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

Why is Mi Band 5 still relevant in 2026?

The Xiaomi Mi Band 5 fitness bracelet, released in 2020, remains one of the most popular wearable devices due to the optimal combination of price and functionality. Despite the release of new models (up to the Mi Band 8), the five continues to be in demand - it can be bought cheaper. $30, and in terms of possibilities it is not inferior to many modern analogues.

Mi Band 5’s main advantages over competitors: 11 automatic recognition training modes, improved AMOLED-screen (1.1" vs. 0.95" for the Mi Band 4), magnetic charging without having to remove the capsule, and support NFC version NFC. The bracelet is compatible with the latest versions of Mi Fitness (formerly Mi Fit) and works in Russian without restrictions.

In this article, you will find step-by-step instructions for setting up everything from the first connection to hidden features, and if you already have experience, vote in the poll below!

1. Preparation for setting up: what to do before connecting

Before you start syncing the Mi Band 5 with your phone, follow a few mandatory steps, which will eliminate the typical errors like “does not see the bracelet” or “does not install the application”.

Phone requirements:

• 📱 Android 5.0+ or iOS 10.0+ (iPhone 5s newer).
• 🔄 Bluetooth 4.2 or higher (check in phone settings).
• 📶 Stable Internet (needed for downloading the application and firmware updates).
• 🔋 Bracelet charge ≥20% (at low charge, synchronization may be interrupted).

Pay special attention to permissions: the Mi Fitness app will request access to contacts, notifications, geolocation and physical activity. Without these permissions, some functions (such as displaying incoming calls or pedometer) will not work.

⚠️ Note: If you use an iPhone, turn off the “Tracking Limit” feature in Bluetooth settings (path: Settings) → Bluetooth → i (information) → The tracking limit, otherwise the bracelet will shut down after 10 minutes of inactivity.

Turn on Bluetooth and Wi-Fi|Download Mi Fitness from the App Store/Google Play|Charge the bracelet to 50%+|Check the version of the phone OS|Turn off the power saving mode-->

2. Installation and configuration of the Mi Fitness application

The official Mi Band 5 management app is Mi Fitness (formerly Mi Fit) and is free to download:

• 🤖 Google Play for Android
• 🍎 App Store for iOS

After installation:

1. Open the application and select the language "Russian".
2. Sign up with Mi Account (required! Without an account, the bracelet will not sync). If you don't have an account, create it by link.
3. In the "Profile" menu → Click Add Device and select Mi Smart Band 5.

If the app does not find the bracelet:

• 🔄 Reboot your phone and bracelet (on Mi Band 5, press the touch button for 10 seconds).
• 📱 Make sure there is no active phone on the phone. VPN or firewall blocking the connection.
• 🔋 Check that the bracelet is charged (the indicator should flash when connected to the charger).

⚠️ Attention: On Android 12+ You may need to manually allow Mi Fitness to access the "Precise Location" (even if you are not in a position to access the "Precise Location" GPS Otherwise, the synchronization of sleep and exercise data will be incomplete.

💡

If you already have another Xiaomi bracelet connected, remove the old device from the app before adding Mi Band 5, otherwise synchronization conflicts may occur.

3. First connection and basic settings

After successfully pairing the bracelet with the phone, the application will offer to update the firmware. We recommend that you agree - the latest versions of the software correct notification errors and add new features (for example, stress monitoring).

Basic settings after connection:

1. Interface Language: Go to Device Profile → Display settings → Language and select "Russian".
2. Time format: In the same menu, set the "24-hour" or "12-hour" format.
3. Alarms: Add alarm clocks through your device profile → Alarm clocks. You can set the vibration and repeat.
4. Dials: In Device Profile → Select one of the pre-installed dials or download new ones (there are animated options).

The Mi Band 5 feature is support for automatic training recognition, to enable this feature:

1. Go to the Device Profile → Monitoring of activity.
2. Activate the "Auto-Detection Training" switch.
3. Select the activities that the bracelet should track (running, walking, cycling, etc.).

4. Set up notifications: calls, messages, applications

One of the key features of the Mi Band 5 is to display notifications from the phone, but by default, the bracelet only shows standard SMS and calls, to set up alerts from messengers and social networks:

For Android:

1. In the Mi Fitness app, go to the Device Profile → Notifications of annexes.
2. Turn on the "Application Notifications" switch.
3. Click on “App Management” and select the alerts you want to see (e.g. WhatsApp, Telegram, Viber).
4. In the phone settings, open the settings → Annexes → Mi Fitness → Notifications and allow access.

For the iPhone:

• 📱 Open the iPhone Settings → Notifications → Mi Fitness.
• 🔄 Enable "Allow notifications" and "Show on the lock screen".
• 🔊 In the Mi Fitness app, activate "Sending Notifications" (path: Profile) → Notifications → Transmitting notices).

