Huawei Honor Band 5: instructions in Russian. Connection, setup, functions

Comparison of characteristics of Honor Band 5 and Honor Band 4

Design

Externally, the device is very similar to its “big brother” - the HONOR Watch ES smartwatch, although it is inferior to them in size. The body of the fitness bracelet is made of plastic and has rounded corners. The HONOR inscription is printed on its left side, and the only physical button is located on the right side.

Photo: Dmitry Troyanovsky / Lifehacker

Photo: Dmitry Troyanovsky / Lifehacker

Photo: Dmitry Troyanovsky / Lifehacker

On the back of the case there are connectors for charging, a pulse sensor and latches that hold the strap. To change it, you need to pick them up, but you shouldn’t do this with your nails: the elements sit tightly.

The strap itself is made of silicone, has a plastic clasp and a trench with the inscription HONOR. The holes are located very often, so tightening the strap exactly to your wrist size is not difficult.

Photo: Dmitry Troyanovsky / Lifehacker

The fitness tracker is available in three colors: meteorite black, sand gray and coral pink. We got the first option.

The device has 5 ATM water protection - you can swim with it, but you cannot dive with it. The screen automatically turns off if it gets splashed a lot or if it is completely submerged under water. At the same time, thanks to the shape of the display, drops do not linger on it for a long time.

Overall, the bracelet looks stylish, fits perfectly on the hand and is pleasant to the touch.

How does the Chinese version of Honor Band 5 differ from the global one?

There is no fundamental difference between the Chinese and global versions of the device, apart from the inscriptions on the box and the language of the instructions. But, at the moment, the function of measuring blood oxygen saturation level is not active in the global version of the bracelet. But the sensor itself is available and this function should be activated a little later. This function works in the version for the Chinese market.

Other features

HONOR Band 6 can measure blood oxygen levels (aka saturation, or SpO2). This indicator is about as important as pulse and blood pressure. Its monitoring can be useful, for example, in the mountains to prevent altitude sickness. In addition, low oxygen levels can indicate various diseases, including coronavirus infection. At the same time, manufacturers of all fitness trackers, including HONOR, warn: such gadgets are not capable of replacing medical devices, so you should not rely on them completely.

Photo: Dmitry Troyanovsky / Lifehacker

Another function is to measure stress levels. It is scored on a scale of 100 based on changes in heart rate. The device can monitor the indicator around the clock. If he is tall, the gadget gives the owner simple advice like: “A little tired? Change your daily routine."

Sleep monitoring, both night and day, is very useful. The Huawei TruSleep system correctly measures all indicators. These include the duration of deep, light and REM sleep, the number of awakenings and the quality of breathing. The gadget also offers users breathing exercises, weather display, flashlight functions, stopwatch, timer, smart and regular alarm clocks. The fitness tracker also allows you to control music and track a woman’s cycle, but these functions do not work on iOS.

The Chinese version of the device has an NFC chip that can be used for contactless payment, but the modification for the global market lacks this detail.

What can Honor Band 5 do?

• Show time, date and day of the week.
• Measure your heart rate automatically or in real time.
• Determine the level of blood oxygen saturation.
• Assess sleep quality (with division of sleep into phases and recommendations for improving it).
• Track 10 sports modes (outdoor running, treadmill running, walking, outdoor walking, cycling, stationary bike, elliptical, rowing machine, swimming and free workout).
• Count steps, distance and calories burned.
• Notify about calls, SMS and messages from social networks.
• Remind you to be active.
• Show weather forecast for the current day.
• Control the smartphone camera (only for smartphones with EMUI 8.1+).
• There is also an alarm function (regular and smart), smartphone search, timer and stopwatch.

Before we move on to connecting the bracelet and setting it up, let’s look at charging and turning it on/off.

Huawei Health app

This application was created specifically for athletes. You can download it from the Apple App Store or Google Play. To immediately install the software on your device, the user can, after unpacking the smartwatch, scan the QR code in the manual using a special application downloaded to the smartphone in advance. Finally, you must agree to the terms of use, read the privacy requirements and, if you wish, open access to data about the location of the device.

The Huawei Health app allows you to:

• create a training schedule and monitor your results;
• receive information about sleep quality;
• exchange data with other users.

How to charge?

