How to set time on Xiaomi fitness bracelet: all ways

Xiaomi fitness bracelets are some of the most popular wearables on the market, but even they sometimes require manual time adjustment. Synchronization errors, crashes after a firmware update, or switching to winter/summer time can cause your Mi Band or Smart Band to lag or rush. In this article, we will break down all the current ways to adjust time, including hidden features and solutions for older models.

It is important to understand that the timing mechanism depends on the firmware version of the bracelet and the Mi Fitness application. For example, in the Mi Band 7 Pro and Mi Band 8, the time update algorithm is different from the Mi Band 3 or Mi Band 4. We will take these nuances into account and provide instructions for each device line.

Why is Xiaomi’s fitness bracelet time running out?

Before you start setting up, you should understand the causes of the failure, most often the problem lies in one of the following factors:

• 🔄 The bracelet receives time from the smartphone via Bluetooth, and if communication is interrupted (for example, due to the battery discharge of the phone or Bluetooth turned off), the watch can “froze” on the latter value.
• ⏳ Older versions of bracelet software (especially Mi Band) 3/4) There were bugs with automatic time adjustment when changing time zones.
• 🌍 Incorrect time zone: If the smartphone has the wrong region, the bracelet may show the time with a shift (for example, +3 hours instead +4).
• 🔋 After the data is zeroed (Factory Reset), the bracelet returns to factory settings, including Greenwich time (UTC+0).

Less commonly, the problem is hardware malfunctions, such as failure of the internal quartz resonator (characteristic of bracelets older than 5 years), in which case only a replacement device will help.

Method 1: Time synchronization through the Mi Fitness app

The most reliable method is to get the bracelet to update the time automatically through the official app, which works for all models, including the Mi Band 8 and Smart Band 7 Pro.

1. Open the Mi Fitness app on your smartphone and make sure the bracelet is connected (the Bluetooth icon must be active).
2. Go to the Profile tab (the user icon in the lower right corner).
3. Select your bracelet from the list of devices.
4. Scroll down to the Settings unit and tap on the item Update Time (in some versions of the application - Sync data).
5. Wait for the notification Time updated (usually takes 2-5 seconds).

If there is no Update Time button, try an alternative path:

1. In the main menu of the application, select Device → Settings → More.
2. Activate the time sync switch (if it is turned off).
3. Return to the home screen and pull down for forced data updates.

⚠️ Warning: If the bracelet time is lost again after a few hours, check the power saving settings on your smartphone. Some manufacturers (e.g. Xiaomi, Huawei, Samsung) aggressively optimize the background of applications, which can interrupt communication with the bracelet. Add Mi Fitness to the Autostart Exclusion List.

Method 2: Manual time setting (for Mi Band 3/4/5)

Older models of bracelets (Mi Band 3-5) allow you to manually adjust the time directly on the device, which is useful if synchronization via the phone is impossible (for example, if you do not have a smartphone at hand).

Instructions for Mi Band 3/4:

1. Press the touch button of the bracelet to unlock the screen.
2. Scroll down the menu to the right to the item Still (three-dot icon).
3. Select Settings → Time and Date.
4. Turn off the Auto Update option (if it is active).
5. Manually set the current time by pressing + or - to adjust hours and minutes.
6. Confirm the changes by clicking the tick.

For Mi Band 5, the path is a bit different:

Settings → System → Time and Date → Disable “Auto” → Install manually

Important: On Mi Band 6 and later, manual timing is not available — you can only adjust it through the app, and this is due to optimizing power consumption and switching to more accurate synchronization algorithms.

Method 3: Reset bracelet settings (if time is constantly lost)

If the bracelet persistently shows the wrong time despite all attempts to sync, a full reset to factory settings will help.This procedure will remove all data from the device (steps, pulse, alarm settings), so save important information in the application beforehand.

Resetting instructions:

1. Open Mi Fitness and go to your bracelet settings.
2. Select Disable Device (or Delete Device in Older versions of the App).
3. Confirm the blackout.
4. On the bracelet itself, perform a reset gesture: For Mi Band 3/4/5: press and hold the touch button for 10-15 seconds until the vibration and the Mi logo appear. For Mi Band 6/7/8: go to Settings → System → Reset.

Mi Fitness

⚠️ Warning: After reset, the bracelet may require firmware updates. Do not interrupt the upgrade process, this may lead to "bricking" of the device (loss of performance). Make sure that the battery charge of the bracelet exceeds 50% and the phone is connected to charging.

Method 4: Changing time zones on a smartphone

Xiaomi’s bracelet is geared towards the time zone set on the connected smartphone. If you’re traveling or moving to another region, but the time on the bracelet hasn’t changed, the problem may lie in your phone’s settings.

How to check and correct:

1. On Android: Open Settings → System → Date and time. Activate the option to Automatically determine the time zone (or select it manually). Make sure that the Automatically Set Time option is enabled.

iPhone

• Go to Settings → Main → Date and time.
• Turn on the time zone car.

List of current firmware versions (at the time of 2026):

• Mi Band 7: 1.16.0.14 (manual time synchronization bugs fixed)
• Mi Band 6: 1.0.6.58 (Approved support for automatic belt adjustment)
• Mi Band 5: 1.0.3.86 (time-hang bug with low battery charge fixed)

After changing the format, sync the bracelet - it will automatically pick up the new settings.