How to connect Xiaomi bracelet to another phone: instructions with nuances

Switching to a new smartphone doesn’t mean you’ll have to buy a new fitness bracelet. All Mi Band models (from Mi Band 2 to Xiaomi Smart Band 8 Pro) support transfer to another device — the main thing is to do it correctly so you don’t lose your data history and encounter synchronization errors. In this article, we’ll break down a step-by-step algorithm that is guaranteed to work even for users without technical experience.

The main problem when connecting the bracelet to another phone is an account conflict. If you just install the Mi Fitness app (formerly Mi Fit) on a new phone and try to add the device, the system may give an error "The device is already tethered." To avoid this, you first need to properly untie the bracelet from the old smartphone, and then sync with the new one. We will look at both stages, and also analyze the unique nuances for NFC bracelets (for example, Mi Band 7 Pro or Smart Band 8 Pro), where additional configuration of payment systems is required.

Preparation: What to do before connecting

Before you start transferring the bracelet, make sure that three key conditions are met:

  • 📱 Old phone should be at hand – without it it is impossible to untie the bracelet remotely (unless you know the password from the Xiaomi account).
  • 🔋 At least 30 percent charge, with low battery levels, the synchronization process may be interrupted.
  • 🌐 Stable internet on both phones.Mi Fitness app requires online connection to authorize and share data.

If you use a Xiaomi Pay bracelet (such as Mi Band 6 NFC or later), check beforehand whether the bank card is tied to the device. After changing the phone, the payment data is automatically reset — you have to reconfigure it — a security measure that can not be circumvented.

📊 What kind of bracelet Xiaomi you use?
Mi Band 5 or older
Mi Band 6
Mi Band 7
Smart Band 8 (Pro)
Other

It is also worth considering that when transferring the bracelet to a phone with another operating system (for example, from Android to iOS or vice versa), there may be problems with the history of data. The fact is that Mi Fitness stores some of the information locally on the device, and when you change the platform, this data does not always migrate correctly, in which case we recommend exporting the history manually through the application menu (Profile) → Settings → Export of data).

Step 1: Untie the bracelet from the old phone

The most common mistake is trying to connect the bracelet to a new phone without removing it from the old one, which leads to account conflict and locking the device.

  1. Open the Mi Fitness app on your old phone.
  2. Go to the Profile section → My devices.
  3. Choose your bracelet (e.g. Mi Smart Band 7).
  4. Click on the three dots in the upper right corner and select Remove the device.
  5. Confirm the action by entering the password from the Xiaomi account.

If you don’t have access to your old phone (it’s broken, lost, or sold), you can untie the bracelet via the web version of your Xiaomi account:

  • 🌍 Go to account.xiaomi.com.
  • 🔑 Sign in with the same account to which the bracelet is linked.
  • 📱 In the Devices section, find your bracelet and remove it.

☑️ What to check before the unbundling

Done: 0 / 4

⚠️ Note: If the bracelet was linked to a Google Fit or Apple Health account, the data will no longer sync once unplugged. To avoid losing history, export the data manually through the app settings.

Step 2: Install the app on a new phone

After successfully detaching the bracelet from the old device, you can start setting up on the new phone, and there are a few nuances here depending on the bracelet model and the smartphone operating system.

For Android:

  1. Download the Mi Fitness app from Google Play.
  2. Sign in with the same Xiaomi account that the bracelet was attached to.
  3. Turn on Bluetooth and Geodata (required for the pedometer to work correctly).

For iOS:

  1. Install Mi Fitness from the App Store.
  2. In your iPhone settings, allow the app to access Bluetooth, Notifications, and Health (if you plan to sync with Apple Health).
  3. Sign in to your Xiaomi account.

Important: if you use an NFC bracelet (like the Mi Band 7 Pro), after you log in, the application will request to set up Xiaomi Pay. It can be skipped, but then the contactless payment function will not work. To activate you will need to link the bank card again - even if it was configured on an old phone.

💡

If the Mi Fitness app doesn't find the bracelet, try restarting Bluetooth on your phone or resetting the network settings. Sometimes it helps to re-scan the device after restarting the app.

Step 3: Connecting the bracelet to a new phone

Now you can start to synchronize directly. The algorithm is the same for all Mi Band models, but it may vary slightly depending on the firmware version of the bracelet.

  1. Open Mi Fitness and click Add Device (+ icon in the upper right corner).
  2. Choose your bracelet model from the list. If your model is not available, select Another device.
  3. Press Link and wait until the app finds the bracelet over Bluetooth.
  4. Confirm the connection on the bracelet (click on its screen if required).
  5. Wait until the synchronization is complete (it can take up to 5 minutes).