For charging, a proprietary charger is used, which is attached to the bottom of the bracelet. A short microUSB to USB cable is included. One end of it is inserted into the charger connector, the other into the USB port of a computer, laptop or any working power supply with any amperage. The charging process to 100% takes approximately 1.5 – 2 hours.

How to connect Honor Band 5 to a smartphone?

To fully use all the functions of the bracelet and configure it, you will need a mobile application. It's called Huawei Health. It is not possible to connect the bracelet to third-party applications (after connection, it is possible to send data from Huawei Health to Google Fit and MyFitnesPAl).

Depending on the brand and model of your phone, you can download the application from the App Gallery, Google Play, or the App Store. You can find it in application stores by name or download it from this link for ANDROID smartphones, or from this link for iPhone owners.

Since May 2021, Huawei Health from the Play Store has stopped working normally on smartphones from a number of manufacturers. The problem is solved by installing the “Health” application from Huawei’s proprietary application store – AppGallery. To do this, you will first have to install AppGallery (from here: https://huaweimobileservices.com/appgallery/) on your smartphone, and then download Huawei Health from it.

In Huawei and Honor smartphones, the “Health” application is usually already pre-installed, but before pairing with the bracelet, it must be updated to the latest version, otherwise the bracelet may simply not be in the list of available devices.

After installing and launching the application, you will need to register an account or log in if you have already registered an account. The app will then prompt you to review its rules, agreements, and privacy notice, and ask for location and calling access. We give all permissions and you can proceed to pairing the bracelet with your phone.

• Click add device (plus in the upper right corner of the screen).
• Select “Smart Bracelet” from the list.
• Select Honor Band 4/5 from the list.

• Click “Pair” and accept synchronization via Bluetooth.
• In a new window, select a bracelet from the list, confirm pairing by touching the icon on the bracelet screen and click “Done.”
• Now all that remains is to update the software and you can proceed to the settings.

After pairing and updating, the bracelet will automatically be translated into the language installed in the smartphone. If your phone is set to a language that is not supported by the bracelet, the menu will remain in Chinese. In the case of my copy of Honor Band 5, after updating the software, the interface remained the same as that of Honor Band 4. The situation was corrected by connecting via VPN and updating the software.

Pairing with Google Fit and MyFitnessPal

There are no quality third-party apps for Honor fitness trackers. The user can only use proprietary software. But there is a useful function - linking the gadget to Google Fit and My Fitness Pal. These programs allow you to monitor your health in more detail.

1. Connect the tracker to Health.
2. In the “Me” section, open “Settings”.
3. Click on “Submit Data”.
4. Select the desired application and click “Bind”.
5. Log in to your Google account.
6. We agree to the requested permissions.
7. Install Google Fit or MyFitnessPal. We log in using the Google account that was indicated in Huawei Health.

Done, now the data between applications will be synchronized.

Setting up Honor Band 5

Honor Band 5 settings can be divided into two parts: profile settings and function settings. The first ones are performed in the “I” tab. Here you set goals for the number of steps and weight, and also indicate personal data such as gender, date of birth, height and weight. This data is needed for more accurate calculation of activity parameters.

The following settings can be made in the same menu:

• ON/OFF automatic data synchronization.
• Automatic search for devices for pairing is activated.
• Notifications about goal achievement (steps) are configured.
• Heart rate warning and heart rate threshold setting.
• A system of measures is selected.
• Data synchronization with cloud storage is configured.

To go to the bracelet function settings, you need to click on the bracelet icon in the upper right corner of the “Home” tab or select the bracelet in the “My devices” section in the “Me” tab.

The Honor Band 5 settings are as follows:

Dials . The previous version of the fitness bracelet currently has a limited choice of watch faces to 4 options. For Honor Band 5, the choice is much larger - about 40 options.

Huawei TruSleep . Enabling this feature allows you to get the most out of your sleep with breath analysis, diagnosis of 6 types of sleep problems, and tips for improving your sleep from Harvard Medical School. Without TruSleep enabled, the bracelet also monitors sleep, but in this case you will only see the duration of sleep, divided into light and deep phases. Enabling TruSleep increases the energy consumption of the bracelet.

Reminder . When you enable this option, the bracelet will vibrate every hour to remind you to warm up.

