How to set up notifications in the Xiaomi Mi Band 3 fitness bracelet: the full guide

Xiaomi Mi Band 3 is still one of the most popular fitness bracelets due to the combination of affordable price and wide functionality. However, many users face problems when setting up notifications: the bracelet does not vibrate on calls, does not show messages from instant messengers or duplicate alerts. In this article, we will discuss how to properly configure notifications on Mi Band 3 through the official Mi Fit application (and its alternatives), what limitations the device has and how to avoid typical errors.

It's important to understand that the bracelet's capabilities are not just dependent on its firmware, but also on the application version, the smartphone operating system, and even regional settings. For example, in some countries, notifications from third-party apps are disabled by default — this option will have to be enabled manually. We'll look at all the nuances, including hidden settings, which are rarely mentioned in standard instructions.

Preparation for setting up: what to check before starting

Before you start setting up notifications, make sure your bracelet and smartphone meet the minimum requirements:

• 📱 Android version: no lower than 5.0 (for iOS - no lower than 10.0). On older systems, the necessary permissions for notifications may not be available.
• 🔄 Mi Fit Version: Update (update via Google Play or App Store) Older versions of the app don't support new messengers.
• 🔋 Bracelet charge: at least 20%.In low charge, the Mi Band 3 can ignore some of the notifications to save energy.
• 📶 Bluetooth: enabled on your smartphone and in visibility mode for other devices. The bracelet must be connected to the phone (connection icon in Mi Fit green color).

Also check if your smartphone is blocking background activity from Mi Fit. Xiaomi, Huawei and Samsung often have defaults on auto-starting apps to save battery.

1. Open your phone settings → Applications → Mi Fit → Battery.
2. Choose No Limits or Allow background activity.
3. Enable the Auto Start option (if any).

If you use Mi Band 3 on your iPhone, please note that Apple restricts notifications to third-party apps, in which case the bracelet will only show calls and SMS, and you will need additional software for messengers (for example, Tools & Mi Band).

Basic notification settings in the Mi Fit app

The main alerts (calls, SMS, alarms) are set up in the official app. Here is the step-by-step instruction:

1. Open Mi Fit and go to the Profile section → Mi Smart Band 3.
2. Select Call Notification (for incoming calls) and Message Notification (for SMS).
3. Activate the sliders next to the desired options. For SMS, you can choose whether to show the text of the message on the bracelet screen or only a notification of a new message.
4. In the Reminders section, set up the vibration for Step Targets, Alarms and Sitting (a reminder of inactivity).

By default, the bracelet vibrates 3 times when an incoming call and 2 times when SMS. You can not change the number of vibrations, but you can turn off the sound signal (if it interferes).

1. Go to Profile → Mi Smart Band 3 → Notification settings.
2. Turn off the sound signal option (if it is active).

Note: If notifications don't come after setting up, try reconnecting the bracelet to your phone.

1. In Mi Fit, select Profile → Mi Smart Band 3 → Disable the device.
2. Then reconnect the bracelet via Add the device.

Set up notifications from third-party applications (WhatsApp, Telegram, etc.)

By default, Mi Band 3 supports notifications only from standard applications (calls, SMS, calendar).

1. In Mi Fit, go to Profile → Mi Smart Band 3 → Notification Management.
2. Click Add Apps and select the desired messengers (for example, WhatsApp, Telegram, Viber) from the list.
3. Turn on the slider next to each app. Some messengers (like Facebook Messenger) will require Mi Fit to access notifications in your Android settings.

On Android 8.0+, you must manually allow Mi Fit to read notifications:

1. Open your phone settings → Applications → Mi Fit → Notifications.
2. Enable the option to Access Notifications (or Show the Content of Notifications).
3. Return to Mi Fit and update the list of applications.

Important: On iPhone, notifications from third-party apps on Mi Band 3 cannot be configured without third-party utilities (such as Tools & Mi Band or Mi Band Master) that require jailbreaking or workarounds, which may violate App Store rules.

