The Xiaomi Mi Band 5 fitness bracelet remains one of the most popular wearables due to its combination of affordable price, wide functionality and reliability. However, even experienced users sometimes have questions about how to properly connect the bracelet to a smartphone, adjust notifications or change the dial. In this article, we will analyze all the stages of settings from the first on to fine customization, including hidden functions that are not written in the official instructions.
It's important to understand that the Mi Band 5 works in conjunction with the smartphone through the Mi Fitness app, which will not sync data, display notifications or update the firmware without it, and the setup process itself takes no more than 10 minutes if you know the key points, and we will describe each step in detail, add screenshots of the interface and warn against typical errors that can lead to malfunctions in the device.
Preparation for setting up: what to do before turning on the bracelet
Before you start connecting the Mi Band 5, make sure you have everything you need, which will eliminate unpleasant surprises like incompatibility of the smartphone or lack of the right cable.
First, check your phone's compatibility. The bracelet works with Android 5.0 devices.+ or iOS 10.0+. If your smartphone is older, the Mi Fitness app may not install or crash. Also make sure your phone is on Bluetooth 4.2 or later – without it, data synchronization will not be possible.
- 📱 Smartphone on Android/iOS current-only
- 🔋 Charger for Mi Band 5 (Comprised)
- 🌐 Stable Internet connection (for downloading the application and firmware)
- 📲 Free space on the phone (the app weighs) ~100MB)
Pay special attention to the charge of the bracelet. 5 It is a minimum battery level (about) 20-30%), So before setting it up, connect it to the charging on 30-40 The charging indicator will turn green when the battery level exceeds the level of the battery. 80%. If you ignore this and start setting up with a discharged bracelet, it can turn off during a firmware update, which will lead to the “bricking” of the device.
Installation and configuration of the Mi Fitness application
The Mi Fitness app is your wristband's control center, and without it, you can't set up notifications, change your dial, or view activity statistics, and you can download it for free from Google Play or the App Store, but there are a few things you should know about in advance.
Once you install the app, you will need to register for a Xiaomi account (if you don’t already have one), which is a must, as all your activity, sleep and heart rate data is stored in the cloud. If you’ve already used other Xiaomi devices (like a smartphone or router), you can sign in under your existing account, otherwise register via email or phone number.
- 🔍 Download Mi Fitness from the official store
- 📝 Sign up or sign in to your Xiaomi account
- 📱 Allow access to notifications, location and contacts
- 🔄 Update the app to the latest version (if available)
When you first start, Mi Fitness will request several permissions: Access to notifications (to display messages on the bracelet), Geolocation (to accurately track jogging), Contacts (to identify calls). Do not deny these permissions, otherwise some of the functions of the bracelet will be blocked.
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If Mi Fitness doesn’t find the bracelet, try restarting Bluetooth on your phone or reinstalling the app, sometimes changing the region of your Xiaomi account to Russia or China in your profile settings helps.
Connecting Mi Band 5 to a smartphone: step-by-step instructions
Now, the most important step is to pair the bracelet with the smartphone, and it takes no more than that. 2-3 Just keep your footsteps in check and make sure that the Mi Band is there. 5 charged 50%.
Connection algorithm:
1. Turn on Bluetooth on your smartphone.
2. Open the Mi Fitness app and go to the Profile section → Add the device.
3. Select the bracelet → Mi Smart Band 5 from the list.
4.Push the bracelet screen to unlock it (will appear) QR-pairing-code).
5. Bring the phone camera to QR-code on the bracelet screen or enter the number manually.
6. Confirm the pairing in the application and on the bracelet (click on the tick on its screen).
Bracelet charge > 50%|Bluetooth on your phone is on|Mi Fitness app updated|Appendix permits issued-->
If the bracelet is not detected, check the following points:
Make sure that the Mi Band 5 is not connected to another phone (it can only be paired with one device at a time).
Reboot Bluetooth on your smartphone (turn off and turn on again).
Check if the antivirus or power saving mode is blocking Mi Fitness.
⚠️ Note: If the error "Device is not supported" appears when connecting, update the bracelet firmware through Settings → The bracelet. → Update of firmware in the app: Older versions of the software may not be compatible with new smartphones.
Set up the main parameters: time, notifications, monitoring
Once you've successfully connected, you can start customizing the wristband, starting with the basic settings: time synchronization, notification settings, and health tracking settings. All of these options are available in Profile. → Mi Smart Band 5 in the Mi Fitness app.
