How to connect Honor Band 5 to Xiaomi smartphone: full instructions with error solutions

Honor Band 5 and Xiaomi are compatible: What you need to know before connecting

Huawei Honor Band 5 fitness bracelet and Xiaomi smartphones (including Redmi models and Xiaomi smartphones) POCO) They work on different ecosystems, but that doesn't stop them from synchronizing successfully, and the main obstacle is that the native Huawei Health app doesn't exist in the Mi App Store. APK-file.

It’s important to consider the Android version on your Xiaomi. The Honor Band 5 bracelet officially supports Android 4.4+ devices, but Android 6.0 and higher is recommended for stable operation. Also check if the smartphone unlocks access to installing apps from unknown sources – this is critical for manual installation of Huawei Health.

Another nuance is Bluetooth. Honor Band 5 uses Bluetooth 4.2 protocol, which is supported by all Xiaomi smartphones since the Redmi 4X (2017).If your phone is older, you may experience connection problems or frequent disconnections.

📊 What kind of smartphone you Xiaomi?

Redmi Note 10/11/12

POCO X3/X4/X5

Mi 11/12/13

Redmi 9/9A/9C

Other

Step 1: Install Huawei Health app on Xiaomi

The official Huawei Health app is not available on Google Play for Xiaomi devices due to Huawei's policy (restrictions for non-Chinese brands). APK-file from a reliable source. We recommend using:

🔹 APKCombo – a proven catalog with current versions;
🔹 APKMirror is a secure resource with original APK;
🔹 Uptodown – an alternative with regular updates.

Before installation, perform the following actions:

Include “Unknown Sources” in Settings → Applications → Special Access Rights → Install Unknown Applications

Download. APK-file of the latest version (not lower than 12.0.0.300)

Check the downloaded file with antivirus (we recommend Dr.Web or Kaspersky)

Remove old versions of Huawei Health if they were installed earlier-->

Installation instructions:

Open the file manager (such as Mi File Manager) and find the downloaded file manager. Huawei_Health_*.apk.
Click on the file and confirm the installation. If a security alert appears, allow the installation.
After installation, launch the application and go through the initial setting (select region, accept the terms of use).

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If you see an “Application not installed” error when you install, try downloading an older version of Huawei Health (e.g. 11.0.6.306).

Step 2: Turning on Bluetooth and finding the bracelet

Before connecting Honor Band 5, make sure that your smartphone is activated with Bluetooth and the visibility of the device is turned on.

Open Settings → Connections → Bluetooth on your Xiaomi.
Activate the Bluetooth slider.
Click Device Search and wait until Honor Band 5 appears in the list (may appear as a device). BAND 5 or HONOR Band 5).

Important: Don't connect the bracelet directly through the smartphone's Bluetooth menu! This will cause notifications to work incorrectly and data synchronization.

If the bracelet is not present:

🔋 Check the charge of Honor Band 5 (minimum 20%).
🔄 Reboot the bracelet by holding the touch button for 10 seconds.
📱 Make sure your smartphone is powered off Battery Savings for Bluetooth.

What to do if Xiaomi doesn’t see the Honor Band 5?

If the bracelet doesn’t appear in the device list even after the reboot, try: 1. Remove the Bluetooth cache in Settings → Annexes → Application management → Bluetooth → Warehouse → Clear cache. 2. Reset network settings on your smartphone (Settings) → SIM-maps and mobile networks → Reset network settings. 3. Update the bracelet firmware through official software (if previously it was connected to another phone).

Step 3: Sync Honor Band 5 with Huawei Health

After successfully detecting the bracelet in the Huawei Health app, follow the instructions:

Start Huawei Health and press Devices → Add the device.
Select from the Honor Band 5 list (or the Bracelet if the model is not explicitly listed).
Confirm the pairing on the bracelet by touching the touch button.
Wait until the synchronization is complete (it can take up to 2-3 minutes).

Critical detail: if the synchronization stage is “Unable to connect”, check if the built-in MIUI firewall blocks the connection. Go to Settings → Applications → Permissions → Autostart and enable autostart for Huawei Health.

After successful connection:

📊 Adjust the displayed data on the bracelet screen (steps, pulse, weather).
🔔 Activate notifications for calls and messages (Notifications section in the app).
🏃‍♂️ Choose the training regimes that will be available on the bracelet.

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For the correct operation of notifications from messengers (WhatsApp, Telegram), you must manually allow Huawei Health to access notifications in Android settings: Settings → Applications → Huawei Health → Notifications → Allow.

Configure notifications and additional functions

By default, the Honor Band 5 supports call notifications, SMS and some messengers, but you need manual configuration to work properly.

1. Notifications from messengers

Go to Huawei Health → Device → Message Notifications and enable sliders for the right apps. Please note that Telegram and Viber may require additional permission in Android settings:

Settings → Applications → [Messaging Name] → Notifications → Enable

Setting alarm clocks

The bracelet supports up to 10 alarm clocks that can be set both in the Huawei Health app and directly on the wristband.

On the bracelet, swipe up the screen and select an alarm clock.
Click Add and set the time, the days of repetition.
Choose the type of vibration (short/long).

