Xiaomi Mi Band: official and alternative options 2026

The Xiaomi Mi Band smartwatches and fitness bracelets have long been among the most popular wearables on the market. However, new users often have a confusion: which app should be downloaded to connect the bracelet to a smartphone? Depending on the model (Mi Band 3/4/5/6/7/8), the region of purchase and the firmware version, different software may be required.

In this article, we will look at all the official Xiaomi watch management apps, their differences, and also consider alternative programs with advanced functionality. You will learn how to connect the bracelet correctly, what functions are available in each application and what to do if the device is not determined by the phone.

Xiaomi's official apps: Mi Fitness vs Zepp Life

Until 2021, all Mi Band bracelets were controlled through one app, Mi Fit. However, after the rebranding and separation of the Xiaomi ecosystem, the situation has become more complicated.

• 📱 Zepp Life (formerly Mi Fit) – for most Mi Band models 3–7 and Mi Smart Band 6/7. Available on Google Play and App Store.
• 🏃 Mi Fitness is a new app for Mi Band 8/8 Pro and more recent devices can be downloaded here (Android) and here (iOS).

Why are the two different apps? The fact is that Xiaomi is gradually moving all wearable devices to the Zepp OS platform (developed by Huami, which previously worked on firmware for the Mi Band). New models (Mi Band 8 Pro, Watch 2 Pro) run on this system, so they require Mi Fitness. Old bracelets (Mi Band 7 and below) are still supported in Zepp Life.

Importantly, if you upgraded your Mi Band 7 firmware to the latest version, the system can automatically redirect you to Mi Fitness instead of Zepp Life.

⚠️ Attention: Some users confuse Zepp Life and Zepp (Amazfit watch app). These are different programs.

How do you determine which application is needed for your model?

To avoid making a mistake, use this table:

If you are not sure about your bracelet model, look it up on the box or in the device settings (About the bracelet → Model).

• 📅 By 2021, most likely Mi Band 5 or older → Zepp Life.
• 📅 2022 The year - Mi Band 6/7 → Both apps, but better than Zepp Life.
• 📅 2023–2026 years - Mi Band 8/8 Pro → Only Mi Fitness.

💡

If your bracelet doesn't connect to the app, try resetting it to factory settings: press the touch button for 10 seconds until the vibration appears.

Step-by-step: how to connect Mi Band to the phone

The connection process is the same for both applications (Zepp Life and Mi Fitness), but there are nuances.

1. Download and install the desired application (links above).
2. Sign up or sign in through your Xiaomi account (required!).If you don't have an account, create one at account.xiaomi.com.
3. Turn on Bluetooth on your phone and allow the app to access geodata (this is a must for work!).
4. In the application, click Profile → Add the device (or similar item).
5. Select your Mi Band model from the list. If you don't have one, update the app.
6. Follow the instructions on the screen: Confirm the pairing on the bracelet (usually touch the touch button).

Charge the bracelet to 50%+

Install the latest version of the application

Enable Bluetooth and geolocation on your phone

Make sure the bracelet is not connected to another device

Reboot your phone (if you have previously had connection problems)-->

If the bracelet is not present, try:

• 🔄 Reboot your phone and bracelet.
• 📱 Remove the app cache (phone settings) → Annexes → Zepp Life/Mi Fitness → Memory. → Clear the cache).
• 🔗 Connect to another phone (to check if the bracelet is not a problem).

⚠️ Note: iPhones sometimes have connection issues due to iOS restrictions. If the bracelet is not detected, try turning off Low Power Mode and temporarily allow the app to access Local Networks in your privacy settings.

Mi Band Alternative Apps: When Do You Need Them?

Official applications from Xiaomi do not always suit users, for example, they do not:

• 📊 Detailed sleep statistics (compared to Sleep as Android).
• 🎨 Large selection of dials (official applications often block third-party themes).
• 🔧 Flexible notification settings (filtering by application).

In these cases, you can use side-by-side applications. Here are the most popular ones:

Important: Third-party applications require that official software be disabled (otherwise conflicts will occur), they can reset the bracelet settings when you first connect, and we recommend that you back up your data to Zepp Life or Mi Fitness before using alternatives.

Frequent problems and their solutions

Even with official apps, users are experiencing bugs, and here are the most common ways to fix them:

• 🔴 "Unable to connect to the device: Check that the phone is turned on Bluetooth 4.0+ and no active VPN-Also try to disable the charge saving for the Zepp app. Life/Mi Fitness.
• 🔄 The bracelet is permanently switched off: This may be due to a conflict with other Bluetooth devices (e.g. headphones.
• ⚠️ "Update the bracelet firmware: If the update is stalled, don't interrupt the process! Wait 10-15 minutes. If it doesn't work, reset the bracelet to factory settings.
• 📵 No notifications: In the app settings, check Notifications and allow access to Special Features (on Android). iPhone needs to separately enable notifications for Zepp Life in the system settings.

💡

If the bracelet has stopped syncing data (steps, pulse), try manually updating the firmware through the application. To do this, go to Profile → My device → Software update.

There is a separate problem for the Mi Band 8 Pro models: they may not connect to Android 10 and lower phones, due to the requirements of the new firmware, the solution is to upgrade the smartphone or use another phone for initial setup.

Zepp Life vs Mi Fitness Comparison: Which App Is Better?

Many users are wondering whether to switch from Zepp Life to Mi Fitness for new models, and compare them by key parameters:

The bottom line is that if you have the Mi Band 8/8 Pro, you have no choice but Mi Fitness. For older models (Mi Band 6/7), you can stay on Zepp Life, but functionally you don't lose anything by switching to a new app.

Note: Mi Fitness has support for voice assistant (for models with a microphone) and automatic recognition of training, which is not in Zepp Life.

How to transfer data when changing an application or phone?

When switching from Zepp Life to Mi Fitness or changing your smartphone, many users fear losing their activity history.

1. Sync data in the old app (click Sync manually).
2. Export data to Google Fit or Apple Health (in the app settings).
3. Sign in to the new app under the same Xiaomi account.
4. Reconnect the bracelet. Most of the data (steps, sleep, exercise) will be automatically downloaded from the cloud.

If the data is not transferred:

• 📊 Check that both apps use the same Xiaomi account.
• 🔄 Try to manually import data from Google Fit (if the export was made earlier).
• 📧 Contact Xiaomi Support via the App (Profile) → Help), specifying the bracelet model and software version.

⚠️ Note: When you reset the bracelet to factory settings, all data on the device is deleted. However, the activity history synchronized with the cloud is saved. To avoid losses, always wait for full synchronization before resetting.

FAQ: Answers to Frequent Questions