Connecting Xiaomi bracelet to smartphone: full instruction with error solutions

Xiaomi Mi Band fitness bracelets have long become the standard for tracking activity, sleep and health. But even with such popular devices, the process of first connecting to the phone raises questions for beginners. In this article, we will analyze not only basic pairing via Bluetooth, but also the nuances of settings for different models, from the Mi Band 6 to the fresh Mi Band 8 Pro, as well as solving common errors like “does not see the bracelet” or “does not synchronize data”.

We will pay special attention to the differences between the connection on Android and iOS – despite the versatility of the Mi Fitness application (formerly Zepp Life), there are limitations on the functionality on the iPhone, you will also learn how to properly update the firmware of the bracelet via your phone to avoid crashes, and what settings should be changed immediately after pairing for maximum convenience.

What Xiaomi bracelets support phone connection

All modern Xiaomi fitness bracelet models are compatible with smartphones, but there are nuances in the Bluetooth version and supported features. Below is a table with current data for 2026:

Important: Mi Band 5 and older bracelets are not officially supported in the Mi Fitness app after the 2023 update, requiring an outdated version of Mi Fit (up to 4.6.0) or using unofficial firmware.

⚠️ Note: On iPhone, Xiaomi bracelets do not support answering calls via bracelet, voice messaging and some widgets.This is a restriction of Apple, not the manufacturer.

Preparing the phone before connecting

Before pairing the bracelet, make sure your smartphone meets the minimum requirements:

• 📱 Android: version no lower than 6.0, Bluetooth 4.2 enabled+, freely ≥500 MB of memory.
• 🍎 iOS: iPhone 6s or later, iOS version is not lower than 12.0, Bluetooth enabled and Notifications for the application.
• 🔋 Bracelet charge: battery level ≥20% (at low charge, the conjugation may be interrupted).
• 📶 Internet: stable Wi-Fi or mobile network connection to download firmware.

Also check that the phone is disabled:

• 🔒 Power saving mode (can block background synchronization).
• 🛡️ VPN Firewalls that interfere with the connection to Xiaomi servers.
• 📵 In-plane mode or application restrictions in battery settings.

Install the Mi Fitness app|Turn on Bluetooth on your phone|Charge the bracelet to 50%|Turn off the power saving mode|Check the stability of the Internet-->

If you have updated the bracelet through third-party firmware (for example, Notify & Fitness), before connecting to the official application, reset to factory settings through Settings → System → Reset on the bracelet itself.

Step-by-step: how to connect Xiaomi bracelet to the phone

The pairing process is the same for most models, but there are differences in the Mi Fitness application interface for different regions.

1. Installation of the application: Download Mi Fitness from the official store: 🤖 Google Play (Android) 🍎 App Store (iOS)

⚠️ Note: Do not use app clones (such as Mi Fit Mod) – they may contain malicious code and block official updates.

Account registration:

When you first start up, the app will prompt you to sign in via Xiaomi Account, Google, Apple ID or Facebook. If you do not have an account, register in advance at account.xiaomi.com. Without an account binding, the bracelet will not sync data to the cloud, and some functions (such as phone search) will become unavailable.

Addition of the device:

Click Profile → Add device (+ icon in the upper right corner). Select your bracelet model from the list. If there is no model, update the app or check your account region (some devices are only available in Chinese version of Mi Fitness).

Bluetooth pairing:

Activate Bluetooth on your phone and wait for the bracelet to appear on the list of available devices. Press it and confirm pairing on both devices. PIN-code (by default 0000 or 1234).

Firmware update:

Once connected, the app will prompt you to update the bracelet firmware. Don't interrupt the process! Wait until it's finished (may take up to 10 minutes). If the update is hanging, restart the bracelet with a 15-second button.

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If the bracelet doesn’t appear in the device list, try rebooting it (hold the 10 seconds button) and re-enable Bluetooth on your phone.

Configure notifications and basic functions

After successful connection, we recommend you to immediately configure the key parameters:

• 🔔 Notifications: Go to the Device Profile → Notifications and enable options: Incoming calls (with the display of the subscriber name). SMS Calendar and reminders. On iOS, notifications need to be allowed to access iPhone Settings. → Mi Fitness → Notifications.
• ⏰ Alarm clocks: In the Alarm clock section, you can create up to 10 repeating signals. The bracelet vibrates even if the phone is silent.
• 🏃 Activity tracking: Enable automatic recognition of walking, running and sleeping in Settings → Monitor activity. Calibrate the bracelet (wear it on a non-dominant hand) to accurately calculate steps).
• 🔒 Screen lock: Activate unlocking your phone through the bracelet in Settings → Unlocking the screen (only for Android).

Sleep tracking|Call notifications|Stepper|Pulse control|Managing music|Other-->

For models with NFC (for example, Mi Band 8 NFC), set up contactless payments in the NFC → Add a card. Please note: the function works only with partner banks Xiaomi (in Russia – Sberbank, Tinkoff, VTB).

Solving Connection Problems

If the bracelet is not connected to the phone, check the following points:

For Mi Band 6/7/8 models, try the following error:

1. Remove the bracelet from the list of conjugate devices in the phone’s Bluetooth settings.
2. Clear the cache of the Mi Fitness app (Settings → Applications → Mi Fitness → Memory → Clear the cache).
3. Reinstall the application and reconnect.

On the iPhone, a common problem is the lack of notifications from messengers, which is due to the limitations of iOS.

1. Open your iPhone settings → Notifications → Mi Fitness.
2. Enable the options "Show in the Notification Center" and "Sound".
3. In the Mi Fitness app itself, go to Profile → Notifications and manually select messengers for synchronization.

Synchronizing data with other services

Xiaomi’s wristbands can transfer health data to third-party apps like Google Fit, Apple Health or Strava.

1. Google Fit (Android): In Mi Fitness, go to Profile → Settings → Data Sync and select Google Fit. Log in to your Google account and allow access.
2. Apple Health (iOS): Similarly, select Apple Health in your sync settings. Note: Xiaomi only sends steps, pulse and sleep data to Health — other metrics (such as stress or sleep patterns). SpO₂) exported.
3. Strava: To sync your workouts, connect your Strava account to Mi Fitness → Profile → Connected apps.

Important: The first time you sync, the data may be duplicated, so in Google Fit or Apple Health, delete the old records before you plug in the bracelet.

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Synchronization with Google Fit and Apple Health works in one direction only: from Mi Fitness to third-party services.

If the data is not automatically updated, check:

• 🔄 Is background synchronization enabled in phone settings for Mi Fitness.
• 📶 Internet connection stability (synchronization occurs through the Xiaomi cloud).
• ⏳ Time of last synchronization in the Profile section → The device → Status.

How to unplug the bracelet from the phone

If you want to connect the bracelet to another smartphone or sell it, first do the uncoupling:

1. Open Mi Fitness and go to your bracelet profile.
2. Press three points (⋮) in the upper right corner and select "Delete device".
3. Confirm action. The bracelet will be dropped to factory settings.

Alternative method (if you do not have access to the application):

1. On the bracelet, go to Settings → System → Reset.
2. Select "Reset all settings" and confirm.
3. After resetting, the bracelet will automatically disconnect from the phone.

⚠️ Note: When resetting through the bracelet (without decoupling in the application), your activity data stored only on the device will be lost.

If you are selling a bracelet, we also recommend:

• Remove all saved NFC-Cards (if supported).
• Delete personal information in the Profile → Privacy section.
• Disable the "Device Search" function if it has been activated.

FAQ: Frequent questions about connecting Xiaomi bracelets