The first thing you need to do is synchronize the time, and the default time and date bracelet is from your smartphone, but sometimes there are discrepancies (like when you're flying or changing time zones) to manually update the time:
1. Go to Bracelet Settings → Additionally. → Synchronization of time.
2. Press Sync and wait for confirmation on the bracelet screen.
| Parameter | Recommended setting | Why do you need it? |
|---|---|---|
| Autodetermining activity | Included. | The bracelet itself recognizes walking, running or cycling. |
| Call notifications | On (vibration) + name) | It does not allow you to miss important challenges. |
| Monitoring of heart rate | Every 30 minutes (or "Constantly" for athletes) | Background pulse control |
| Weather display | On (update every 6 hours) | The weather is shown on the main screen of the bracelet |
Pay special attention to the notification settings. By default, the bracelet vibrates when incoming calls and SMS, But you can add alerts from any app (like Viber, Instagram or Gmail:
1. Go to Notifications → Management of notifications.
2. Select the applications from which alerts you want to see on the bracelet.
3.Tune the display style (only vibration or with the text of the message).
How to turn off unnecessary notifications?
Selection and installation of dials: where to download and how to change
One of the key advantages of the Mi Band 5 is the ability to install custom dials. Standard options from the app quickly get bored, but you can find thousands of designs on the Internet, from minimalist to anime themes or dials with additional widgets (weather, steps, pulse).
There are two ways to install a new dial:
1. Through the official annex:
- Open Profile. → Mi Smart Band 5 → Dials.
Choose your favorite version from the collection and click Install.
Confirm the change on the bracelet (click on the tick).
2. Through third-party services (e.g. Amazfit Watchfaces or BandFaces):
Download the dial file (.bin) to your phone.
- In Mi Fitness, select Add a dial → Local file and specify the path to the downloaded file.
- 🎨 Official dials – limited choice but stable operation
- 🌐 Third-party services – thousands of designs, but bugs are possible
- ⚙️ Customizable dials – with variable widgets (for example, Tools & Mi Band)
When choosing a dial, pay attention to its functionality. Some designs may display:
- Current weather and temperature
- Bracelet charge level.
Number of steps taken and calories burned
- Latest notifications (e.g. unread messages)
However, the more elements on the dial, the faster the battery is discharged.
⚠️ Attention: Installing dials from unverified sources can cause a malfunction of the wristband.Always download files from trusted sites (such as amazfitwatchfaces.com) and read reviews from other users.
Additional features: camera remote, alarm clocks, phone search
The Mi Band 5 has a lot more to do than just show the time and count the steps, and in this section we’ll talk about the hidden possibilities that make the bracelet even more useful in everyday life.
One of the most convenient features is to control the camera of the smartphone, so you don't have to ask people to take a photo or run to the phone to press a button, and you can activate this mode.
1. Open bracelet settings → Additionally. → Camera control.
2. Turn on the option and confirm access to the camera of the phone.
3. Launch the camera on your smartphone and double-press the bracelet screen to take a picture.
- 🔔 Alarm clocks – up to 10 signals can be adjusted (including repeating alarms)
- 📱 Phone search – bracelet will help you find your smartphone if you lost it at home
- 🎵 Music management – switching tracks straight from the bracelet
- 🏃 Training – automatic recognition of activities (walking, running, cycling)
Another useful option is "Do Not Disturb," which turns off all notifications and vibrations on the bracelet at a given time (e.g. at night) to set it up:
1. Go to Bracelet Settings → Don't disturb.
2. Specify the time interval (for example, from 23:00 to 7:00).
3. Select which notifications to block (calls, messages, alarms).
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The Phone Search function only works if the smartphone is within Bluetooth range (usually up to 10 meters) and if the phone is out of range, the bracelet will not be able to detect it.
Update firmware and reset settings
Regular firmware updates add new features to the Mi Band 5, fix bugs and improve stability. However, an incorrect update can cause malfunctions or even "bricking" the bracelet. To avoid problems, follow our instructions.
To update the firmware:
1. Make sure that the bracelet is charged at least 50% (preferably 80%).
2. Connect your phone to a stable Wi-Fi network (update via mobile Internet may be interrupted).
3. Open the profile → Mi Smart Band 5 → The bracelet. → Firmware update.
4. If a new version is available, click Update and wait for the process to be completed (the bracelet will reboot automatically).
If after the update, the bracelet began to work incorrectly (for example, data is not synchronized or communication with the smartphone disappears), try resetting to the factory settings.
1. On the bracelet, go to Settings → Reset (scroll down to the end of the menu).
2. Confirm the action by clicking on the tick.
3. After the reboot, reconnect the bracelet to your phone via Mi Fitness.
⚠️ Warning: Resetting will remove all data from the bracelet (steps, sleep history, dials), but the information in the Mi Fitness app will remain intact as it is stored in the cloud.