Step-by-step: how to install and configure Xiaomi Mi Band 5 on Android

Why you need Mi Band 5 and what it can do

The Xiaomi Mi Band 5 fitness bracelet remains one of the most popular wearables even years after its release. Its combination of affordable price, long autonomy (up to 14 days of operation), and extensive functionality — from sleep monitoring to phone notifications — makes the gadget a versatile assistant. However, many users face difficulties when connecting to an Android smartphone for the first time, especially if they have not previously worked with Xiaomi devices.

In this article, we will not only examine the basic installation through the official Mi Fitness app (formerly Mi Fit), but also nuances that are often overlooked in standard instructions, such as why the bracelet may not be detected by Bluetooth, how to update the firmware correctly after connecting, and what to do if the Mi Band 5 is displayed in the list of devices but not synchronized.

Requirements for smartphone and bracelet before installation

Before you start connecting, make sure your device meets the minimum requirements. Xiaomi Mi Band 5 is compatible with smartphones on Android 5.0 and higher, but for stable operation, a version at least Android 7.0 is recommended.

• 📱 Android Version: Go to Settings → The phone. → Android version. If you have Android 5.x, Some functions (e.g., fast synchronization) may be delayed.
• 🔋 Bracelet charge: Charge Mi Band 5 to at least 50% before connecting. Low charge can interrupt the setup process.
• 📶 Bluetooth: Turn on Bluetooth 4.2 or higher. On older smartphones (until 2016 release) there may be problems with connection.
• 📲 Free space: Mi Fitness app weighs around 100MB, plus space for data cache.

Pay special attention to the region of your smartphone. If the phone is purchased in China and runs on firmware without Google Play, you will have to download Mi Fitness manually from the official Xiaomi website or through alternative stores (for example, APKMirror), in which case, before installing the up-file, allow installation from unknown sources in the security settings.

Download and install the Mi Fitness app

The official Mi Band 5 management app is called Mi Fitness (formerly Mi Fit).

• 🌐 Google Play: The most reliable way).
• 📱 AppGallery: if you have a Huawei phone without Google services.
• 📎 APK-File: from APKCombo (select the latest version).

After installation, launch the application and perform the initial setup:

1. Choose a region (Russia or Global – don’t choose China, otherwise some features will not be available).
2. Accept the terms of use and privacy policy.
3. Sign up or sign in through your Xiaomi, Google, Facebook or Apple ID account. Without an account binding, the bracelet will not sync data to the cloud, and when you change your phone, you will not be able to restore your activity history.

If you log in to the server, check your Internet connection, or try changing the network type (e.g. switching from Wi-Fi to mobile data) and make sure your phone has the current date and time – the wrong settings can block authorization.

Download Mi Fitness from official source |

Charge the bracelet to at least 50% |

Turn on Bluetooth on your phone |

Register/log in to Xiaomi | account

Update the phone firmware (if available)-->

Step-by-step connection of Mi Band 5 to Android

Once the app is installed and the account is created, you can start to connect the devices.

1. Open Mi Fitness and click "Add device" (+ icon in the upper right corner).
2. Choose from the Mi Smart Band 5 list (not to be confused with the Mi Band 6/7).
3. Press "Plug" and wait for the phone to find the bracelet. If the Mi Band 5 doesn't show, make sure it's near the phone (no further than 1 meter) and not connected to another device.
4. The bracelet will show a vibration and a confirmation code, compare it to the code in the app and click "Confirm".
5. Wait until the synchronization is complete (it can take up to 2-3 minutes).

If you experience a “failure to contact the device” error during the connection step, try the following:

• 🔄 Reset the bracelet: Connect it to charge and hold the touch button for 10 seconds until the Mi logo appears.
• 📴 Clear the Bluetooth cache: Go to Settings → Annexes → Bluetooth → Warehouse → Clear the cache.
• 🔗 Disconnect other devices: If your phone has headphones or other Bluetooth gadgets connected, turn them off.

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If the bracelet still doesn’t connect, try using another smartphone (even temporarily) for the first setup. After successful synchronization, the Mi Band 5 can be reconnected to the main phone.

Set up the main functions after connecting

After successful synchronization, it is recommended to immediately configure the key parameters to make the bracelet work as efficiently as possible:

Pay special attention to the notification settings, and many users complain that the bracelet does not vibrate when incoming messages.

1. In Mi Fitness, go to Profile → Notifications and turn on the switch for the desired applications.
2. In Android settings, open Applications → Mi Fitness → Notifications and allow access to alerts.
3. Reset the bracelet (hold the button for 10 seconds on charging).

Update of the firmware Mi Band 5

After the first connection, the Mi Fitness app usually offers to update the bracelet firmware. Don't ignore this update - new versions fix synchronization errors, add support for new features and improve autonomy.

1. Connect the bracelet to charging and make sure the charge is not below 50%.
2. In the application, go to Profile → Firmware update.
3. Click Update and wait until the process is complete (don’t turn off Bluetooth or close the app!).

If the update was suspended during the Preparation for Update stage:

• 🔌 Check the bracelet charge - at a level below 30%, the process will be interrupted.
• 📶 Switch to another network: If you use Wi-Fi, try mobile internet and vice versa.
• 🔄 Reinstall Mi Fitness: sometimes cleaning the app data helps (Settings) → Annexes → Mi Fitness → Warehouse → Clear the data).

⚠️ Note: If you interrupt the firmware update, the bracelet may stop turning on, in which case you will need to reset it to factory settings (hold the button for 30 seconds on charging) and repeat the procedure.

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Updating your firmware through Mi Fitness is the only official way.Do not use third-party firmware (for example, with 4PDA) unless you are sure of the consequences: it can lead to loss of functionality or lock the bracelet.

Solving common problems

Even after a successful connection, users face common errors, and the most common ones are:

If the bracelet has stopped responding to touch or the screen is not turned on, try:

1. Connect it to charging for 30 minutes - sometimes a discharge below 5% blocks the onset.
2. Reset the settings: Hold the button on charging for 20 seconds until the Mi logo appears.
3. If the screen is damaged, check if moisture has fallen under the body (despite 5 ATM protection, condensate can accumulate when there are sharp temperature changes).

⚠️ Note: If after resetting the bracelet requires resetting but does not connect to the phone, remove it from the list of devices in Mi Fitness (Profile) → Remove the device and start the process again.

Additional Opportunities: What else can be customized

In addition to basic features, the Mi Band 5 supports a number of hidden or little-known features that can be activated:

• 🎵 Music management: In the bracelet settings, enable the option "Player control" and then swipes on the screen you can switch tracks (works with Spotify, YouTube Music, VK Music).
• 🔍 Phone search: if the phone is lost, in the bracelet menu, select "Find the phone" - the smartphone will begin to vibrate and make sound (even in silent mode).
• 🏃 Training modes: in addition to the standard (running, walking, cycling), you can add swimming, yoga or an elliptical trainer through the application.
• 🌙 Night mode: turns off the backlight from 22:00 to 8:00 to not interfere with sleep.

For advanced users, informal firmware (such as Amazfit or custom versions with 4PDA) is available that adds:

• Support NFC Payment for the original Mi Band 5 firmware NFC It only works in the Chinese version).
• Additional dials and animations.
• Advanced notification settings (e.g., keyword filtering).

⚠️ Note: Installing unofficial firmware will void the warranty and may cause the bracelet to work unstable. Before firmware, back up the data via Mi Fitness (Profile) → Backup).

FAQ: Answers to Frequent Questions