How to add new features in Xiaomi Mi Band 3: hidden features and non-standard solutions

Xiaomi Mi Band 3, released in 2018, is still popular with users due to its reliability and availability. However, standard firmware from Xiaomi limits some functionality – many features are either hidden or require additional manipulations to activate. In this article, we will discuss how to unlock hidden features, add new options through third-party applications and even install custom firmware to expand the capabilities of the bracelet.

It's important to understand that some methods require unlocking the bootloader or using unofficial software, which can lead to loss of warranty or unstable operation of the device. We will describe all the risks in detail and offer alternative ways for those who are not willing to take radical measures.

Hidden features of Mi Band 3: what can be activated without hacking

Even without installing third-party software, the Mi Band 3 hides a few useful options that can be enabled through standard settings, most of which are related to notifications, display data and alarm management.

• 🔔 Advanced notifications: By default, the bracelet only shows incoming calls and SMS, But through Mi Fit you can add alerts from WhatsApp, Telegram, Viber and other messengers.
• 🌙 Do Not Disturb: Turns off the vibration and backlight of the screen at a given time (such as at night), but many users are unaware that it can be configured flexibly – on schedule or manually.
• 🏃 Automatic Activity Recognition: The bracelet can self-detect walking, running, or cycling, but this feature is disabled by default in some regions.
• ⏰ Multiple alarm clocks: Mi Fit can create up to 10 alarm clocks with different days of the week and vibration melodies.

To activate these options, open the Mi Fit app, go to Profile → Mi Band 3 → Notifications (or Alarms, Modes) Some items may be missing depending on the application version and region, for example, in European firmware, swimming recognition is disabled by default - it can only be enabled through changing the region in the smartphone settings.

⚠️ Note: If some features (such as Gmail alerts) are missing after the Mi Fit update, try rolling back to the previous version of the app. Xiaomi often restricts functionality to individual countries.

For those who don’t have the standard features, the next step is to use third-party apps like Notify & Fitness for Mi Band or Mi Band Master, which let you bypass the limitations of Mi Fit and add custom dials, advanced sleep statistics or music control right from the bracelet.

Notify & Fitness: How to Add Notifications to Any Apps

The official Mi Fit app allows you to configure notifications only from a limited list of messengers. To receive alerts from Instagram, Slack, Outlook or even games, you will need third-party software. The best option is Notify & Fitness for Mi Band (available on Google Play and the App Store).

The app works by intercepting smartphone notifications and transmitting them to the bracelet. Here's how to configure it:

1. Install Notify & Fitness and provide all necessary permissions (access to notifications, geodata, contacts).
2. In the application settings, select Mi Band 3 as your target device.
3. Go to the Notifications section → Apps and tick those programs, alerts from which you want to see on the bracelet.
4. Turn on the option to Show the text of the notification to see the content of the messages (not just the name of the sender).

The benefits of Notify & Fitness:

• 📱 Support for any applications, including social networks and email clients.
• 🎵 Music control: you can switch tracks and adjust volume directly from the bracelet (works with Spotify, YouTube Music, Apple Music).
• 🔋 Battery savings: the app is optimized better than many analogues, and does not discharge the bracelet in a few hours.
• 🌍 Localization: Full support for Russian, as opposed to some Chinese alternatives.

⚠️ Note: Notify & Fitness is limited on iPhone due to Apple’s policy, such as not being able to configure music management or receive notifications from some system applications (e.g. Calendar).

If notifications do not come after setting up, check:

Turn off power saving mode for Notify & Fitness in smartphone settings

Reconnect the bracelet to the application (Settings) → Devices → Disconnect/Connect)

Update the Mi Band 3 firmware to the latest version via Mi Fit

Check if the antivirus is blocking notifications-->

For advanced users, there is another way to use Tasker (Android) to create custom notifications, such as setting the vibration of the bracelet when the smartphone is low or receiving a letter from a specific sender, but this method requires a deep knowledge of automation and will not be suitable for beginners.

Official Mi Fit

Notify & Fitness

Mi Band Master

Tools & Mi Band (or more)

I do not use third-party applications-->

Castomy dials: how to set non-standard themes

The standard Mi Band 3 dials are quickly boring, and the official Mi Fit app offers just a few options. Fortunately, there is a way to set the theme side with a unique design, animation and additional widgets (weather, steps, pulse).

• 📱 Smartphone on Android 5.0+ (iOS method does not work).
• 🔗 Mi Band Master or Amazfit Watchfaces.
• 🖼️ The dial file is.bin (you can download from sites like watchfaces.be or mi-band.ru).

Step-by-step:

1. Download and install Mi Band Master from Google Play.
2. Connect the bracelet to the app (you may need to disconnect it from Mi Fit temporarily).
3. In the Dials section, click Add New and select the downloaded.bin file.
4. Confirm the installation and wait for synchronization (bracelet reboot).

Some dials support dynamic elements:

⚠️ Note: Not all custom dials are compatible with Mi Band 3. Files for Mi Band Files 4/5, You may have a malfunction or a "brick" of the device. Before installing, check the firmware version of the bracelet in Settings → About the device.

If the dial does not appear after installation or the bracelet freezes, reset via Mi Fit:

1. Open Mi Fit and go to Profile → Mi Band 3.
2. Select Disable the device.
3. Reset the bracelet to factory settings: press and hold the 10 seconds button until vibration appears.
4. Reconnect the bracelet.

For those who want to create their own dial, there are tools like the Mi Band 3 Watchface Editor (Windows), which allows you to edit fonts, colors, add graphics and export the finished.bin file.