⚠️ Note: On iOS, the bracelet does not support displaying emoji in notifications - instead of them will be empty squares).

How to set the vibration for notifications:

• 📳 In Mi Fitness go to Profile → Notification settings.
• 🔊 Select "Vibration Type" (short/long/repeated).
• 🕒 Set up Reminder Time (e.g. vibration every 5 minutes until the notification is read).

5. Health monitoring: pulse, sleep, stress and SpO₂

The Mi Band 5 can track key health indicators, but some features require manual adjustment, such as measuring oxygen in the blood (SpO₂) Default is disabled – it must be activated manually.

How to turn on monitoring SpO₂:

1. In the app, go to Profile → Sleep monitoring → Sleep adjustment.
2. Activate "Oxygen Monitoring in the Blood."
3. Set the time of automatic measurement (recommended from 22:00 to 8:00).

Pulse measurement setting:

• 🩺 In profile. → Monitoring your heart rate select a mode:
• 📊 For accuracy, wear a bracelet 2-3 fingers above your wrist and tighten the strap tighter.

Stress monitoring: This function measures stress levels by heart rate variability to activate them:

1. Go to Profile. → Monitoring of stress.
2. Turn on Automatic Measurement and set the interval (e.g. every 2 hours).
3. To calibrate, perform a 5-minute breath according to the instructions in the application.

💡

For maximum accuracy, wear a wristband on your arm that moves less during sleep (usually the left hand for right-handers).

6. Training and sports modes: how to set up and use

The Mi Band 5 supports 11 sports modes, including running, cycling, swimming and even yoga.

1. On the bracelet, swipe up the screen and select "Training."
2. Scroll through the list and tap on the desired mode (for example, "Running on the street").
3. Confirm the start of the workout – the bracelet will start tracking the time, pulse and calories burned.

How to set up automatic recognition of training:

• 🏃 In the app, go to Profile → Monitoring of activity → Autodefinition of training.
• 🔄 Turn on the function and select activities (available: walking, running, cycling, elliptical trainer).
• ⏱ Set the minimum duration (default: 10 minutes).

Tips for accurate tracking:

• 📍 For running/bicycle, turn on GPS On the phone, the bracelet will use its data to build a route.
• 💦 When swimming, wear the bracelet tightly, but not too tight (water should not penetrate under the strap).
• 📊 After training, sync your data to your phone to see detailed statistics in Mi Fitness.

⚠️ Warning: In "Swimming" mode, the touch screen is turned off, you can only control the bracelet with a physical button. To exit the mode, press the button for 3 seconds.

💡

If you are in the gym, choose Power or Cardio mode – they count calories more accurately at interval loads than the general Training mode.

7.Secret features and life hacks for Mi Band 5

In addition to the standard features, the Mi Band 5 has a few useful features hidden, which many do not know.

1. Rapid control of music

When playing music on your phone, you can:

• 🎵 Pause/playback - tap on the screen of the bracelet.
• 🔀 Next track is swipe left.
• 🔙 Previous track - swipe to the right.

2.Do not disturb mode

Disables all notifications and vibrations for a given time:

1. On the bracelet, swipe up and select "More".
2. Tap "Do Not Disturb" and set a timer (from 1 hour to 24 hours).

3.The screen is always on (AMOLED)

To keep the screen from going out, activate the "Raise your hand to activate" and set a minimum attenuation time:

1. Annex: Profile → Display settings → Raising your hand.
2. Choose "Always" or "5 seconds".

4. Hidden dials

The Mi Band 5 has undocumented dials that don't appear on the standard list.

1. In the app, go to Profile → Dials.
2. Scroll down and click "Get more."
3. In the search, type "hidden" or "secret" - hidden options will appear.

5. Charge savings

To keep the bracelet working longer:

• 🔋 Turn off "Auto-Detection Training" (if not used).
• 📵 Reduce the pulse rate to "30 minutes".
• 🌙 Turn on Sleep Mode at Night (disables unnecessary functions).

8. Solving common problems

Even with the right setup, the Mi Band 5 can malfunction. Here are the most common problems and solutions:

If the bracelet is not activated:

1. Put it on charge for 30 minutes (even if the indicator is not on).
2. Press and hold the 15-20 second button for forced reboot.
3. If it doesn’t help, reset (see spoiler above).

If the firmware is not updated:

• 📶 Connect your phone to Wi-Fi (mobile internet update may not work).
• 🔋 Make sure the bracelet is charged >50%.
• 📱 Reinstall the Mi Fitness app.

⚠️ Note: If the bracelet gets worse after the firmware update (for example, it discharges quickly or does not show notifications), roll back to the previous version. → Firmware update → Back to the previous version.

FAQ: Answers to Frequent Questions