Continuous heart rate monitoring . There are several modes of heart rate measurement options:

1. Single measurement. The measurement is started from the bracelet.
2. “Smart” mode. The bracelet automatically measures your heart rate depending on your activity.
3. In real time. When this mode is enabled, the tracker measures your heart rate 24/7, providing the most detailed data. But this is the most energy-consuming mode of operation.

Alarm . In the application you can set up to 5 alarms, one of which is “smart”. The latter monitors the phases of sleep and wakes up the owner at the most favorable moment (in the REM sleep phase). That is, if you set the alarm for 6 o'clock, and the alarm clock recorded the REM phase at 5:50, then it will wake you up at that time. The time difference can be limited to 5 – 30 minutes. Judging by the reviews, the smart alarm clock does not work for all users.

Do not disturb . When this mode is activated, the screen will not turn on when you raise your hand, and the bracelet will not receive notifications about calls and messages. You can set a schedule for turning on Do Not Disturb mode, and also select one of the mode’s operating scenarios.

Notifications (turn on notifications on the bracelet and select applications for which notifications are allowed).

Weather reports . To display the weather for the current day on the bracelet's screen, you must activate this function and allow the application to access geodata.

Bluetooth disconnect notification . By activating this function, if the connection between the tracker and the smartphone is broken, the bracelet will notify you of this by vibration.

Setting up functions . In this section, you can change the order in which function icons are displayed on the bracelet screen and delete unused ones.

Activate the screen by raising your wrist.

Turn to switch . By enabling this feature, you can switch interfaces by rotating your wrist.

Automatic download of update packages via Wi-Fi.

Software Update.

Reset.

Disabling the bracelet.

Controlling the Honor Band 5

The tracker is equipped with a touch screen. On-screen commands are performed by tapping, swiping, and holding with your finger. For convenience, there is a button to return to the main screen at the bottom of the display. All control logic can be seen in the image below.

The bracelet menu consists of the following items:

• Main screen.
• Pedometer. When you click on the icon, 5 options are displayed on the screen:

1. Number of steps
2. Calories
3. Distance
4. Average-high load time for the current day in minutes.
5. Activity hours. For example, 8/10 means that you spent 8 hours actively, and 2 hours there was no activity.

• Pulse. To start a single heart rate measurement, you need to press the button and wait a little. The measurement takes approximately 45 seconds and the values ​​are updated every 3 seconds.

• SpO2. The oxygen sensor is one of the main differences between Band 5 and Band 4. Many people think that this feature is just a marketing ploy, but this is not entirely true, and for some users it can actually be useful. The norm is values ​​from 90 to 100%. If the oxygen content is between 70% and 89%, you should rest, and if the value is below 70%, the manufacturer recommends contacting a specialist.

It is very easy to check that the sensor really works. Just exhale and hold your breath for as long as possible. After a few seconds, the percentage of oxygen will begin to decrease, and after breathing resumes, the percentage will begin to rise.

• Sleep (duration of sleep over the current day). There is no need to manually activate sleep monitoring. The bracelet itself will record the beginning of sleep and awakening.
• Training menu. Honor Band 5 allows you to track 10 types of workouts: outdoor running, treadmill running, walking, outdoor walking, cycling, stationary bike, elliptical, rowing machine, swimming and free workout.

In all modes, you can set goals for the number of steps, distance and calories burned. When choosing a workout in an open area, the GPS module of the smartphone is activated. During training, the bracelet screen displays heart rate, pace, time and distance, but only two parameters are displayed on the screen at a time, and it is impossible to configure their order.

You can start a workout both from the bracelet menu and from a special section in the “Health” application.

• Messages. Up to 10 messages are stored in memory. The bracelet has no problems with the Cyrillic alphabet; the message is displayed in full and is quite readable.
• Settings menu (timer, stopwatch, brightness, smartphone search, watch faces, battery status, as well as reset, reboot, shutdown and bracelet information.
• Payment by AliPay. This feature can be disabled immediately, as it is useless outside of China. In your homeland, you can pay for purchases with a bracelet by reading the QR code of the AliPay payment system.

Again, you can rearrange the order of functions in the application and remove unused functions.

Questions and answers

Is it possible to swim in Honor Band 5?

