Modern wearables have become an integral part of the lives of millions of users who want to monitor their health and physical activity. Xiaomi Mi Band 4 remains one of the most popular fitness trackers due to the excellent balance of price, functionality and battery life. However, for the device to reach its full potential, it must be properly synchronized with a smartphone, which sometimes causes difficulties for beginners.
The setup process requires care, because the correctness of the steps depends on the stability of notifications, the accuracy of the steps count and the ability to update the firmware. In this article, we will discuss in detail how to connect the bracelet to the phone, what applications are needed and what to do if the connection is not installed the first time. Following the instructions will help avoid common mistakes and enjoy the gadget immediately after unpacking.
Preparation for the first turn on and charging of the device
Before trying to link the tracker to a smartphone, you need to make sure it has enough battery power. Often new devices that have been in storage for a long time are discharged to a minimum, and the Bluetooth module may not work stable or at all. Remove the capsule from the strap, carefully poking it on the inside, and connect to the charger before the battery icon appears on the screen.
Make sure your smartphone has Bluetooth enabled and geolocation activated. For the companion app to work properly on Android devices, access to the Internet GPS-coordinates are a requirement of the system, even if you don't plan to use route tracking. Without this permission, finding a device may not be successful.
It’s also worth checking your phone’s operating system version. To work with Mi Band 4, it’s recommended to use Android 5.0 and higher or iOS 10.0 and higher. If your smartphone is too old, functionality may be limited and connectivity unstable.
☑️ Checking before connection
Installation and configuration of a companion application
For a long time, Mi Fit was considered the de facto standard, but recently the manufacturer has been actively transferring users to the Zepp Life platform. Both applications are compatible with the fourth model of the bracelet, but the interface and name may differ.
Once installed, start the program and create an account. You can sign up via email, phone number, or fast login via Google, Facebook, or Xiaomi Account. Registration is mandatory, as all health data will be stored in the cloud and linked to your profile. Carefully fill in your personal data: height, weight, and date of birth are critical for proper calorie counting and sleep analysis.
Mi Fit or Zepp Life – Which one to choose?
An important step is to provide all the permissions requested. The app will request access to notifications, contacts, storage and background work. Without permission to work in the background and ignoring battery optimization, notifications from messengers will not come to the bracelet. Android system often “kills” background processes to save energy, so this step should not be missed.
The process of pairing the bracelet with a smartphone
When the app is installed and the account is created, we go directly to pairing. Don't try to connect the bracelet through the standard Bluetooth menu in the phone settings, this will lead to an error. The whole procedure must be strictly inside the Zepp Life or Mi Fit application interface.
On the app's home screen, click on the Profile tab (usually the person icon in the lower right corner), then select Add Device and find the "Mi Band 4" list. The app will start scanning nearby devices. At which point a request for pairing confirmation (vibration and icon) may appear on the tracker screen.
If the scan is delayed, try pressing the bracelet button several times to wake up the Bluetooth module. After a successful connection, the screen will show a progress bar for synchronizing time and settings. Do not interrupt this process and keep the devices close to each other. If successful, you will see the main menu with activity rings and statistics.
Set up notifications and personalization
One of the main functions of a smart bracelet is to receive notifications. In order for them to come, you need to go to the device settings in the application, select the "Application Notifications" item and activate the necessary sources: calls, SMS, WhatsApp, Telegram, Viber and others.
Personalization is also about dials. The Mi Band 4 supports changing images on the screen. The app has an extensive library of dials, both static and animated. If you choose your favorite design, click "Install" and the new background will load onto the tracker over Bluetooth. This can take some time depending on the complexity of the graphics.
- 📱 Set up your wrist lift to turn on the screen to save charge if you don’t use this feature constantly.
- 🔔 Adjust the vibration and volume of the alarm clock so that they are noticeable, but not too sharp.
- 🏃♂️ Set daily goals in steps that will motivate you to move more.
- 💧 Reminders about a sedentary lifestyle will help not to forget to warm up in the office.
You can also activate the Unlock Phone (not all smartphone models) or Phone Search feature in the settings, which will make the smartphone ring loudly when you click on the appropriate icon on the bracelet, which greatly improves the usability of the gadget in everyday life.
Table of compatibility and main characteristics
To better understand the capabilities of the device and the requirements for the smartphone, consider the main technical parameters and compatibility conditions in the summary table.
| Parameter | Value/Requirement | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Android OS | Android 5.0 and higher | Google Play Services is required |
| iOS | iOS 10.0 and higher | iPhone 5s and newer |
| Bluetooth | Version 4.0 and higher | Low energy consumption (BLE) |
| Annex | Zepp Life / Mi Fit | Be sure to set up |
| Screen. | AMOLED 0.95 inches | Colored, touchy. |
As you can see from the table, the requirements for a smartphone are quite democratic, which allows you to use the tracker even with devices of previous years of release, but the presence of Bluetooth 4.0 is a critical condition, since older versions of the protocol do not support the necessary energy saving mode.
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If you have an iPhone, make sure that the Bluetooth settings don’t show the device name as “unplugged” and sometimes it helps to reboot Bluetooth on the phone itself via “off” and re-enable.
Update of firmware and calibration
After the first connection, the app is almost guaranteed to offer an update to the firmware bracelet. Updating firmware is an important process that fixes bugs, improves sensor accuracy and adds new features. Don't ignore these updates, especially if you're facing problems at work.
The process of updating is like this: the application downloads the data packet, transmits it to the bracelet, after which the percentage of execution will appear on the tracker screen. At this point, you absolutely cannot turn off Bluetooth, close the application or go far from the phone.
What to do if the update is suspended?
It's also worth calibrating the pedometer. Walk a known distance (e.g., 100 meters) and compare the bracelet readings to reality. In the application settings, you can sometimes find the option of calibrating the step length, which will improve the accuracy of calculating the path traveled and calories burned.
Solving Common Connection Problems
Despite the simplicity of the procedure, users often face difficulties. One of the common problems is that the phone sees the bracelet but can't complete the pairing, in which case you need to go to the phone's Bluetooth settings, find the Mi Band 4 there (if there is one), and click "Forget the device" or "Tear apart a pair."
Another common situation is that the bracelet does not vibrate at notifications. Check whether Do Not Disturb (DND) mode is on the tracker itself (icon of the month). Also make sure that the application is allowed to work in the background and energy saving restrictions for Zepp Life are removed. Some Xiaomi smartphones (MIUI) need to manually attach the application to memory so that the system does not unload it.
- 🔄 Reset the bracelet to factory settings via the System menu on the tracker itself if it has stopped responding.
- 📱 Reinstall the application if it is not working correctly or if it is synchronizing errors.
- 🔋 Charge the device to 100% as at low charge some Bluetooth features can be blocked.
⚠️ Warning: If you have previously used a bracelet with another phone, be sure to remove it from the old device via the app and break the pair in Bluetooth. otherwise the new phone will not be able to connect to the tracker, as it will consider the connection with the previous host active.
⚠️ Warning: When you reset your bracelet settings, all the accumulated training and sleep data that has not yet been synced to the cloud will be irretrievably lost.
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The stability of the Mi Band 4 depends on the permissions given to the application, and if notifications do not arrive in 90% of cases, the problem lies in the power saving settings of the smartphone, not in the malfunction of the bracelet.