Wearable electronics from Chinese giant Xiaomi have become the standard of affordable fitness tracking worldwide. The simplicity of design and rich functionality make these devices popular, but the initial setup often raises questions for beginners.
Connecting doesn’t require deep technical knowledge, but requires attention to detail. Starting errors, such as skipping updates or incorrect system permissions, can cause the device to malfunction. In this article, we’ll look at every step from unpacking to fine-tuning Mi Fit or Zepp Life.
Before you start pairing, make sure your smartphone is charged and the operating system (Android or iOS) is updated to the current version. Also check for free space on the phone and a stable connection to the Wi-Fi network or mobile Internet. For models Xiaomi Band 8 and later, you must use the Zepp Life or Mi Fitness application, as older versions of the software may not support new communication protocols.
The first step to fully using the tracker is installing the right software. Xiaomi has changed the app ecosystem several times, so it’s important to choose the one that suits your model. For most modern versions, including Xiaomi Smart Band 7 and 8, the best choice is the Zepp Life app (formerly known as Mi Fit) or Mi Fitness.
Download the app from the official Google Play store or Apple App Store. Avoid third-party sites as this could lead to the installation of malware or a non-working version of the program. Once installed, launch the app and create a Xiaomi account or log in via linked social networks.
- 📱 Download: Find the app store for "Zepp Life" or "Mi Fitness" by name.
- 🔐 Registration: Create a new account using email or phone number.
- 🌍 Region: When registering, select the correct region (usually "Russia" or "Global") to keep the servers running smoothly.
- 👤 Profile: Fill in height, weight and date of birth data to correctly calculate calories.
⚠️ Note: When registering in the application, be sure to allow access to geolocation, even if the tracker does not have GPS-Android systems require this permission to search for Bluetooth devices in the background.
Once the software is ready, you can move to the physical connection of the device. Unlike conventional Bluetooth headsets, Xiaomi bracelets do not connect through the standard Bluetooth settings menu in the phone.
Turn on Bluetooth on your smartphone and bring the bracelet closer to the phone (no more than 1-2 meters away). Open the app and click the Add Device button or the plus icon in the upper right corner. The system will automatically start searching for available gadgets.
When you see an image of your bracelet with its model on your smartphone screen, click on it. The tracker screen will display a vibration signal and ask you to confirm the pairing (tick icon or vibration). Press the bracelet screen or button if it is designed.
- 🔍 Search: In the application, select "Profile" → "Add the device" → "Bracelet".
- ✅ Confirmation: Wait for vibration and tap on the sensory area of the bracelet.
- 🔄 Update: Immediately after connecting, the application will offer to update the firmware.
If the search doesn't work, try restarting Bluetooth on your phone or restarting the app itself, sometimes helping to clear the Bluetooth cache in your smartphone settings.
☑️ Pre-conjugation check
One of the most important steps that many users ignore is the firmware update, which manufacturers regularly release patches that fix synchronization errors, improve heart rate sensors and add new dials.
Usually, the update notification appears immediately after the first connection. If this does not happen, go to the device profile in the application and find the item "Version Update" or "Check for updates." The process can take from 5 to 15 minutes.
During the upgrade, the screen of the bracelet can go out and light up again, and the progress bar will be filled with percentages, and it is critical not to move far from the phone and not close the application at this point.
⚠️ Warning: It is strictly forbidden to interrupt the upgrade process or carry the phone away from the bracelet, this can lead to the "bricking" of the device, after which it will be impossible to restore its operation without a service center.
What to do if the update is suspended?
After a successful update and basic configuration, you can move to personalization of the interface. Xiaomi bracelet screens support replacing the dials, which allows you not only to change the appearance, but also to display the necessary data, such as steps, weather or pulse.
In the app, go to the section "Profile" → "Dial settings. There's a store available with thousands of options, from classic analog watches to animated images. You can choose a free option or purchase a premium design.
You can also adjust the brightness of the screen and the time of its activity in the display settings. To save the battery, it is recommended to set automatic brightness or a minimum level of backlight, since it is recommended to set the minimum level of lighting. AMOLED-The screens are very good even at low values.
- 🎨 Shop: Select "Dials" from the device menu to download new themes.
- ☀️ Brightness: Adjust the backlight level or turn on auto mode depending on the lighting.
- ⏱ Timeout: Set screen burning time (usually 5 to 20 seconds).
💡
Use dark dials with a black background on AMOLED-This saves a lot of battery power, because the black pixels on these arrays are just off.
The sensors must be tuned to accurately monitor health, and the bracelet is equipped with an optical pulse sensor, an accelerator and, in some models, a SpO2 sensor (blood oxygen saturation), which can be used rarely by default to save energy.
In the app, find the "Pulse Monitoring" or "Heart Rate" section, where you can choose the frequency of measurements manually, once in 1, 5, 10, 30 minutes or continuously, continuous monitoring gives the most complete picture, but increases battery consumption by 30-40%.
Special attention should be paid to adjusting sleep and stress monitoring, which requires the wrist to fit tightly to the wrist, especially at night, and if worn too loose, the sensor will lose contact with the skin and produce erroneous data.
| Parameter | Recommended setting | Impact on the battery |
|---|---|---|
| Pulse. | Every 10-30 minutes. | Average. |
| Sleep monitoring | On (automatically) | Low. |
| Notifications | Only important applications. | Medium (screen) |
| Wrist lifting | Included (8:00 to 22:00) | Low. |
One of the main features of the smart bracelet is the ability to receive notifications about calls, messages from messengers and social networks, which allows you to stay up to date without taking your phone out of your pocket.
In the app, go to Notifications or Notifications, and here you will see a list of all apps installed on your phone, activate the switches opposite the ones you want to see on your wrist (WhatsApp, Telegram, Viber, SMS, calls).
For Android users, it is critical to set up system resolutions, which can kill the application's background process to save energy, so notifications will stop coming, and add the Zepp Life or Mi Fitness app to the battery exception list and allow auto-start.
⚠️ Attention: On Xiaomi phones (MIUI/HyperOS) you must fix the application in memory (lock app) and allow "Autostart", otherwise the notifications will come with a delay or not come at all.
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Setting up notifications requires action not only in the bracelet app, but also in the system settings of the smartphone, especially on Android.
For iPhone (iOS) users, the notification setting process is more standardized, but it also has its own nuances: Once connected in the app, you must allow access to notifications when iOS requests this permission.
Go to the settings of the iPhone itself: Settings → Notifications. Search the Zepp Life or Mi Fitness app in the list and make sure that all types of alerts (sounds, banners, icons) are allowed. Without this, the bracelet will not be able to broadcast messages.
There is also a limitation in iOS: the bracelet only vibrates when the phone screen is turned off or locked. If you are watching a video or reading a text on an iPhone screen, the bracelet is silent, believing that you already see information.