Advanced functions through custom firmware

If you don't like standard and third-party solutions, the last option is to install custom firmware, which will allow you to add features that are not even available in Notify & Fitness:

• 📊 Detailed sleep statistics with phases (rapid/deep sleep).
• 🏋️ New activities (e.g. gym, yoga).
• 🔄 Automatic sync with Google Fit or Apple Health.
• 🔋 Optimized power consumption (bracelet works up to 30 days without recharging).

The most popular firmware for Mi Band 3:

• 🔹 Mi Band 3 Custom Firmware by FreeYourBand – supports Russian, adds weather widgets and music management.
• 🔹 Amazfit Mod is a ported firmware from Amazfit Bip, adds GPS (It requires a constant connection to the smartphone).
• 🔹 Cricket Firmware – Targeted at Athletes, Adds Extended Metrics for Running and Biking.

The process of installing custom firmware includes several stages:

1. Unlocking the bootloader: requires connecting the bracelet to the PC via a Bluetooth adapter and using the Mi Band 3 Tools utility.
2. Installation of drivers: Windows may require manual driver installation for Nordic Semiconductor (the chip used in the bracelet).
3. Firmware via nRF Connect: a program for transferring a firmware file over Bluetooth.

⚠️ Warning: Wrong firmware can turn the bracelet into a “brick” – restoration will require soldering work or specialized equipment.

Detailed firmware guide:

After a successful firmware, you will get access to new features, but be prepared for possible bugs:

• 🐛 Unstable work with some smartphones (especially on iOS).
• 🔋 Faster battery discharge (if firmware is not optimized).
• 📵 Loss of communication with the official Mi Fit app (alternatives will have to be used).

If you are not confident in your abilities, it is better to dwell on previous methods (third-party apps and dials). For experienced users, custom firmware opens new horizons, but requires caution.

Addition of function NFC: Is it possible?

One of the most common questions users have is whether to add NFC Mi Band 3 as in the newer models (Mi Band 4) NFC Unfortunately, this is not possible hardwarely, because the bracelet does not have a chip. NFC, No firmware or modification can emulate it.

However, there are workarounds for some scenarios:

• 💳 Emulation of bank cards: if your smartphone supports Host Card Emulation (HCE), You can set up payment via phone, and use the bracelet only for notifications.
• 🔑 Smart tags. NFC: Buy a separate label (worth it). ~100 rubles. And stick it on a strap, and it can open doors, run smart home scenarios, etc.
• 📱 Smartphone binding: some banks (e.g. Sberbank) allow you to tie the bracelet as a “trusted device” to confirm payments.

For emulation of the transponder (for example, for admission to the office), you can use specialized applications such as NFC Tools (Android) however, will require:

1. Smartphone with support NFC and marking capability.
2. Empty. NFC-mark (e.g., marker, NTAG213 or NTAG215).
3. Access to the original map for copying the data.

⚠️ Attention: Copying aliens NFC-Cards (such as passes or credit cards) may be in violation of the law, and use this feature only for personal use and with the permission of the owner of the system.

If contactless payment is critical to you, consider buying a newer model, the Mi Band 6. NFC Mi Band 7 Pro, which supports Mi Pay and other payment systems out of the box.

Smart Home Management with Mi Band 3

Few people know, but Mi Band 3 can be used to control smart home devices from Xiaomi (and others).

• 🏠 Xiaomi Gateway (or other compatible hub).
• 📲 Mi Home (or Home Assistant for Advanced Users).
• 🔄 Automation through IFTTT or Yandex Alice.

Use cases:

Step-by-step setting up through Mi Home:

1. Open Mi Home and go to Automation → Add.
2. Select condition: Device → Mi Band 3 → Pressing a button.
3. Select an action: for example, a smart lamp → Turn on.
4. Keep the rule and test it.

For more complex scenarios (e.g., the relationship with the-Xiaomi Devices) use the Home Assistant:

automation:


- alias: "Mi Band 3 controls lights"




trigger:




platform: event




event_type: mi_band_button_press




action:




service: light.toggle




entity_id: light.living_room

Limitations:

• 🚫 No direct integration with Google Home or Apple HomeKit (requires an intermediate server like Home Assistant).
• 🔋 Automation through the bracelet discharges it faster (on the 10-15% day).
• 📶 Delayed execution of commands can reach 2-3 seconds.

If you don’t have a Xiaomi gateway, the alternative is to use Tasker (Android) + AutoNotification to create rules based on notifications from the bracelet. For example, you can configure sending SMS double-press.

Extending battery life: optimization and calibration

One of the biggest problems with the Mi Band 3 — quick discharge of the battery after 1-2 years of use, standard battery on 110 mAh is designed 7-14 And then you have days of work, but eventually the capacity drops, and this is how you get the bracelet back to its original charge:

Programmatic methods:

Hardware methods (for advanced):

• 🔧 Battery replacement: worth it ~300-500 It requires a soldering iron and microelectronics skills. 90% After the replacement, the bracelet will work. 2-3 year-long.
• 🔌 Contact cleaning: oxidation on charging contacts increases charging time and discharge.

If the bracelet is discharged in 1-2 days, check:

Charger (try another one)

Background processes in Mi Fit (disable autosynchronization)

Castomy dials (some consume a lot of energy)

Too frequent notifications (limit to a maximum of three) 10-15 day-to-day)-->

For those who are willing to take drastic measures, there is a way to shut down the vibration completely (except alarm clocks) that will extend the bracelet to 30 days, but will deprive you of notifications.

1. Install the Mi Band Master.
2. Go to Settings. → Vibration.
3. Turn off all options except the alarm clock.

If neither method helped, it may be time to consider buying a new model: the Mi Band 6 or Mi Band 7 have more capacious batteries (up to 125 mAh) and optimized software.

FAQ: Answers to popular questions