How to set the time on the fitness bracelet Xiaomi Mi Band 5: all ways

The Xiaomi Mi Band 5 fitness bracelet has become one of the most popular gadgets for tracking activity, but many users face a problem: the time on the wristband screen does not match the real one or gets lost after disconnecting from the smartphone. In this article, we will analyze all possible ways to adjust time, from automatic synchronization through the application to manual adjustment in the absence of communication with the phone.

The Mi Band 5 is not a single band. GPS-It relies entirely on the smartphone to determine the exact time, time zone, and even date, which means that any problems with Bluetooth or phone settings can cause crashes. We will take a detailed look at how to avoid typical mistakes and what to do if the bracelet shows the wrong time despite all the efforts.

Why Mi Band 5 is getting a bit of a time: the main reasons

Before you start setting up, it's important to understand why the bracelet can display the wrong time.

• 📱 No sync with your phone: if Bluetooth is disabled or the Mi app Fit/Zepp Life has not updated data for more than a day, the bracelet continues counting down time on its own, which leads to errors.
• ⏰ Incorrect time zone on your smartphone: if the phone has the wrong region or automatic timing is disabled, Mi Band 5 will duplicate this error.
• 🔄 Reset bracelet settings: after resetting to factory settings (e.g., via Settings) → Reset time is reset to the default value (usually 00:00 on January 1, 2020).
• 📶 Xiaomi server problems: rare, but there are failures in the work of cloud services, due to which data is not synchronized.

Interestingly, the Mi Band 5 doesn’t have its own battery to keep up with time (unlike some smartwatches).It instead relies on an internal capacitor that discharges in hours without recharging, so if the bracelet is completely depleted, it can be lost for hours or days after being connected to charging.

⚠️ Note: if your bracelet shows the time with a delay of exactly 3-4 hours, most likely, the smartphone has the wrong time zone (for example, the phone is not equipped with the right time zone, UTC+0 instead UTC+3 Check the phone settings in the Date and Time section.

Method 1: Automatic time synchronization with Mi Fit/Zepp Life

The most reliable way to set the time on the Mi Band 5 is to sync it with your phone through the official app.

1. Make sure your smartphone is Bluetooth enabled and the bracelet is connected to your phone.
2. Open the Mi Fit app (or Zepp Life if you use it).
3. Go to the Profile tab (the icon of the person at the bottom of the screen).
4. Choose your Mi Band 5 bracelet from the list of devices.
5. Scroll down and find the Device Settings section → Additional → Time and Date.
6. Activate Autosynchronization of Time (if disabled).
7. Wait for the synchronization message (usually takes 5-10 seconds).

If after these actions the time on the bracelet has not updated, try manually initiate synchronization:

• 🔄 Reset the bracelet: Press the touch button for 10 seconds until vibration appears.
• 📱 Restart the Mi app Fit/Zepp Life on the phone.
• 🔗 Disable and reconnect the bracelet in Bluetooth settings.

Bluetooth is on on the phone

Mi Fit/Zepp Life app updated to latest version

Bracelet charged at least 20%

The time zone on your phone corresponds to your region.-->

If automatic synchronization is not working, move on to the next method.

Method 2: Manually adjusting time without a smartphone

In some situations (e.g., if you don't have access to your phone or the app doesn't work), you can try to manually adjust the time directly on the wristband, but the Mi Band 5 doesn't have a full interface to do this, so you'll have to use a workaround:

1. Check that the bracelet is at least 50% charged (otherwise it may turn off during the process).
2. Swipe the screen to the right to open the bracelet menu.
3. Find the section More (three points) → Settings → Time.
4. If the Manual setting option is available (depending on the firmware version), select it and set the current time using the touch button.

Now, if you're manually adjusted, it's a temporary solution, and once the bracelet is synced back to your smartphone, it can get a little bit off the clock, and it's only suitable for emergencies, like when you're out on a hike without a phone.

⚠️ Note: some Mi Band 5 firmwares don’t have manual time settings, in which case the only way out is to wait for sync with your phone or reset the bracelet to factory settings (but this will delete all data!).

Mi Fit

Zepp Life (formerly Mi Fit)

Other

I don't know what app I have.-->

Method 3: Changing time zone and time format (12/24 hours)

If the time on the wristband is displayed correctly but in an uncomfortable format (e.g., in a 12-hour instead of a 24-hour format), it can be changed through an app. Here's how to do it:

1. Open Mi Fit or Zepp Life.
2. Go to your Mi Band 5 settings.
3. Find the Screen and Brightness section or Display (the name may vary depending on the version of the app).
4. Select the time format and set it 24-hour or 12-hour.
5. To change your time zone, go back to your phone’s basic settings (Settings → System → Date and Time) and set the correct region.

Important: Mi Band 5 doesn't have its own time zone database, it takes that data from your phone, so if you're traveling, remember to update your time settings on your smartphone.

Problem Solving: What to Do When Time Is Not Synchronized

If none of these methods worked, try the following:

• 📲 Update the bracelet firmware: go to the device settings → Update in the Mi Fit app and check for updates.
• 🔧 Reset the bracelet settings: in the bracelet menu, find Settings → Reset (be aware that this will delete all data!).
• 📱 Reinstall the app: Remove Mi Fit/Zepp Life, restart your phone and install the app again.
• 🔄 Check Permits: Make sure the app has access to geodata, Bluetooth, and autorun.

The critical feature of the Mi Band 5 is that if the bracelet has not synced with the phone for more than 72 hours, its internal clock begins to lag by 1-2 minutes a day due to the inaccuracy of the quartz resonator. This is a hardware feature, and the only solution is regular synchronization.

💡

If you fly to other countries frequently, add the Time Belt widget to the main screen of the bracelet. In the Mi Fit app, go to Settings → Screen → Widgets and activate the Peace Time option.

How to avoid problems with time in the future

To avoid the constant time glitches on the Mi Band 5, follow these guidelines:

• 🔋 Charge the bracelet regularly: do not allow a full discharge (optimally - charge at 20-30% charge).
• 📶 Enable autosynchronization in the app settings and don’t turn off Bluetooth on your phone.
• ⏱️ Check the time on the phone: if the date / time on the smartphone is lost, the bracelet will duplicate the error.
• 🔄 Update the firmware: Xiaomi regularly releases patches that fix synchronization errors.

If you use the Mi Band 5 with two smartphones (e.g., a work and a personal), remember that the bracelet can only sync with one device at a time. When reconnecting to another phone, time may be lost until the new sync occurs.

Comparison of Mi Band 5 with other time-setting models

For comparison, we will give you how things are with the time setting in other Xiaomi fitness bracelets:

As you can see from the table, the Mi Band 5 is inferior to the newer models in the flexibility of settings. If you are critical to the possibility of manual time adjustment, you should consider upgrading to the Mi Band 6 or 7.

💡

The Mi Band 5 doesn't have its own GPS and relies on a smartphone to determine the exact time, and regular synchronization is key to the clock's performance.

FAQ: Frequent questions about setting up time on Mi Band 5