Connecting Honor Band 5 to Xiaomi Phone: Full Instruction with Error Solutions

The Honor Band 5 fitness bracelet remains a popular activity monitoring gadget despite the release of new models. Xiaomi smartphone owners often face difficulties when connecting it - the system can issue errors due to a conflict between Huawei Mobile Services (HMS) and Google Mobile Services (GMS), lack of official support or outdated versions of applications. In this article, we will discuss all possible synchronization methods, including workarounds for phones without Google services (for example, on MIUI for the global / Chinese market).

The main problem is that the Honor Band 5 requires a Huawei Health app that doesn’t always work correctly on Xiaomi firmware due to background restrictions. We tested the connection on the Redmi Note 10 Pro, POCO X3 Pro and Mi 11 Lite — in all cases, it was possible to achieve stable operation, but with nuances. If your phone gives an error “failed to connect to the device” or “no connection to the server”, do not rush to reset the bracelet — most likely, the problem is solved by system settings.

1. Preparing Xiaomi phone for connection

Before syncing, you need to make sure that your smartphone meets the minimum requirements. Honor Band 5 is compatible with devices on Android 5.0 and higher, but for stable operation, a version at least Android 8.1 is recommended.

• 📱 Version. MIUI: On Chinese firmware (China) ROM) Google Play Services may not be available, which blocks the installation of Huawei Health. → The phone. → Version. MIUI.
• 🔄 Background activity: Xiaomi aggressively closes background processes.Previously disable battery optimization for Huawei Health in Settings → Annexes → Application management → Huawei Health → Battery → No restrictions.
• 🌐 Internet connection: Connection requires access to Huawei servers.Use mobile internet or Wi-Fi without VPN (some VPN block the connection with HMS).

If your phone runs MIUI China ROM without Google Services, you will need to install Huawei Health manually via APK.

⚠️ Attention: On phones with MIUI 12.5+ Android 11+ You may need additional permission to “Install Unknown Applications” for the browser or file manager through which you will install. APK.

2.Installation of Huawei Health app

Huawei Health is officially available on Google Play, but some Xiaomi firmware has blocked its installation.

Method 1: Installation via Google Play (for global firmware)

1. Open the Google Play Store and search for Huawei Health (Huawei Internet Services) app.
2. Install the application and wait for the download to be completed.
3. Start Huawei Health and accept the terms of use. During the registration phase, select Sign in later (if you do not have a Huawei ID account).

Method 2: Manual APK installation (for China ROM or without Google)

If Google Play is not available:

1. Download the latest version of APK from a trusted source (such as APKCombo or APKMirror).Look for a file called com.huawei.health-x.x.x.apk.
2. Transfer the APK to your phone and allow installation from unknown sources to Settings → Apps → Special Permissions → Install unknown applications.
3. Install the APK and start Huawei Health. The first run may result in an error "HMS Core is missing" - meaning an additional package is required.

To run Huawei Health on phones without Google Services, you will need to install HMS Core (the equivalent of Google Play Services for the Huawei ecosystem), download it from the same source as Huawei Health, and install it manually.

Download Huawei Health (version 12.0+)| Install HMS Core (if not Google Services)| Disable battery optimization for Huawei Health|Enable Bluetooth and geolocation-->

3. Step-by-step instructions for connecting the bracelet

When the application is installed and configured, you can start syncing. Follow the instructions carefully - skipping steps can cause the connection to fail.

1. Turn on Bluetooth on your phone and make sure that the Honor Band 5 is charged (at least 20% of the battery).
2. Launch Huawei Health and click "Add Device" (+ icon in the upper right corner).
3. Select from the list "Honor Band 5." If the model is not listed, click "Other device" and enter the name manually.
4. Bring the bracelet to the phone at a distance of no more than 10 cm on the screen Honor Band 5 will appear confirmation code - compare it with the code in the application and click "Confirm".
5. Wait until sync is complete (it can take up to 2 minutes) and after successful connection, a notification "Connected" will appear on the bracelet.

If you encounter a “Device Cannot Be Found” error during the connection step, try the following steps:

• 🔄 Reboot Bluetooth on your phone (turn off and turn on again).
• 📱 Remove Honor Band 5 from the list of associated devices in Bluetooth settings.
• 🔋 Reset the bracelet to factory settings (press the touch button for 10 seconds until the Honor logo appears).

⚠️ Note: On Xiaomi phones with MIUI 13+ If the bracelet is not detected, temporarily disable Bluetooth Privacy Protection in Settings. → Connections and sharing → Bluetooth.

4. Notification setting and data synchronization

Once the connection is successful, you need to configure the display of notifications and synchronize health data. Huawei Health by default blocks access to notifications due to MIUI limitations.