3. Monitoring of sleep and pulse

TruSleep on Honor Band 5 automatically tracks sleep phases, but for accuracy, it is recommended to:

🛌 Wear a bracelet on a non-working hand (for left-handed - right, for right-handed - left-handed).
📵 Disable notifications overnight in bracelet settings.
🔋 Charge the bracelet before bedtime (minimum 30% for full monitoring).

Function	How to turn it on	Features on Xiaomi
Call notifications	Huawei Health → Device → Notifications → Calls	It works only with active Bluetooth. On MIUI 13+, it can be blocked by battery optimization.
Pulse tracking	On the bracelet: Settings → Heart Monitoring → Continuously	With continuous monitoring, the battery consumption of the bracelet increases by 20-30%.
Smart alarm clock	Huawei Health → Sleep → Smart alarm	Requires permission to access the calendar (for sleep phase analysis).
Phone search	Swipe down on the bracelet → Find the phone.	It only works if the phone is within a radius of 10 meters and Bluetooth is turned on.

Solving Common Connection Problems

Even with the right setup, Xiaomi users can experience sync errors. Consider typical scenarios and their solutions:

1. The bracelet connects but does not synchronize data

Reason: Conflict with MIUI battery optimization or Huawei Health background blocking.

Decision:

Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management → Huawei Health → Battery → Battery Optimization and select Without Limits.
Enable autorun for the application in Settings → Apps → Permissions → Autorun.

2. notifications are delayed or not received at all

Reason: MIUI limitations for background processes or conflict with other fitness applications (e.g. Mi Fit).

Decision:

📵 Remove or disable other fitness apps (e.g. Google Fit, Mi Band).
🔄 Reconnect the bracelet: Huawei Health → The device → Shut down. → Reconnect.
🛠️ Reset network settings on your smartphone.

3.The bracelet discharges quickly when connected to Xiaomi

Reason: Continuous data synchronization or firmware conflict.

Decision:

🔋 Turn off continuous pulse monitoring in bracelet settings.
📲 Update Honor Band 5 with Huawei Health.
🔄 Reboot the bracelet and smartphone.

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If the bracelet stopped connecting after the firmware update, reset to factory settings: on the bracelet, go to Settings → Reset and confirm the action.

⚠️ Note: Some Xiaomi models (e.g. Redmi Note 8 Pro) may have a conflict with the Bluetooth module due to the features of the firmware MIUI. In this case, you can roll back to an older version of Huawei Health (for example, 11.0.5.300) or install custom firmware (for example, Pixel Experience).

Alternative ways to connect (if Huawei Health is not working)

If the standard synchronization method doesn’t work, consider alternatives:

1.Use of the Notify & Fitness App

This third-party app supports most fitness bracelets, including the Honor Band 5.

🔔 Receive notifications from all applications;
📊 Synchronize data on steps, sleep and pulse;
🎨 Customize dials.

Cons: There is no official support for Huawei, synchronization errors are possible.

2. Connect via Amazon Alexa (for smart home)

If you’re using Xiaomi in the smart home ecosystem, you can integrate Honor Band 5 via Alexa.

Install the Amazon Alexa app.
Add the skill of Huawei Health.
Synchronize data via IFTTT (if automation is required).

Manual export of data

If the synchronization does not work, but the data on the bracelet is stored, it can be exported manually:

Connect the bracelet to another phone (such as Huawei or Samsung).
Export your data to Google Fit or Apple Health.
Import data to Xiaomi through the relevant apps.

⚠️ Warning: When using third-party apps (such as Notify & Fitness), disable the original Huawei Health app to avoid conflict.Simultaneous operation of the two apps can cause a bracelet to crash or data loss.

FAQ: Frequent questions about Honor Band connection 5 Xiaomi

Can you connect Honor Band 5 to Xiaomi without Huawei Health?

Technically, but with limitations: Apps like Notify & Fitness or Mi Bandify allow you to plug in the bracelet, but some features (like phased sleep monitoring or a smart alarm clock) won't work.

Why Xiaomi doesn’t see Honor Band 5 on the list of Bluetooth devices

There are several reasons: 🔋 Bracelet discharged (charge to 50%). 📱 On the smartphone enabled mode Battery Savings for Bluetooth. 🔄 The bracelet was previously connected to another phone (reset via Settings). → Reset on the bracelet). 🛠️ Outdated bracelet firmware (update via Huawei Health).

How to transfer data from Honor Band 5 to the new Xiaomi phone?

If you change your smartphone, follow the algorithm: On an old phone, export data from Huawei Health to Google Fit or Huawei cloud. Install Huawei Health on a new Xiaomi and log in to the same account. Connect the bracelet again - the data is synchronized automatically. If the Huawei account is not tied, the data cannot be transferred - it is stored locally on the bracelet for only 7 days.

Can you use Honor Band 5 with Xiaomi on iOS (if your phone is an iPhone)?

No, Honor Band 5 doesn't officially support iOS through Huawei Health. There's a workaround, however: Install Huawei Health on an Android device (like a tablet); plug in the bracelet and set it up; use apps like Notify & Fitness on your iPhone to receive notifications (but without synchronizing health data); full-time work is only possible with Android.

How to Reset Honor Band 5 if it’s not connected to Xiaomi?

Hard reset: Charge the bracelet to 100%. Press and hold the touch button for 15 seconds until the Honor logo appears. After reset, the bracelet will be reset to factory settings. If the reset does not help, check the physical condition of the charging contacts - oxidation or contamination can block the bracelet from working.