How to change the time on a smart watch Xiaomi Mi Band 3: 5 ways + solving synchronization errors

Why Xiaomi Mi Band 3 is running out of time and how to fix it

The Xiaomi Mi Band 3 automatically syncs time with your smartphone via Bluetooth, but sometimes it fails. Users face problems: time lags several hours, shows an incorrect date or is completely reset after a reboot, the reasons can be different from a bug in the firmware to incorrect time zone settings on the phone.

In this article, you’ll find 5 proven ways to change the time on Mi Band 3, including manually adjusting through the Mi Fit/Zepp Life app, factory reset, and even hidden features for power users. And if the clocks are stubbornly out of sync, there’s a table at the end of the section with solutions for 90% of typical bugs.

⚠️ Important: Before changing the time, make sure your smartphone is Bluetooth enabled and the latest version of the Mi Fit app (or Zepp Life for new firmware) is installed!

Method 1: Automatic synchronization via Mi Fit or Zepp Life

The simplest method is to make the watch sync to the phone automatically.

• 📱 Open the Mi Fit app (or Zepp Life on Android 10)+).
• 🔄 Go to the Profile section → Xiaomi Mi Band 3 → Synchronization of data.
• ⏳ Wait until the process is complete (usually 10–30 seconds).
• 🔍 Check the time on the watch screen – it should be updated.

If the synchronization is not successful:

⚠️ Note: on some Mi Band 3 firmware, automatic synchronization is blocked if automatic time zone determination is disabled in the phone settings. → System system → Date and time.

Is Bluetooth on the phone?

Mi Fit/Zepp Life app updated

Is access to geodata allowed for the application

Does the time zone coincide on the phone and in the clock?

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If the time is still incorrect, go to manual settings (mode 2).

Method 2: Manually set time through an application

When automatic synchronization is not working, you can manually set the time. This method is suitable for firmware version 1.5.0 and later:

1. Open your Mi Fit and select your Mi Band 3 bracelet.
2. Go to Device Settings → Additional → Date and time.
3. Turn off the autosynchronization option (if it is active).
4. Click Set Manually and select the current date and time.
5. Save the changes and wait for the update on the watch screen (may take up to 1 minute).

On firmware older than 1.2.0, manual time settings can be reset after rebooting the bracelet, in which case only a software update or resetting (mode 4) will help.

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If the application does not have the item "Date and time", update the firmware bracelet through Settings → Software Update. Minimum version for manual settings is 1.5.0.

Method 3: Resetting time through hidden menus (for power users)

The Mi Band 3 has a hidden engineering menu that allows you to reset system time, which is not official and requires caution.

• 🔧 On the home screen, swipe left 3 times until the menu appears.
• 🔍 Find the Settings item → About the device → POS version.
• 👆 Click on the Software Version 10 times in a row (vibrational response should appear).
• 🔄 In the menu that opens, select Reset Time and confirm the reset.

After this procedure, the clock will reboot and automatically sync the time with the phone, and if that doesn’t happen, check the Bluetooth connection or update the firmware.

⚠️ Warning: Don't confuse Reset Time with Factory Reset! second item will reset all bracelet settings, including steps and training data.

Method 4: Full reset (Factory Reset)

If none of these methods worked, the last thing you can do is reset the bracelet to the factory settings, which will delete all the data, but often solves the synchronization problems.

1. On the phone untie the bracelet in Mi Fit (Profile → Xiaomi Mi Band 3 → Delete the device).
2. On the watch, go to Settings → Reset (or Factory Reset in English firmware).
3. Confirm the reset and wait for the reset (the bracelet vibrates 3 times).
4. Connect Mi Band 3 again via Mi Fit and perform the initial setup.

After reset, the time should be synchronized automatically. If the problem persists, check:

• 📶 Bluetooth connection stability (reconnect to bracelet).
• 🕒 Time zone settings on the phone (Settings) → Date and time → Time zone).
• 🔄 Bracelet firmware version (update via Mi Fit).

Once a week.

Once a month

Only after the updates

Never strayed.

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Method 5: Manual firmware updates to fix bugs

Some versions of the Mi Band 3 firmware (especially 1.0.9.14-1.1.0.8) have time-synchronization bugs, so you can manually update the software:

To update the firmware:

1. Open Mi Fit and go to Profile → Xiaomi Mi Band 3 → Software Update.
2. If the update is available, click Download and wait until it is completed (the bracelet vibrates).
3. After the update, restart the clock (hold the 10 seconds button).

Important: Do not interrupt the upgrade process and do not turn off Bluetooth! This can lead to a "brick" of the bracelet (loss of performance).

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If your firmware version is older than 1.6.0.0, but time problems remain, try untie the bracelet from your Mi Account and tie it back.

Errors and Decisions: Why Mi Band 3 doesn’t change time

If none of these methods helped, check your situation in the table below:

If your problem is not in the table, try:

• 🔌 Reboot your phone (sometimes helps with Bluetooth bugs).
• 📴 Remove the Mi Fit app cache (Settings) → Annexes → Mi Fit → Memory. → Clear the cache).
• 🔄 Change the region of the Mi Account (in the profile settings) to “Russia” or “China".

FAQ: Frequent questions about setting up time on Xiaomi Mi Band 3