Time setting on Xiaomi Mi Band 3: 3 ways + error solving

The Xiaomi Mi Band 3 fitness bracelet remains a popular gadget even years after its release, thanks to its reliability, long battery life and wide functionality. However, many users face the problem of incorrect display of time on the device screen. Time can get lost after resetting, disconnecting from the smartphone or due to software errors. In this article, we will discuss all the current ways to adjust time on the Mi Band 3, including manual synchronization, automatic updates through the application and solving typical problems.

Contrast OLED-The wristband screen displays not only the clock, but also the date, the steps, the pulse, and if the time is lost, it affects the correctness of all other data. For example, the wrong time distorts sleep statistics, activity schedules and even notifications. From the banal lack of communication with the smartphone to the failures in the firmware, we tested all methods on the latest versions of the software (2026) and collected them in one guide — with step-by-step screenshots, warnings and life hacks.

If your Mi Band 3 shows time a few hours late or even stopped at one value at all - do not rush to carry it to the service. 90% of the time the problem is solved in 5 minutes through standard settings. The main thing is to understand that the bracelet does not have its own GPS module or network, so the time it gets exclusively from the connected smartphone, which means that the first task is to ensure stable synchronization between devices.

1. Automatic time synchronization via Mi Fitness

The easiest and most recommended way to do this is to use the official Mi Fitness app (formerly Mi Fit), which automatically updates the time on the wristband every time you connect to Bluetooth.

1. Make sure that the smartphone is enabled Bluetooth and location permission (necessary for the correct operation of the application).

2. Open Mi Fitness and wait until the icon of the connected Mi Band 3 appears at the top of the screen (the ticked bracelet icon).

3. If sync does not occur automatically, pull the screen down to update the data or go to Profile → Mi Smart Band 3 → Sync the data.

Usually, the time is updated within 10 to 30 seconds. If this does not happen, check:

• 📱 App version: Mi Fitness 5.6.0 is relevant in 2026+. Older versions may not work properly with modern bracelet firmware.
• 🔄 Permissions: Apps need Bluetooth, Location and Notification rights.
• ⏱️ Time zones: the same belts should be installed on the smartphone and in the bracelet (see the next section).

⚠️ Note: If the bracelet time is lost after a few hours after synchronization, the problem may be a discharged battery. Mi Band 3 at a low charge (less than 10%) starts to save energy, including turning off automatic time updates. Charge the device to 100% and check again.

2 Manually adjusting time through the application

If automatic synchronization doesn't work, you can force the clock to be updated manually, which is also useful if you're traveling and you need to change your time zone quickly without reconnecting your wristband.

Instructions for Mi Fitness:

1. Open the application and go to the Profile section → Mi Smart Band 3.
2. Select the option for additional settings → Time and date.
3. Activate the Sync Time option (if it is disabled).
4. Click Update Now (or a similar button in your version of the app).

If your app doesn’t have a time and date, try an alternative path:

1. In the main menu Mi Fitness tap on the icon of the bracelet.
2. Select Device Settings → More → Time Synchronization.
3. Confirm the action if necessary.

After manual synchronization, reboot the bracelet: press the touch button for 10 seconds until the Mi logo appears.

Charge the bracelet to at least 30%

Update Mi Fitness to the latest version

Enable Bluetooth and geolocation on your smartphone

Check the stability of the Internet connection-->

3. Time zone and daylight saving time setting

One of the common causes of time failure is a mismatch of time zones on the smartphone and the bracelet. Mi Band 3 does not have its own time zone database, so it relies entirely on phone data. If the smartphone has the wrong belt, the bracelet will show the time with offset.

How to check and correct:

1. On your smartphone, go to Settings → System → Date and time.
2. Make sure that options are included: ✅ Automatic date and time (using network data) ✅ Automatic time zone (determined by geolocation)

If the options are disabled, turn them on and wait for the updates (you may need to restart the phone).

