Connecting Xiaomi Mi Band 4 to another phone: full instructions with data saving

The transfer of the Xiaomi Mi Band 4 fitness bracelet to a new smartphone is often a question for users, many are afraid of losing accumulated data about training, sleep or pulse when changing the device. In fact, the procedure takes no more than 5 minutes, if you know the key nuances of synchronization through the official Mi Fit app or its alternatives.

The main difficulty is that the bracelet is initially tied to the Xiaomi account on the old phone. Without the right disconnection, the new device may simply not detect the gadget or give a connection error. In this article, we will discuss three working methods of transferring – with saving activity history, with a full reset and through third-party applications for those who do not want to use the Mi Fit.

It is important to consider the firmware version of the bracelet: on the Mi Band 4 with firmware older than 1.0.9.38, the synchronization algorithm is different. We will discuss this separately and show you how to check the current version of the software.

Preparing for Connection: What to Do on an Old Phone

Before you can link the Mi Band 4 to a new device, you need to properly disconnect it from the old one, which will prevent synchronization conflicts and save your data in the Xiaomi cloud.

1. Open the Mi Fit app on your old phone.
2. Go to the Profile section → Mi Smart Band 4.
3. Click on the three dots in the upper right corner and select Disable the device.
4. Confirm the action - the bracelet vibrates once, signaling a shutdown.

The critical caveat is that if you just remove the Mi Fit app from your old phone without turning off the bracelet, the new smartphone won't be able to connect to it for 24 hours, which is a security mechanism against unauthorized access, in which case you'll have to do a full reset of the Mi Band 4 through the physical button.

We also recommend synchronizing all data before disabling:

• 📊 Open the Stats tab in Mi Fit and wait for the sync to complete (the cloud icon at the top should stop spinning).
• 🔄 Go to Settings → Data Sync and click Sync Now.
• 📱 Make sure the new phone has the same Mi Fit app installed (version at least 4.6.0) and you are logged in to the same Xiaomi account.

⚠️ Warning: If you use different Xiaomi accounts on your old and new phone, your workout and sleep data won’t be automatically transferred.This will require manually exporting your history through Settings → Exporting your data in.csv format.

Method 1: Standard connection via Mi Fit (with data storage)

This method is suitable if you use the same Xiaomi account on both phones.All the accumulated data (steps, sleep, pulse) will automatically be downloaded to the new device after synchronization.

Instructions:

1. Install Mi Fit on your new phone from Google Play or App Store.
2. Sign in to the same Xiaomi account as your old device.
3. Start your device search: Profile → Add device → Mi Smart Band 4
4. When the bracelet appears in the list, click on it and confirm the connection on the Mi Band 4 itself (touch the sensor).

If the bracelet is not present:

• 🔋 Make sure the Mi Band 4 charge is above 20% (at low charge, the Bluetooth module turns off).
• 📶 Enable Bluetooth and geolocation on your new phone (required for Android 6.0+).
• 🔄 Reset the bracelet by holding the touch button 10 seconds before vibration.

After a successful connection, wait until the data is fully synchronized (it can take up to 10 minutes). Progress is displayed as a rotating cloud icon in the top panel of the application. If some data is not transferred, check:

1. Synchronization settings in Profile → Mi Smart Band 4 → Data Synchronization
2. Internet connection (data is stored in the Xiaomi cloud)
3. The bracelet firmware version (update if necessary).

Method 2: Completely reset the bracelet (if you can’t connect)

If the standard method didn’t work or you want to link the Mi Band 4 to another Xiaomi account, you’ll need a full reset, which will remove all the data from the bracelet, but allow you to connect it to the new phone from scratch.

How to make a hard reset:

1. Disconnect the bracelet from the charger (if it was on charge).
2. Find a physical button on the Mi Band 4 case (under the touch screen).
3. Hold it for 15-20 seconds until you feel three vibrations in a row.
4. Release the button and the bracelet will reboot and show the Mi logo.

After discharge:

• 🔄 The bracelet will automatically go into search mode (the Bluetooth icon will appear on the screen).
• 📱 On a new phone, launch the Mi Fit and add the device as new.
• 🔐 Link the bracelet to the desired Xiaomi account (you can use another one, not like on an old phone).

⚠️ Warning: After a hard reset, all unsynchronized data (in the last 7 days) will be lost.If you haven't backed up through Settings → Export data on your old phone, it won't be possible to recover it.

