How to connect Xiaomi Mi Band 5 to Huawei smartphone: full instructions with error solutions

The Xiaomi Mi Band 5 fitness bracelet remains one of the most popular wearables due to its combination of functionality and affordable price. However, users of Huawei smartphones often face difficulties in trying to sync, from the lack of a device on the list of available to connection errors, the reason lies in the features of the EMUI firmware, restrictions on the background of applications and conflicts with Huawei Mobile Services (HMS).

In this guide, we will not only look at the standard process of connecting through the official Mi Fit or Zepp Life apps, but also alternative methods for cases where the bracelet “can’t see” the phone or vice versa. We will focus on Huawei settings, which often block the stable operation of third-party fitness trackers. If you have already tried to connect Mi Band 5 and received an error “failed to connect” or “Device not found” – here you will find a solution.

1. Preparing Huawei phone for Mi Band 5 connection

Before syncing, you need to configure your smartphone to avoid typical device detection or communication disruption problems.

• 📱 Update the firmware EMUI: Outdated versions often contain bugs in Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE), which is used by Mi Band 5. Check for updates in Settings → System system → Update of the PO.
• 🔄 Reset Bluetooth Settings: Go to Settings → Bluetooth, turn it off, then click Reset (if available) or delete all saved devices.
• 🛡️ Turn off battery optimization for the Mi app Fit/Zepp Life: Go to Settings → Annexes → Application management → Mi Fit → Battery and select "No restrictions».
• 📵 Temporarily turn off Energy Saving: Ultra or Smart modes can block application backgrounds. Switch to Performance in Settings → Battery.

If your Huawei is running EMUI 10.1 or later, check the settings of Huawei Mobile Services. Sometimes they conflict with Xiaomi services, especially if the phone has Huawei Health or Huawei Wear apps installed.

⚠️ Attention: On Huawei models P40/P50 And newer without Google Play, Mi Fit may not be installed through AppGallery. APK-file from the official Xiaomi website or an alternative application Zepp Life.

2.Application selection: Mi Fit vs Zepp Life

Xiaomi Mi Band 5 officially supports two sync apps: Mi Fit (developed by Xiaomi) and Zepp Life (formerly Amazfit).

For Huawei owners with or without HarmonyOS, Zepp Life is the best choice, as it is adapted to work with HMS Core. You can download it directly from AppGallery or from the official website. If you have Google services installed on your phone, you should use Mi Fit, which offers more options for setting up the Mi Band 5.

On Huawei Mate 30/40/50 models with HarmonyOS, you may need to manually allow notifications to be accessed in your system security settings when you first connect via Zepp Life.

3. Step-by-step instructions for connecting Mi Band 5

Follow this algorithm to sync your wristband to your Huawei phone without errors:

1. Install the app (Mi Fit or Zepp Life) and register an account (or sign in via Xiaomi/Google/Huawei ID).
2. Turn on Bluetooth on your phone and place the Mi Band 5 close by (no more than 10 cm away).
3. Launch the app and click Add Device (in Mi Fit) or Connect (in Zepp Life).
4. Select the Mi Smart Band 5 model from the list of available devices.
5. Confirm pairing on your phone and bracelet (click on the Mi Band 5 touch button when the indicator blinks).
6. Wait until the synchronization is complete (it can take up to 2-3 minutes).

If you find a “Can’t find Mi Band 5” error during the device search phase, follow these steps:

Turn off and turn on Bluetooth on your phone again |

Reboot the Mi Band 5 (press the touch button for 10 seconds) |

Delete the cache of the Mi Fit/Zepp Life app in your phone settings|

Try connecting in another room (may be interference from Wi-Fi routers)-->

On some Huawei models (e.g. Nova 7/8), it helps disable the dual Bluetooth feature in Bluetooth settings, an option designed to connect to two devices at the same time, but can conflict with the BLE.

4. Set up notifications and permissions on Huawei

After successful connection to the Mi Band 5 You need to configure the notifications and background operation of the application, otherwise the bracelet will not vibrate when calling or texting. EMUI/HarmonyOS:

• 📲 Allow auto-start: Settings → Annexes → Application management → Mi Fit/Zepp Life → Autostart (turn on the switch).
• 🔔 Enable notifications: In the same app settings, find the Notifications item and allow banner displays.
• 🔒 Cleanup protection: Add the app to Protected Applications (under Battery) so that the system does not force it to close.
• 📱 Configure access rights: Give access to Contacts, Messages and Phone to allow notifications to work properly.

For models with HarmonyOS 2.0/3.0, check the settings of Huawei Share, which can block third-party connection. Turn it off in Settings → Connections → Huawei Share.

⚠️ Note: If notifications don’t arrive on Mi Band 5 after setting up, check if the Huawei Phone Clone or Huawei Mobile Cloud app is blocking them. SMS call.

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To have call notifications duplicated on the bracelet, in the Mi Fit app settings, go to Device Profile → Call Notifications and turn on the option “Incoming Vibration”.

5. Solving common connection errors

Even with the right setup, Huawei users can encounter errors, and consider the most common problems and solutions:

If Mi Band 5 connects but doesn’t update your steps or sleep data, try:

1. Reset the bracelet (clasp the button for 10-15 seconds before vibration).
2. Remove the device in the application and connect again.
3. Reset the bracelet to factory settings (in Device Settings → Reset in the application).

On the Huawei P30 Pro and Mate 20 Pro phones with EMUI 9.1, it sometimes helps to roll back to an earlier version of the Mi Fit (for example, 4.6.0).

6. Alternative ways of connecting (without official applications)

If Mi Fit or Zepp Life refuse to work on your Huawei, you can use third-party utilities.

• 🔗 Notify & Fitness for Mi Band (Available from AppGallery): Supports notifications and basic data synchronization, but without a firmware update.
• 🔗 Mi Band Master (requires Google Play): Advanced bracelet settings, but may not work smoothly on HarmonyOS.
• 🔗 Tools & Mi Band: Allows you to customize dials and vibration settings, but does not sync health data.

To install these apps on Huawei without Google Play, use APK-files from trusted sources (e.g. APKMirror) Before installation, temporarily disable Huawei Protection in Settings → Security.

⚠️ Warning: Third-party apps may not support all of the Mi Band 5’s features, such as heart rate monitoring or blood oxygen levels, and they may not guarantee a firmware update of the bracelet, which could lead to security vulnerabilities.

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The official Mi Fit and Zepp Life apps remain the most reliable way to connect, but Huawei requires additional permissions and battery optimization.

7. Update of the firmware Mi Band 5 on the Huawei phone

Regular firmware updates fix bugs and add new features to update Mi Band 5 via Huawei:

1. Open Mi Fit or Zepp Life and go to your device profile.
2. Click on the three dots in the top right corner and select “Firmware Update”.
3. If an upgrade is available, plug the bracelet into charging (the battery must be charged 50% or more).
4. Confirm the download and wait until it is completed (don’t turn off Bluetooth!).

On Huawei phones with HarmonyOS, the process can be interrupted due to background limitations.

• Connect the phone to the charger.
• Turn on Do Not Disturb mode to avoid interruption with notifications.
• Close all background applications through Task Manager.

If the update is stuck in the Prepare for Upgrade phase, reboot the bracelet and phone, then try again.In rare cases, you may need to reset the Mi Band 5 to factory settings.

FAQ: Frequent questions about connecting Mi Band 5 Huawei