).
• 📶 Internet: stable Wi-Fi or mobile network connection for downloading applications and updates.

Second, prepare the bracelet itself:

• 🔋 Charge the Mi Band 4 to 100% - even if the indicator shows partial charge, full charging ensures that there is no failure during the setup. Use the original cable (magnetic connector should fit tightly!).
• 🔄 Reset to factory settings if the bracelet has already been used. To do this, press and hold the touch button on the bracelet screen for 10-15 seconds until the vibration and the Mi logo appear.

You should also download the official Mi Fitness app (formerly Mi Fit) from Google Play or the App Store. Alternative apps like Notify & Fitness or Tools & Mi Band give more customization options, but can conflict with official software.

⚠️ Warning: If you bought the bracelet in China or on unofficial sites, check the region of the device in the settings. Some models are tied to the Chinese Mi Fit server and may not sync with the international version of the app. In this case, you will need to change the region through special instructions (we will talk about this below).

Synchronization of the bracelet with a smartphone: step-by-step instructions

Now, to the most important step, connecting the Mi Band 4 to your phone, follow the instructions carefully to avoid errors.

1. Open the Mi Fitness app and sign up (or sign in to an existing Xiaomi account).Use the same account as you do on your smartphone, if you have one.

Once you've successfully connected, the app will suggest you update the bracelet firmware. Always agree to an update, which will fix bugs and add new features. It will take 2-5 minutes, do not interrupt it or turn off Bluetooth!

Check the bracelet charge (minimum 20%)

Reboot Bluetooth on your phone

Remove the bracelet from the list of conjugated devices in the phone settings

Update the Mi Fitness app to the latest version

Try connecting via another app (e.g. Notify & Fitness)-->

If the bracelet doesn’t display notifications or count steps after synchronization, check the resolution settings for Mi Fitness:

• 📱 On Android: Settings → Annexes → Mi Fitness → Permits (include all!).
• 🍎 On iOS: Settings → Mi Fitness → Notifications (allow to show alerts).

Set up the main parameters: time, language, notifications

Once you sync it, it's ready to go, but you have to adjust it to your own needs.

1. Choice of language and region

By default, the Mi Band 4 can display the interface in Chinese or English.

1. Open Mi Fitness → Select your bracelet → “Device settings”.
2. Find the "Display Language" item and select Russian (if not, update the firmware!).
3. If there is no Russian even after the update, use English - it is intuitive.

2. Setting the time and date

The bracelet automatically syncs time with the phone, but sometimes crashes (e.g. when changing time zones) to manually update time:

• 🕒 Go to Mi Fitness. → Settings of the device → Date and time.
• 🔄 Press "Sync".
• ⏰ If time is constantly straying, check the time zone settings on your phone.

3. Notifications: what to show and what not to show

Mi Band 4 can vibrate and display notifications from apps, but by default this feature is disabled.

1. In Mi Fitness, go to Device Settings → Application Notifications.
2. Turn on the "Notification" switch.
3. Select the apps you want to see on your bracelet (for example, WhatsApp, Telegram, Gmail).
4. Set up the display style: 📩 Show only the icon (saves charge). 📜 Show full text (convenient, but consumes the battery faster).

💡

If notifications are duplicated (coming to both your phone and your bracelet), turn them off in the app settings (e.g. WhatsApp: Settings → Notifications → Vibration and Sound → Turn off vibration).

You can also set the vibration for different types of notifications:

• 🔕 Calls: Short/long vibration.
• 📧 Messages: Single/Double Vibration.
• ⏰ Alarm clocks: intense vibration (don't miss!).

⚠️ Note: On iPhone, notifications may be delayed due to iOS restrictions. To reduce lag, turn on Settings in your iPhone settings → Bluetooth → Mi Band 4 → Allow notifications and restart the phone.

Screen personalization: dials, brightness, lock

Mi Band 4 supports removable dials, brightness adjustment and even locking the screen. Let's see how to make the bracelet more convenient for you.

Installation of dials

The standard dials in Mi Fitness are quickly boring, but they can be replaced.

• 🎨 Official dials: Open Mi Fitness → Profile → Mi Band 4 → Dials. Choose your favorite design and click "Install".

Third-party dials

1. Download dial files (.bin format) from sites like Amazfit Watchfaces (suitable for Mi Band 4).
2. Use the Notify & Fitness app to download custom dials.

2. setting brightness and backlight time

The Mi Band 4 AMOLED screen, so too high brightness quickly lands the battery.

• 🔦 Brightness: 2-3 divisions out of 5 (enough for the street and home).
• ⏱️ Backlight time: 5-10 seconds (more is not advisable).

Also check if you are wearing the bracelet correctly:

• 📏 Distance from wrist to bracelet: 1-2 fingers (not too tight!).
• 🖐️ Position: screen up, on the hand opposite the working (if you are right-handed - on the left hand).

2. Monitoring of heart rate

The pulse sensor on the Mi Band 4 works well, but for accurate measurements you need:

• ❤️ Enable continuous monitoring (battery discharge will accelerate!): Device settings → Heart rate → Continuous.
• 📊 Set up high/low pulse warnings (good for athletes or people with heart problems).
• 🛌 Turn off your sleep measurements if you don’t need them (saves you charge).