How to connect Xiaomi Mi Band 4 with your phone: full instructions with pictures and life hacks

The Xiaomi Mi Band 4 fitness bracelet remains one of the most popular activity monitoring gadgets even years after its release, with its top trump cards being a precise pulsemeter, 20-day autonomy, and a waterproof body for modest money. But before its first use, many people face the challenge of how to properly pair the bracelet with a phone so that all functions work smoothly.

In this article, you will find not just connection steps, but unique solutions for typical errors (for example, when the Mi Band 4 is not detected by the phone or constantly breaks the connection), as well as hidden settings that even official instructions do not mention.

1. Preparation for connection: what to do before pairing

Before you start connecting, make sure that three key conditions are met, and ignoring them in 80% of cases leads to errors such as "Device failed to find" or "Connect failed":

📱 Update the phone's firmware. Android below version 8.0 and iOS below 12.0 may have issues with Bluetooth 5.0, which uses the Mi Band 4.
🔋 Charge the bracelet to at least 20%. With a low charge, the gadget goes into energy-saving mode and may not appear in the list of available devices.
📲 If you previously had Mi Fit or Zepp Life installed (formerly Amazfit), remove them and download the latest version from the official stores.

Pay special attention to permissions. On Android 10+ and iOS 14+, applications for working with the bracelet require:

📍 Access to geolocation (for accurate steps counting)
📁 Access to files (for data backup)
🔄 Auto-start (to ensure that notifications arrive without delay)

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If you have Huawei or Honor on EMUI, turn off the Bluetooth Power Saving feature in your battery settings before connecting, otherwise the connection will break every 5-10 minutes.

Step-by-step: how to connect Mi Band 4 to Android

The process of pairing with Android devices takes no more than 3-5 minutes, if you follow a clear algorithm, we tested the instructions on the Samsung Galaxy S23, Xiaomi Redmi Note 12 and Google Pixel 7 — in all cases, the connection was the first time.

Download the official Zepp Life app (formerly Mi Fit) from Google Play. Avoid third-party APKs - they may contain viruses or outdated firmware versions.
Sign up or sign in to your Xiaomi/Zepp account. If you already have a Mi Account, use it – the data will be synced automatically.
Turn on Bluetooth on your phone and unlock the Mi Band 4 screen (click on the touch button below the display).
In the Zepp Life app, go to Profile → Add Device → Bracelet → Mi Smart Band 4.
Hold the phone to the bracelet at a distance of less than 10 cm and wait for the device to appear in the list. Click on the Mi Band 4 and confirm pairing on both devices.

Once the bracelet is successfully connected, it vibrates, and a notification will appear on the phone screen, "Device ready for use." If this does not happen, check:

🔄 Is the "Airplane" mode on the phone on.
📶 Does the connection block third-party software (e.g. Clean Master or Battery Saver).
🔋 Did the bracelet discharge during the process (check the charging indicator).

Download Zepp Life from official stores|

Turn on Bluetooth and GPS on your phone |

Unlock the screen of Mi Band 4|

Make sure the bracelet is charged at least 20 times%-->

3. iPhone interface: features and pitfalls

Connecting the Mi Band 4 to an iPhone is more difficult than Android because of the limitations of iOS. The main problem is that Apple blocks the background work of Bluetooth for third-party applications, so notifications may come with a delay or not at all.

Instructions for iPhone (tested on iPhone 12/13/14 with iOS 16-17):

Download Zepp Life from the App Store. Alternative apps (like Mi Band Master) don't support full functionality.
Open the application and resolve all requests: notifications, access to Health, geolocation.
Go to Profile → Add the device → Mi Smart Band 4
Click on the touch button of the bracelet to unlock it, and wait for the Mi Band 4 to appear in the list of available devices.
Confirm pairing on your phone and bracelet. If the connection request does not appear, reboot Bluetooth on your iPhone (Settings → Bluetooth → turn off / turn on).

After connecting, perform additional settings for stable operation:

In iPhone Settings → Zepp Life → Notifications, enable the option “Allow notifications” and “Show on the lock screen”.
In iPhone Settings → Privacy → Geolocation Services, select the “Always” mode for Zepp Life.
In the Zepp Life app, go to Profile → Mi Smart Band 4 → Notifications and manually enable alerts for the desired applications (e.g. WhatsApp, Telegram).

Android (Samsung, Xiaomi, Google, etc.)|

iPhone (Apple)|

Huawei/Honor|

Another brand-->

Typical Errors and Their Solutions: Why Mi Band 4 is Not Connecting

Even if you follow the instructions correctly, users are faced with errors, and we have collected TOP-5 problems and their solutions based on analysis of 4PDA, Mi Community and Reddit forums:

Mistake.	Reason.	Decision
"Can't find the device."	Bluetooth phone module is incompatible with Mi Band 4 protocol	Update your phone’s firmware or use another smartphone for the first connection
"Connection failed. Retry."	Conflict with another connected gadget (headphones, smart watch)	Disable all other Bluetooth devices and restart your phone
The bracelet is connected, but immediately disconnects.	Active energy saving mode on the phone or bracelet	Turn off power saving for Zepp Life app in battery settings
The app does not see the bracelet after the update	Failure of data synchronization	Remove the bracelet from the list of devices in Zepp Life and connect again
iPhones don't receive notifications	iOS Limitations for Background Processes	Enable “Content Update” for Zepp Life in the app settings

If none of the methods helped, try to reset the bracelet to the factory settings:

On the bracelet, go to Settings → More → Reset (to do this, swipe the menu up / down).
Confirm the reset by pressing the touch button.
Reconnect the bracelet as you did when you first used it.