If the bracelet is not detected, check:

  • 🔋 Charge level (at a charge below 15%, Bluetooth may be turned off).
  • 📶 Distance between phone and bracelet (should be no more than 10 meters).
  • 🔄 Reboot both devices and try again.
Problem.Possible causeDecision
The bracelet is notBluetooth is disabled or faultyTurn on Bluetooth, restart your phone
Error "The device is already tethered"The bracelet was not untied from the old phone.Delete the device via the web version of your Xiaomi account
Synchronization interruptedWeak Bluetooth signal or low bracelet chargeCharge the bracelet, get close to the phone.
Notifications are not workingNo permissions are given in the phone settingsCheck the permissions for Mi Fitness in the OS settings

⚠️ Note: If you connect the bracelet to a phone of a different brand (not Xiaomi), you may need to adjust the permissions further. For example, on Samsung smartphones you need to manually allow Mi Fitness to work in the background, otherwise sync will be interrupted.

Features of connecting bracelets with NFC

Mi Band 6 NFC, Mi Band 7 Pro and Smart Band 8 Pro models support contactless payments via Xiaomi Pay. When you transfer such a bracelet to a new phone, all payment data is reset – a security measure that can not be turned off.

To restore the payment function:

  1. After connecting the bracelet, open the Xiaomi Pay section in the Mi Fitness app.
  2. Click Add Card and follow the instructions of the bank.
  3. Confirm the binding via SMS or push notification.
  4. Wait for the synchronization (it can take up to 10 minutes).

Important: not all banks support Xiaomi Pay. Before setting up, check the list of partners on the official website. If your bank is not on the list, the payment function will not work.

What if the bank does not support Xiaomi Pay?
Alternative payment methods can be used, such as linking the bracelet to Google Pay (on Android) or Apple Pay (on iOS), but this will require an open-architecture bracelet (such as some Wear OS models).

Transferring data history and settings

With the right connection, most of the data (steps, pulse, sleep) will automatically sync with Xiaomi’s cloud and be available on the new phone.However, some settings (such as alarm clocks, activity goals, or custom dials) may reset.

To restore them:

  • 🕒 Alarms: Go to the profile → Alarm clocks and set them up again.
  • 🎯 Activity objectives: In the Statistics section → Targets.
  • ⌚ Dials: Download your favorite dials again to Profile → Dials.

If the data history is not displayed, try:

  1. Update the Mi Fitness app to the latest version.
  2. Reboot your phone and bracelet.
  3. Manually start the synchronization by pulling the application screen down.

💡

If you used the bracelet to unlock your old phone (a Smart Lock feature), the new device will have to configure this setting again. It does not automatically carry over.

Frequent mistakes and their solutions

Even with the correct following of the instructions, there can be failures. Let's look at the typical problems and how to fix them.

1. The bracelet connects but does not synchronize data

Reason: conflict of firmware or application versions.

Decision:

  • Update Mi Fitness in the app store.
  • Check the firmware version of the bracelet in Profile → About the device.
  • If the firmware is outdated, update it through the application.

2 Notifications don't come on the bracelet

Reason: Notification permissions are not given or Do Not Disturb mode is enabled.

Decision:

  • On Android: Settings → Applications → Mi Fitness → Notifications (all types allowed).
  • On iOS: Settings → Notifications → Mi Fitness (enable alerts).
  • In the app: Profile → Notifications (enable synchronization).

3.The bracelet discharges quickly after connection

Reason: background Bluetooth activity or synchronization error.

Decision:

  • Turn off unnecessary notifications in the bracelet settings.
  • Reset the bracelet to factory settings (Profile → About the device → Reset).
  • Update the firmware through Mi Fitness.
Can you connect one Xiaomi bracelet to two phones at the same time?
No, the Mi Band only supports binding to one device, and if you try to connect it to a second phone, the first phone will automatically lose communication, except for models on Wear OS (such as the Xiaomi Watch S3), but they are not in the Mi Band line.
What happens if you don't untie the bracelet from your old phone?
When you try to connect to a new phone, you will get an error called “Device is already tethered” and the only way to resolve the problem is by removing the bracelet from your Xiaomi account (via the web version or the old device), in some cases, you may need to reset the bracelet to factory settings.
How to transfer sleep and footstep data to a new phone?
If both phones used the same Xiaomi account, the story will automatically pull up from the cloud once you connect. If the accounts are different, export the data manually through Profile → Settings → Data Export (available in CSV or Excel format).
Why don’t you connect to your new phone and make gestures?
Gestures (such as raising your hand to turn on the screen) are reset when you move the bracelet, and you need to reconfigure them in Profile → Device settings → Gestures. Also check if the function is enabled in the bracelet screen settings.
Can I connect a Xiaomi bracelet to a phone without the Internet?
No, the initial link requires an internet connection (to log in to your Xiaomi account and synchronize data) and once connected, the bracelet will work offline, but some features (such as weather updates) will require a periodic connection to the network.