Have any sleek-looking fitness bands caught your eye recently? Chances are that one of those fitness bands was one from the Mi Band series. The latest being the Mi Band 5.
Not only does the latest activity tracker Mi Band 5, produced by the smartphone giant Xiaomi Inc. of China, have endless features, it also comes at an extremely affordable price.
Hence, if you are looking to purchase the Mi Band 5 or have already purchased it, we have just the information you need on why you need it. We have also done our due research and have a selection of the 10 must-have apps that will enhance your experience while using the Mi Band 5.
10 of the Best Apps to Have in Mi Band 5
Fortunately, there are apps developed by a third-party community of developers that are the most helpful in increasing your quality of experience while using Mi Band 5. We have researched and listed the following apps that are readily available on Google Play!
Gadgetbridge
We know you will definitely want to download Gadgetbridge once you have your Mi Band 5, as this app allows an extra layer of privacy, which we all seek when using gadgets.
One of the biggest turn-offs of using the built-in Mi Fit app is that you will be sharing all of your data with Xiaomi Inc. Hence, in these times, when privacy is of utmost importance, Gadgetbridge will lend you privacy, while allowing you to perform simple tasks like setting the alarm, custom app notifications, and more.
Download the app from Google Play: Gadgetbridge
However, one drawback of Gadgetbridge is that it does not provide you with a clear representation of your sleep schedule, your workout routine, etc. in the form of graphs, and other analytics, while the Mi Fit app does.
Notify & Fitness for Mi Band
As the name suggests, the app Notify & Fitness for Mi Band takes care of customizing simple things like your alarm, notifications, reminders, and also keeps track of your health data such as calories burnt, the number of steps walked, and more.
Download the app from Google Play: Notify & Fitness for Mi Band
This app also allows you to export your data to a spreadsheet for better visualization of data. Hence, if Gadgetbridge does not do the trick for you, you can always opt for Notify & Fitness instead!
Quick Sleep
You may be thinking, “Oh, the Mi Band 5 itself already offers help identifying sleep patterns, why do I need an app called Quick Sleep?” However, you will definitely be jumping on the chance to download this particular app as it allows you to quickly put your fitness tracker to sleep when you cover the entire display screen with your finger for about a second.
It has nothing to do with analyzing your sleeping patterns, just a quick way to save that long-lasting battery!
Mi Band 5 Watch Faces
With the WatchFaces app, there is no way that you will get bored with the display of your Mi Band 5. This app allows you to choose a watch face from amongst 60,000+ watch faces made available to the app user so that you can personalize your very own Mi Band 5!
Download the app from Google Play: Mi Band 5 Watch Faces
Mi Band Selfie
Mi Band Selfie is an app that allows you to use your fitness band as a remote shutter for your camera on your phone. However, the catch is that it only works when paired with certain camera apps such as Open Camera, Night Selfie Camera, Circle Camera, Bacon Camera, and Free Camera.
Download the app from Google Play: Mi Band Selfie
Nonetheless, this app will definitely come in handy any time you are trying to take a picture or video when you are on your own, and you see that amazing view right in front of you, but you want to be in the shot too!
Tools & Mi Band
It will be hard to let go of your Mi Band 5 once you download the Tools & Mi Band app. This app has a range of features that it provides to the app user. Starting from continuous heart rate monitoring and notifying along with providing heart rate dashboard charts for easy understanding to fully customizable notification patterns, which include multi-color notifications and even custom vibration patterns.
Download the app from Google Play: Tools & Mi Band
Hence, if you are searching for an app that can do all that the Mi Fit app can do and then some, you can download Tools & Mi Band app and enjoy its features and the added privacy that comes with a third-party developed app!
Alert Bridge
If you have ever felt the need to read your instant messages quickly without bothering to pick up your phone, Alert Bridge is the best option for you! It not only lets you read the full content of your incoming instant messages, but it also allows you to identify certain spam emails from random websites and then block them.
Download the app from Google Play: Alert Bridge
Hence, Alert Bridge is the one to choose if you are sick of having to manually delete every spam email you receive and also if you want to quickly read your DMs on your watch face.
Sleep as Android
To use Sleep as Android, you will first need to download Tools & Mi Band. Once this step is accomplished, you will be able to reap the benefits of the app by letting it calculate your sleep time and wake you up with an automatically set the alarm after a certain number of hours.
Download the app: Sleep as Android
Moreover, as long as you turn on your sleep tracker before going to sleep, this app can identify the difference between you simply lying on your bed, and you, actually sleeping. This ability to differentiate will ensure that your sleep schedule data is reliable and accurate!
Tasker
The best feature of Tasker is its ability to automate certain tasks that you would otherwise have to perform manually.
For instance, why should you bother with putting your phone on vibrate manually every night before going to sleep, when your little gadget can do it for you?
Download the app: Tasker
Moreover, Tasker has many more enticing features like allowing you to design your User Interface, send SMS, change the volume, and many more. If there is something you want to be done, Tasker will probably be able to do it.
Workout-Tracking Apps
Finally, since Mi Band 5 is a fitness tracker, we are sure that being able to use workout-tracking apps through Mi Band 5 is of utmost importance for many of you. Worry not, because you can use many workout-tracking apps such as 30 Day Fit Challenge, Home workout, Strava, and more.