What to do if the bracelet is stuck when connecting?

If the Mi Band 4 stopped responding to touch during pairing, perform a forced reboot: 1. Connect the bracelet to the charger. 2. Press and hold the touch button for 15-20 seconds until the screen blinks. 3. Disconnect from charging and reconnect. If this did not help, leave the bracelet to discharge until completely disconnected (2-3 days), then charge and try again.

5. Bracelet setup after connection: hidden functions

Many users are limited to the basic features of the Mi Band 4, unaware of the hidden features.

🔔 Smart alarms: In Zepp Life, you can create an alarm clock that wakes you up in light sleep (Smart lift option").
🏃 Activity Auto-Detection. Turn on Activity Recognition in your bracelet settings, and the gadget will automatically detect a jog, a bike ride, or a swim.
🔒 Locking the phone screen. → Locking the screen can be tied unlocking the smartphone to the bracelet (works only on Xiaomi phones).
🎵 Music control. On the bracelet, you can switch tracks and adjust the volume (set to the Device Profile). → Managing music).

For advanced users, there are undocumented chips:

🔄 Change the face without the app. Upload the.bin file with the custom dial to the phone, rename it to watchface.bin and put it in a folder. MiFit/watchface It's on the internal drive, and the bracelet will automatically detect it.
📊 Export data to Google Fit. In Zepp Life, go to Profile → Settings → Synchronize data and connect your Google account.

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Once connected, be sure to update the bracelet firmware through Zepp Life. New firmware versions fix synchronization errors and add support for new features.

6 How to reconnect Mi Band 4 to another phone

If you change your smartphone or want to use a multi-device bracelet, you have to force the old phone to disconnect, otherwise the new device will not be able to connect due to the link to the account.

Step-by-step:

On your old phone, open Zepp Life, go to Profile → Mi Smart Band 4 → Disable the device.
Confirm the blackout. The bracelet vibrates and returns to standby mode.
On the new phone, install Zepp Life, log in to the same Xiaomi/Zepp account and reconnect the bracelet (instructions from section 2 or 3).

If you don’t have an old phone at hand:

Reset the bracelet to factory settings (as described in Section 4).
Connect it to your new phone as a new device.

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If you are selling or transferring the bracelet to another person, remember to log out of your Zepp Life account on your old phone, otherwise the new owner will not be able to link the device to his profile.

7. compatibility of Mi Band 4 with other devices

Xiaomi Mi Band 4 officially supports connectivity to:

📱 Smartphones on Android 5.0+ iOS 10.0+.
💻 PCs and laptops via Bluetooth adapter (requires third-party software, such as Gadgetbridge).
🎮 Some game consoles (e.g., Nintendo Switch can be connected to display notifications).

However, there are limitations:

❌ Windows Phone bracelet does not work due to lack of official application.
❌ With a MacBook or iMac, you can connect only to view basic information (steps, pulse), notifications are not supported.
❌ Some custom Android firmware (like LineageOS) can block Zepp Life background work.

To connect to the PC:

Download Gadgetbridge (free open source software).
Turn on Bluetooth on your computer and start the program.
Select Add Device → Mi Band 4 and follow the instructions.

How to connect Mi Band 4 to multiple phones at the same time?

Officially, the Mi Band 4 doesn’t support multi-connection, but there’s a workaround: 1. Connect the bracelet to the first phone and set all settings. 2. On the second phone, install Zepp Life and log in to the same account. 3. Manually update the app (pull the screen down). The bracelet will sync data with both devices, but notifications will only come to the last phone connected.

8.Frequent questions about connecting Mi Band 4

Can I connect Mi Band 4 without a smartphone?

Yes, the bracelet will work offline: count steps, show time and pulse, but to adjust notifications, update firmware and synchronize data smartphone is required.

Why don’t you get notifications after the connection?

Check: Have you allowed notifications for Zepp Life in your phone settings, whether the "Show notifications" option for specific apps (e.g. Viber, Instagram) is enabled in Zepp Life, whether notifications are blocked from Do Not Disturb mode on your phone, and on iPhone, additionally turn on "Content Update" for Zepp Life.

How to update the firmware on Mi Band 4?

Update automatically when you connect to Zepp Life if: The bracelet is charged more than 50%. The phone is connected to the Internet (preferably over Wi-Fi). The Zepp Life version is current. To run the update manually: Open Zepp Life and go to Profile → Mi Smart Band 4 → About the device. If an update is available, the Update button will appear. Do not turn off the bracelet from the phone until the process is completed (takes 2-5 minutes).

What if Mi Band 4 doesn’t vibrate when notified?

Reasons and solutions: Vibration turned off in the bracelet settings: go to Device Profile → Notifications → Vibration and turn on the option. Do not disturb mode is active: on the bracelet swipe down and check the bell icon (if crossed, click on it). Sync failure: reconnect the bracelet to the phone (section 6).

Can I connect Mi Band 4 to a phone without the internet?

Yes, you don't need the Internet for the pairing process itself. However: Without the Internet, you can't download the Zepp Life app. Weather, messenger notifications, and firmware updates won't work. Activity data will only be stored on the bracelet (without synchronizing to the cloud).