How to Turn on and Configure Xiaomi Mi Band 5: From Charging to Syncing

The Xiaomi Mi Band 5 fitness bracelet remains one of the most popular activity-tracking gadgets, despite the release of new models. Its simplicity, long autonomy and rich functionality attract both beginners and experienced users. However, even with such a simple device, many people have questions at the first turn on stage: How to charge the bracelet correctly? What to do if it does not respond to touch? How to connect it to the phone and adjust the basic functions?

In this article, we will look at the process of turning on the Mi Band 5 from A to Z, from unpacking the box to syncing with the Mi Fitness application. We will focus on the typical errors that interfere with the correct operation of the device, and give practical tips for troubleshooting. If you just purchased a bracelet or plan to do so, save this instruction bookmarks so you do not lose important details.

Despite its apparent simplicity, the Mi Band 5 has a few pitfalls that the manufacturer is silent about. For example, many users do not know that the bracelet must be updated immediately after the first activation, otherwise some of the features may not work correctly. Or that pairing with the iPhone requires an additional step to resolve notifications. We will disclose all these nuances to make your experience as comfortable as possible.

1.Preparation for the first turn on: what to check before launch

Before you turn on the Mi Band 5, make sure you have everything you need to make the device work properly.

• 📦 The fitness bracelet Mi Band 5 with a strap
• 🔌 Charging cable (magnetic connector)
• 📄 Short instructions in several languages (often without Russian)

If there is one of these, go to the store where you bought the device, and it is especially important to check for the charging cable, because without it, the bracelet cannot be activated.

Also, prepare your smartphone with one of the supported operating systems:

• 🤖 Android 5.0 or later (with Bluetooth 4.2 support)
• 🍎 iOS 10.0 or later (iPhone) 5s higher)

Your phone must have at least 100MB of storage available to install the Mi Fitness app (formerly Mi Fit) and download the bracelet firmware. If you have Huawei or another brand without Google services, you will need a separate installation. APK-file.

⚠️ Note: If you use an iPhone, turn off the “Tracking Limit” function in the privacy settings before connecting to Mi Band 5 (Settings) → Confidentiality → Geolocation services → Otherwise, the bracelet will not be able to correctly track the location for functions like “Phone Search».

Another important point is the firmware version of the bracelet, which is 1.0.9.54 or higher in 2026, and if your bracelet has been in storage for more than a year, chances are it's got outdated software that might conflict with newer versions of the app, and we'll talk about that in detail in the update section.

Charging the bracelet: how to connect correctly and how much to wait

The first thing you need to do with the new Mi Band 5 is to charge it, and even though the bracelet may already have a small charge from the factory, it's better to bring the battery to 100% before it's first turned on.

1. Remove the bracelet from the strap. To do this, pull the top of the body towards the screen (there is a small groove there). Don't pull the strap, so you can damage it.
2. Connect the charging cable. There are two gold pins on the back of the bracelet. You combine them with the magnetic cable connector, it will pull in automatically, and make sure the connector fits tightly, or the charging won't start.
3. Connect the cable to the power source. USB-port of the computer, charger from the phone (5V/1A) or power bank. do not use fast charges with higher voltage 5V — This could damage the bracelet battery.

Charging indication:

• 🔴 Red indicator - charging is going (less than 80%)
• 🟢 Green indicator – charging is almost complete (over 80%)
• 🔋 Indicator goes out - charging is completed (100%)

The full charging time of the Mi Band 5 is about 1.5-2 hours. If the bracelet is completely discharged, the indicator may not burn for the first 10-15 minutes - this is normal. Do not turn off the cable early: interrupting charging during the calibration stage of the battery (the last 20%) can reduce its life.

⚠️ Warning: If the bracelet does not start charging within 5 minutes of being connected, check: Clean contacts (wipe them with a dry wipe) Cable integrity (try another one) USB-Port density of connector (sometimes helps to press it slightly with your finger) If the problem persists, the cable may be defective - contact the service center.

3. First Include: How to Activate the Bracelet

When the bracelet is charged, you can start turning it on, and the process is simple, but there are a few nuances that are not mentioned in the official instructions:

1. Press the touch button below the screen and hold it for 3-5 seconds until the Mi logo appears.
2. Wait until the download is complete. The download and greeting animations will appear on the screen in turn, taking about 20 to 30 seconds to complete.
3. Select a language. Swipe the list up/down and click on Russian (or any other language you want), and confirm the choice by clicking on the touch button.

If the bracelet does not respond to touch:

• 🔄 Reboot it: plug it into charging and hold the touch button for 10 seconds.
• 🧹 Wipe the screen with a dry wipe – sometimes the remnants of the protective film interfere with the sensor.
• 🔋 Make sure the battery is at least 20% (at low charge, the sensor may not work).

After selecting the language, the bracelet will suggest connecting to the application. At this stage, you can skip pairing (by pressing the cross at the top of the screen), but we recommend doing this immediately so you can update the firmware and configure all the functions.

Bluetooth on your phone|Installed application Mi Fitness|Bracelet charged at least 50 times%|Phone Allows Access to Notifications for Mi Fitness-->

4.Installation and configuration of the Mi Fitness application

For full operation of Mi Band 5 you need the application Mi Fitness (formerly Mi Fit).

• 🤖 Google Play for Android)
• 🍎 App Store (for iOS)

If you have a Huawei phone without Google services, download it. APK-file from the official Xiaomi website or a trusted source like APKPure.

