Xiaomi headphones are some of the most popular wireless accessories due to the ratio of price to quality. However, even such devices can fail: the headphones do not turn off after placing in a case, continue to discharge or automatically connect to the phone at the wrong time. If you encounter such a problem, this article will help you to understand how to correctly and safely disable Xiaomi headphones of different series – from the budget Redmi Buds to the flagship Xiaomi AirDots Pro.
We’ll look at all the possible methods, from basic (button on the case, Mi Home app) to radical (reset to factory settings), and focus on the typical errors that lead to breakage of headphones – for example, why you can’t hold the reset button for longer than 15 seconds on models with a Qualcomm QCC3040 chip.
1. Basic method: disconnecting through the button on headphones
The easiest method is to use a physical button on the headphone or case case. It works on 90% of Xiaomi models, including Redmi Buds 3/4, AirDots 2/3 and FlipBuds Pro. The main rule is that the sequence of actions depends on whether the headphones are in the case or not.
If the headphones are out of the case:
- 🔘 Press and hold the touch area (or mechanical button) on the right earphone for 3-5 seconds until you hear a beep (usually a low beep.
- 📴 On some headphones (for example, Redmi Buds 4 Active) you need to press the button three times in a row at intervals of 1 second – this prevents accidental shutdown.
- 🔋 If the headphones are discharged to 5% or below, they can shut down automatically after 30 seconds of inactivity (this is normal behavior to save charge).
If the headphones are in the case:
- 📦 Close the case cover - most models shut down automatically after 10-15 seconds.Exception: Xiaomi AirDots Pro 2 requires manual shutdown even in the case (see next section).
- 🔄 On cases with a reset button (for example, Redmi Buds 3 Pro) hold it for 5 seconds to force the headphones and case to be turned off simultaneously.
⚠️ Note: On active noise cancellation models (FlipBuds Pro, AirDots 3 Pro), holding the button longer than 8 seconds can cause the noise cancellation settings to reset. If you only need to turn off the headphones, release the button immediately after the beep.
2. Disconnect via Mi Home / Xiaomi Earbuds app
The official Mi Home (older models) and Xiaomi Earbuds (newer ones) apps allow you to control your headphones remotely, which is useful if the physical button doesn’t work or the headphones are stuck in connection mode.
Step-by-step algorithm:
- Open the Xiaomi Earbuds app (or Mi Home → Devices → select your headphones).
- Go to the Settings tab (cog in the upper right corner).
- Find the item Turn off headphones or turn off (in English version - Power off).
- Confirm the action. The headphones will sound and shut down.
If no item Disconnect:
- 🔄 Update the app to the latest version (older versions hide this option in Mi Home).
- 📱 Reconnect your headphones to your phone via Bluetooth (forget the device and connect again).
- 🛠️ On Redmi Buds 4 Pro and later, the shutdown is only available through prolonged clicking on the headphone icon in the main app menu.
Update Xiaomi Earbuds/Mi Home to the latest version
Make sure the headphones are connected to the phone
Close background applications that use Bluetooth
Check the charge level of the headphones (minimum 10%)
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Important: The Mi Home app may not show the option to turn off headphones connected to multiple devices at the same time (e.g., phone and laptop), in which case, first break the connection on all devices except the one where the application is installed.
3. Forced shutdown through resetting settings
If Xiaomi headphones don’t respond to buttons and don’t show up in the app, a hardware reset may be needed.This method also helps when the headphones are constantly reconnected to the phone or discharged in a case.
| Model headphones | Chipset | Resetting method | Retention time of the button |
|---|---|---|---|
| Redmi Buds 3/4, AirDots 2 | Realtek RTL8763 | Press the button on the case 10 seconds until the red indicator flashes | 10-12 sec. |
| AirDots 3 Pro, FlipBuds Pro | Qualcomm QCC3040 | Press the touch area on both headphones at the same time | 15 seconds (no more!) |
| Redmi Buds 4 Active | BES 2300 | Press the button on the case 5 times in a row with an interval of 1 sec | 5 taps |
| Xiaomi Buds 4 | Broadcom BCM43015 | Place in the case, hold the button on the case 8 seconds | 8 seconds |
Once reset, the headphones will automatically shut down and return to factory settings, and you will need to use them again:
- Remove the headphones from the case.
