How to connect Xiaomi Mi Band 5 to a new phone

Moving to a new smartphone is always stressful, with the transfer of contacts, photos and app settings. However, for owners of Xiaomi wearable electronics, the migration process often raises additional questions, especially when it comes to re-binding the activity tracker. The Mi Band 5 model remains popular due to its AMOLED screen and accurate sensors, but its binding to the account requires careful attention when changing the device.

The main difficulty is that a fitness bracelet cannot be active on two smartphones at the same time. If you just install the app on a new gadget and try to find the device, the system will give an error indicating that the tracker is already busy.

In this guide, we’ll take a look at all the steps of the transition, from the proper untidying to the subtleties of setting up notifications on Android or iOS.You’ll learn how to keep your activity history and avoid common mistakes that lead to resets or data loss.

Preparing an old smartphone for a change of device

Before picking up a new phone, it’s critical to get the old one right. Many users make the mistake of simply uninstalling the app or resetting the bracelet itself, which doesn’t always lead to the device being released correctly in the Xiaomi cloud. The first step is to log in to the Mi Fitness app (or Mi Fit if you’re using the older version) on your current smartphone.

Inside the app, you need to find the profile management section, which is usually located in the bottom navigation bar or in the side menu, select your Mi Band 5 image and scroll down the options list, and that's where a key feature that's often ignored hides.

• 📱 Click on “Unbind” or “Ununbind” in your device profile.
• 🗑️ Confirm the action in the pop-up window by agreeing to delete the sync data from the current phone.
• 🔄 Wait until the vibration and the broken connection icon appear on the bracelet screen.

⚠️ Warning: Do not completely reset through the menu of the bracelet itself before the detachment in the application. This can cause the device to remain “locked” on the account in the cloud server, and the new phone will not see it.

After successful untying, the tracker will return to standby mode, and will appear on its screen. QR-Only now you can switch to setting up a new smartphone, and if an old phone is already sold or lost, the procedure becomes more complicated and requires you to log in via a web interface or re-register the device as new, which can lead to the loss of some historical data.

Also, make sure that your old device is fully synchronized before the junction. Pull down the Mi Fitness app's home screen to force you to update your steps, sleep and heart rate statistics, ensuring that your activity history is retained in your account profile even if the physical device is changed.

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Installation and configuration of the Mi Fitness application

On the new smartphone, the process begins with the installation of software. To work with the Mi Band 5, Xiaomi recommends using the Mi Fitness app (formerly known as Zepp Life for some regions, but now there is an active transition to a single platform), you can download it from the official Google Play stores or the App Store.

Once installed, launch the app and log into your existing Mi Account or Xiaomi Account. This is a critical point: using the same login as the old phone will allow you to restore some of the settings and save the accumulated statistics. If you create a new account, the tracker will have to be configured from scratch, as if you just bought it in a store.

In the application interface, go to the Profile tab and select the option to add the device. QR-code that appears on the bracelet screen in standby mode, or find the device in the list available via Bluetooth. For the Mi Band 5 model, it is often easier to use automatic search if the bracelet is nearby.

• 🔍 Turn on Bluetooth and GPS on a new smartphone for a correct search.
• 📲 Allow the app to access geolocation, as this is an Android system requirement for Bluetooth scanning to work.
• 🤝 Confirm pairing by pressing the button on the bracelet screen when the request appears.

During the initial setup, the application may suggest updating the tracker firmware. It is recommended to agree to this action from the charger, since the update may consume energy.

If the automatic search doesn't work, try using the manual method through the Bluetooth system settings. Find the Mi Smart Band 5 in the list of devices and click "Connect." After successful pairing, return to the Mi Fitness app and it should automatically determine the tracker already connected.

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Solving Device Detection Problems

The situation where the new phone does not see the Mi Band 5 is one of the most common.This can be caused by caching old Bluetooth data in the system or conflicting versions of the application. First of all, make sure that the bracelet is not connected to any other device in range, including tablets or old smartphones.

Try clearing the list of paired devices in your new phone's Bluetooth settings. Find the Mi Band 5 list, click on the gear icon or information button next to the name and select "Forget the device" or "Unpair the pairing." After that, turn off Bluetooth completely, wait 10 seconds and turn it on again.

In some cases, rebooting the tracker itself helps. For the Mi Band 5, there is a combination of actions: go to the bracelet settings, find System, and select Reboot. If the menu is not available, you can put the tracker on charging, wait for vibration and then disconnect from the cable.

