Connecting Mi Band 3 to Xiaomi phone: full instruction with error solutions

Xiaomi’s Mi Band 3 fitness bracelet remains a popular gadget even years after its release, thanks to its reliability, long battery life and wide functionality. However, many users face difficulties when connecting the device to a smartphone for the first time, especially if both devices are from the same brand. In this article, we will discuss not only the standard pairing procedure through the Mi Fit application, but also the nuances of working with Xiaomi phones, where there may be conflicts due to duplicate services (for example, Xiaomi Wear).

It’s important to understand that the Mi Band 3 supports connection to Android 4.4+ and iOS 9.0+ devices, but to work fully with the Xiaomi phone you will need a Mi Account account and correct permission settings. If you have previously used other versions of the bracelets (for example, Mi Band 2 or Mi Band 4), the process may seem familiar, but Mi Band 3 has its own features – from how to activate Bluetooth to synchronize sleep data. Next, you will find a step-by-step instruction with key points illustrations, compatibility table and solutions for typical errors.

1. Preparing Xiaomi phone for connection

Before you start pairing, make sure your Xiaomi smartphone is ready to work with the bracelet.

• 📱 Android version: no lower than 4.4 (most Xiaomi models are installed) MIUI 9+, This ensures compatibility).
• 🔋 Bracelet charge: at least 20% (at low battery level, Mi Band 3 may not appear in the list of available devices).
• 📲 Mi Fit: latest version from Google Play or App Gallery (for models without Google services).
• 🔒 Mi Account: registered account (without it it is impossible to save health data).

Pay particular attention to the permissions for the Mi Fit app. On Xiaomi phones, battery optimization can be enabled by default, which blocks the background activity of the applications. To avoid synchronization problems:

1. Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management → Mi Fit.
2. Select Permissions and give access to geolocation, contacts (for notifications) and phone.
3. In the Battery section, disable Optimization for Mi Fit.

⚠️ Note: If your phone has a Xiaomi Wear app installed (for smartwatches), uninstall it before connecting the Mi Band 3. These two apps conflict and can cause synchronization errors.

2. Installation and configuration of the Mi Fit application

Mi Fit is the only official way to manage Mi Band 3.

• 🤖 Google Play (for Xiaomi’s international firmware).
• 📱 App Gallery (for models without Google services, such as Redmi Note 11) SE).
• 🌍 Official Xiaomi website (APK-manually-installed).

After installation:

1. Start Mi Fit and log in to your Mi Account (or create a new one).
2. Select the region of Russia (or your country) – this affects the display of metric units (km / h, kg).
3. In the main menu, click Profile → Add Device → Bracelet → Mi Smart Band 3.

If the app does not find the bracelet, check:

• 🔄 Bluetooth is enabled on your phone and bracelet (the Mi Band 3 should flash blue lights).
• 📵 No active VPN or firewalls blocking the connection.
• 🔧 In the settings of the phone disabled function Hide the device for Bluetooth.

3. Step-by-step connection instruction

When the preparation is completed, start pairing:

1. Activate the bracelet: Press the touch button Mi Band 3 (under the screen) and hold for 2-3 seconds until the vibration and the Mi logo appear.
2. Device Search: In the Mi Fit app, click Add Device and select Mi Smart Band 3 from the list. The phone will start scanning.
3. Code Confirmation: A 4-digit code (e.g., 1234) will appear on the bracelet screen. Compare it to the code in the app and confirm pairing.
4. Firmware Update: After connecting, Mi Fit will offer to update the bracelet software. Refuse to update at this stage - first complete the settings of the main parameters (language, time), otherwise the bracelet may freeze.

If at the stage of code confirmation there is an error "Can not connect", follow the following steps:

Reset the bracelet (hold the button for 10 seconds)

Remove the Mi Fit app cache in your phone settings

Turn off and turn on Bluetooth again.

Try connecting from another phone (for diagnosis)

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After successful pairing, the bracelet vibrates, and the main menu with data on steps, pulse and battery will appear in the application.

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If the bracelet doesn't sync data after you've connected, go to Settings → Bluetooth, find Mi Band 3 in the list of devices, and click Forget. Then repeat pairing again.

4. Set up notifications and basic functions

By default, Mi Band 3 shows notifications about calls and SMS, but to work with messengers (WhatsApp, Telegram) requires additional configuration.

1. In Mi Fit, go to Profile → Mi Smart Band 3 → Notifications.
2. Activate the switch Enable notifications.
3. Select the apps you want to receive alerts for (e.g. Viber, Gmail).
4. Configure the Display Style: full text or only the app icon.