Problems with notifications and their solutions

If notifications don’t work even after setting up, check the following points:

Another common problem is duplication of notifications (e.g., the bracelet vibrates twice per message) due to conflict between Mi Fit and other fitness apps (e.g., Google Fit) to fix:

1. Open the phone settings → Apps.
2. Find Google Fit (or analogues) and turn off notifications for it.
3. Reboot your phone and bracelet.

💡

If the bracelet has stopped vibrating on notifications, try resetting it to factory settings. To do this, select Profile → Mi Smart Band 3 → Reset. After reset, you will have to reconnect the device and configure notifications.

Advanced settings: hidden features of Mi Band 3

Besides the standard notifications, there are a few hidden features in Mi Band 3 that few people know about:

• 🔔 Calendar event reminder: the bracelet can vibrate 10 minutes before the event.To turn on, go to Mi Fit → Profile → Mi Smart Band 3 → Reminders → Calendar events.
• 📧 Contact Notification Filtering: You can only set the vibration for calls from selected contacts. To do this, select Call Notifications in Mi Fit → Selected contacts.
• 🚫 Do Not Disturb: Disables all notifications for a given period of time. → Profile → Mi Smart Band 3 → Don't disturb mode".
• 🔄 Automatically turn off notifications at night: If you sleep with a bracelet, you can set up automatic vibration shutdown from 23:00 to 7:00.This option is hidden in Settings → Schedule.

Also in Mi Band 3 there is a feature "Find the phone" - if you lose your smartphone, you can make it ring from the bracelet.

1. In Mi Fit, enable the phone search option (in the notifications section).
2. On the bracelet, swipe up the screen to open the menu.
3. Select the phone icon – the smartphone will start ringing (even if it is silent).

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For stable notifications, you need to update the bracelet firmware regularly. Check the updates in Mi Fit every 1-2 months: Profile → Mi Smart Band 3 → Firmware Update

Alternative notification apps (if Mi Fit is not suitable)

The official Mi Fit app doesn’t always work well, especially on custom firmware or older smartphones, and you can use third-party utilities:

• 📲 Notify & Fitness for Mi Band: Supports notifications from any app, including Instagram and Skype. There is a function to respond to messages from the bracelet (for Android).
• 🔧 Tools & Mi Band: allows you to customize the vibration for each application separately, as well as change notification icons.
• 🛠️ Mi Band Master: Advanced settings for Mi Band 3, including changing fonts and animations. Supports notifications from Discord and Slack.

To use alternative applications:

1. Remove Mi Fit (or disable notifications in it).
2. Install one of the listed applications and connect the bracelet through it.
3. In the new app settings, allow access to notifications and contacts.

⚠️ Attention! third-party apps may require more rights than Mi Fit, including access to call history and location.

If you’re using an iPhone, the only working option is the Tools & Mi Band, but you’ll need to:

1. Install the application via AltStore or Sideloadly (without jailbreak).
2. Manually set up VPN-connection to bypass iOS restrictions.
3. Reinstall the certificate every week (due to Apple's policy).

Battery Optimization: How Notifications Affect Autonomy

Frequent notifications reduce the Mi Band 3's life by 20 to 30 percent. If the bracelet discharges too quickly, try the following settings:

• 🔋 Disable notifications from unnecessary apps (such as games or news services).
• ⏳ Reduce vibration time: There is no direct setup in Mi Fit, but you can use Tools & Mi Band to shorten signal duration.
• 🌙 Turn on the mode Do not disturb at night (from 23:00 to 7:00).
• 📵 Turn off step and seat notifications if they are not critical.

Also check if the bracelet itself is draining the Mi Fit app, which consumes up to 10% of the battery per day on some smartphones (especially Xiaomi and Redmi) due to background activity to reduce consumption:

1. Open your phone settings → Applications → Mi Fit → Battery.
2. Choose Optimize (instead of No Limitations).
3. Turn off Autosynchronization in Mi Fit settings.

⚠️ Attention! If the background activity is off, you can return the settings back. MIUI aggressively close applications, which interferes with the work of the bracelet.

FAQ: Frequent Notification Questions in Mi Band 3