Yes, you can. The bracelet is waterproof up to 50 meters (static pressure of the water column). When swimming mode is turned on, the screen is locked and the bracelet can detect swimming strokes such as butterfly, backstroke, freestyle and breaststroke, as well as record calories, strokes, speed, stroke rate, laps, distance and average. SWOLF indicator.

Does the bracelet count floors (height)?

No, Honor Band 5 does not have GPS or barometric altimeter, so it cannot count steps.

Can Honor Band 5 measure blood pressure?

No, he can't.

What is real autonomy?

With the most active use, the bracelet will have to be charged approximately once every 6-7 days. In the most economical mode, one battery charge lasts about 2 weeks.

Does NFC work in Honor Band 5?

The global version of the bracelet does not have an NFC module. A version with NFC is available for the Chinese market. There, you can use it to pay for travel on public transport, as well as pay for purchases using the AliPay payment system. Outside of China, you can only pay with a bracelet using the bracelet itself :).

Is it possible to control music from Honor Band 5?

No.

Does this bracelet have GPS?

No, there is no GPS module.

Remote control of a smartphone camera

The bracelet can control the camera of a smartphone exclusively on models running ANDROID with the EMUI 8.1+ interface (smartphones under the Honor and Huawei brands).

How to replace the strap on Honor Band 5?

The strap of Honor Band 5 is removable, so it can be replaced either with a new one or with a strap from the Honor Band 4 version. Changing the strap is very simple. Simply pry the plastic latch on the inside of the strap with something sharp and pull the latch up. You can then detach both parts of the strap and replace it with a new one in the reverse order.

Where to buy a strap for Honor Band 5?

The largest selection and best prices for replacement straps are offered by the Aliexpress online site. This seller has the largest selection of silicone straps and metal Milanese bracelets.

How to change screen brightness?

To change the brightness, you need to swipe up or down on the bracelet screen to the “More” screen. Next, select “brightness” and in the next menu “brightness” again. By pressing “+” the brightness increases, “-“ - decreases. You can enable automatic auto-dimming at night by moving the slider.

How to change the watch face of Honor Band 5?

There are several ways to change the watch face. The first is to long press on the main screen, and then swipe up or down until you select what you want. The second option is to select “More” and then “Watch faces”. The third way is to replace the watch face through the application. Go to the bracelet settings, then “Dials”, select the one you like, and click “Install”.

Does the bracelet connect to third-party sports apps?

No, the Huawei Healt app is used to pair with your smartphone. Once paired, you can transfer data to the Google Fit and MyFitnesPAl apps.

How to delete all messages from a bracelet?

Up to 10 messages can be stored in the bracelet's memory. To delete everything, in the “messages” section, swipe to the very bottom and click on the “delete all” button.

Which is better, Honor Band 5 or Xiaomi Mi Band 4?

We made a comparison between Honor Band 5 and Xiaomi Mi Band 4 in this article.

What is the difference between Honor Band 5 and Honor Band 4?

We compared the Honor Band 5 with its predecessor in this comparison.

Where can I complain about the performance of Honor Band 5?

It all depends on where the tracker was purchased. You can check the bracelet by serial number here. You can write about problems here if the device was purchased in Russia, and here if it was purchased outside the Russian Federation.

Interface

The default dial displays the time, day of the week, day, pulse, battery level, as well as data for the last day on steps taken and calories burned. At the same time, the design of the main screen can be changed: eight more watch faces are available in the fitness bracelet’s memory. To choose between them, you need to press the dial with your finger and hold it for a couple of seconds, or go to the settings, and then to the “Screen” section.

If you configure the interface through a mobile application, the list increases to 86 options. Different watch faces display different information. Some have only the time and date, others have space for the air temperature or the number of kilometers traveled per day.

On any watch face, swiping right or left opens your favorites, to which you can add up to five pages. Swiping up opens notifications. Swiping down lowers the curtain. It contains settings for a simple alarm clock, screen backlight and Do Not Disturb mode. Also from this page you can start searching for a smartphone and go to the bracelet settings.

Pressing a single physical button returns to the main screen, and when on it, opens a menu with the main functions of the device. The role of the “Back” button is performed by swiping to the right. In general, such management looks logical.

The vibration of the device is enough to wake you up. In the gadget settings, you can select its intensity or turn it off completely.