Set date and time on Xiaomi fitness bracelet: from Mi Band 3 to Mi Smart Band 8

Xiaomi fitness bracelets are some of the most popular wearables on the market, but even they sometimes throw users unexpected problems. One of the frequent complaints is that the bracelet shows the wrong time or resets the date after the reboot. The reasons can vary from a banal lack of sync with the phone to a firmware failure. In this article, we will discuss all the ways to adjust the time on models from Mi Band 3 to Mi Smart Band 8 Pro, including solutions for cases when standard methods do not work.

Many people mistakenly think that the time on the wristband is automatically updated when you connect to a smartphone. In fact, the process depends on the firmware version, device model and even the phone operating system. For example, on Android 12+, there may be conflicts with background access of the Mi Fitness application, and on iOS, there are restrictions due to Apple's policy. We tested all methods on current versions of the software and identified those that work stably.

If your bracelet shows the time with a delay of several hours or even stopped at the date of the last month, do not rush to carry it to the service. In 90% of cases, the problem is solved software, without interference with the hardware. The main thing is to correctly determine the source of the failure and apply the appropriate algorithm of actions.

Why is Xiaomi’s bracelet showing the wrong time?

Before you start setting up, it’s important to understand why the time on the wristband is lost, and here are the main reasons we identified when analyzing user feedback and Xiaomi’s technical documentation:

• 📱 No sync with smartphone: The bracelet gets time from the phone when connected via Bluetooth. Fitness/Zepp Life has no rights to access data, no update is being made.
• ⚙️ Firmware failure: After a failed update or reset, the device’s system clock may freeze on a single date.
• 🔋 At a critical charge level (below 5%), the bracelet enters an energy-efficient mode, where time synchronization is turned off.
• ⏱️ Manual time setting in the application. In some versions of the software, users accidentally activate the "Manual Time setting" option, which causes automatic synchronization to stop working.
• 🌍 Incorrect time zone: If the phone has the wrong region, the bracelet can show the time with the other belt (for example, the time zone is not the right one, UTC+0 instead UTC+3 Moscow).

Especially often, the problem arises after updating the firmware bracelet or changing the smartphone. For example, when switching from Android to iPhone, users forget to reconfigure the Zepp Life application, which causes the time on the bracelet to freeze. Also, it is worth considering that Mi Band 5 and older models support automatic time zone determination, but this requires an active connection to GPS (available not in all regions).

If your wristband shows exactly 3 hours apart (for example, 12 hours instead of 15:00), it’s likely that the problem lies in the time zone settings on your smartphone, a common mistake for users who manually changed the region on their phone but forgot to update the data in the Mi Fitness app.

Preparation for setting up: what to check before changing the time

Before you start synchronizing time, follow a few mandatory steps to avoid common mistakes and save you time:

1. Check the bracelet's charge. Make sure the battery level is above 20%. When the charge is low, the synchronization may be interrupted.
2. Update the app. Install the latest version of Mi Fitness (for Android) or Zepp Life (for iOS) from the official store (Google Play or App Store).
3. Turn on Bluetooth and geolocation. Both modules must be active on the phone, otherwise the bracelet will not be able to get the time data.
4. Check the app's permissions. Go to your phone's settings. → Annexes → Mi Fitness/Zepp Life → Permits and make sure that included: 📍 Access to geodata 📱 Access to Contacts (for notifications) 🔄 Background activity (important for automatic synchronization)

If you use an iPhone, pay attention to the peculiarities of Zepp Life in the background. Apple limits the background activity of applications, so for stable time synchronization, it is recommended:

• 🔄 Open the app regularly (at least once a day).
• 📱 Disable the mode "Saving charge" in the settings of iOS.
• 🔗 Manually update data by pulling the screen down in the main window of Zepp Life.

Important! If you recently reset the bracelet to factory settings, make sure to do the initial link to your Xiaomi account before synchronizing the time, without which the device will not receive data from the company's servers.

Method 1: Automatic time synchronization through the application

This is the basic and most reliable method that works on all Xiaomi bracelets, the algorithm of actions is the same for Mi Fitness and Zepp Life, but there are nuances for different operating systems.

For Android:

1. Open the Mi Fitness app and wait for the bracelet to connect (a device icon with a tick should appear at the top of the screen).
2. Go to Profile → Your Device → Device Settings.
3. Find the time and date (or synchronize time in older versions).
4. Activate Automatic Sync (the slider must turn green).
5. Return to the home screen and pull down for forced data updates.

For iOS:

1. Launch Zepp Life and wait for the bracelet to connect.
2. Slip the device icon at the bottom of the screen.
3. Select Settings → Additional → Time and Date.
4. Make sure you have the option to sync with your phone.
5. Close and reopen the application to initiate re-synchronization.

If the bracelet time has not been updated after these actions, try the following steps:

• 🔄 Reset the bracelet. To do this, press the touch button on the Mi Band. 3-5 Or swipe down the screen and select "Reboot" on Mi Band. 6-8.
• 📱 Restart Bluetooth on your phone. Disable and turn on the module in the notification panel.
• 🔗 Remove and re-add the bracelet in the app (last resort if synchronization is not restored).

