Connecting Xiaomi Mi Band 4 to a smartphone: a complete guide to problem solving

The Xiaomi Mi Band 4 fitness bracelet remains one of the most popular wearables due to its combination of affordable price, compactness and wide functionality. However, novice users often have difficulties with the first connection of a gadget to a smartphone - especially if it is a case of unusual situations such as changing the phone, resetting the bracelet or using the device on iOS instead of Android.

In this article, we will not only explore the basic pairing procedure through the official Mi Fitness app (formerly Mi Fit), but also nuances that are rarely covered in standard instructions, such as how to connect the bracelet to two phones at the same time, what to do if you fail to find the device, and why the Mi Band 4 can not be detected on Android 13+ smartphones without additional manipulation, and you will find current data on compatibility with the latest versions of operating systems and alternative ways to sync.

Preparation for connection: what will be needed

Before you start pairing, make sure you have everything you need:

• 📱 Smartphone on Android 5.0+ or iOS 10.0+ (Check the version in the phone settings).
• 🔋 Xiaomi Mi Band 4 with a battery charge of at least 20% (at low charge, the bracelet may not appear in the list of available devices).
• 📲 Official Mi Fitness app (you can download it from Google Play or App Store).
• 🔄 Bluetooth enabled on your smartphone (no Visible for All mode required).

If you are updating the firmware of the bracelet from an older version of the Mi Band, pre-untie it from the previous phone through the application. Otherwise, there may be conflicts when reconnecting. It is also worth considering that some custom Android firmware (for example, LineageOS or ColorOS) may require manual activation of permission to access geodata for the Mi Fitness application – without this, synchronization of steps will not work.

Installation and configuration of the Mi Fitness application

The official bracelet management app, Mi Fitness, replaces the outdated Mi Fit (which was discontinued in 2023) and download it from the official store, avoiding third-party sources: fake versions often contain malicious code or work incorrectly with the bracelet.

After installation:

1. Start Mi Fitness and select the region "Russia" (important for proper weather display and localized notifications).
2. Sign up or sign in through your Xiaomi, Google, Apple ID or Facebook account. Without authorization, you can't connect the bracelet.
3. In the main menu, tap the + icon (or "Add device") and select the Mi Smart Band 4 from the list.

It'll appear on screen. QR-code for fast connectivity, but you can skip it — the bracelet will be automatically found when Bluetooth is turned on. If the application requests access to contacts, geolocation or notifications, allow: without this, some functions (for example, call alerts) will not work.

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If the Mi Fitness app doesn’t find the bracelet, try restarting Bluetooth on your phone or temporarily disabling the VPN – some Xiaomi servers block connections from virtual networks.

Step-by-step instructions for pairing the bracelet

When the app and bracelet are ready, follow this instruction:

1. Activate Mi Band 4: tap the touch button to wake up the screen. If the bracelet is new, it will automatically go into pairing mode (the Bluetooth icon will appear on the screen).
2. Start searching in Mi Fitness: In the app, click “Connect” and wait until the bracelet appears in the list of available devices (can take up to 30 seconds).
3. Confirm the pairing: a 4-digit code will appear on the bracelet screen - compare it with the code in the application and click "Confirm".
4. Update the firmware (when a request appears): it will take 2-5 minutes, do not interrupt the process and do not turn off Bluetooth.

Once successfully connected, the bracelet syncs time, step and pulse data. If the sync is delayed, check:

• 🔄 The phone is connected to the Internet (data is transmitted via the Xiaomi cloud).
• 📶 The bracelet is no more than 10 meters from the phone.
• 🔋 Bracelet charge level above 15%.

Bracelet charge >20%|Bluetooth on|Mi Fitness app updated|Device unlocked (not in Search mode")-->

Solving common connection problems

Even with the right actions, users are faced with errors, and let’s look at typical scenarios and ways to fix them:

If the bracelet was previously connected to another phone, but you do not remember the data from the Xiaomi account, reset the settings on the device:

1. On the bracelet, go to Settings → Reset (to do this, swipe the screens up).
2. Confirm the reset by pressing the button.
3. After the reset, the bracelet will be ready for a new connection.

Configure notifications and additional functions

After successful connection, it is recommended to configure:

• 📳 Notifications: In Mi Fitness, go to Device Profile → Notifications and select applications, the alerts from which will be duplicated on the bracelet (calls, SMS, messengers).
• ⏰ Alarm clocks: Add repeating signals or one-off reminders through Profile → Alarm clocks.
• 🏃 Activity goals: Set a daily rate of steps (default: 10,000) in the Profile section → Goals.
• 🔒 Unlocking the phone: on Android you can set up automatic unlocking of the smartphone at the proximity of the bracelet (you need to include in the phone security settings).

Fewer features are available for iOS due to Apple’s limitations, such as not configuring iPhone unlock through an wristband or answering calls directly from the Mi Band 4. However, basic alerts (incoming calls, messages) work consistently.

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On Android 12+, for notifications to work correctly, you must manually allow Mi Fitness to access the “Show over Other Windows” in the application settings.

Connecting Mi Band 4 to two phones at the same time

Officially, the bracelet supports connection to only one device, but there is a workaround:

1. Connect the bracelet to the first phone via Mi Fitness and perform the initial setup.
2. On the second phone, install the Notify & Fitness for Mi Band app (available on Google Play).
3. In this application, select Connect an existing device and follow the instructions. Functionality will be limited (for example, sleep data will not be synchronized), but notifications will be duplicated.

Importantly, when connected, the first phone will remain the main one, which will store all the activity data, and the second phone will only access basic functions (time, notifications, music management).

⚠️ Warning: Connecting to two devices at the same time can lead to sync conflicts, especially if both phones are trying to update the bracelet firmware.

Update firmware and reset to factory settings

The bracelet firmware updates automatically when you connect to Mi Fitness, but sometimes you need to manually update it — for example, if the bracelet is buggy or not synchronizing data — to check the relevance of the firmware:

1. Open Mi Fitness and go to the profile of the bracelet.
2. Slap the icon. ⚙️ Settings → Firmware update.
3. If a new version is available, click "Update" and wait until it is completed (the bracelet will reboot).

If the bracelet is not working stable (e.g., does not count steps or does not show notifications), reset:

1. On the bracelet: Settings → Reset → Confirm.
2. In the appendix: Device profile → Disable the device.
3. After reset, reconnect the bracelet as when you first start.

Reset removes all data from the bracelet, but activity information is stored in the Xiaomi account (if you have synced).If you use the bracelet without linking to the account, the data will be lost irretrievably.

FAQ: Frequent questions about Mi Band 4