For the correct operation of notifications on Xiaomi phones, you need:

• 📵 Disable Battery Optimization for Mi Fit (as described in Section 1).
• 🔔 In the phone notification settings (Settings) → Notifications → Mi Fit) to allow Pop-ups.
• 🔄 Reboot your phone after changing your settings.

You can also set up the bracelet menu:

⚠️ If notifications are delayed after setting up (more than 5 minutes), check if they block them. MIUI Optimization. To do this, in the Developer Settings, disable the option Background Process Limitation.

5. Solving common problems

Even after a successful connection, Mi Band 3 users may encounter errors, and consider typical scenarios and ways to fix them:

🔴 The bracelet is not synchronized with the phone.

Causes and solutions:

• 📶 Weak Bluetooth signal: Make sure there are no obstacles (walls, metal objects) between the phone and the bracelet. Maximum distance is 10 meters.
• 🔋 Low Bracelet Charge: Connect Mi Band 3 to Charge for 30 Minutes, Then Re-Sync.
• 📱 Conflict with other devices: If you have headphones or smart watches connected to your phone, turn them off temporarily.

🔴 No notifications coming.

Check it out.

• 🔔 Phone Settings for Mi Fit include Pop-up Notifications.
• 📵 In the bracelet menu (Profile) → Notifications) Appendices selected.
• 🔄 The phone is disabled mode Do not disturb or Energy saving.

🔴 Bracelet doesn't measure pulse

Possible causes:

• 🩺 Wrong position on the arm: the sensor should fit snugly to the skin (1-2 cm above the wrist).
• 💧 Sweat or dirt on the sensor: wipe the bottom of the bracelet with an alcohol napkin.
• ⚙️ Mi Fit Settings Disabled Continuous Monitoring.

6. Update firmware and reset settings

Regular firmware updates improve the stability of the Mi Band 3 and add new features.

1. Make sure the bracelet is at least 50% charged.
2. Connect to Wi-Fi (update via mobile Internet may be interrupted).
3. In Mi Fit, go to Profile → Mi Smart Band 3 → Firmware Update.
4. Follow the instructions on the screen. Do not disconnect the bracelet from the phone during the process - this can lead to the "bricking" of the device.

If the bracelet does not work correctly after the update (for example, notifications are not displayed or time is lost), reset the settings:

1. In Mi Fit, select Profile → Mi Smart Band 3 → Disable the device.
2. Confirm the shutdown and remove the bracelet from the list of devices.
3. On the Mi Band 3 itself, hold the 10 seconds button until you feel the vibration.
4. Repeat the connection procedure from scratch (see Section 3).

⚠️ Attention: Resetting removes all data from the bracelet (steps, sleep, workouts) except those stored in Mi Fit. If you care about statistics, sync it with the application before resetting.

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Update your firmware only when you have a stable Internet connection. If the process is interrupted, the bracelet may stop turning on, and you will need to contact a service center to restore it.

7. Compatibility with Xiaomi phones: features

Xiaomi MIUI-based phones have a number of features when working with Mi Band 3 that are not found on other brands, such as:

• 📱 Duplicate applications: On some models (Redmi Note 8 Pro, Poco) X3) Xiaomi Wear is preinstalled, and it conflicts with Mi Fit.
• 🔒 Limitations MIUI: The system can automatically close Mi Fit in the background. To avoid this, add the application to Autorun (Settings) → Battery → Auto-start).
• 📶 Bluetooth problems: On phones with MIUI 12+ Sometimes Bluetooth settings get lost. Solution: Go to Settings. → Compounds → Bluetooth → Extra and turn it off. A2DP.

Users also note that on phones with MIUI Global (such as the Xiaomi Mi 11), the bracelet connects faster than on the versions of MIUI China. If you have Chinese firmware, consider switching to global via the Mi Flash Tool.

8. Alternative ways of connecting

If the standard Mi Fit method does not work, alternative solutions can be used:

🔹 Notify & Fitness for Mi Band

This third-party app supports Mi Band 3 and offers advanced notification settings, including:

• 🔔 Vibration Customization for Different Applications.
• 📊 Detailed statistics of training.
• 🔄 Automatic data synchronization with Google Fit.

You can download it on Google Play. You need to turn off Mi Fit to work.

🔹 Connection via Amazfit

The Amazfit app (formerly Mi Fit for overseas markets) also supports Mi Band 3.

1. Remove Mi Fit.
2. Install Amazfit from Google Play.
3. Register with the same Mi Account.
4. Add the bracelet through Profile → Add the device.

⚠️ Note: When using third-party applications, you may have problems with displaying Cyrillic characters in notifications. To fix this, select encoding in the application settings UTF-8.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)