Connecting Xiaomi Mi Band 4 to Honor: step-by-step configuration

Modern wearables have become an integral part of the lives of those who monitor their health and fitness. The owner of the Honor smartphone, who decided to purchase the popular tracker Xiaomi Mi Band 4, often faces the need to properly adjust the initial setup for the full operation of all functions. The process of pairing devices from different manufacturers, especially taking into account the features of the EMUI shell, requires careful approach and adherence to a certain sequence of actions to avoid typical synchronization errors.

The main difficulty is that standard methods of finding devices through the Bluetooth system menu often do not lead to the desired result without first preparing the software. You will not only need to enable data transfer, but also correctly configure the permissions for the third-party application that will mediate between the wristband and the operating system. Ignoring this step can lead to permanent connection breaks or the inability to receive notifications from messengers.

In this article, we will take a detailed look at each step required for the stable operation of the bundle of the Honor smartphone – Xiaomi fitness bracelet. We will look at the installation of official software, the subtleties of setting up energy savings in the Android system and answer questions that arise from users when you first start the device. The correct configuration at the start will save you time and nerves in the future, ensuring continuous collection of activity statistics.

Preparation of the Honor smartphone and bracelet to pair

Before starting the synchronization procedure, you need to make sure that both devices are ready to establish a connection. For Xiaomi Mi Band 4, it is critical to have sufficient battery power, as during the initial setup and firmware update, the power consumption may be increased. If the bracelet was in use before or was reset, make sure that it is in standby mode and does not try to connect to another phone.

On the Honor side of the smartphone, you should activate the wireless module. To do this, lower the notification curtain and click on the Bluetooth icon, making sure that the switch is lit in blue. Android should start searching for available devices, however, for Mi Band bracelets, direct connection via the system menu is not recommended and is often blocked by the manufacturer to ensure stability through the proprietary application.

⚠️ Warning: Don’t try to pair solely through the standard Bluetooth menu in your phone’s settings. If you see a device in the list of available but can’t connect, or the connection is permanently interrupted, that’s fine. The main setup takes place strictly inside a specialized application.

It is also worth checking the version of your Honor operating system. For the correct operation of modern versions of the Mi Fit application (or its analogue Zepp Life), Android version 5.0 and higher is required, which is true for most Honor models. Make sure that the date and time on the smartphone are set correctly, since desynchronizing time tags can cause errors when logging in.

Installation and configuration of the Mi Fit or Zepp Life app

A key element of Xiaomi’s ecosystem is the companion app that takes over the bracelet. Mi Fit was previously used, but more recently, users are migrating to the Zepp Life platform (formerly known as Mi Fit). For Honor users, both options are available on the Google Play Market or AppGallery store, but Zepp Life is getting interface and feature updates more often.

Once you download and install the app, you need to create an account or log in to an existing one, which is a requirement to keep your activity history in the cloud, you can sign up using your phone number, email address or social media accounts such as Google, Facebook or WeChat. When you register, choose your region of residence, as the server on which your data will be stored depends on this.

An important step is to provide all the necessary permissions immediately after the first launch. Android on Honor strictly controls the access of applications to geolocation and background processes. Without a location access permission (GPS), the application will not be able to scan the airwaves to search for Bluetooth devices, which is a standard security restriction in Android.

• 📍 Location Permission – Required to Find a Bracelet.
• 📱 Access to phone and contacts – required to synchronize the phone book and display the names of callers.
• 🔔 Access to notifications – allows you to broadcast messages from WhatsApp, Telegram and SMS bracelet.
• 💾 Access to storage – necessary to save backup copies of settings and firmware updates.

Device registration process and synchronization

After successful authorization in the application, go to the Profile tab in the lower right corner of the screen. Here you need to select Add device (or Add device). In the list of available gadgets, find and select Mi Smart Band 4. The application will warn you that the search may take some time, and ask you to hold the bracelet next to your smartphone.

The bracelet will display a vibration signal and a graphical image of the smartphone asking you to confirm the pairing. Tap the tracker screen or click the touch button to confirm the action. At this point, the encryption keys are exchanged, and the devices create a secure communication channel.