Download the app: 30 Days Fitness Challenge, Strava
Hence, if you connect your Mi Band 5 to these apps, you will be able to get the best and most accurate results!
Why Choose Mi Band 5
With a market overflowing with Apple Watch and Samsung Galaxy series, why would a Xiaomi product hold any appeal in the market?
First, Mi Band 5 provides numerous features, including long battery life, at a price that is much less costly than any fitness bands from the Apple Watch or Samsung Galaxy series.
Second, would you really want to wear a fancy watch from the Apple Watch or Samsung Galaxy series to the gym and have to worry about damaging it somehow?
Moreover, even though plenty of online sources tell you that you need X minutes of moderate exercise or Y minutes of vigorous exercise per week, the Mi Band 5 is exactly what you need to track your fitness regime, judiciously.
Features of Mi Band 5
Once you look into all the features provided by Mi Band 5, you may start questioning why its price is so reasonable. However, customer satisfaction being one of the top priorities of Xiaomi Inc., you may rest assured that it is just the matter of a great product made available at a great deal.
Dynamic Color-Display
The most noticeable feature in the new Mi Band 5, is the large 1.1” dynamic color-display. Furthermore, the display is also customizable because it provides more than 100 brand new themed dials that you can choose from based on your personal preference!
11 Sports Modes
The Mi Band 5 has also outdone itself by adding five more sports modes to the previous six sports modes available in Mi Band 4. Moreover, the Mi Band 5 has also incorporated more indoor fitness activity features (the first five listed below), given the current state of the world, which is definitely a great asset at this time!
The 11 different sports modes available in the new Mi Band 5 are:
- Yoga
- Indoor cycling
- Jump rope
- Elliptical
- Rowing machine
- Pool swimming (Mi Band 5 is water-resistant up to a depth of 50 meters)
- Freestyle
- Walking
- Cycling
- Treadmill
- Outdoor running
Three Health Modes
The Mi Band 5 also provides you with three excellent health modes that give you suggestions on
- what type of exercise you need based on your age, sex, heart rate, and other data
- how to track your stress levels and also how to alleviate it
- how to perform simple guided breathing exercises to ease your mind and body
New Magnetic Charging System
The Mi Band 5 also has a new magnetic charging system, with a 100mAh battery, which provides you with 14 days functionality in normal mode and 20 days functionality in power-saving mode. Now that is a save since it only takes about 2 hours to fully charge the Mi Band 5 battery!
Specs Summary:
| Display | 1.1-inch AMOLED color touchscreen Display resolution: 126*29 Display color depth: 16 bit |
| Material Used | Thermoplastic Polyurethane(TPU) strap Polycarbonate plastic case with aluminium band buckle |
| Dimensions | Body dimensions: 46.95 × 18.15 × 12.45 mm Body net weight: 11.9 g Adjustable length: 155219 mm |
| Water resistance | Yes. 5ATM |
| Memory | 512KB of RAM 16MB of flash memory |
| Heart Rate Monitor | Yes |
| SpO2 Sensor | Yes |
| NFC | Yes |
| GPS | Yes |
| Sleep Tracker | Yes |
| Microphone | Yes |
| Battery | 125mAh [Lithium-ion polymer] 14-day battery life |
| Connectivity | No Wifi Bluetooth 5.0 |
| Supported Systems | Android 5.0 or iOS 10.0 and above |
| In the box | Band body x1 Band strap ×1 Dedicated charging cable x1 User manual x1 |
| Other Features | Gyroscope Barometer Proximity sensor Digital MEMS microphone |
24-Hour Sleep-Tracking
Furthermore, one of the most useful might be the 24-hour sleep-tracking feature, which analyzes your sleeping patterns.
During this ongoing pandemic, our sleep schedules have become one of our biggest issues due to quarantining ourselves at home for months. Hence, this feature will allow you to figure out the best way to improve any of your bad sleeping habits by identifying your sleep patterns and rapid eye movement and making due suggestions!
Blood Oxygen Tracking
The Mi Band 5 also has a built-in blood oxygen tracking feature, which allows you to keep track of your blood oxygen saturation levels and ultimately helps you to improve your sleeping habits.
Women’s Health Tracking
This new feature of Mi Band 5 provides a way of recording women’s health. For instance, it helps with recording the menstrual and ovulation cycle and provides helpful reminders.
The Mi Band 5 has many more useful features like
- Find my phone
- Music playback
- Weather forecast
- Message alerts
- Incoming call notification
- Phone unlocking
- Do not disturb
- Phone muting
- Event reminder
- Idle alerts
- Calendar reminder
- Event reminder
Mi Fit App
Finally, the Mi Fit app is a built-in application that keeps track of unusual heart rates, sleeping habits, and other useful health data daily. Although the Mi Fit app has been upgraded recently, there are still many limitations within the app. Hence, apps developed by third-party developers, as mentioned above, may just be the solution!
Final Words
In conclusion, Mi Band 5 is a fitness tracker that provides a range of services that we require as humans who desire to achieve mental and physical fitness.
Therefore, with our selection of the 10 must-have apps for Mi Band 5, if you have a budget for a new fitness tracker, Mi Band 5 is the way to go! It has endless useful features and is also extremely affordable!
