How to connect Xiaomi Mi Band 5 to a smartphone: instructions with photos and error solutions

The Xiaomi Mi Smart Band 5 fitness bracelet remains one of the most popular wearables due to its combination of functionality and affordable price. However, even experienced users sometimes have difficulty connecting to their phone for the first time — especially if it comes to changing their smartphone or reinstalling an app. This article will help you understand everything from basic synchronization to solving rare bugs that are not described in the official documentation.

We will not only look at the standard pairing procedure through the Mi Fitness app (formerly Mi Fit), but also at alternative ways for users with custom firmware or outdated versions. Android/iOS. Special attention will be paid to setting up notifications, managing permissions and optimizing the power consumption of the wristband – these points are often missed in brief instructions.

If you’ve tried Mi Band 5 and encountered a bug like “Device Can’t Find” or “Pair Failed,” there’s a section in the article that offers unique solutions for 2026, including issues with Bluetooth 5.2 and new versions of Android 14.+. You will also learn how to transfer data from the old bracelet to the new one without losing statistics.

Preparation for connection: what to check before starting

Before you start pairing, make sure your smartphone and bracelet are ready to go, and neglecting these steps often leads to failures during the device search or authorization phase.

First, check the compatibility of your phone:

• 📱 Android: version 6.0 or later (recommended 8.0)+ for stable operation. On devices with MIUI You may need to disable battery optimization for the Mi Fitness app.
• 🍎 iOS: iPhone with iOS version 10.0 and higher. For models older than iPhone 6s Possible problems with Bluetooth LE.
• 🔄 Bluetooth: should support Bluetooth 4.2 or later. on Android 12+ You may need to enable “Exact Location” permission to scan devices.

Second, prepare the bracelet itself:

• 🔋 Charge the Mi Band 5 to at least 20%.At a charge level below 15%, the device may not appear in the list available for connection.
• 🔄 If the bracelet has already been paired with another phone, reset via the Settings menu. → Reset (hold the touch button for 10 seconds until vibrations occur).
• 📶 Make sure the bracelet is within 1 metre of the phone – walls or other interference may block the Bluetooth Low Energy signal.

It is also worth downloading the official application in advance:

• 🤖 For Android: Mi Fitness on Google Play (formerly Mi Fit).
• 🍏 For iOS: Mi Fitness in the App Store.

⚠️ Note: If you use custom firmware (like LineageOS or Pixel Experience), check Bluetooth first. LE via the nRF Connect app. Some builds have issues with broadcast packets BLE, blocking the search for the bracelet.

Step-by-step: how to connect Mi Band 5 to Android

The pairing process on Android consists of 5 key steps. Follow them consistently to avoid errors.

Step 1: Installation and configuration of the application

1. Install Mi Fitness from Google Play and open it.
2. Select the region of Russia (or your country) and accept the terms of use.
3. Register with Xiaomi Account, Google or Apple ID. If you already have an account, log in.
4. Enable all permissions requested: Location, Notifications, Contacts (for calls), Warehouse (for backups).

Step 2: Adding a new device

1. On the main screen of the application, click Profile → Add the device.
2. Choose a bracelet. → Mi Smart Band 5.
3. Press Hide and wait until the app starts searching.

Install Mi Fitness from the official store |

Enable Bluetooth and geolocation |

Charge the bracelet to at least 20% |

Reset the bracelet settings (if it was already in use)|

Register with Xiaomi Account-->

Step 3: Bluetooth interface

1. The bracelet will have a vibration and the words Pairing... Confirm the pairing on the phone.
2. If the request does not appear, check that the phone is enabled Visibility Mode for Bluetooth (in some firmware it is disabled by default).
3. Enter. PIN-code, if requested (usually 0000 or 1234).

Step 4: Update the firmware (if necessary)

After pairing, the application will offer to update the firmware of the bracelet. We recommend you to agree, as new versions fix synchronization errors and add features (for example, support). SpO₂ Update will take 3-5 minutes – do not interrupt the process and keep the bracelet next to the phone.

Step 5: Set up the basic parameters

After updating, the application will offer to configure:

• 🕒 Time zone (must coincide with the phone).
• 🏃 Activity goals (steps, calories, sleep).
• 🔔 Notifications (select applications from which notifications will be duplicated on the bracelet).
• 🔒 Unlocking your phone (if supported by your smartphone model).

⚠️ Attention: On Android 13 phones+ After pairing, you may need to manually enable the "Show Over Other Windows" permission for Mi Fitness in the application settings. Without this notification, the bracelet may not appear.

Connecting Mi Band 5 to iPhone: features and nuances

The process of pairing with an iPhone is similar to Android, but there are a few key differences related to the limitations of iOS.

Step 1: Set up permissions for iPhone

Before connecting, open Settings → Privacy and enable for Mi Fitness:

• 📍 Geolocation Services (select "When using»).
• 🔔 Notifications (allow banners and sounds).
• 📱 Bluetooth (enable in Settings) → Bluetooth).
• 🔋 Background update (to ensure that data is synchronized automatically).

