Step-by-step connection of the Xiaomi smart bracelet to the smartphone: from Mi Band 4 to Mi Band 8

Introduction: Why sync your bracelet with your phone

Xiaomi smart bracelets are not just an accessory for tracking steps, but a full assistant in everyday life. Once connected to a smartphone, the device reveals its full potential, from monitoring heart rate in real time to controlling music and notifications from instant messengers. Without synchronization, you will only get a watch with a pedometer — and lose up to 80% of functions.

The connection process does not take more 5-7 For example, many users are faced with typical errors: the bracelet is not determined by the phone, the application gives an error “failed to connect”, or the gadget is constantly disconnected. In this article, we will analyze all the stages of synchronization - from preparing the phone to setting up notifications, and also consider solutions for the use of the system. 90% Instructions are valid for all Mi Band models (starting with the 4-Xiaomi Smart Band and Redmi Band.

Particular attention will be paid to the new requirements of 2026: with the release of the firmware v1.4.7+ for the Mi Band 7/8, the interface algorithm with the iPhone has changed, and for Android, it is now mandatory to have Google Play Services version 23.30 or higher. If your Released phone is before 2019, check its compatibility in the table below.

Requirements for phone and bracelet before connection

Before you start syncing, make sure your equipment meets the minimum requirements, which will save you 70% of the problems during the connection phase.

For Android smartphones, it is mandatory to:

• 📱 OS version: Android 6.0 or later (for Mi Band 8 - Android 8.0 minimum)
• 🔄 Google Play Services version 23.30+ (checks in the settings → Annexes → Google Play Services)
• 📶 Bluetooth enabled 4.2 or higher for the Mi Band 7/8 — Bluetooth 5.0)
• 📲 Free space: at least 500 MB on the system partition

Other limitations apply to the iPhone:

• 🍎 iOS 12.0 or later (for Mi Band 8 – iOS 14)+)
• 🔳 Disabled mode "Limitation of advertising tracking" (Settings) → Confidentiality → Apple Advertising)
• 📱 Enabled Geolocation for Mi Fitness

As for the bracelet itself, check out:

• 🔋 Charge level: at least 20% (at low charge, the bracelet may not appear in the list of devices)
• 🔄 Update of the firmware: for Mi Band 6/7/8 Requires a version of the software below 1.2.6.4
• 🛠️ No physical damage to charging contacts (frequent cause of connection failures)

⚠️ Note: If your phone is released before 2017 and runs on Android 5.1 or older, there is a high probability that the bracelet will periodically turn off.This is due to outdated Bluetooth drivers. USB-C (support-model OTG).

Installation and configuration of the official application

Xiaomi’s Mi Fitness (formerly Mi Fit) is an official app to connect to the bracelet, which can be downloaded for free from Google Play or the App Store. Avoid third-party APKs, which may contain viruses or outdated versions that do not support newer bracelet models.

Step-by-step installation instructions:

1. Go to the app store: 🤖 For Android: Mi Fitness on Google Play 🍎 For iOS: Mi Fitness in the App Store

"Install."

Russian

“User Agreement”

• 📍 Geolocation (required for the correct operation of the pedometer)
• 📱 Notifications (to display messages on the bracelet)
• 💾 Storage (for backup of data)
• Register a Xiaomi account or sign in through an existing one (you can use Google, Apple ID or phone number).

If the app has already been installed, upgrade it to the latest version.

• 🤖 On Android: Open Google Play → Menus. → My apps. → Mi Fitness → Update
• 🍎 On iOS: Go to the App Store → Profile → Updates → Mi Fitness

⚠️ Attention: On iPhone with iOS 16+ After installing Mi Fitness, you need to manually enable the background work of the application. → Mi Fitness → Background update of content and select "Wi-Fi and cellular." Without this, the bracelet will turn off via 5-10 minutes of inactivity.

The process of connecting the bracelet to the phone

Once the app is installed and the account is created, you can start pairing devices, make sure that the bracelet is charged (charging indicator is green) and is located next to the phone (no more than 1 meter away).

Instructions for connection:

1. Open the Mi Fitness app and click Profile (the person icon in the lower right corner).
2. Select "Add device» → «Bracelet».
3. In the list of models, find your bracelet (such as Mi Smart Band 7) and click on it.
4. On the screen will appear instructions for activating the bracelet: 🔘 Press and hold the touch button of the bracelet for 3 seconds until it appears. QR-code. 📱 On the phone, click "Scan" QR-code" and hold the camera to the bracelet screen.

2 minutes.

