Getting started

OmniBandBridge (OBB) reads real-time running & walking data from the wearable you already own, re-broadcasts it to Zwift and other apps, fuses in treadmill and heart-rate sensors, computes a personalized metabolic power, and records everything for later analysis.

The app is organized into four tabs — Band (source device), Sensors (broadcast & fusion), Activity (live tracking) and More (history, stats, model) — and this guide follows them.

1. Install the app

OBB is currently in open beta on Google Play. To get it:

1. Join the Google group obb-beta-testers with the same Google account you use on the Play Store.
2. Open the tester opt-in link play.google.com/apps/testing/com.barban.omnibandbridge and accept.
3. Install OBB from the Play Store.

More context is in the beta announcement.

2. Select your source device for running dynamics

In the Band tab, pick where OBB reads your live running/walking data from. You choose one source at a time. See Supported devices for the full matrix of what each source delivers (basic vs. advanced dynamics).

2.1 Xiaomi Mi Band 8 · 9 · 10

The Mi Band is OBB’s flagship source. Setup has three parts: prerequisites, a one-time configuration (the auth key), and the connection you do before each session.

Prerequisites

Two things are mandatory for OBB to talk to your Mi Band:

1. Same Android phone as Mi Fitness. You must run OBB on the same phone where you already paired the band with the official Mi Fitness app. The band is bound to that phone/account, and OBB relies on the auth key from that pairing — a band that has never been set up in Mi Fitness on this phone cannot be used.
2. Mi Fitness must be temporarily disabled while you use the band with OBB. A Mi Band accepts one connection at a time, so as long as Mi Fitness is running it holds the link and OBB gets a connection error. You re-enable Mi Fitness whenever you want to go back to the official app — see Connecting to the band below.

Configuration — get the auth key (first time only)

You only do this once, the first time you select “Mi Band 8-9-10” as your device. OBB needs your band’s Auth key (32 hex) and MAC address. The auth key is stored only on your device and is used solely to talk to your band — it is never sent anywhere.

The fastest way is the built-in “Get auth key” flow: OBB signs in to the Xiaomi cloud and fetches the key and MAC automatically (it searches every Xiaomi region for you, so you don’t need to know where your band is registered).

A couple of things to know before you start:

• Use the same Xiaomi account your band is paired to in Mi Fitness. If you have more than one Xiaomi account, logging into the wrong one will find no band (OBB will tell you so).
• Social-linked accounts (e.g. Google): if your Xiaomi account was created via a social login, the Xiaomi site may ask you to set a password during the flow. That’s expected and necessary — it lets you sign in with username + password so OBB can complete the login and retrieve the auth key. Just set the password when prompted and continue.

In-app “Get auth key”: log in to the Xiaomi cloud once, OBB fetches the key & MAC automatically.

Once the key and MAC are filled in, the configuration is saved — you won’t need to repeat it.

Connecting to the band

Do this each time you want to use the band with OBB:

1. Temporarily disable Mi Fitness so it releases the band:
   • On the OBB Band screen (with “Mi Band 8-9-10” selected), tap “Go to Mi Fitness settings” under Actions — it opens the Mi Fitness App info page directly.
   • Open Permissions → Nearby devices and revoke it.
   • Go back and tap Force stop on Mi Fitness.
2. Return to OBB and tap “Start connection”. The band connects in wrist mode (status turns to Connected).
3. (Optional) Tap “Start footpod mode” to switch the band into footpod (pebble) mode for the full biomechanical stream — do this when the band is on the running clip and you’re about to start a run/treadmill activity.

When you’re done and want the official app back, just re-enable Mi Fitness (re-grant Nearby devices); no data is lost.

Disable Mi Fitness (revoke Nearby devices + Force stop), then OBB connects to the band.

Wrist mode vs Footpod mode

• Wrist mode — works on every Mi Band 8/9/10 (including Pro & Active): OBB derives speed, cadence and stride from the band’s live step stream (basic dynamics).
• Footpod mode — put the band on the running clip (standard models). When you start a run/treadmill activity, OBB switches the band into footpod mode and it streams the full biomechanical set live (ground contact, flight time, foot-strike, vertical motion). This is OBB’s flagship scenario.

How accurate is footpod speed?

The Mi Band 10 tracks treadmill speed closely — flat across paces and only slightly low — unlike footpods whose reading drifts with pace. See the analysis: Footpod vs treadmill speed.

2.2 Garmin watches

A Garmin watch broadcasts running speed & cadence only while a “Virtual Run” activity is running — outside of that it doesn’t expose an RSC sensor at all. So which OBB source you use depends on whether your watch has Virtual Run:

• Your watch has Virtual Run → starting a Virtual Run makes it broadcast the RSC profile over BLE. Two choices:
  • Quick, no install — start Virtual Run, then in OBB pick Generic RSC sensor (§2.3). You get the basic metrics (speed, cadence).
  • Full data — use the OmniBandBridge data field below: advanced dynamics, on any activity (not just Virtual Run).
• Your watch has no Virtual Run → it can’t act as an RSC sensor, so the OmniBandBridge data field (Companion) is the way to feed OBB.

Which Garmin watches have Virtual Run?

