How to set up Xiaomi Mi Band 4 smartwatch: a complete guide from connectivity to hidden features

Xiaomi Mi Band 4 is one of the most popular fitness bracelets on the market, combining affordable price, stylish design and extensive functionality. However, many users face difficulties in the first setup: the device does not sync with the smartphone, does not show notifications or quickly discharges. In this article, we will analyze the step-by-step instructions for setting up the latest firmware updates in 2026, and also reveal hidden features that are not covered by official documentation.

It's important to understand that the Mi Band 4 works in conjunction with a smartphone through the Mi Fitness app, without which the bracelet will only show time and steps, losing half of the functions. We'll look not only at the basic setup, but also at optimizing battery consumption, customizing dials, and solving typical problems such as a lack of pulse or improper sleep counting.

If you’ve just unpacked the bracelet or updated your firmware, start by checking compatibility: Mi Band 4 runs Android 5.0+ iOS 10.0+. For stable operation, it is recommended to use the latest versions of the Mi Fitness application (you can download it from Google Play or the App Store).

1. Connecting Xiaomi Mi Band 4 to the phone: first launch

Before connecting, make sure that the bracelet is at least 20% charged, otherwise the process may be interrupted. To activate, click on the touch button below the screen and wait for the Mi logo to appear. If the screen does not respond, connect the bracelet to the charger for 5-10 minutes.

Follow the algorithm further:

• 📱 Install the Mi Fitness app on your smartphone and sign up (or sign in via your Xiaomi, Google, Apple account) ID).
• 🔍 In the main menu of the application, click Profile → Add the device → Bracelet → Mi Smart Band 4.
• 📶 Turn on Bluetooth on your phone and allow the application to access geodata (required for synchronization!).
• 🔄 The bracelet will appear 6-digit code – enter it in the application to confirm the pair.

If the bracelet is not present, try:

• 🔋 Reboot Mi Band 4 (press the touch button for 10 seconds).
• 📵 Turn off/enable Bluetooth on your phone.
• 🚫 Remove the bracelet from the list of devices in Bluetooth settings and reconnect.

⚠️ Note: If you use an iPhone, turn off the Limit Compatibility feature in Bluetooth settings before connecting. Otherwise, notifications may not come.

2. Basic settings: time, notifications and user profile

Once you've successfully connected, the app will suggest you update the bracelet firmware. Don't miss this step, the new version corrects step counting errors and adds new dials. It takes 3-5 minutes to update, and the bracelet will reboot automatically.

Now let's move on to the key settings:

🕒 Synchronization of time and date

The bracelet automatically pulls up time from the phone, but if it gets lost:

1. Open Mi Fitness. → Profile → Mi Smart Band 4 → Settings of the device → Time.
2. Activate the autosynchronization option.
3. If the time is still incorrect, manually set the time zone in the phone settings.

📳 Set-up of notifications

To make the bracelet vibrate when calling and texting:

• 🔔 In Mi Fitness go to Profile → Mi Smart Band 4 → Notifications.
• 📲 Enable the Call Notifications and Notifications from the Applications toggle.
• ⚙️ Select the apps you want to see alerts from (such as WhatsApp, Telegram, Gmail).
• 🔕 Set up a silent mode on a schedule (good for sleep).

Mi Band 4 supports displaying emojis in notifications, but only if they are sent via standard emails. SMS or Unicode-enabled messengers (e.g. Telegram), Viber and Facebook Messenger will not display emojis.

Register with Mi Fitness|Update the bracelet firmware|Synchronize time|Set up notifications|Set the dial-->

3. Personalization: dials, wallpaper and display style

One of the big advantages of the Mi Band 4 is that you can set custom dials, and standard templates get boring, but there are thousands of free options on the Internet.

🎨 Installation of dials through Mi Fitness

In the annex:

1. Go to Profile. → Mi Smart Band 4 → Dials.
2. Select a category (Sports, Classics, Minimalism).
3. Click on your favorite dial and confirm the installation.

Please note: some dials require a paid subscription (from 99). ₽/Free options are updated every 2-3 weeks.

🖥️ Installation of custom dials (through third-party sites)

For advanced users:

• 🌐 Download the.bin dial file from sites like AmazfitWatchFaces.
• 📁 Transfer the file to the Mi folder Fit/Watch Faces on your phone (create it manually if you don’t).
• 🔄 Sync your bracelet with Mi Fitness → Dials → Add.