If the reset didn't help and the bracelet still doesn't connect:

1. Check the phone compatibility: Mi Band 4 officially supports Android 5.0+ and iOS 10.0+.
2. Remove the Mi Fit app cache in your phone settings (Settings → Applications → Mi Fit → Memory → Clear the cache).
3. Try connecting via another app, such as Notify & Fitness for Mi Band (available on Google Play).

Method 3: Connecting through third-party applications (without Mi Fit)

Not everyone likes the official Mi Fit app because of limited functionality or synchronization issues, so you can use alternative programs that support Mi Band 4:

Instructions for Notify & Fitness:

1. Install the application and provide all the permissions requested.
2. Turn on the developer mode on the bracelet: 5 times tap Settings → About the bracelet → Model number.
3. Go back to the main menu and select Connect device → Mi Band 4.
4. Confirm the pairing on the phone and bracelet.

Advantages of third-party applications:

• 🔔 Flexible notification settings (application filtering, vibration).
• 📊 Export data to Google Fit, Apple Health or Strava.
• 🎨 Customization of dials (even those not available in Mi Fit).

⚠️ Warning: When using third-party apps, official firmware updates for Mi Band 4 may not be installed. To update the software, temporarily return to Mi Fit.

💡

If notifications stop coming after connecting through a third-party app, check your Android energy saving settings. Add the app to the exclusion list (Settings → Battery → Battery Optimization → All apps → Notify & Fitness → Not Optimize).

Connection problems and their solutions

Even if you follow instructions correctly, users often encounter errors, and let's look at the most common cases and ways to fix them:

If Mi Band 4 is connected but does not display notifications:

• 📵 Check the permissions for Mi Fit in your phone settings (Settings → Applications → Mi Fit → Notifications → Allow).
• 🔕 Make sure notifications are enabled in the app itself (Profile → Mi Smart Band 4 → Notifications → Enable).
• 📱 Android 10+ may require additional permission to access notifications (Settings → Apps → Special Access → Access to Notifications).

For iPhone users:

1. Go to Settings → Bluetooth and “forget” the Mi Band 4 device.
2. In Settings → Privacy → Geolocation Services enable access for Mi Fit.
3. Reboot your iPhone and reconnect.

💡

90% of connection problems are solved by restarting the bracelet and phone, updating the Mi Fit to the latest version and checking Bluetooth/geolocation permissions.

How to transfer your training and sleep data to your new phone

If you used different Xiaomi accounts on your old and new phone, the data will not automatically be transferred, in which case manual exporting will help:

Method 1: Mi Fit (for Android)

1. On your old phone, open Mi Fit and go to Profile → Settings → Export data.
2. Select the period (e.g., "All Period") and the.csv format.
3. The file will be saved in the Download/MiFit folder, and then you can transfer it to the new phone.
4. On the new device, import data through Profile → Settings → Data Import.

Method 2: Google Fit (if previously synced)

1. On your old phone, open Google Fit.
2. Go to Profile → Settings → Data Management → Data Export.
3. Download the archive and upload it to your new phone via Google Fit.

Limitations:

• 📅 Sleep data is exported only for the last 30 days.
• 🏃 Training information is transferred without detail (e.g., without a route map for running).
• ⚠️ Some third-party applications (e.g. Strava) may not accept imported files.

To fully transfer the activity history, you should use the same Xiaomi account on both phones, in which case all data will automatically be downloaded from the cloud after the first connection of the Mi Band 4.

Update the firmware after connecting to a new phone

After successfully connecting the Mi Band 4 to the new device, it is recommended to update the firmware of the bracelet, which will fix possible bugs and add new features (for example, support for additional dials).

How to update software:

1. Open Mi Fit and go to Profile → Mi Smart Band 4 → Firmware Update.
2. If a new version is available, click Update.
3. Wait until the process is complete (the bracelet will reboot automatically).

Important points:

• 🔋 The bracelet should be above 50%.
• 📶 Make sure your phone is connected to stable Wi-Fi (the update doesn't work over the mobile internet).
• ⏳ Do not interrupt the process, as this may cause the bracelet to "brickle up."

If the update is not available:

1. Check the region of your Xiaomi account (some firmware is only available in China).
2. Update your Mi Fit to the latest version.
3. Connect to another Wi-Fi network (sometimes corporate networks block downloads).

FAQ: Frequent questions about connecting Mi Band 4