Garmin’s compatible models include: Forerunner 55 · 245 / 245 Music · 255 series · 745 · 945 / 945 LTE · 955 / 955 Solar — fēnix 6 series · 7 series — epix (Gen 2) — Enduro series — Instinct 2 series — MARQ collection — tactix Delta series · tactix 7 series — Descent Mk2 series — D2 Mach 1. Newer running watches released since (e.g. fēnix 8, Forerunner 265 / 965, epix Pro) include it too.

Not sure? Check on the watch: open the activity list (add activity) and look for “Virtual Run” — it only appears on supported models. See Garmin’s Using the Virtual Run feature.

The OmniBandBridge data field (works on any Garmin)

Use this when your watch has no Virtual Run, or when you want the full advanced-dynamics stream on any activity. The setup has a one-time part (install the data field and add it to a watch activity) and a per-session part (connect, then start the activity).

Prerequisites

• Your Garmin watch is paired to Garmin Connect (Connect IQ) on the same phone as OBB — that’s how OBB detects the watch.

One-time setup

1. Install the data field. Open the OmniBandBridge data field on the Connect IQ Store and install it to your watch (it syncs over Garmin Connect).
2. Add it to an activity. On the watch, open the activity profile you’ll use (e.g. Run, Treadmill, Virtual Run) → Settings → Data Screens → add a field and choose OmniBandBridge. A Connect IQ data field only runs when it’s on a data page of the activity you start — this step is what most people miss.

Each session

1. In OBB’s Band tab, select Garmin. OBB detects your watch and shows its name. (If it says the data field isn’t installed, finish the one-time setup above.)
2. Tap Start connection. The status shows “Waiting for watch data… (start an activity with the OBB data field enabled on the watch)” — OBB is now armed and listening.
3. On the watch, start the activity whose data screen has the OmniBandBridge field. As soon as the activity is running, your live metrics start flowing into OBB (the status switches to the live readout).

You get advanced dynamics too when the watch or a paired HR strap (e.g. Garmin HRM-600) provides them, and the data field even shows your metabolic power (MEP) and treadmill speed/incline back on the watch.

Stuck on “Waiting for watch data…”?

That message means OBB is connected and waiting — the missing step is on the watch: make sure the OmniBandBridge data field is on a data screen of the activity profile, then start that activity. Nothing flows until the activity is actually running.

Quick alternative: Virtual Run → Generic RSC (no install)

If your watch has Virtual Run and you only need the basic metrics, you can skip the data field:

1. On the watch, start the Virtual Run activity — it begins broadcasting the RSC profile.
2. In OBB’s Band tab, select Generic RSC sensor (§2.3), tap Search RSC sensors, and connect to your watch.

You get live speed & cadence with zero setup on the watch — but not the advanced dynamics the data field provides.

2.3 Generic RSC sensor

Any footpod that broadcasts the standard BLE Running Speed & Cadence profile — Stryd, Coros POD, and others — connected over BLE or over DirCon/TCP. You get the full basic set (speed, cadence, stride, distance).

2.4 UA HOVR shoes (Atlas footpod)

Under Armour HOVR “connected” shoes have a footpod chip in the sole. OBB talks to it directly over Bluetooth (no MapMyRun needed) and gets speed, cadence, stride, ground contact time and foot-strike angle. Heart rate comes from a separate strap.

3. Broadcast & fuse your sensors (the “Sensors” tab)

The Sensors tab is OBB’s bridge hub — it does two complementary jobs.

Re-broadcast your running data as a standard sensor, so other apps see it live:

• RSC over BLE — OBB advertises as a Bluetooth Running Speed & Cadence sensor.
• RSC over DirCon/TCP — OBB exposes a virtual sensor over your LAN to apps like Zwift.

Run indoors in Zwift with your band, watch or footpod as the sensor — no premium footpod required.

Receive and fuse other sensors into the same workout:

• Treadmill (FTMS) — pull speed & incline from an FTMS treadmill over BLE or TCP/DirCon, or enter it manually. (See Treadmill (FTMS).)
• Heart rate — connect an external HR sensor over BLE or TCP.

OBB fuses whatever you have — footpod + treadmill + HR — into one coherent activity and feeds the personalized metabolic-power model.

4. Live tracking of your walking/running activity (the “Activity” tab)

Start an activity (outdoor run/walk, treadmill, track…) from the Activity tab and watch it live: cadence, speed, stride, distance, heart rate, and your personalized metabolic power (MEP) with its zones. Outdoor activities use GPS — with barometric/DEM elevation for grade-aware power (see Outdoor walk/run (GPS)). When you stop, OBB holds the session so you can save or discard it.

5. Statistics & Fitness Status (the “More” tab)

After — and between — workouts, the More tab is your training lab:

• Profile — personal data, thresholds and HR / pace zones.
• Workouts — full activity history; export each session as TCX / CSV / FIT (advanced metrics included).
• Statistics — performance analysis and time-in-zone (grade-adjusted pace).
• Personal Power Profile — your personalized metabolic-power model: mean-max curve, meFTP and power zones. (See Personalized metabolic power.)
• Fitness Status — Fitness / Fatigue / Form (a metabolic PMC: CTL / ATL / TSB) driven by your metabolic load, not a generic formula.
• Local AI diary — an on-device server lets an AI model you choose analyze your training over your LAN (Bring Your Own Model); nothing leaves your device.
• Integrations — import your profile and auto-upload workouts to intervals.icu, Strava and Health Connect.
• Settings & About — app options, language, notifications, privacy and version.

---

Questions or feedback? Use the community & issue tracker.