Although Mi Band has become the most popular fitness device in the world, many of its features have remained unknown to a wide range of users.

We reveal all the cards and talk about solving the most common problems. All in one article.

How to distinguish a fake?

Xiaomi is the most counterfeited Chinese brand. Mi Band of all generations is no exception.

Additional problems are caused by the presence of various regional versions and revisions of the release, which may differ in the size of the capsule, the brightness of the backlight, the material of the strap (to the touch).

However, there is a solution.

1. The original Mi Band should have written on the strap model and ID (glitters in the light)

2. The strap is always dense black and bends easily, for fakes it turns green, bends tightly.

3. The original charger wire is matte and made of the same material as the strap.

4. Each component must carry the MI logo.

5. The main thing — fake does not connect to Mi Fit.

Regardless of the execution, the bracelet is always packed in a transparent film. Otherwise, it’s either a fake or it’s been opened.

Choosing the right bracelet

As the long-term practice of using Mi Band shows, after the release of the first batch, the appearance of the bracelets changes, and the quality deteriorates.

The most trouble-free and high-quality ones are the first revisions for the Chinese domestic market.

Therefore, it is worth looking for older versions of Mi Band 2 with a green bright display in beige cardboard boxes, and in white; best Mi Band 3 — in white boxesand not in black.

Information about Mi Band 4 will be added when the second revision appears (tentatively, October).

Increasing autonomy

The company’s engineers are fighting for autonomy, but it has not exceeded 20 days with more or less active use for all versions without NFC.

However, you can extend the battery life by turning off Bluetooth Always-On Sync, Always-On Heart Rate and Sleep Assistant.

Even the last items (constantly measuring the pulse during the day and at night, respectively) will give a plus of 3-5 days of autonomy.

Disabling screen wake-up by turning your hand gives you 1 more day of work on a single charge.

How to measure the pulse correctly

Although heart rate measurement has become the most requested tracker feature since the introduction of the Mi Band 1s, not everyone knows how to do it.

For an accurate measurement, it is necessary to place the capsule just above the bone on the wrist. Not higher and not lower.

In addition, the bracelet should be firmly pressed against the skin. So that there is a barely noticeable trace.

Any other placement, too loose or too tight will lead to increased distortion in heart rate measurements.

Correct error outside the moment of rest for Mi Band 1s — 10-12%, Mi Band 2 — 8-10%, Mi Band 3 — 5-7%.

Export statistics

The statistics accumulated in the Mi Fit companion app can be exported via the developers API.

To do this, follow the link (alternative), select «Export data» and click «Define».

Then you will need to enter the credentials of the active Mi account used in Mi Fit and allow access to data by clicking «Sign in».

After marking the data and dates of interest, you will need to enter an email address.

In the received letter there will be a link, clicking on which will give an archive with data and a password to it.

Smart Unlock

Android smartphone owners can not only search for it using Mi Band, but also unlock it.

To do this, you need to enable the visibility of the bracelet as a separate Bluetooth device in Mi Fit and add the bracelet to the menu smart lock.

After visibility can be turned off (it actively reduces the margin of autonomy).

In the Mi Fit unlock settings, you can find the range adjustment: minimum, 1 and 3 meters.

Water protection

The official moisture protection of Mi Band 2/3 is 50 meters, or 5 ATM. In fact, you can take a shower with them, but you can’t swim.

This figure is calculated for the ideal composition of water at a time when the bracelet is at rest.

One quick movement of the hand at a depth of up to 1 meter is enough to create the appropriate pressure.

Steam procedures are contraindicated for all variants of the Mi Band, including, probably, the latest Mi Band 4.

Music and camera control

The official Mi Fit application does not allow you to control the functions on your smartphone using the Mi Band.

Third-party software allows you to control any active (or favorite) player. Works best on Mi Band 2.

You can read more about this opportunity here.

There is a similar opportunity to start photo / video shooting, however, the application (Google Play) will have to use another one.

But it works with all Mi Band older than the first version.

How to fix notifications

Almost all Mi Bands sooner or later refuse to receive notifications from their smartphones, start duplicating them or showing them with a delay.

The solution is quite simple: you need to check the permissions of Mi Fit to work in the background and notifications.

In iOS, you additionally need to activate «Other» in the list of selected applications (in the Mi Fit settings).

Payment via NFC

Outside of China, NFC does not work in Mi Band. Neither for payment, nor for emulation of other cards.

With tags and other devices, the function is also not available.

The exception is Xiaomi Hey Plushowever, its purchase is not advisable: the module works only for access cards with an operating frequency 13.3 MHz.

The situation will change the appearance of Mi Pay in Russia. However, the current models in China do not work with it, but with AliPay.

Reboot

To restart a hung bracelet, it is enough to put it in the cold for several hours.

Under these conditions, the gadget will automatically turn off and the settings will return to the factory settings. If he is correct.

After that, it may be necessary not only to defrost, but also to re-charge.

A faulty or hung device will simply drain the battery faster — in about 7-10 days.

Full reset

If the Mi Band crashes or is not unlinked from the account, you can’t unlink, you can use this utility (you must manually add the file extension).

It allows you to completely restore the settings of the bracelet to the factory settings.

A more elegant way involves trying to connect to the bracelet from another smartphone that uses a different Mi Fit account.

In this case, the fitness tracker will give a connection error and prompt to reset.

After confirmation, a reset will occur. However, when reconnecting to the original smartphone, you may need to use a VPN.

Installing watch faces

Although Mi Band 2 and 3 have only 3 themes in stock, the limit can be changed by flashing.

The procedure is quite simple. For some firmware, it is enough to replace the file with «skins».

You can read more about the procedure on specialized resources. There you can also find many mods and dials.

Applications

Android smartphone owners can use more than just the original Mi Fit companion app.

Notify & Fitness for Mi Band (Google Play). Completely replaces the original, adding advanced alert settings, a smart alarm and a number of cosmetic features to the standard features.

Mi Band 2 Function Button (Google Play). Replaces Mi Fit, complements the capabilities of the bracelet — even redundantly. Of the features — there is a fine-tuning of the button.

Mi Band Smart Alarm (Google Play). Complements Mi Fit with a smart alarm clock, working in conjunction with the original application.

Find Mi Band (Google Play). Utility with advanced options for finding a lost bracelet.

Mi Band Selfie (Google Play). Allows you to use the button or touch pad on your wristband to control your smartphone’s camera.

A more detailed list of programs for replacing Mi Fit with a brief overview can be found in our material.

instead of conclusions. What features are missing from the Mi Band?

The open platform and the efforts of third-party developers have made it possible to retrofit Xiaomi fitness trackers with many additional features.

But for sure, each Mi Band user has their own, not yet realized Wishlist.

Share them in the comments — they may already be available in third-party applications.

PS Maybe you have your own life hacks that didn’t make it into the article?