If you see a request to pair with a Mi Band 4 device on your smartphone screen, be sure to click Connect or OK. After a successful connection, the application will offer you to configure the bracelet: set the current time, select the interface language, set goals for steps and pulse. At this stage, you may need to update the firmware of the tracker itself, which is strongly recommended to do to fix bugs.

Configure notifications and energy saving on Honor

Honor smartphones with EMUI shells are known for aggressive energy saving policies that can force the background processes of the Mi Fit application. To keep the bracelet stable and notifications come in time, you need to manually enter the application in the exclusion list. Without this step, the communication will break as soon as the phone screen goes out.

Go to Smartphone Settings, then Battery -> App Launch. Search Zepp Life (or Mi Fit) and turn off automatic control. In the window that appears, activate all three sliders: Autostart, Indirect Start and Background Operation, which will give the system a command not to restrict the tracker.

You also need to stick the app in memory. Open the list of running applications (a swipe from the bottom up or a square button), find the Mi Fit window and pull it down (or press the lock) to make the lock icon appear, which will prevent the application from closing when you clear the RAM with the "Clear All" button.

• 🔋 Turn off energy savings for companion app.
• 🔒 Block the application in the task manager.
• 📡 Allow Bluetooth to work continuously in the background.
• 📲 Check the permissions to access notifications in system settings.

Solving Typical Connection Problems

Even if all instructions are followed, there may be technical difficulties, and one of the common problems is when the bracelet is visible in the application but does not connect, or the connection breaks immediately after confirmation, in which case the first thing you should do is to reboot both devices, which resets the errors of the Bluetooth module’s temporary buffers.

If the problem persists, it may be that the bracelet is stuck in the phone's memory from previous connection attempts. Go to Bluetooth system settings, find Mi Band 4 and select Forget the device or Unpair the pairing. After that, remove the bracelet from the Mi Fit app (Profile -> Mi Band 4 -> Remove) and start the process again.

⚠️ Note: If the bracelet was previously linked to another Mi Account, you can only break this connection through that account or by performing a full reset on the bracelet itself in the settings menu.

Another cause of failures may be outdated versions of Bluetooth drivers or system conflicts. Make sure your Honor has all available system updates installed, and check if flight mode or any specific developer settings affecting network performance are enabled.

Personalization and additional features of the tracker

Once successfully set up, you can start to personalize the world. Through the app, you can download new dials, change the order of the displayed metrics (pulse, steps, weather) and adjust the vibration of the alarm clocks. For the Mi Band 4, there are many third-party dials available that greatly expand the functionality of the monochrome screen.

An important function is to adjust sleep and heart rate monitoring. You can set the frequency of measurements: continuous monitoring consumes more battery, but gives detailed statistics, whereas measuring once every 10 or 30 minutes saves charge. For most users, the optimal mode is a measurement mode every 10-30 minutes during the day and continuously at night.

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Use the Wrist Lift function with caution, if it doesn't work properly, the screen may light up when you swap your hands, in which case it's best to turn it off and activate the screen with a double touch or a rotation of the wrist only when you lift it.

Don't forget the phone search function. If you lose your smartphone inside your apartment, double tapping the bracelet sensor (if activated) will make your phone ring loudly, even if it's in silent mode. This is convenient in everyday life and helps you quickly find the device.

Updating the firmware and maintaining the device

Regular updates to the bracelet software are key to stable operation and the emergence of new features. Xiaomi periodically releases patches that improve the accuracy of sensors and correct pairing errors. Notification of a new firmware version comes to the application automatically, but you can check for updates manually in the profile of the device.

The upgrade process requires that the bracelet be near the phone and the screen of the smartphone not go out. Do not interrupt the process or open other heavy applications, as this can lead to errors in recording data. If the update is interrupted, do not panic: usually the system automatically rolls back to the previous version or tries to complete the installation on the next connection.

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The stability of the Honor and Mi Band 4 bundle depends 90% on the correct power saving settings in the Android system, not on the quality of the Bluetooth connection itself.

To extend the battery life of the bracelet itself, it is recommended to periodically clean the contacts for charging from oxidation and sweat, as well as to prevent the battery from completely discharging to zero for a long storage time.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)