Owners of wireless headphones from Xiaomi and Redmi often face a pleasant surprise: the device works perfectly, but all voice notifications sound in English or Chinese. This is standard for global versions or devices imported through parallel imports. Headset Russification is a process that can dramatically improve the user experience by making interaction with the gadget more comfortable and understandable.
Fortunately, modern models TWS-Headphones like Xiaomi Redmi Buds or Mi True Wireless Earbuds support changing the language pack through a software update. You don't need to be a software engineer to do this procedure. It is enough to have a smartphone and a stable Internet connection at hand to download the necessary files.
In this guide, we will discuss all the available ways to translate the interface and voice assistant into Russian, we will look at both standard methods through official applications, and more advanced options for cases where standard paths do not work.
⚠️ Warning: Before you start any firmware manipulations, make sure that the case and the headphones themselves are at least 50% charged.
Preparation for the Russification Procedure
Before you start changing your language settings, you need to properly prepare your workplace and software. The main tool for managing Xiaomi headphones is the Xiaomi Earbuds app (formerly known as Mi True Wireless Earbuds), which is through this software that the connection between the smartphone and the headset occurs.
Make sure your smartphone has Bluetooth and geolocation enabled. Some headphone models require location access to correctly display charge levels and find the device, and it’s also worth clearing the Bluetooth cache on your phone if you’ve had problems connecting other gadgets before.
There is an important caveat: not all models support full voice interface Russification. Hardware support for language packs depends on the chip version and regional modification. If your model is originally designed only for the domestic market of China, the ability to change the language may be limited or absent.
Check your smartphone compatibility. For all features, including firmware updates, it is recommended to use Android versions 8.0 and higher or iOS 12 and higher. On older versions of operating systems, the application may not work correctly or not see some devices.
Use of the official Xiaomi Earbuds app
The safest and most recommended way to Russify is to use official software. Xiaomi Earbuds app automatically determines the model of connected headphones and offers available updates. This is the standard way that is suitable for most users.
After you install the app and pair your headphones, go to the device settings section, and this shows the current firmware version. If your model has an update that includes Russian, the system will prompt you to download it, which takes 5 to 15 minutes.
- 📱 Download the Xiaomi Earbuds app from Google Play or App Store.
- 🔗 Connect headphones to your smartphone via Bluetooth.
- ⚙️ Open the app and wait for the device definition.
- 🔄 Click the "Check Updates" button in the settings menu.
It is important to understand that the update may not come immediately. Xiaomi servers update gradually. If the update button is inactive, try to disconnect the headphones from the phone, put them in the case and close the lid for 10 seconds, and then repeat the connection procedure.
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If the app doesn’t see your headphones, try “forgetting” the device in the phone’s Bluetooth settings, and then pairing again through the app’s menu itself.
Russification through the Mi Home app
Some smart headphones and headsets, especially those in the smart home ecosystem, may require the Mi Home app, which is relevant if the standard headphone app doesn’t recognize the device or offer the right features.
When you first start Mi Home, you need to select a region. To work correctly with Russian and local servers, you should select the "Russia" or "Europe" region in the application settings. However, if the device is Chinese, you sometimes have to temporarily change the region to "China" to initiate an update, and then return it back.
The process is as follows: add the device to the application, click on the settings icon (three dots in the corner), and select the update check. If a new version of the software with a language package is available, it will be downloaded and installed automatically after the user is confirmed.
⚠️ Warning: Changing region in the Mi Home app may hide previously added devices tied to another region.
Sometimes, after upgrading to the Mi Home, you need to completely reset your headphones, which requires you to pinch the touch pads on both headphones simultaneously for 10-15 seconds until the indicators flash red, which will reset your Bluetooth settings and allow you to re-pair the pairing procedure with the new language.
Changing language through conjugation mode
There's a lesser-known method that works on a number of models without having to download additional apps, and it's based on sequences of actions when you enter pairing mode, which often helps if voice prompts are still sounding in a foreign language.
The method is to change the language of the smartphone system before you connect. Set your phone in English, reset your headphones and reconnect them. Then change the language of the phone system to Russian and reset and connect the headphones again. In some cases, the headset mirrors the language of the system at the first initialization.
Secret code for resetting
The effectiveness of this method varies: it works mainly on devices that have multilingual firmware out of the box, but by default activate English or Chinese depending on the first device connected.
| Model headphones | The Russification Method | Probability of success | Required SOFTWARE |
|---|---|---|---|
| Redmi Buds 3 Pro | Xiaomi Earbuds | Tall. | Official annex |
| Mi True Wireless 2 | Mi Home / Earbuds | Medium | Firmware update |
| Redmi Buds 4 Active | Manual discharge | Low. | Not required |
| Xiaomi FlipBuds Pro | Xiaomi Earbuds | Tall. | Official annex |
Problems with voice assistant
Users often confuse the language of the headphone interface ("Connected", "Low Battery") with the language of the voice assistant. If you have commands in Russian, but the answers of Google Assistant or Siri remain in English, the problem lies in the settings of the smartphone itself, not the headset.
Xiaomi headphones are only a channel for transmitting sound. The voice assistant is processed on the side of the phone or cloud servers. To change the response language, you need to go to the settings of Google or Siri and choose Russian as the main language for voice input.
In the Google app, go to the assistant settings, select "Language" and make sure you select "Russian." Also check the voice recorder and voice input settings. After making changes, it is recommended to restart the smartphone for the settings.
☑️ Checking the assistant settings
If the problem is in the commands of headphone management (for example, "Answer call" instead of "Respond"), this is solved exclusively by updating the firmware through the Xiaomi Earbuds application. Third-party programs will not be able to help here, since they do not have access to the system files of the headset.
What to do if Russification fails
In some cases, especially with budget models or devices that are exclusively for the Chinese market, Russian may be physically absent from the memory of the chip. In this situation, the software methods are powerless. You can hear English or Chinese, and it will be impossible to change this.
If you’re sure the model should support Russian, but the update isn’t coming, try using third-party Bluetooth device management tools like Bluetooth Info. They let you see detailed information about the device, including the hardware and software version, to help you see if it makes sense to keep trying.
Sometimes waiting helps. Xiaomi releases updates in waves. If your batch of headphones hasn't received an update yet, it may come in a week or a month.
⚠️ Warning: Don’t try to stitch your headphones with Chinese firmware versions for other models, guaranteed to cause a device that can’t be rebuilt at home.
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If none of the software methods helped, chances are your headphone model doesn’t support Russian at the hardware level.