Owning smartphones from brands that use the MIUI or HyperOS shell often raises questions about compatibility with the ecosystem of competitors, including connecting AirPods to Xiaomi, which raises questions because the native functionality of the headphones is sharpened for the iPhone. However, thanks to the Bluetooth standard, the pairing process is technically simple, although devoid of some visual effects.
Owners of Xiaomi, Redmi and Poco devices can expect stable connection and high sound quality, but must be prepared for the absence of an automatic pop-up with a battery charge when opening the case.However, basic features such as noise cancellation (in Pro models) and touch control work correctly after correct initial setting.
In this article, we will discuss in detail how to ensure stable communication between devices, which applications will help expand functionality and why sometimes the sound may not work correctly. It is critical to properly reset the headphones before first pairing, if they were previously used with an iPhone to avoid conflicts of connection profiles.
Technical features of pairing iOS headphones with Android
The basis of the interaction between Apple headphones and Xiaomi smartphones is the universal Bluetooth protocol. This means that there are no restrictions on the level of audio transmission. The smartphone sees headphones as a standard audio output device. However, the proprietary Apple W1 or H1 chip, responsible for quickly switching between Apple devices and smartly detecting the location of headphones in the ears, works in limited mode on Android.
When you connect to MIUI, the system recognizes the headphone model, but it can't read the exact percentage of charge of each headphone and case through the standard menu. Instead of the animation that iPhone users are used to, you'll see a standard Bluetooth icon in the notification curtain. This doesn't affect the sound quality, but requires the installation of third-party utilities to monitor energy.
- 🎧 Full codec compatibility AAC and SBC Provides high quality audio transmission without delay.
- ⚙️ Lack of access to proprietary settings of the equalizer Apple without third-party software.
- 🔄 Automatic reconnection may not work if it is near other Apple devices.
Noteworthy, the microphones in AirPods on Android smartphones often operate in mono mode, which can reduce speech intelligibility in noisy rooms compared to using on iPhones.This is a limitation of the Hands-Free Profile (HFP) protocol, which is implemented differently in different versions of Android and MIUI shells.
⚠️ Note: If you plan to use AirPods alternately with iPhone and Xiaomi, remember that Auto Switch on Android doesn’t work. You’ll have to manually select your Bluetooth headphones every time you change the source of the sound.
📊 Which device do you use most AirPods with?
iPhone
Xiaomi / Redmi / Poco
Samsung
Other Android
iPad
Preparation of headphones and smartphone to connect
Before you start looking for devices, make sure both gadgets are ready to establish a connection. For Xiaomi, this means Bluetooth module enabled and visible status for other devices. Go to Settings → Bluetooth and make sure the switch is activated.
The headphones should be paired. If they're new and they've never connected, they'll automatically come in when you open the case lid next to the phone that's on. If you've used them before, you'll have to manually put both of them in the case, leave the lid open, and press the setting button on the back of the case.
Hold the button until the indicator on the front of the case flashes white, which is a signal that the mode is activated and the device broadcasts its signal, at which point the Xiaomi smartphone can already see the device in the list of available.
It is important to check the Bluetooth version on your smartphone.To keep up with current AirPods (especially the Pro and Max versions), support for Bluetooth 5.0 and higher is desirable, although older versions will also provide basic functionality. You can find out the version in the model specifications on the official website or through applications of the type AIDA64.
Step-by-step instructions: how to connect devices
The MIUI or HyperOS shell pairing process is standardized and takes no more than a minute. Open the Settings → Bluetooth menu on your Xiaomi smartphone. click on the Device Search button or just wait until the list updates automatically.
The Available Devices list should show the name of your headphones, such as AirPods or AirPods Pro. Click on the name. The system can request a pairing confirmation — click OK or Connect. After a successful connection, the status will change to Connected.
| Model AirPods | Status indicator | Feature on Android | Stability of communications |
|---|
| AirPods 1/2 | Blinks white | No noise control | Tall. |
| AirPods Pro | Flashing white/orange | No mode switching. | Tall. |
| AirPods Max | Blinks white | Quick discharge in the case | Medium |
| AirPods 3 | Blinks white | Spatial audio disabled | Tall. |
If the connection is successful, check the audio playback. In some cases, you need to manually select AirPods as a device for output of sound in the player or in the notification curtain, and you may need permission to access contacts and call log to fully work the headset.