- Activate the pairing mode (usually double pressing the case button).
- Connect via Bluetooth on your phone.
⚠️ Note: On models with Qualcomm QCC3040 (For example, AirDots 3 Pro, holding the reset button for longer than 15 seconds can damage the firmware. If the indicator does not blink after 15 seconds, release the button, remove the headphones from the case and try again.
What to do if the reset does not work?
4. Disconnection via Bluetooth phone settings
Sometimes Xiaomi headphones continue to work because of errors in the Bluetooth protocol of the phone. For example, after updating Android or iOS, the device may “forget” to turn off accessories, in which case manual control through the Bluetooth menu will help.
For Android:
- Open Settings → Bluetooth.
- Find your headphones in the list of connected devices.
- Click on the gear icon next to the headphones' name.
- Select to Disable (Do not forget the device!).
For iOS (iPhone):
- Go to Settings → Bluetooth.
- Slip the i icon next to the headphones.
- Select Disconnect (or Disconnect in English).
If the headphones are not displayed in the list of connected devices, but continue to work:
- 🔄 Reboot your phone – it will reset the Bluetooth cache.
- 📱 On Android, turn on Developer Mode (7 times click on Build Number in Settings) → About the phone), then in the Developer Settings select Reset Bluetooth settings.
- 🍎 On iPhone, go to Settings → Mainstream → Reset → Reset your network settings (this will delete all stored Bluetooth devices).
💡
If the headphones automatically connect to the phone when you remove it from the case, turn off the Auto Connection function in Bluetooth settings. On Android, this is done through the device menu (cogwheel → Auto Connect → turn off).
5. Features of disconnection for specific models
Some Xiaomi headphones have unique disabling mechanisms that are not mentioned in the official instructions. Below are proven ways for popular series.
Xiaomi AirDots 3 Pro and FlipBuds Pro:
- 🎧 These models support fast shutdown through gesture: remove both earbuds and put them in the case with your ears up (not as usual.
- 🔊 For forced shutdown, hold the touch area on the left earphone for 8 seconds (on the right – this will turn on the pairing mode).
Redmi Buds 4 Active:
- 🏃 These headphones have a sport mode that blocks the shutdown when driving. To turn them off, first deactivate the mode through the Xiaomi Earbuds app (Sport tab).
Xiaomi Buds 4:
- 🎶 On these headphones, the case button only works when the lid is open.
💡
Xiaomi LDAC-enabled headphones (such as FlipBuds Pro) may not shut down when the Bluetooth signal is low. Before turning it off, make sure the phone is within 1 meter of the headphones.
6 What to do if the headphones do not turn off completely
If none of these methods worked, the problem could be a hardware failure or firmware damage.
Step 1. Charge check:
- 🔌 Connect the case to charge for 30 minutes, even if the indicator is green.
- 🔋 Remove the headphones from the case and check their charge level in the Xiaomi Earbuds app. If the charge is 0%, let them charge for 10 minutes in the case, then try again to turn off the power supply.
Step 2. Diagnostics of buttons:
- 🔍 Examine the sensory areas on your headphones for contamination (sweat, dust.
- 🛠️ If the button on the case does not respond, try pressing it with a pen or the blunt side of a pencil - sometimes the contacts stick.
Step 3. Firmware check:
- 📲 Install the latest version of the Xiaomi Earbuds app and check for firmware updates for headphones.
- 🔄 If an update is available, do not interrupt the process – this may cause the device to be completely inoperable.
Step 4: Contact with Support:
- 📧 If headphones are guaranteed, contact the Xiaomi service center.
- 🛒 Headphones without warranty can be tried to restore through informal firmware (for example, for the Qualcomm chipset). QCC3040), But it's risky -- there's a chance that the device will finally break down.
⚠️ Note: If Xiaomi headphones after reset stopped turning on or flashing red for more than 30 seconds, this indicates damage to the bootloader.In this case, self-repair is impossible - you need to flash through specialized equipment (for example, Qualcomm Flash Tool).