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If the bracelet shows the time a few minutes apart, check the settings for automatic time adjustment on the smartphone itself. On Android, it is in Settings → System → Date and Time → Automatic Installation.

Method 2: Manual time setting (if automatic synchronization is not working)

In rare cases, automatic synchronization may not be available due to software constraints (e.g., some Mi Band 4 firmware with regional locks). Then you have to set the time manually. This method is also useful if you are temporarily unable to connect to the phone (for example, on a hike).

Instructions for manual adjustment:

1. Open the Mi Fitness/Zepp Life app and connect to the bracelet.
2. Go to Profile → Your Device → Device Settings → Time and Date.
3. Turn off the Automatic Sync option (if it is active).
4. Slip on the field Set manually and enter the current date and time.
5. Save the changes and wait for the data update on the bracelet (it can take up to 1 minute).

Important nuances:

• ⏰ On the Mi Band 3 and Mi Band 4, manual time settings are only available through the app.
• 🌐 If you're traveling and changing time zones, the manual setting may get lost, and then you'd better get back to automatic synchronization.
• ⚠️ After manually setting the time, the bracelet won’t update it itself until the next sync with the phone.

If the app doesn’t have manual configuration, it means your bracelet model doesn’t support it (e.g. Mi Band 5 in some regional firmware), in which case the only way out is to reset the device to factory settings and re-synchronize it with the phone.

Method 3: Reset the bracelet to factory settings (last resort)

If neither automatic nor manual timing helps, the bracelet may have crashed, in which case a complete reset of the device will help. Importantly, after resetting all data (steps, pulse, alarm settings) will be deleted from the bracelet, but will remain in the Xiaomi cloud if you are logged in.

Resetting instructions:

1. On the Mi Band bracelet. 3-5: 🔄 Press the touch button on 10-15 seconds until the vibration and the Mi logo appear. 📱 Release the button – the bracelet will reset and reset.
2. On the Mi Band bracelet. 6-8: 🔄 Swipe down the screen to open the menu. 🔧 Select Settings → Reset (or Restore factory settings). 📱 Confirm the action by clicking the tick.

After discharge:

1. Reconnect the bracelet to the Mi Fitness/Zepp Life app.
2. Sign in to your Xiaomi account if required.
3. Wait for automatic time synchronization (can take up to 5 minutes).

⚠️ Attention! Some models (Mi Band 4 with firmware 1.0.9.54 and below) may require a forced software update after a reset. If the bracelet does not sync the time even after a reset, check for updates in the application.

Solving specific time problems on the bracelet

Sometimes the time on the wristband is counterintuitive, like showing the right clock but the wrong date, or vice versa.

Problem 1: Time is updated, but the date is lost by 1-2 days ago

This is typical of bracelets with outdated firmware.

• 🔄 Update the bracelet firmware through Settings → Update of the Software in the annex.
• 📅 Check the date settings on your phone: go to Settings → System system → Date and time and turn off/enable Automatic Date and Time.
• 🔧 If the problem persists, reset the bracelet (see previous section).

Problem 2: The bracelet shows the time with a difference of 3-4 hours

It's probably a mistime zone.

• 🌍 On your phone, check the time zone: Settings → System system → Date and time → Time zone: It should be appropriate for your region (e.g, UTC+3 Moscow).
• 📱 In the Mi Fitness app, go to Profile → Settings → Region and choose your country.
• 🔄 Reload the bracelet and wait for the synchronization to re-run.

Problem 3: The time on the bracelet does not change at all (hang)

It's a sign of a major failure.

• 🔋 Check the bracelet charge. If it's below 5%, plug it into charging for 30 minutes.
• 🔄 Perform a Forced Reboot: For the Mi Band 3-5: press the button on 20 For the Mi Band. 6-8: Swipe down and hold the off icon on the screen.
• 📱 If the reboot didn't help, reset the bracelet to factory settings.

⚠️ Attention! If after all the manipulations, the time on the bracelet is still not updated, this may indicate a hardware malfunction (for example, failure of the Bluetooth module or memory chips.

Additional tips for stable working time

To avoid problems with time synchronization in the future, follow these guidelines:

• 🔄 Update your firmware regularly. Xiaomi releases patches that fix sync errors. Check updates once a month.
• 📱 Don't turn off the app's background activity. On Android, add Mi Fitness to the power saving exception list (Settings) → Battery → Optimizing the battery).
• 🔗 Alternative programs (e.g. Notify & Fitness) may conflict with official software.
• 🌐 Check regional settings. If you're traveling, update your time zone manually or allow automatic determination in your phone settings.
• 🔋 Keep track of the bracelet charge. At levels below 10%, background processes, including time synchronization, are turned off.

For iPhone users, there is a separate life hack: if the time on the bracelet is lost after the iOS update, try to remove the Zepp Life app, restart the phone and install it again. LE new versions of iOS.

If you are actively using multiple wristbands (such as the Mi Band 7 for training and the Smart Band 8 Pro for sleeping), make sure they are not connected to the same phone at the same time.

1. keep the firmware and application up to date.

2. do not limit background activity of Mi Fitness/Zepp Life.

3. to synchronize data regularly (at least once a day).-->

FAQ: Frequent questions about setting the time on Xiaomi bracelet