Xiaomi Earbuds Basic: full instructions for setting up and using

Xiaomi Earbuds Basic wireless headphones have become one of the most popular budget solutions for music and call lovers. Despite their simplicity of design, they offer decent sound quality, easy management and stable Bluetooth 5.0 connection. However, many users face difficulties when connecting or configuring first — especially if they have not previously used wireless headsets.

In this article, we’ll go through all the steps from basic smartphone connectivity to fine-tuning sound and gesture control, how to sync your headphones with iOS and Android, what apps will help improve sound, and what to do if one of the headphones suddenly stopped working, and also reveal some hidden features that are not written in the official instructions.

If you've just unpacked your headphones and you don't know where to start, don't worry. It's going to take 5 minutes to set up, and further optimizing to your preferences will make Earbuds Basic even more comfortable. Let's take it from scratch.

1.Preparation for the first connection

Before you start setting up, make sure you follow all the preliminary steps, which will eliminate the typical problems like the inability to detect headphones or failures during synchronization.

First, check the charge of the headphones and the case. Even if the indicator on the case is green, it does not always mean 100% charge. Connect the case to the charger for 10-15 minutes if the headphones do not respond to pressing. Optimally use the original cable. USB-C (Micro-USB, depending on the case version).

Second, remove the headphones from the case and wait until they automatically go into pairing mode, signaled by a flashing white light on both earphones. If the light doesn't flash, put the headphones back in the case, close it for 5 seconds, then retract it.

Finally, prepare your smartphone:

• 📱 Android: Enable Bluetooth in the Quick Settings Panel or Settings → Connected devices.
• 🍎 iOS: Open Settings → Bluetooth and make sure that Air Mode is disabled.
• 🔄 Remove from your smartphone memory all previously connected devices called Mi Earbuds or Xiaomi Basic to avoid conflicts.

2. Step-by-step connection to a smartphone

The process of pairing Xiaomi Earbuds Basic with the phone takes less than a minute, but there are nuances for different operating systems.

For Android (MIUI, Samsung, Pixel, etc.):

1. Open Settings → Bluetooth.
2. Click Add a new device (or similar button).
3. Find Mi Earbuds Basic (or Xiaomi) Basic_XXXX) and tap him.
4. Confirm the pairing if a request appears.

For iPhone (iOS 12 and newer):

1. Go to Settings → Bluetooth.
2. Wait until Mi Earbuds Basic appears in the Other Devices section.
3. Slip the name and wait for the connection (it may take up to 10 seconds).

If the headphones don’t appear in the list, try:

• 🔄 Reboot Bluetooth on your smartphone (disable/enable).
• 🔋 Return the headphones to the case, wait 10 seconds and retrieve.
• 📵 Make sure the headphones aren’t connected to another device (like a laptop).

3. Set up gesture control

Xiaomi Earbuds Basic supports basic gestures for playback and call management. The following commands are available by default:

• 🎵 Double touch on any earpiece: playback / pause.
• 📞 Double touch during a call: Accept/complete the call.
• 🔇 Holding 2 seconds (left earphone only): turn off the microphone during a call.

Unfortunately, unlike more expensive models (such as the Xiaomi AirDots Pro), there is no way to reassign gestures through the official app.

• 🤖 On Android, you can use third-party apps like MacroDroid or Tasker to create custom scripts (for example, running a voice assistant with triple touch).
• 🍎 On iOS functionality is limited to system settings, but in Settings → Universal access → Touching → Gestures can be configured with alternative actions.

An important caveat: the sensor sensitivity in the Earbuds Basic is lower than in premium models.

• 👆 Touch the top of the headphone (where the Mi logo is located), not the side.
• 🕒 Pause between touches for at least 0.5 seconds.
• 🧼 Wipe your headphones with a dry wipe – dirt or sweat can interfere with the operation.

4. Sound optimization: equal to bass and purity

The sound in Xiaomi Earbuds Basic is balanced, but many users lack bass or brightness at high frequencies, and can be fixed both software and hardware.

Method 1: Set up the equalizer in the player

Most music apps (Spotify, YouTube Music, VLC) They have a built-in equalizer. Recommended settings for Earbuds Basic:

• 🎛️ Bass (60–250 Hz): +3-4 dB for depth.
• 🎚️ Average (500–2000 Hz): -1–2 dB to reduce "dirty".
• 🎧 High (8–16 kHz): +2 dB for clarity.

Method 2: Apps for improving sound

For Android, it's okay:

• 🅰️ Equalizer FX — simple equalizer with presets.
• 🎵 Wavelet - Supports LDAC and aptX (although Earbuds Basic works) AAC/SBC).
• 🔊 ViPER4Android — Advanced users (requires root or Magisk).

There are fewer options for iOS due to system limitations, but you can try:

• 🎧 Boom 3D — adds surround sound and bass.
• 🎛️ Built-in equalizer in Settings → Music. → equalizer.

Method 3: Physical improvement

If you're a bass-starved person, you can improve your acoustics with foam tips like Comply Foam, which are better at isolating sound and amplifying low frequencies, and make sure you're using the right sized tips -- a tight fit in your ear improves your sound by 20 to 30 percent.

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Before buying foam tips, check the diameter of the sound channel of your Earbuds Basic – it should match the diameter of the tips (usually 4-5 mm).

5 Problems and Solutions: What to Do When You...

Even the most reliable devices sometimes fail.-5 Xiaomi Earbuds Basic problems and ways to fix them:

Problem 1: Headphones don’t connect to the phone

• 🔌 Reboot Bluetooth on your smartphone.
• 🔋 Completely discharge the headphones (leave for 24 hours outside the case), then charge to 100%.
• 🗑️ Remove the device from the phone’s memory and pair again.

