The Xiaomi Mi Band fitness bracelets have long been an integral part of the brand’s smart gadget ecosystem, allowing you to track activity, monitor sleep, receive notifications and even manage some of the smartphone’s functions. However, many users face difficulties when connecting the bracelet to their phone for the first time — especially if both are from Xiaomi. In this article, we will examine not only the standard synchronization procedure, but also the nuances that arise when working with different generations of the Mi Band (from Mi Band 5 to Mi Band 8) and smartphones on MIUI.
The key to connecting the bracelet to the phone of the same manufacturer is the streamlined integration: for example, Xiaomi and Redmi with MIUI 12+ have additional features like quick access to the bracelet data through the notification panel. But there are pitfalls: some Mi Band models require a firmware update before first connecting, and older versions of the Mi Fitness app (formerly Mi Fit) may not have the right options. We will tell you how to avoid typical errors and what to do if the bracelet is not determined by the phone.
What Mi Band models are compatible with Xiaomi phones
All the bracelets of the Mi Band series, starting with the Mi Band 3, officially support synchronization with Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO smartphones based on Android 6.0+.
- 📱 Mi Band 3/4: Require Mi Fit apps (outdated but still working) on new Xiaomi smartphones may require manual installation APK.
- 📱 Mi Band 5/6/7/8: They use Mi Fitness (an updated application with advanced features). MIUI 12–14.
- 📱 Mi Band 8 Pro: You need the latest version of Mi Fitness (minimum version of Android – 8.0).
Important: Mi Band bracelets are not compatible with the iPhone through official Xiaomi software. For iOS, there is a separate application Mi Fitness for iOS, but the functionality there is stripped (for example, there is no music management).
Preparing Xiaomi phone to connect the bracelet
Before syncing, make sure your smartphone is ready to work with the Mi Band:
- Update MIUI to the latest version via Settings → About Phone → System Update. Older versions of the OS may not support new bracelets.
- Activate Bluetooth and geolocation (required to find the device). path: settings → Connections and sharing → Bluetooth.
- Allow auto-run for Mi Fitness: Settings → Apps → Application Management → Mi Fitness → Auto-run
- Turn off power saving mode for Bluetooth in Settings → Battery and performance → Mode selection.
If you are using Mi Band 3/4, download the archived version of Mi Fit from Xiaomi’s official website (link: https://apps.mi.com). For new models, install Mi Fitness from Google Play or AppGallery (for devices without Google services).
☑️ Checklist before connection
Step-by-step: how to connect Mi Band to the phone Xiaomi
Consider the process with the Mi Band 7 and the Xiaomi 13 smartphone with MIUI 14. For other models, the steps are similar, but may differ slightly.
- Launch the Mi Fitness app and log in to your Xiaomi account (or create a new one). Without an account, data synchronization is impossible.
- Click Add Device (+ in the upper right corner). Select Mi Smart Band 7 from the list.
- Unlock the bracelet: If this is the first connection, tap the sensor on the Mi Band screen before the vibration appears.
- Hold the bracelet to your phone at a distance of < 10 cm, and it will start an automatic search. If the device is not found, click "Repeat search".
- Confirm pairing on both devices: the phone will appear code that should match the code on the bracelet screen.
- Update the firmware of the bracelet (if you have a request). This is necessary for the correct operation!
Critical point: if the bracelet does not display notifications after connecting, check the permissions for Mi Fitness in the Android settings (Notifications section → enable access to SMS and other applications).
What to do if the bracelet is not in place?
Configure notifications and additional functions
After successful connection, we will configure the key parameters:
- 🔔 Notifications: in Mi Fitness go to Profile → Mi Band 7 → Notifications, turn on the call options, SMS and applications (Telegram, WhatsApp, etc.).
- 🌙 Sleep Tracking: Activate in Profile → Mi Band 7 → Son → Automatic tracking. Turn off Do Not Disturb mode on your phone for accuracy.
- 🎵 Music Management: Include in Profile → Mi Band 7 → Music. Now you can switch tracks off the bracelet.
- 🔒 Unlocking the phone: set up in Settings MIUI → Screen locking → Additionally. → Unlocking through Mi Band.
The Mi Band 8 is available for Mi Band Display, which displays notifications on the full-screen display of the bracelet.
- Open Mi Fitness → Profile → Mi Band 8 → Display
- Choose the display style (classic or extended).
- Set up the notification order in the “Application Priority” section.
💡
If notifications are late, add Mi Fitness to the list of “Secure Applications” in the MIUI battery settings, which will prevent the system from forcing the software to close.
Typical errors and their solutions
Even with the right connection, users face problems. Let's look at the most common ones.
| Mistake. | Reason. | Decision |
|---|---|---|
| The bracelet is not | Outdated firmware bracelet or phone | Update MIUI and Mi Band firmware with Mi Fitness |
| Synchronization interrupted | Energy saving blocks Bluetooth | Turn off optimization for Mi Fitness in battery settings |
| No notifications. | No permissions are given for Mi Fitness | Check notification settings in Android and MIUI |
| The bracelet shuts down on its own. | Weak Bluetooth signal | Reduce the distance between devices or reconnect the bracelet |
If after updating the firmware bracelet stopped responding to touch, reset:
- Open Mi Fitness and remove the device from the list.
- On the bracelet, press the sensor 20 seconds before the Mi logo appears.
- Repeat the connection procedure again.
💡
Most connectivity problems are solved by updating the bracelet firmware and turning off the power saving for Bluetooth. If the error persists, try using another phone for diagnosis.
How to connect Mi Band to multiple phones
Officially, one Mi Band bracelet can only be synced to one Xiaomi account, but there are workarounds:
- 📲 Main phone: Use it to synchronize data (steps, sleep, pulse).
- 📲 Second phone: Connect the bracelet via Notify & Fitness for Mi Band (notification only, no health sync).
For this:
- Install Notify & Fitness on the second phone.
- Turn on Bluetooth and allow access to notifications.
- In the application settings, select the bracelet model and activate the “Connect as a secondary device” option.
⚠️ Note: with this connection, health data (pulse, sleep) will be recorded only on the main phone.
Resetting and reconnecting the bracelet
If the bracelet has started to glitches or is not synchronized, perform a full reset:
- Open Mi Fitness and remove the bracelet from the list of devices.
- On the Mi Band itself: For Mi Band 5/6/7: press the sensor 10 seconds before the reset menu appears. For Mi Band 8: go to Settings → System → Reset (on the bracelet screen).
Reconnect the bracelet as you did when you first used it.
After the reset, all data on the bracelet will be deleted, but it will be saved in the Xiaomi account if synchronization was previously enabled.
⚠️ Warning: If you sell or transfer the bracelet to another person, make sure to reset and untie it from your Mi Fitness account.