Xiaomi Wireless Headphones: How to Use, Connect and Charge Properly

Xiaomi’s wireless headphones have become an integral part of everyday life thanks to a combination of affordable price, high-quality sound and usability. However, even popular gadgets such as Redmi AirDots, Mi True Wireless Earphones or Xiaomi Buds 4 Pro have questions about operation: How to connect them to a smartphone? How long does it take to fully charge? Why does one headphone discharge faster than another? In this article, we will break down all the nuances from the first on to extending the battery life.

The peculiarity of Xiaomi headphones is their versatility: they are compatible not only with devices on the headphones. MIUI, But also with iPhones, Android smartphones from other brands, and PCs and laptops. However, some features (such as firmware through the Mi Home app or Xiaomi Wear) are only available to owners of Xiaomi, Redmi or phones. POCO. We’ll show you how to get around the restrictions and use headphones 100% regardless of the ecosystem.

1.The first connection of Xiaomi wireless headphones

Xiaomi’s new headphones come in standby mode – you need to “wake up” before you use them for the first time.

1. Take both earphones out of the charger case. They'll automatically turn on (the indicator blinks).
2. Press and hold the touchpad (or mechanical button on older models) on the right earphone for 5-7 seconds until the indicator starts flashing white and red alternately - this is a signal to switch to pairing mode.
3. On your smartphone, activate Bluetooth and find the model of your headphones (for example, Redmi Buds 4 Lite or Xiaomi FlipBuds Pro) in the list of devices.
4. Confirm the connection. Once successfully paired, the headphone indicator will light up blue (or go out on some models).

If the headphones are not determined, check:

• 🔋 Case charge and headphones (indicators on the case should burn when opening the lid).
• 📱 Bluetooth version compatibility (Xiaomi headphones usually support Bluetooth 5.0-5.3, but older smartphones can only work with 4.2).
• 🔄 The presence of other connected devices (sometimes the headphones “stick” on the previous gadget – remove them from the list of associated devices).

Important for iPhone owners: Xiaomi headphones connect to iOS in standard mode, but some features (such as gestures or equalizer) may not work. For full management, install the Xiaomi Wear app from the App Store - it supports most models except budget ones (Redmi AirDots 2 and older).

2. Headphone control: gestures, buttons and voice assistant

The functionality of Xiaomi headphones depends on the model, but most support basic gestures:

On models with active noise cancellation (ANC), Xiaomi Buds 4 Pro or FlipBuds Pro, added additional gestures:

• 🔇 Switching on/off ANC: touching and holding (2 seconds) of the right headphone.
• 🔊 Transparency mode: touching and holding (2 seconds) of the left earphone.
• 🎧 Mono mode (use of one headphone): remove only one headphone from the case - the second will automatically turn off.

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If the gestures don’t work, reset the headphone settings: place them in the case, then press and hold the button on the case (if any) or touchpad on both headphones for 10 seconds until the indicators flash red 3 times.

For models that support Xiaomi HyperSync (such as Buds 4 Pro), a low latency feature is available when watching videos.

1. Connect the headphones to the smartphone Xiaomi/Redmi/POCO.
2. Open Settings → Bluetooth.
3. Click on the gear icon next to the headphones' name.
4. Enable the Low Latency Mode option.

3. How to properly charge Xiaomi wireless headphones

The battery life depends on the proper charging. Xiaomi headphones are equipped with lithium polymer batteries that are sensitive to overheating and deep discharge.

• 🔌 Use the original cable (or certified cable) USB-Type-C/Micro-USB Cheap cables can damage the charging controller.
• 🌡️ Avoid charging at temperatures below 0°C or higher than 40°C - this reduces the battery capacity.
• 🔋 Do not keep headphones on charge for more than 2-3 hours after reaching 100% - modern cases turn off power automatically, but it is better not to risk it.
• 🔄 Once every 1-2 months, discharge the case and headphones to 0%, then charge to 100% - this calibrates the battery controller.

A critical mistake of many users: storing headphones in a discharged state. If the case lies idle for more than 2 weeks, charge it to at least 30-50% - a deep discharge kills the battery in 3-6 months.

To accelerate charging:

• ⚡ Use a power adapter with Quick Charge 3.0 support or PD (For example, the original unit from Xiaomi at 18-30 watts).
• 📵 Turn off your Bluetooth headphones while charging (if connected to your device).
• 🧲 Do not place the case on metal surfaces – it can disrupt magnetic contacts.

Charging cable intact|

Case clean (no dust on contacts)|

Headphones are correctly installed in the case (magnets worked)|

Case temperature normal (not hot)

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4. Charging problems and their solution

If the case or headphones are not charging, the reasons can be both software and hardware.

⚠️ Note: If the case does not respond to the cable connection at all (no indication), do not try to disassemble it yourself - there are glue connections inside, which are easily damaged.

Problem 1: Case is charging, but headphones are not.

• 🧹 Clean contacts on headphones and in the case with a cotton swab dipped in alcohol.
• 🔄 Reset the headphones: Put them in the case, then pull out and hold the touchpad for 10 seconds.
• 🔋 Check if the case is discharged to 0% - some models block the charging of headphones at a critical level of the case battery.