Problem 2: The sound is interrupted or interfered with

• 📶 Make sure there are no obstacles between the phone and the headphones (walls, metal objects).
• 🔄 Switch the Bluetooth codec to SBC (in the settings of the Android developer).
• 📱 Close background apps that can use Bluetooth (such as fitness trackers).

Problem 3: One earphone is not working

• 🔄 Return both headphones to the case, close the lid for 10 seconds, then remove.
• 🧹 Clean the contacts on the headphone and in the case with a cotton swab dipped in alcohol.
• 🔋 Check if the "silent" headphone is charging - if not, the problem is in the battery or board.

Problem 4: The microphone is not working during calls

• 🎤 Check that the microphone is not contaminated (wipe the holes with a soft brush).
• 📱 In the call settings, select Xiaomi Earbuds Basic as the input device.
• 🔇 Make sure you don’t turn off the microphone by holding the button on the left earphone.

Problem 5: Fast battery discharge

• 🔋 Turn off your Bluetooth headphones when not in use.
• 📴 Turn down the volume – at maximum, the battery sits down 2 times faster.
• 🔄 Update the headphone firmware (if available for your model).

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If neither of these methods worked, try resetting your headphones to factory settings, and hold the buttons on both earphones for 15 seconds until the lights start flashing red and white.

⚠️ Warning: If the headphones stopped turning on after reset, connect the case to charging for 30 minutes - sometimes this helps restore performance.

6. Hidden functions and life hacks

The manufacturer does not advertise all the features of Xiaomi Earbuds Basic, but there are several chips that will make use of more convenient:

1. Quick switching between devices

The headphones remember the last connected device, but you can manually switch to another:

1. Turn off Bluetooth on your current device.
2. Turn on Bluetooth on the second device and wait for the connection.
3. If the headphones do not connect automatically, hold the button on the right earphone for 5 seconds to go into pairing mode.

2. Voice assistant without smartphone

While there is no built-in voice assistant in Earbuds Basic, you can run Google Assistant or Siri through gestures:

• 🤖 On Android: Assign a triple touch to launch the assistant in Google settings.
• 🍎 On iOS: activate Hey Siri in Siri and Search settings.

Checking the level of charge

You can find out the charge of headphones and case without applications:

• 📱 Android (MIUI): The charge level is displayed in the notification panel when connected.
• 🍎 On iOS: Add Battery widget to the home screen.
• 🔋 On the case: green indicator - 30-100%, orange - 10-30%, red - less than 10%.

4.Use of one earpiece

If you have to leave one earbud in your case (for example, to save charge), just remove the one you want to use. The second will automatically shut down. To plug both back in again, return the earbud to the case for 5 seconds and remove both.

7. Firmware update (if available)

Not all versions of Xiaomi Earbuds Basic support firmware updates, but if your model is released after 2022, chances are there.

Step 1: Install the Mi Home app

Step 2: Checking for available updates

1. Open Mi Home and find Earbuds Basic in the list of devices.
2. Slip them and select the firmware update (if the option is available).
3. Follow the instructions on the screen. Don't turn off the headphones during the process!

Step 3: What to do if the update is suspended

• 🕒 Wait 10-15 minutes – sometimes the process takes longer than usual.
• 🔄 If the headphone indicators don’t blink, reboot them (put them back in the case and retrieve them).
• 📵 Turn off Bluetooth on your phone, then turn it on again and try again.

⚠️ Note: If after the update, the headphones stopped working, reset (hold the buttons on both headphones for 15 seconds). If this does not help, contact Xiaomi support - perhaps the firmware is installed with an error.

8. Alternative uses

Xiaomi Earbuds Basic can be used not only with smartphones, but here are some non-obvious scenarios:

1. Connection to a PC or laptop

• 🖥️ Windows: Open the settings → Devices → Bluetooth, click Add Device and select Mi Earbuds Basic.
• 🍎 MacOS: Go to System Settings → Bluetooth and perform pairing.
• 🎮 For games: in audio settings, select Earbuds Basic as the output device, but note that latency can reach 100-150 ms.

2. Use with television

If you're smart. TV Bluetooth support (e.g. Xiaomi Mi models) TV Samsung QLED):

1. Open the settings of the TV and find the Bluetooth section.
2. Activate Search Mode and connect Earbuds Basic.
3. In the audio settings, select the headphones as the output device.

For TVs without Bluetooth, you can use a Bluetooth transmitter (for example, Xiaomi Bluetooth Audio Receiver), connected to a 3.5 mm audio output or RCA.

3. Connection to game consoles

• 🎮 PlayStation 4/5: Connect through Settings → Devices → Bluetooth devices.
• 🖱️ Nintendo Switch: A separate Bluetooth adapter is required because the console does not support headphones directly.
• 💻 Xbox: doesn’t officially support Earbuds Basic, but you can use the Xbox Wireless Adapter.

4. How to make headphones headset for PC

To use Earbuds Basic for calls to Zoom, Discord or Skype:

1. Connect the headphones to the PC via Bluetooth.
2. In sound settings (control panel) → Sound) select them as the default device.
3. In the microphone settings, specify Earbuds Basic as the input device.

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When used with PCs or consoles, you may experience a delay in sound. SBC instead AAC (in the settings of Bluetooth-device).

FAQ: Frequent questions about Xiaomi Earbuds Basic