What to do if the phone can’t see the headphones?
Make sure the headphones are not connected to another device (e.g. iPad or Mac) within a 10 metre radius. AirPods aim to connect to Apple's last active device. Turn off Bluetooth on other gadgets or forget the device in their settings. Also try rebooting Bluetooth on Xiaomi itself. Customizing control and functions through apps Since the standard Android settings do not allow you to change noise reduction, transparent mode or reassign actions when double touching, you need to use third-party software. The most popular and functional solution is the Material Pods or AndroPods app, available in the Google Player's data are directly read out from the Bluetooth location. Moreover, they allow you to change the equalizer, adjust actions to touch and even update the firmware of the headphones, which is impossible to do on “pure” Android. Installing such software turns the experience of using AirPods on Xiaomi into a full-fledged experience. 📱 The ability to view the exact percentage of charge of the left, right earphone and case. 🎚️ Configure noise reduction levels and transparency mode for Pro models. 🔍 Find My using the phone's geolocation. You may need access to advanced resolutions to install specialized software. When it first starts, it will request location rights and Bluetooth access, which is necessary to scan the headphone signals. Without these permissions, the widgets will not work. ⚠️ Be careful when installing modified versions of AirPods applications from unverified sources. Google Play's official version is safe, but APK-Forum files may contain malicious code that steals your Mi Account details or passwords. Solution: audio and microphone problems A common problem when using AirPods with Xiaomi is poor audio quality when talking or in instant messengers (Telegram, WhatsApp). This is due to the fact that when the microphone is activated, the headphones go into headset mode (HFP), It uses a low-bitrate monocodec (A2DP) To minimize the impact of this restriction, make sure that in the Bluetooth settings (Settings section) → Additional settings → Audio codec, if available) selected codec AAC. Some versions MIUI This allows you to force codec selection, which can improve the situation, although it does not guarantee a complete elimination of the problem, since this is a limitation of the Bluetooth protocol itself. Another common complaint is desynchronization of audio and video, which often happens when you watch high-resolution video through a browser or certain players. In the Developer Mode settings (how to activate, described in the spoiler below), you can find the item “Late Bluetooth audio” or «AVRCP Version. "Adjustment of the version." AVRCP 1.4 or 1.5 often solves the problem of lags. How to turn on the developer mode on Xiaomi?Go to About Phone and quickly click on Version 7 times MIUI». Then, in Advanced Settings, you'll see a "Developers" option.> If the sound is interrupted or there is a crack, try turning off the Adaptive Audio feature in the Bluetooth settings of the phone itself (if you have one in your shell version), and “Forget the device” also helps and re-pair with a full reset of the headphones. If the connection is unstable, one earbud is not working or the phone is no longer seeing the case, you need to perform a full reset (Hard Reset). This action returns the headphones to the factory settings and clears the list of paired devices inside their memory. Put both earbuds in the case and close the lid. Wait 15-20 seconds. Open the lid without removing the headphones. Press and hold the setting button on the back for 15 seconds. The indicator should flash orange several times, and then re-flash the conflict with the device, you can only re-turn on the device from this file with the old one, then you can search for the device. FAQ: Frequently asked questions: Will noise cancellation work on the AirPods Pro with Xiaomi? Yes, active noise cancellation and transparency mode work. However, you can only switch them through the physical clamping of the headphone legs (if configured by default) or through third-party applications, since there is no system slider in Android. Why does not automatic ear detection (auto-auto-auto-auto-auto-auto-auses)? The proximity sensors in AirPods work on Android unstable or do not work at all without special applications-bridges. The music may not be paused when you take out the iPadi from the root device, it is difficult to update from the Apple's device. However, some advanced apps on Google Play claim to be forced to upgrade, but it is risky and can lead to breakage of the headphones. How to verify the authenticity of AirPods when connecting to Android? Android does not have a built-in verification tool. You can use applications like “Manager for AirPods” that read the serial number and compare it with the databases, but 100% guarantee only visual inspection and verification on the Apple site by the serial number. Do AirPods discharge faster on Xiaomi than on the iPhone? The operating time from a single charge is usually identical. However, if the background application is installed for battery consumption, the sensor can be used in a constant monitoring mode (continue)