How to set up a fitness bracelet Xiaomi Mi Band 5 on Android: the full guide 2026

The Xiaomi Mi Band 5 fitness bracelet remains one of the most popular activity-tracking gadgets, despite the release of new models, with its main advantages being affordable, long battery life (up to 14 days), and a wide range of functionality from sleep monitoring to music control. However, many users face difficulties when first set up, especially if the interface of the Mi Fit app (or its successor Zepp Life) turned out to be in English.

In this article, you will find step-by-step instructions for connecting and configuring the Mi Band 5 on Android, including translating the interface into Russian, activating notifications, customizing dials and solving typical problems. We will also reveal hidden features of the bracelet that are not written about in the official documentation - for example, how to turn on the weather display or configure quick responses to messages.

Important: The manual is relevant for Mi Band 5 firmware 1.0.9.54 and later (2026).If your bracelet runs on outdated software, update it first through the Zepp Life app.

1. Preparation for setting up: what will be needed

Before you start connecting, make sure you have everything you need:

• 📱 Android smartphone with OS version 6.0 or higher (Zepp Life requires Android 7.0)+).
• 🔋 Xiaomi Mi Band 5 with a battery charge of at least 20% (better to charge fully).
• 📲 Zepp Life (formerly Mi Fit) – download from Google Play.
• 🔄 Bluetooth enabled and internet access (for downloading firmware).

If you’ve previously used a different model bracelet (such as the Mi Band 4), remove it from the app to avoid connection conflicts, and check if your antivirus or power saving mode blocks Zepp Life from running in the background, a common cause of sync problems.

⚠️ Note: Do not connect Mi Band 5 to smartphones with unofficial firmware (for example, LineageOS or customized ones) MIUI). This can lead to failures in the operation of sensors or the inability to update the software.

2.Installation and configuration of the Zepp Life app

The official Mi Band 5 management app is Zepp Life (formerly Mi Fit), which you need to download from Google Play, not from third-party sites, to avoid viruses.

1. Open Zepp Life and select the interface language – Russian (if the option is not available, change the system language on your smartphone).
2. Sign up via phone number, email or Xiaomi/Google account.
3. In the Profile menu → Settings → Notifications, allow the application to show alerts (this is necessary for the notifications from the bracelet to work).
4. Enable auto-start and work in the background (in the phone settings for Zepp Life).

If an app requests access to geolocation, contacts, or phone, allow it to function properly for functions like route tracking or call identification, without which permissions, the bracelet will not be able to show call notifications.

Install Zepp Life from Google Play|

Register in the app |

Turn on Bluetooth on your smartphone |

Charge Mi Band 5 to 50%+|

Allow all access requests for Zepp Life-->

3. Connecting Mi Band 5 to a smartphone

Now, let's move on to synchronizing the bracelet with the phone.

1. Turn on the Mi Band 5 by clicking the touch button below the screen. The Mi logo will appear on the bracelet.
2. In the Zepp Life app, click Add Device (the + icon in the upper right corner).
3. Choose from the Mi Smart Band 5 list (don’t confuse it with other models!).
4. Hold the bracelet to the phone at a distance of less than 10 cm and wait for vibrations - this is a signal of successful connection.

If the bracelet is not present, try:

• 🔄 Reboot Mi Band 5 (press the touch button for 10 seconds).

Once successfully connected, the app will offer to update the firmware of the bracelet. Accept that this will fix the bugs and add new features (for example, support for additional dials).

4. Set up notifications and calls

One of the key features of the Mi Band 5 is to alert you about calls and messages, so you can set them up.

1. In Zepp Life, go to Profile → Mi Smart Band 5 → Notifications.
2. Turn on the "Notification" switch.
3. Select the apps you want to see on your bracelet (for example, WhatsApp, Telegram, Gmail).
4. Activate the “Show Content” option to see text messages (without it, only application icons will be displayed).

For calls:

• 📞 Enable “Call Alerts” in the same menu.
• 🔕 Set the vibration (you can choose the duration and intensity).
• 📵 Activate Call Deflection – this will allow you to drop calls directly from the bracelet (double tap on the screen).

An important nuance: on some smartphones (for example, Xiaomi, Samsung, Huawei), you need to additionally allow Zepp Life to access notifications in the system settings.