⚠️ Attention: Insufficient setting of custom dials can lead to the bracelet hanging. Before experimenting, check the reviews of a particular.bin file on forums (for example, check the reviews of a particular.bin file on the forums, 4PDA).

4.Tune fitness functions: pedometer, pulse, sleep

The Mi Band 4 is marketed as a fitness tracker, but by default many features are not accurate. For example, the bracelet can overstate the number of steps or misidentify sleep phases, and correct this will help correct the correct calibration.

👟 Pedometer calibration

To make the bracelet more accurate to count the steps:

1. Get in to Mi Fitness. → Profile → Mi Smart Band 4 → Steps.
2. Specify your height, weight, and step length (measure it experimentally: walk 10 meters and count the number of steps, then divide 10 by that number).
3. Activate the option High-precision counting (increase battery consumption by 5-10%).

❤️ Set-up pulse monitoring

The bracelet, by default, measures your heart rate every 30 minutes, but it's not always convenient.

• 📊 Go to Mi Fitness. → Profile → Mi Smart Band 4 → Heart rate.
• 🔢 Choose the interval: 1 min (maximum accuracy but quick discharge), 10 min (optimum) or 30 min (economically).
• 🚨 Enable a high pulse warning (set a threshold, such as 120 beats/min).

Important: To accurately measure your heart rate, wear a wristband 2-3 cm above your wrist (not tight!) and don't move your hand while measuring. If the data is very different from medical devices, try recalibrating the sensor:

Mi Fitness → Profile → Mi Smart Band 4 → Heart Rhythm → Calibration

😴 Sleep monitoring: how to improve accuracy

Mi Band 4 automatically detects sleep phases (deep, light, REM), But often confuses daytime with nighttime:

• 🌙 Set your sleep mode manually: Mi Fitness → Profile → Mi Smart Band 4 → Son → Schedule.
• 🛌 Turn on the option of sleep sensitivity to High (if you sleep restlessly).
• ☕ Turn off caffeine-dependent reminders if you don’t drink coffee.

💡

If the bracelet does not record sleep, synchronize it with your phone before going to bed - this will reset the cache of sensors.

5. Hidden features and life hacks for Mi Band 4

Many users don't know that the Mi Band 4 is much more than the instructions say.

🔍 Phone search

If you lose your smartphone, you can make it vibrate through the bracelet with a bell:

1. In the bracelet menu, find the icon 📱 (phone).
2. Click on it – the phone will ring even in silent mode.

🎵 Managing music

From the bracelet, you can switch tracks and adjust the volume:

• 🎧 Turn on the music on your phone.
• 🎛️ On the bracelet, swipe up the screen and select an icon. 🎵.
• ⏯️ Use the buttons for the next/previous track.

🔋 Battery Savings: What to Turn Off

If the bracelet discharges in 3-4 days, check these settings:

• 📵 Turn off the Permanent Time Display (saves up to 30% charge).
• 🔔 Reduce the pulse rate to 30 minutes.
• 🌓 Set a dark theme for the dial (AMOLED-screen uses less energy).
• 🚫 Disable notifications from unnecessary applications.

6.Typical Mi Band 4 Problem Solving

Even after setting up correctly, users are faced with bugs, and here are the most common ways to fix them:

If the bracelet is not activated after discharge:

1. Connect it to charging for 30 minutes (even if the indicator is not on).
2. Press and hold the touch button for 15-20 seconds.
3. If it doesn’t help, reset to factory settings (see spoiler above).

⚠️ Warning: If the bracelet gets overheated after the firmware update, immediately remove it and reset the settings. This is a sign of a sensor failure. Contact the service center if the problem recurs.

7. Comparison of the Mi Band 4 with new models: should you upgrade?

Xiaomi Mi Band 4 was released in 2019, but still remains relevant due to the low price (from 1,500). ₽) But the new models (Mi Band 7, Mi Band 8) offer additional features:

Bottom Line: If you need basic features (stepmeter, pulse, notifications), the Mi Band 4 is still a great choice. SpO₂, Big screen and advanced sleep analytics - consider Mi Band 7 or 8.

💡

The Mi Band 4 is still relevant for the budget segment, but if you need medical features (such as measuring blood oxygen), it’s best to take a new model.

FAQ: Frequent questions about Xiaomi Mi Band 4