The integration of wearables into the Android smartphone ecosystem is often a question for users, especially when it comes to a mix of brands. Honor 20 owners may encounter the peculiarities of the EMUI shell, which aggressively manages background processes for energy savings.
Proper pairing ensures not only that you transmit your steps, but that notifications, alarms, and sleep tracking work properly. Ignoring your phone’s system settings often causes the tracker to lose touch with your phone. In this article, we’ll look at all the connectivity nuances that are relevant to current firmware versions.
The process of pairing a fitness tracker and a smartphone begins long before the first button is pressed on the screen. Pre-preparation of the Honor 20 device is critical to avoid search errors. You need to make sure that the operating system is updated to the latest available version, as old security patches can block the operation of new Bluetooth protocols.
The official device management app should be downloaded first. Mi Fit remains relevant for most models, although newer versions of the bracelets increasingly require Zepp Life installation.
Before starting the procedure, make sure that at least 20-30% of the battery is charged on the bracelet. Low charge can cause interruption of the initialization process or incorrect recording of firmware. Also check whether Bluetooth is on in the notification curtain and whether the phone is visible for other devices.
☑️ Preparing Honor 20 for synchronization
There are two main ways to activate the tracker: through an automatic in-app search and through the standard Bluetooth menu.Savvy users recommend using the former method, as it provides deeper integration of services.
To start, open the app and log in to your Mi Account or Google account. Click on the plus icon or the Add Device button at the top of the screen. The app will request permission to use Bluetooth and geolocation, which are mandatory for the scanner to work.
Put the bracelet next to your smartphone. If the device has not been paired before, it will go into search mode. The scan animation will appear on the phone screen. As soon as an image of your bracelet (such as the Mi Band 4 or 5) appears, click on it.
- 📱 Make sure the screen of the bracelet is on at the time of searching.
- 🔍 Do not press the pairing button in the Bluetooth system settings manually.
- ✅ Wait for the numeric code to appear on both devices to confirm.
⚠️ Warning: If the app says “Device not found” while searching, try rebooting Bluetooth on your phone, but don’t try to create a pair through the Android system settings menu, this can cause driver conflict.
In some cases, Android may request additional permissions to work with Bluetooth Low Power (BLE) devices. On the Honor 20 with an EMUI shell, it is important to allow the application to run in the background immediately after installation, which will prevent the connection from breaking when the smartphone screen goes out.
Once paired successfully, the bracelet screen may be prompted to synchronize time. Automatic time settings are done via the phone's Internet channel, so make sure the date and time zone are set correctly. A time error will result in incorrect sleep and activity statistics.
The EMUI shell on the Honor 20 is known for its strict energy saving policy, which can force the tracker application to close, considering it an unnecessary resource user, and to avoid constant notifications of loss of communication, you need to manually adjust the launch settings.
Go to the phone settings and find the Battery section. In the application list, find Mi Fit or Zepp Life. You need to change the mode to Manual Control and activate all three sliders: Autostart, Secondary Start and Background Operation.
You also need to lock the app in memory, open the list of running applications (bottom-up swipe and retention), find the tracker window and pull it down until the lock appears, which prevents the system from unloading the application from RAM during cleaning.
- 🔋 Turn on “Do not turn off screen” in Bluetooth settings for stability.
- 🚫 Turn off energy savings for tracker app.
- 📲 Allow display over other windows for pop-up notifications.
| Setup parameter | Where to find in Honor 20 | Recommended value |
|---|---|---|
| Auto-start | Settings → Applications → Auto Launch | On (Mi Fit) |
| Access to location | Settings → Applications → Permissions | Allowed always |
| Notifications | Settings → Notifications | Allow everything |
| Optimizing the battery | Settings → Battery → Launching applications | Manually operate |
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If notifications still don’t come, try in Bluetooth settings to tap the gear next to the bracelet name and enable the Sound & Media option (if available), and then turn it off again.
One of the most common problems with connecting is the inability to receive notifications from messengers. Even if the bracelet vibrates when an incoming call is made, messages from Telegram, WhatsApp or Viber may not arrive, which is because Android requires explicit permission to read notifications for each application.
Go to the settings of the Mi Fit or Zepp Life app itself. Find Profile → Mi Band → Application Notifications. You need to activate the switches in front of the desired programs. You will also see a notification system window on your phone screen where you need to find a tracker and allow access.
It is important to understand the difference between the display of a notification and its content. For security reasons, some banking and encrypted messengers can hide the text of a message on the bracelet screen, showing only the name of the application. Phone privacy settings can block the transfer of content to wearable devices.
⚠️ Warning: After the Honor operating system update, notification settings may reset. Check this menu section after each major firmware update.
Sometimes users are faced with a situation where the bracelet is visible in the Bluetooth list, but does not connect to the application, giving an error "failed to connect", often this happens if the device was previously paired with another phone or if the system has accumulated a cache of errors.
The first step to fix the problem is to completely clean the list of conjugated devices. Go to Settings → Bluetooth, find your bracelet in the list and click "Forget device" or "Cancel pairing." After that, restart your smartphone.
If the problem persists, you may need to reset the tracker itself. On the bracelet, find the System or More menu and select Unbind/Reset. Once you return to the factory settings, you need to start the pairing procedure again, as when you first turn on.
What if the Honor 20 doesn’t see the bracelet?
To make the tracker work properly, you need to configure the synchronization of health data, the application can request access to motion sensors and location history, and without permission to access the history of movement, the Distance function and the accurate step count may not work properly.
In the Sport section, you can customize the data you display, you can choose which metrics you display on your wristband during exercise: pulse, pace, calories, or time, and Customization helps you track the metrics that are important to you.
Remember to update the bracelet firmware periodically through the app. Manufacturers release updates that improve the accuracy of heart rate sensors and correct connection errors. Usually, a notification of a new version appears automatically when you open the app.
- ❤️ Calibrate the pulse sensor if the readings seem inaccurate.
- 📏 Indicate your height and weight in your profile for accurate calorie counting.
- 🌙 Set up a “Do Not Disturb” mode for sleep so that the bracelet does not vibrate at night.
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The stable operation of the Honor 20 and Mi Band bundle depends on the correct power saving settings of the EMUI, not the power of the Bluetooth module, 90%.