Problem 2: The case discharges quickly (holds charge for less than 2-3 days).

• 🔍 Check if the headphones remain on in the case (the indicator on the case should go out 10-15 seconds after closing the lid).
• 📱 Update the case firmware through the Mi Home app (available for most 2020 and newer models).
• 🔋 If the case is more than 2 years old, the battery could degrade - replace it in the service (cost) ~1000–1500 ₽).

Problem 3: One earphone is charging, the second is not.

• 🔄 Change headphones places in the case - if the problem "moves" to another slot, the case is faulty.
• 🔧 Check the magnets in the case: if the headphone is not tightly fixed, the contacts do not touch.
• 📡 Reset the headphone settings (see the instructions in section 2) and repeat pairing.

5. How to extend the battery life

The average battery life of wireless headphones is 2-3 years (or 300-500 full charge cycles). To delay degradation as much as possible, follow these tips:

• 🔋 Avoid full discharge of the case and headphones. Optimal range is from 20% to 80%.
• ☀️ Do not leave the case in direct sunlight or near heat sources (e.g., on a car torpedo in summer).
• 📵 Turn off Bluetooth on headphones if you don’t use them for more than a day (for example, press and hold the touchpad before turning it off).
• 🔄 Once every 3 months, perform a full discharge / charging cycle (0% → 100%) for calibration of the controller.

For models with wireless charging (for example, Xiaomi Buds 4 Pro):

• 📶 Use only certified Qi-enabled wireless chargers (5–10 W).
• 🧲 Do not put on charging a case with metal objects (keys, coins) - this can damage the coil.
• 🌡️ Watch the temperature of the case during wireless charging – if it gets too hot, interrupt the process.

Myths about charging, which you should not believe:

• ❌ «Headphones should be charged only with the original cable" - it is not important to make the cable, but its quality and compliance with the standard. USB-IF.
• ❌ «Charging from a powerful adapter spoils the battery – modern cases Xiaomi automatically limit the current.
• ❌ «Headphones can not be used while charging" - you can, but this reduces the battery life by 5-10% due to heating.

6. Update firmware and reset settings

Xiaomi’s headphone firmware is responsible for connection stability, sound quality and gestures. Updates come out every 3-6 months and fix bugs (such as spontaneous shutdowns or microphone problems) to update the software:

1. Install the Mi Home app (for Android) or Xiaomi Wear (for iOS).
2. Connect the headphones to the smartphone via Bluetooth.
3. Open the app and find your headphones in the list of devices.
4. Go to the Device Settings section → Firmware update.
5. If a new version is available, click Update and wait until it is completed (don’t turn off Bluetooth!).

The new model is called Mi True Wireless Earphones. 2, Redmi AirDots 3, Xiaomi Buds 3/4 Pro, FlipBuds Pro and newer. Budget headphones (e.g. Redmi AirDots) 1) No updates are received.

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Updating the firmware can reset custom gesture settings. After the procedure, check them in the Mi Home app and reconfigure them if necessary.

If the headphones began to glitch (self-disconnect, do not respond to gestures), perform a complete reset:

1. Put both earbuds in the case.
2. Open the case lid.
3. Press and hold the button on the case (if any) or touchpad on both headphones simultaneously for 15 seconds until the indicators flash red 3 times.
4. Close the case cover, then open it again - the headphones will be reset to factory settings.

After the reset, you'll have to do it again.

• 🔗 Connect headphones to Bluetooth.
• ⚙️ Set up gestures in the app (if supported).
• 🔊 Calibrate the sound (in some models, a microphone and speaker test is available).

7. Compatibility with different devices

Xiaomi headphones work with most gadgets, but some features are only available in the ecosystem MIUI. Let’s look at the nuances of connecting to different platforms:

Android (not Xiaomi):

• 📱 Connection is standard (through Settings) → Bluetooth).
• ⚠️ Gestures and equalizer are only customizable through the Mi Home app, but it may not support budget models.
• 🔊 The sound quality depends on the Bluetooth version: AAC (Best Android Codec Needs Bluetooth 5.0+.

iPhone (iOS):

• 🍎 Connection is trouble-free, but Mi Home in the App Store doesn’t support all models.
• 🎵 For better sound, turn on the codec. AAC Bluetooth settings (iOS uses it by default).
• 🔇 Functions ANC The transparent mode works, but their setting is limited.

Windows/macOS:

• 💻 Connect the headphones as a normal Bluetooth headset (Settings) → Devices → Adding Bluetooth).
• 🔊 To listen to music, select headphones as the audio output device.
• 🎤 To use the microphone (e.g. in Zoom or Discord), select them as the input device.

TVs and game consoles:

• 📺 Most of them are smart. TV (For example, Xiaomi Mi TV, Samsung, LG) Supports headphone connection via Bluetooth.
• 🎮 PlayStation 5 and Nintendo Switch require an additional Bluetooth adapter (for example, the device is not available, 8BitDo).
• 🖥️ On Xbox, Xiaomi headphones are connected only through the Xbox Wireless Adapter.

8. Frequent questions and answers