1. Open Phone Settings → Applications → Zepp Life → Notifications.
2. Turn on all switches (especially Allow notifications and Show icons).

⚠️ Warning: If notifications come late or don't come at all, check if the battery optimizer kills them. On Xiaomi, add Zepp Life to Settings → Battery → Optimizing the battery → All applications → Zepp Life → No restrictions.

5. Personalization: dials, wallpaper and style

The Mi Band 5 supports interchangeable dials, but their installation has nuances.

Method 1: Through the official annex

1. In Zepp Life, go to Profile → Mi Smart Band 5 → Dials.
2. Choose your favorite design from the collection (there are themes with weather, steps, pulse).
3. Press "Install" and wait for synchronization (the bracelet vibrates when you successfully change).

Method 2: Installation of custom dials

The official app offers a limited selection, but you can download unofficial dials from sites like AmoledWatchFaces.

1. Download the dial file in.bin format.
2. Use the Notify & Fitness for Mi Band app (available on Google Play) to download.
3. In the application, select Mi Band 5 → Set the dial → Select the file.

Restrictions: Custom dials may not display Cyrillic incorrectly or be dropped after a firmware update, and they do not support animation, unlike official ones.

💡

To make the weather dial work correctly, in Zepp Life settings, manually specify your city (Profile → Settings → Weather). Automatic determination is often mistaken.

6.Setting up activity and sleep tracking

The Mi Band 5 can automatically recognize 11 activities, including walking, running, cycling and even swimming (the bracelet is waterproof up to 50 meters).

1. In Zepp Life, go to Profile → Mi Smart Band 5 → Activity Monitoring.
2. Turn on “Autoid activity” (the bracelet will recognize the workouts).
3. Set your goals by step (recommended value is 8,000–10,000 steps/day).
4. Activate the “Seditment Reminder” (the bracelet will vibrate if you sit motionless for more than an hour).

To track sleep:

• 😴 Turn on “Sleep Monitoring” in bracelet settings.
• 📊 Set “Sleep Sensitivity” on Medium (high sensitivity can falsely fix awakenings).
• 🌙 Activate Do Not Disturb during sleep so that the bracelet does not vibrate from notifications at night.

Secret feature: If you want to track daytime naps, go to bed with a bracelet and manually start the app's sleep mode (Status → Sleep → Start). Automatic tracking only works at night (22:00 to 8:00 by default).

💡

For accurate tracking of the pulse during training, wear a bracelet 2-3 fingers above the wrist and tighten the strap so that it fits tightly, but does not clasp your hand.

7 Hidden Mi Band 5 features you didn't know about

In addition to the standard features, the Mi Band 5 has several Easter eggs and little-known chips:

• 🔍 Phone search: if you lost your smartphone, swipe down on the bracelet screen and select the icon 📱 — The phone will start ringing (even if it is silent).
• 🎵 Music management: While playing tracks, swipe left on the bracelet screen to rewind the song or pause.
• 🔋 Battery savings: Turn off “Raising your hand to activate the screen” (Settings) → Display – this will increase the working time by 2-3 days.
• 🌡️ Weather for 5 days: set the weather dial, and the bracelet will show the forecast not only for today, but also for the coming days (updated every 6 hours).
• 💡 Night mode: in the screen settings, turn on “Night mode” – the bracelet will automatically dim from 22:00 to 6:00.

Photographer bonus: Mi Band 5 can be used as a selfie remote.

1. Open the camera on your smartphone.
2. On the bracelet swipe down and select the icon 📸.
3. Press the bracelet screen to take a picture (delay 3 seconds).

This feature only works with the official Xiaomi camera or Google Camera. Other apps (like Instagram) will require additional customization via Notify & Fitness.

8. Solving typical problems

Even after you set it up properly, users are confronted with bugs, and here are the most common ways to fix them:

If the bracelet has stopped responding to touch, try:

1. Wipe the screen with a wet wipe (fat or sweat can block the sensor).
2. Reset settings → Reset to factory in Zepp Life.
3. Update the firmware through the app.

⚠️ Note: If the bracelet starts to glitches after the firmware update (for example, does not show the time or constantly reboots), reset and repeat the update procedure. If the problem remains, contact Xiaomi with the logs from Zepp Life (Profile) → Revocation).

FAQ: Frequent questions about Mi Band 5