How to change the language on Xiaomi Mi Band 5: a step-by-step guide with pictures

The Xiaomi Mi Band 5 fitness bracelet is one of the most popular activity tracking gadgets, but many users face a problem: after buying the device, the interface is displayed in Chinese or English. You can switch the language to Russian in two ways - through the official Mi Fit app or manually on the bracelet itself. In this article, we will analyze both methods, point out typical errors and give recommendations for setting up after changing the language.

Although the Mi Band 5 supports Russian out of the box, it sometimes doesn’t automatically activate, which can be due to regional settings on your smartphone, an outdated firmware version, or buying the device in foreign stores. The main rule is to make sure that your bracelet is connected to the Mi Fit app and synchronized with your phone before changing the language.

Why is the Mi Band 5 English or Chinese?

The most common way to get the wrong interface language is for three reasons:

• 📦 Region of purchase: Bracelets purchased from Chinese stores (e.g. AliExpress from unofficial vendors) are often shipped with firmware for the local market, where Russian is disabled by default.
• 📱 If the phone has English or Chinese as its primary language, Mi Fit can automatically apply these settings to the bracelet.
• 🔄 Older versions of Mi Band 5 software may not support Russian or contain localization errors.

It is important to understand that self-change of language through the bracelet menu (without the app) is not available in all firmware. In some cases, users see only Chinese characters, which makes navigation difficult. If you encounter such a problem, first try updating the firmware through Mi Fit.

Another nuance: once the language is changed, some menu items (such as call notifications or alarms) can be displayed partially in English. This is not a mistake, and the feature of Xiaomi localization - critical features - this does not affect.

Method 1: Change the language using the Mi Fit application

The most reliable method is to use the official Mi Fit app, which works even if the bracelet is originally configured in Chinese.

1. Open the Mi Fit app on your smartphone and make sure the bracelet is connected (the device name, such as the Mi Smart Band 5, should be displayed at the top of the screen).
2. Go to the Profile section → Mi Smart Band 5 → Settings of the device.
3. Scroll down and find the Display Language (or Display Language if the app is in English).
4. In the list of available languages, select Russian and confirm the choice.
5. Wait for synchronization (the bracelet vibrates, and the inscription Syncing appears on the screen).

If the display language is not on the menu, it means:

• 🔹 You have an outdated version of Mi Fit (update it to Google Play or App Store).
• 🔹 The bracelet is not synced to the phone (check Bluetooth and reconnect the device).
• 🔹 The device is not original (forgeries often lack support for the Russian language).

Update the Mi Fit app to the latest version

Connect the bracelet to your phone via Bluetooth

Make sure that the phone has Russian language system

Check the battery power of the Mi Band 5 (minimum 20%)

-->

Synchronization time usually takes 10 to 30 seconds. If the process is delayed, reset the wristband: press the touch button for 10 seconds until the Mi logo appears. After the reboot, the language should change.

💡

If Mi Fit doesn’t have a language change option, try temporarily switching your smartphone to English, updating your bracelet, and then returning your Russian, sometimes helping to unlock hidden settings.

Method 2: Manual language change on the bracelet

If the Mi Fit app doesn’t help or you prefer to set up a device without a phone, you can try changing the language on the bracelet.This method only works for firmware with multitasking support (usually international versions of the Mi Band 5).

Instructions:

1. On the main screen of the bracelet, swipe up to open the menu.
2. Scroll down to Settings – it is indicated by the gear icon ⚙️.
3. In the settings menu, look for Language. If the interface is in Chinese, look for characters.
4. In the list of languages, select Russian (or Russian) and confirm the choice by clicking on the touch button.

If unknown characters are displayed instead of Russian, then your firmware does not support this language, in which case, go back to Method 1 (via Mi Fit).

Important: If after manual language change the bracelet began to glit (does not respond to touch, spontaneously reboots), reset to factory settings through Mi Fit. This will eliminate firmware conflicts.

What if the Russian language is not on the list?

If the menu of the bracelet or the Mi Fit application does not have the option Russian, the reasons may be as follows:

1. Chinese firmware: Devices designed for the domestic Chinese market often lack support for other languages, and the solution is to reflash the bracelet to the international version (see next section).
2. Update your firmware through Mi Fit: go to Profile → Mi Smart Band 5 → Update firmware.
3. Mi Band 5 fakes rarely support Russian. Check the originality by the serial number on the box.

If the firmware update didn’t help, there are two options:

• 🔧 Hand-flashing (requires PCs and special tools like Mi Band Tools).
• 📞 Appeal in support of Xiaomi (if the bracelet is officially purchased, you can request a firmware replacement).

Reflashing Mi Band 5 to the international version

If all the previous methods have failed, then you have to manually flash it, and you have to be careful, because you can do something wrong, and you can actually get the bracelet out of order.

• 🖥️ Install Mi Band Tools on PC (available for Windows and macOS).
• 📶 Download international firmware for Mi Band 5 (e.g. version 1.2.0.6 or later).
• 🔋 Charge the bracelet to at least 50%.

Step-by-step:

1. Connect the bracelet to your PC via Bluetooth (use a 4.0 adapter or later).
2. Run Mi Band Tools and select your device from the list.
3. In the Firmware section, click Select File and specify the path to the downloaded firmware.
4. Start the firmware process and wait until it is completed (the bracelet will reboot several times).

After flashing:

• 🔄 Reset the bracelet to factory settings via Mi Fit.
• 📱 Reconnect it to the phone and select the Russian language.

💡

If the bracelet is warranty-free, try contacting the service center first for an official update.

Checking the performance after changing the language

After changing the language to Russian, check:

• 📊 Correct display of the menu - all items must be in Russian, without hieroglyphs.
• ⏰ Alarm clocks and notifications – the text of the alerts should be displayed without artifacts.
• 🔋 Synchronization with Mi Fit – steps, pulse and sleep data should be updated.

If there are problems:

• 🔄 Reset the bracelet (press the button for 10 seconds).
• 📱 Reinstall Mi Fit and connect the device again.
• 🔧 Reset settings through Settings → Reset.

Common mistakes after changing the language:

Additional settings after language change

When the language has been successfully changed, it is recommended to configure the following settings for comfortable use:

• 🔔 Notifications: Enable call and message alerts in Mi Fit → Notifications.
• 🌙 Sleep Mode: Activate automatic sleep tracking in Settings → Sleep regimen.
• 🏃 Activity goals: Set a daily step rate (8000–10,000 recommended).
• 🔒 Screen lock: Turn on PIN-Data protection code (Settings) → Lockdown).

It's also useful to set up automatic training definitions.

1. Open Mi Fit and go to Profile → Mi Smart Band 5 → Training settings.
2. Enable the Autodetermination option for running, walking and biking.
3. Set a minimum duration of activity (e.g. 10 minutes).

If you use Mi Band 5 for swimming training, remember to activate the pool mode in the settings, which will allow you to more accurately track the length of swims and calories.

💡

To make notifications appear in Russian, in your smartphone settings, enable permission to access messages for the Mi Fit app (Android: Settings → Applications → Mi Fit → Permissions → Notifications).

FAQ: Frequent questions about changing language to Mi Band 5