"My Mi Band 8"

If QR-code not scanned:

• 🔦 Increase the brightness of the bracelet screen to the maximum.
• 📱 Turn off the power saving mode in the phone (it can block the camera).
• 🔄 Reset the bracelet: plug in to charge for 5 seconds, then turn off.

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If you have a Mi Band 4 or older, and QR-code does not appear, try an alternative connection method: in the application, select “Connect manually» → «Mi Band 4» → Wait for the bracelet to appear in the list of Bluetooth devices.

After successful connection, the application will offer to update the firmware of the bracelet. We recommend you to agree - new versions of the software fix synchronization errors and add features (for example, Mi Band 8 after updating to v1.7.8, gesture support for music control appeared).

Configure notifications and basic functions

By default, the Xiaomi bracelet only shows the time and steps. To use all the features, you need to configure notifications and additional features.

How to enable notifications:

1. In the Mi Fitness app, go to the Profile section» → Choose your bracelet.
2. Click on “Notifications” → “Manage Notifications”.
3. Turn on the "Allow notifications" switch.
4. Select applications, notifications from which will be duplicated on the bracelet (for example, WhatsApp, Telegram, VKontakte).
5. Set up the display style: 📝 «Show text” – full text of the message 🔔 «Only vibrations, no sound 🔕 «No Notifications – Only for selected contacts

For the iPhone, additionally required:

• 📱 Go to Settings → Notifications → Mi Fitness and enable "Allow notifications».
• 🔄 In the Mi Fitness app itself, give permission to “Duplicate Notifications».

Additional settings:

• 🌙 «Sleep mode: automatic sleep phase tracking (included in Device Profile» → «Sleep monitoring»).
• ❤️ «Pulse frequency": select the interval (from 1 minute to 30 minutes).
• 🏃 «Sport: Add activities (running, cycling, swimming) to automatically recognize.
• 🔒 «Screen lock: the bracelet will unlock the phone when approaching (works only on Android).

Common mistakes and their solutions

Even with the right connection, users often face problems, and let's look at the most common errors and how to fix them.

1.The bracelet is not on the device list.

• 🔄 Solution: Reset the bracelet (connect to charging on the 10 Turn off/on Bluetooth on your phone. Remove the bracelet from the list of associated devices (Settings) → Bluetooth, and try to reconnect. If you use Mi Band 6/7/8, Update the firmware through Mi Fitness.

2. The connection is permanently broken

• 📱 Causes and solutions: 🔋 Low bracelet charge (less than 15%) → charge to 100%. 📶 Interference from other devices → Turn off nearby headphones or speakers. 🤖 Energy saving on Android → Add Mi Fitness to the exceptions (Settings) → Battery → Optimizing the battery). 🍎 Limitations of iOS → Enable “Background Update” for the application.

3.No notifications are coming.

• 🔔 Check if notifications are included in Mi Fitness (Profile) → Bracelet → Notifications? Is notifications allowed in your phone settings? Is the bracelet in Do Not Disturb worth it (check the bracelet menu).

4. "Failure to update the firmware" error

• 🔧 Solution: Check the stability of the Internet connection (better use Wi-Fi). Bracelet charge should be more than 50%.Reset the Mi Fitness app and try again. If the error repeats, reset the bracelet to factory settings (Bracelet settings) → Reset).

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If the bracelet stopped syncing after updating the firmware, try rolling it back through Mi Fitness: Profile → Bracelet → Software Update → Return the previous version (not available for all models).

⚠️ Note: Mi Band 8 with firmware v1.9.0+ There was a sync error with Huawei and Honor phones due to a conflict of services.Solution: in the phone settings, disable Huawei Mobile Services for the Mi Fitness app.

Additional features after connection

After successful synchronization, the Xiaomi bracelet becomes a feature-rich gadget. Here's what you can customize additionally:

1. Personalization of the dial

• 🎨 In the Mi Fitness app, go to Profile → Bracelet → Dials».
• Choose from 200+ options (including animated and themed).
• For the Mi Band 7/8, dials with a weather widget and calendar are available.

Setting alarm clocks

• ⏰ In the “Alarms” section, you can add up to 10 signals.
• Choose the days of the week, the melody and the type of vibration (short/long/increasing).
• For Mi Band 8, a smart alarm clock is available that will wake you up in the light sleep phase.

3. Health monitoring

• ❤️ Pulse: Include a continuous measurement in Heart Rate Monitoring».
• 🩺 SpO₂: Blood oxygen testing (available on the Mi Band) 6/7/8).
• 😴 Sleep: set up automatic tracking of sleep and day rest phases.
• 🚶 Activity: Add goals in steps, calories, and activity time.