⚠️ Note: If you use an iPhone, make sure that Bluetooth is allowed in the privacy settings for the Mi Fitness app. Without this permission, device search will be unsuccessful, even if the Bluetooth system menu is enabled.

It’s also worth checking the version of the smartphone operating system. Modern versions of Mi Fitness apps require Android 6.0 and higher or iOS 12.0 and higher to work smoothly. On older versions of the OS, new Bluetooth encryption protocols may not work properly.

If nothing works, try installing an alternative Notify for Mi Band app (Android only) for diagnosis.It often shows more detailed information about connection errors and can force you to break communication if standard methods are powerless.

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Setup of permissions and notifications

Once successfully connected, there is a fine-tuning phase that will determine the functionality of the device. By default, many notifications may not come, as modern versions of Android and iOS aggressively restrict the background operation of applications to save battery.

Go to your smartphone settings, find the Apps section, and select Mi Fitness. In the Permissions menu, make sure that contacts, SMS, phone, location, and notifications are activated. Without access to contacts, the bracelet will not be able to display the names of callers, showing only the number.

Special attention should be paid to setting up auto-start. On phones with a shell MIUI or HyperOS, you need to go to the application “Security” → “Permissions” → “Out-Start” and turn on the switch for Mi Fitness, which will allow the application to work constantly in the background and instantly transmit data about the pulse or steps.

• 🔔 In the Notifications and Status bar section, allow display over other applications.
• 🔋 In the battery settings, select No Limits mode for the tracker app.
• 📞 In the Mi Fitness application itself in the "Profile" section» → «Notifications activate the desired applications (WhatsApp, Telegram, Viber).

It's important for iPhone users not to swipe the app completely. While iOS can wake apps, keeping the app running is better for stable alarm clock and motion reminders, and check the privacy settings in the Health section and allow all types of data to be recorded.

Don't forget to set up the display of information on the screen. In the app, you can choose which data will be displayed when you lift your wrist: time, pulse, weather or steps, which allows you to personalize your use of the tracker to your needs without cluttering the screen with unnecessary widgets.

Synchronization of data and work with the account

One of the big questions when changing phones is whether you're still walking and sleeping, and the answer depends on whether you've used a cloud account. If you're logged in to the same Mi Account, the bracelet and first sync will pull the data out of the cloud, but if you untie the device on your old phone and don't sync, the local data on your old device may be lost.

Use the built-in export features to integrate with other health services. The Mi Fitness app has an Add Accounts section where you can link the tracker to Google Fit, Apple Health or Strava, which backs up your data to independent services, which is especially useful when changing gadgets frequently.

The sync process can take time when you first start. Don't interrupt the connection, keep your phone and bracelet close by. If you notice that data from past days is not displayed, try manual sync by pulling the app's main screen down until the update animation appears.

It's important to understand that the Mi Band 5 has limited internal memory, it stores activity data for about 7-10 days without synchronization. If you haven't connected the bracelet to your phone for more than two weeks, the old data can be overwritten with new ones and it won't be possible to restore it.

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Using a single Mi Account across all devices is the only guaranteed way to keep your activity history when you switch to a new smartphone. Local data without cloud synchronization is not portable.

Additional functions and calibration

After you've set up a basic setup, you should look at features that are often overlooked, like pedometer calibration. If you notice that the Mi Band 5 has steps when you just move your hand, or it ignores walking, then you should do the calibration. There's a test in the app that you need to walk a certain distance.

Also check the wrist lift settings, and you can adjust the sensitivity of this sensor, so if the screen lights up too often or doesn't respond to movement, change the settings in the "Bracelet settings" section, which has a significant impact on the autonomy of the device.

Remember to set the dials. When you switch to a new phone, the dial you previously installed may reset to a standard dial. Go to the in-app dial store and reset the design you want. Some complex dials may require additional data downloads.

⚠️ Warning: When installing third-party dials from unverified sources, be careful.Some modified dials may contain code errors that cause the bracelet to freeze or quickly discharge the battery.

For sports users, it's important to reset activity goals, and when you change your phone or change your weight or height, you should recalculate your step and calorie values, and that data is in your profile, and it affects your daily activity algorithms.

Check out PAI (Personal Activity Intelligence) -- a unique measure from Amazfit/Xiaomi that measures the health effects of activity -- and it requires continuous pulse data collection over several days to work properly, so give the system a week to collect your data after you change your phone.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

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If you plan to sell an old phone, be sure to make a full reset of the Mi Band 5 through the app before untieing.This will remove all your personal data (cardiograms, jogging routes) from the tracker's memory, ensuring your privacy.