Step 2: Matching through Mi Fitness

1. Open the app and click Add the device → Mi Smart Band 5.
2. On the iPhone will appear system window with a request for connection – confirm it.
3. If the bracelet is not located, restart Bluetooth on your iPhone (Settings) → Bluetooth → switch off).

iOS restrictions that you should know about:

💡

On iPhone for stable operation Mi Band 5, turn off the “Low power” mode (Settings) → Battery.In this mode, iOS limits background Bluetooth activity, resulting in missing notifications.

What to do if Mi Band 5 is not connected

Even with the right preparation, there can be mistakes, and let's look at the most common ones and how to fix them.

Problem 1: The bracelet is not on the list of devices

• 🔄 Reset the bracelet (hold the 15 second button until double vibration).
• 📱 On Android, clear the Bluetooth cache: Settings → Annexes → Show it all. → Bluetooth → Warehouse → Clear the cache.
• 🔍 Make sure your phone is geolocated – Android 12 is not enabled+ block out the scan BLE-device.
• 🛠️ If you use Xiaomi, EU ROM Try connecting via the Notify & Fitness for Mi Band app (alternative to the official one).

Problem 2: The connection is interrupted during the “Connection” stage.

• 📵 Temporarily shut down. VPN Proxies – They can block Xiaomi servers.
• 🔋 Check the bracelet charge: at a level below 10%, the pairing process may stop.
• 📡 Switch from Wi-Fi to mobile internet (or vice versa) – sometimes a problem with network settings.
• 🔄 Reset network settings on your phone: Settings → System system → Reset → Reset Wi-Fi, mobile network and Bluetooth.

Problem 3: There are no notifications after connection

• 🔔 On Android, check what is in Settings → Annexes → Mi Fitness → Notifications included all permissions.
• 📵 On iPhone, open Settings → Notifications → Mi Fitness and enable the option “Show on the lock screen».
• 🔄 In the Mi Fitness app itself, go to Profile → Mi Smart Band 5 → Notifications and select the desired applications.
• 🛠️ If notifications come with a delay, turn off battery optimization for Mi Fitness.

Transfer data from the old bracelet to the Mi Band 5

If you're upgrading from the Mi Band 4 or another model, you can migrate your activity history to keep up with the statistics.

Method 1: Through a Xiaomi account

1. Open Mi Fitness on your old phone (if it was paired with another bracelet).
2. Make sure that the data is synced to the cloud (the cloud icon in your profile should be green).
3. On the new phone, log in to the same Xiaomi account – the activity history will be automatically pulled up.
4. Connect Mi Band 5 – the application will offer to transfer the settings from the old device.

Method 2: Manual export/import (for advanced users)

If the synchronization with the cloud does not work, you can export data manually:

1. On your old phone, go to Mi Fitness. → Profile → Settings → Export of data.
2. Save the file to Google Drive or send yourself an email.
3. On a new phone, import the file through Settings → Data import.

⚠️ Warning: Manual importation may not carry sleep and pulse data – these metrics are tied to a specific device and stored in encrypted form.

Method 3: Using Third-Party Applications

Applications like Tools & Mi Band or Mi Band Master allow you to export data in.csv or.json formats, but this will require:

• Root access on Android (for some features).
• Disable the protection of Mi Fitness through ADB (Adb shell pm disable-user --user 0 com.xiaomi.hm.health/.plugin.accessibility.AccessibilityService).
• Manual editing of files (for experienced users).

💡

Transferring data between Xiaomi wristbands is only possible within one account, and if you used different accounts, the statistics will not be automatically combined, you will have to contact Xiaomi with proof of ownership of the devices.

Optimizing the work of Mi Band 5: settings for advanced users

After successful connection, you can improve the performance of the bracelet with hidden functions and fine tuning.

1. Set up notifications

• 🔔 In Mi Fitness go to Profile → Mi Smart Band 5 → Notifications.
• Turn off unnecessary apps (such as games or social media) to save you a lot of power.
• Turn on the “Show Content” option to see text messages (not working on all iPhone models).
• On Android, you can set the vibration pattern for different types of notifications (calls are long vibrations, messages are short).

Energy conservation

• 🔋 Turn off the “Raise your hand to activate” if you don’t use it – it reduces battery consumption by 10-15%.
• 🌙 Set the “Sleep Mode” at night so that the bracelet is less synchronized with the phone.
• 📶 Turn off the “Constant pulse” (measurement every 5 minutes) – just measure every 30 minutes.

3. Alternative dials

The official app offers a limited selection of dials to set custom:

1. Download the.bin file with the dial from trusted sources (e.g. AmazonFit).
2. Use the Notify & Fitness for Mi Band app to download.
3. In Mi Fitness, select "More" → Set the dial».

⚠️ Warning: Insufficient installation of third-party dials can cause the bracelet to fail.Before experimenting, back up via Mi Fitness → Profile → Settings → Backup.

4. Hidden functions

• 🔍 To turn on the Do Not Disturb mode, hold the touch button for 3 seconds.
• 🎵 To control music, swipe left on the bracelet's home screen (works with Spotify, YouTube Music and the standard player).
• 🏃 To reset the steps in a day, go to Statistics → Steps. → Reset (useful in testing).

FAQ: Answers to Frequent Questions