Mi Fitness

For countries with summer/winter time transition (e.g. Russia, EU, USA), it is important that the smartphone automatically updates this value. If your region has canceled the switch to daylight saving time (as in Russia since 2014), but the smartphone still takes it into account, manually disable the option:

1. In the phone settings, find the date and time → Use summer time.
2. Turn off the slider if the transition is not relevant for your region.

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If you travel frequently, add the Time Belt widget to your smartphone’s home screen, which will help you quickly check the current time in different regions before syncing with the wristband.

4. reset bracelet settings for critical time errors

If the time on the Mi Band 3 is constantly lost or is clearly incorrect (for example, shows January 1, 1970), this may indicate a serious firmware failure, in which case a complete reset of the device to the factory settings will help.

Resetting instructions:

1. Open Mi Fitness and go to Profile → Mi Smart Band 3 → Untie the device.
2. Confirm the undress (the bracelet will be removed from the account).
3. On the bracelet itself, perform a hardware reset: Press the touch button for 15-20 seconds until the vibration and the Mi logo appear. Release the button - the bracelet will reset.

Mi Fitness

After reset, the time should be synchronized automatically. If the problem persists, check:

• 📲 Bracelet firmware version: in Mi Fitness go to Profile → Mi Smart Band 3 → Update firmware.
• 🔋 Battery charge: at a level below 20%, failures in operation are possible.
• 🔄 Smartphone compatibility: on devices with Android 4.4 or iOS 9 and below, synchronization errors may occur.

⚠️ Note: After resetting, all data from the bracelet (steps, sleep history, training) will be deleted. If you care about statistics, export it to Mi Fitness or third-party services (for example, Google Fit) before reset).

5. Alternative methods: third-party applications and firmware

Alternative tools can be tried if standard methods don’t work, such as Notify & Fitness for Mi Band (available for Android) which allows you to manually manage the time and other bracelet settings, even if the official software doesn’t work properly.

Instructions for Notify & Fitness:

1. Install the app from Google Play.
2. Connect the bracelet through Settings → Connect the device.
3. Go to Bracelet Settings → Time and Date.
4. Turn on the option to sync the time when connecting.
5. Press Update Time and wait for the vibration of the bracelet.

For advanced users, there is the option of flashing the bracelet with custom firmware (e.g. Mi Band 3 Custom Firmware) which can solve problems over time, but requires technical skills and lacks warranty, and we do not recommend this method unless absolutely necessary.

6. Frequent errors and their solutions

Even after successful setting up time on Mi Band 3 It can be unstable. We've put together a top.-5 errors and ways of eliminating them:

1.Time is strayed after the smartphone reboot

The reason: Bluetooth connection breaks, and the bracelet does not save time offline.

Solution: Enable Autosynchronization when connected to Mi Fitness (in some versions of the application it is hidden in Additional settings).

2. bracelet shows time with a delay of 1-2 hours

Reason: The smartphone has disabled automatic time zone determination or the wrong region is installed.

Solution: Check your phone’s settings (Date and Time) and manually select your time zone if necessary.

3.After the firmware update, time has gone astray

Reason: The new version of the software may contain synchronization-related bugs.

Solution: Reverse to the previous firmware version (if available) or wait for a patch from Xiaomi.

4.The bracelet doesn't sync time with the iPhone

Reason: iOS restrictions on background processes.

Decision:

• 🍎 Close all background applications before synchronization.
• 🔄 Enable the Mi Fitness option Update in the background (iPhone Settings) → Mi Fitness).

5.The time on the bracelet changes on its own

Cause: Conflict with other Bluetooth devices or battery damage.

Solution: Turn off all other Bluetooth gadgets and check the bracelet on another smartphone. If the problem persists, contact the service center (possible battery wear).

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If neither method worked, check the bracelet on another smartphone. If the time is synchronized correctly, there is a problem in your phone. If not, the bracelet itself is defective (requires repair).

FAQ: Answers to popular questions