After installing the application, follow the following steps:

1. Sign up or sign in to a Xiaomi account. If you don't have an account, create it via email or phone number. Without an account, some features (such as syncing data to the cloud) will not be available.
2. Allow all requests of the application: 📍 Access to geolocation (for tracking activity) 📱 Access to notifications (to display messages on the bracelet) 🏃 Access to physical activity data (for pedometer)

Bracelet → Mi Smart Band 5

Problems can arise in the interface phase, and the most common solutions are:

💡

If you have an iPhone, go to Settings after pairing → Bluetooth and click on the “i” icon next to the Mi Band 5. Enable the option to “Share system notifications” – so you will see messages from messengers on the bracelet.

5. Firmware Update: Why It Matters and How to Do It

Many users miss this step, but updating the firmware is a critical step in setting up the Mi Band 5. Without fresh firmware, you may encounter:

To update the firmware:

1. Open the Mi Fitness app and go to the section of your bracelet.
2. Put it on the badge. ⚙️ «Settings of the device» → Firmware update.
3. If a new version is available, click Update and wait until the process is complete. Don't turn off Bluetooth or close the app during the update!

The process takes about 5-10 minutes. After the upgrade, the bracelet will reboot automatically. If the update freezes during the Preparation stage, try:

• 🔄 Reset the bracelet (hold the touch button for 10 seconds)
• 📱 Reinstall the Mi Fitness app
• 🔌 Connect the bracelet to charging during the update

⚠️ Note: If after the upgrade the bracelet began to behave unstable (for example, does not show notifications or discharges quickly), reset to factory settings: → Additionally. → Reset. After reset, re-update the firmware.

6. Basic setting: hours, notifications and monitoring

After successfully connecting and updating the firmware, you can start setting up the bracelet to suit your needs. Let's consider the key parameters that should be configured immediately:

1.Time and date

The bracelet automatically syncs the time with the phone, but if the clock is stray:

• 🕒 Check the time zone in the phone settings
• 🔄 Reset the bracelet.
• 📱 Update the data in the appendix (Profile) → Synchronize data)

Notifications

To see messages from messengers and calls on the bracelet:

1. In Mi Fitness, go to Device Settings → Notifications.
2. Turn on the option to display notifications.
3. Select the applications you want to see notifications from (for example, WhatsApp, Telegram, VKontakte).
4. On Android, allow Mi Fitness to access notifications in your system settings.

Monitoring of activity

Mi Band 5 can track your steps, sleep, pulse and blood oxygen levels (SpO₂). To set up these functions:

• 🏃 Settings → Heart Rate Monitoring – Select a mode (auto, manual or disabled).
• 😴 Settings → Sleep monitoring – turn on the option and set the alarm clock for sleep phases.
• 🩺 Settings → SpO₂ — Include oxygen measurements (not available in all regions).

💡

To accurately track sleep, wear the bracelet on a non-dominant hand (for right-handers on the left, for left-handers on the right) and fasten the strap tightly, which minimizes sensor errors.

Typical problems and their solutions

Even after setting up correctly, Mi Band 5 users sometimes experience problems, and we've collected some of the most common problems and ways to fix them:

Problem 1: The bracelet doesn’t vibrate when notified

Possible causes and solutions:

• 🔕 Vibration disabled in bracelet settings: Settings → Vibration. → Turn on.
• 📵 No phone connection: check if Bluetooth is on and if the phone is within a 10 meter radius.
• 🚫 Blacklisted app: in Mi Fitness, check if notifications are allowed for the right messenger.

Problem 2: The battery goes down quickly

If the bracelet discharges in 1-2 days instead of the promised 14:

• 🔄 Update the firmware to the latest version.
• 📊 Check which features are actively used: Turn off unnecessary monitoring (e.g., continuous pulse measurements).
• 🔋 Replace the strap - sometimes cheap analogues squeeze the contacts of the battery.

Problem 3: The Touch button is not working

If the bracelet does not respond to pressing:

• 🧼 Wipe the screen and button with an alcohol napkin (sometimes contamination interferes with the sensor).
• 🔄 Reset the bracelet (hold the button for 10 seconds).
• 🔧 Reset the settings to factory (Settings) → Additionally. → Reset).

Problem 4: Data is not synchronized

If steps or sleep are not shown in the appendix:

• 📱 Reboot your phone and bracelet.
• 🔄 In Mi Fitness, click Sync Data Manually.
• 🌐 Check your Internet connection – without it, data will not be uploaded to the cloud.

8 Additional Features: What else does Mi Band 5 do?

In addition to the basic functionality, Mi Band 5 hides a few useful features that many do not know about:

1. Music management

From the bracelet, you can switch tracks and adjust the volume on the phone:

• 🎵 Flick the bracelet screen to the left to the Music section».
• 🔀 Click on the button below the screen to pause/play the track.
• 🔊 Swipe up/down adjust volume.

2. Phone search

If you lose your phone, you can make it ring from the bracelet:

• 🔍 Flick the screen to the "More" section».
• 📱 Select the phone icon and press the button.
• 🔔 The phone will start ringing at maximum volume (even if it is silent).

3. Training regimes

The Mi Band 5 supports 11 professional training regimes, including swimming (waterproof bracelet up to 50 meters).

• 🏊 Select the activity type in the bracelet menu (training) → [sport]).
• 🕒 Click “Start” – the bracelet will start tracking the pulse, calories and duration.
• 📊 Once completed, the data is automatically synchronized with the application.

4. Sleep phase alarms

The bracelet can wake you up in a light sleep phase so that waking up is less stressful.

• ⏰ In Mi Fitness go to Profile → Alarm clocks → Add a smart alarm clock.
• 🕘 Specify the desired wake-up time and interval (e.g, ±30 minutes).
• 😴 The bracelet will wake you up with a vibration at the best moment.

FAQ: Answers to Frequent Questions