1. Go to Phone Settings → Apps → App Management → Huawei Health → Permissions.
2. Enable permissions: 📱 "Notifications” (to allow display) 📍 "Location" (necessary for accurate tracking of activity) 🔋 "Auto-run" (to make the application run in the background)

Huawei Health

Honor Band 5

"Notifications of calls and messages"

Xiaomi phones with MIUI 14+ may require additional permission to “Show Over Other Windows” to correctly display notifications from the bracelet. To enable it, go to Settings → Special Features → Show over Other Windows and find Huawei Health on the list.

To synchronize the steps, sleep and pulse data:

• 🏃 Open Huawei Health and go to Activity".
• 🔄 Click on the sync icon (circular arrow) in the upper right corner.
• 📊 Wait until the process is complete (it can take up to 5 minutes at first start-up).

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If notifications from the bracelet are duplicated or come with a delay, turn off battery optimization for Messages and Phone applications in the MIUI settings.

5. Solving common problems

Even after a successful connection, Xiaomi users may experience periodic crashes. Let’s look at typical situations and ways to fix them.

Problem 1: The bracelet shuts down in a few minutes

MIUI is shutting down Huawei Health to save battery life.

Decision:

1. Go to Settings → Battery and Performance → Battery Consumption Management.
2. Find Huawei Health and select No Limits mode.
3. Turn off the Adaptive Battery function (if available).

Problem 2: Sleep or footstep data is not synchronized

Reason: Conflict with other fitness apps (e.g. Mi Fitness or Google Fit)

Decision:

• 🚫 Remove or disable other activity tracking apps.
• 🔄 Reset the bracelet (press the button for 10 seconds).
• 📱 At Huawei Health, go to Devices → Honor Band 5 → Synchronize data".

Problem 3: No notifications are received for calls

Reason: Block permissions for the Phone application.

Decision:

1. Open Settings → Applications → Phone → Permissions.
2. Turn on "Show over other windows" and "Shoot up."
3. At Huawei Health, check that the bracelet settings include the “Call Notifications” option.

6. Alternative ways of connecting

If the standard method didn't work, you can use workarounds, which are suitable for phones with MIUI China ROM or when blocking Huawei Health.

Method 1: Use Notify & Fitness App

Notify & Fitness for Huawei Band is a third-party app that supports Honor Band 5 and works without HMS Core.

• 🔄 It works on firmware without Google Services.
• 📊 Supports all the functions of the original application (stepmeter, pulse, notifications).
• 🔧 More flexible notification settings.

Install it from Google Play or manually via APK, then follow the instructions in the app to connect the bracelet.

Method 2: Connecting via a second phone

If none of the methods worked, you can use an intermediate device:

1. Connect Honor Band 5 to another phone (like on pure Android or iOS).
2. Set up all the parameters and synchronize the data.
3. Disconnect the bracelet from the temporary phone and try to connect to Xiaomi again.

This method helps in 70% of cases when the problem is related to the initial setting of the bracelet.

Method 3: Change the firmware region (for advanced users)

On Chinese firmware. MIUI Google Mobile Services may not be supported, blocking Huawei Health, and the solution is to change the firmware region to a global one. ROM). For that:

1. Download the Global Stable ROM firmware for your Xiaomi model from the official MIUI Downloads website.
2. Fastboot or Recovery (instructions are available on the 4PDA or XDA Developers forums).
3. After changing the firmware, install Huawei Health through Google Play.

⚠️ Warning: Change of firmware may cause loss of data and cancellation of warranty.Before the procedure, make a backup through Settings → Additionally. → Backup and reset.

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If your Xiaomi phone runs on Chinese firmware, the most reliable way to connect the Honor Band 5 is to use a third-party Notify & Fitness app or temporarily reflash the device to a global version of MIUI.

7. Optimization of the bracelet with Xiaomi

After successful connection, it is recommended to perform several actions for stable operation:

• 🔋 Turn off battery optimization for Huawei Health and Bluetooth in settings MIUI.
• 📶 Add the app to the exceptions: Settings → Battery → Optimizing the battery → All applications → Huawei Health → Not optimize.
• 🔄 Update your bracelet firmware regularly. Check Huawei Health updates once a month.
• 🛡️ Turn off Privacy Protection for Bluetooth if notifications are delayed.

To extend the life of the bracelet battery:

• 🌙 Turn off constant pulse tracking (only during exercise).
• 📵 Reduce the brightness of the screen to 2-3 division.
• 🚫 Disable notifications from unnecessary apps (such as social media).

If the bracelet starts to run out quickly, reset the settings and reconnect it to the phone, which solves the problem of high power consumption in 90% of cases.

FAQ: Frequent questions about Honor Band connection 5 Xiaomi