How to connect AirPods to Xiaomi phone: 3 ways + error solving

Apple’s wireless AirPods have long been the standard for listening to music, but owners often have trouble connecting them to Android devices — especially Xiaomi phones. While MIUI officially supports AirPods, the process can be complicated by firmware, Bluetooth or even a particular smartphone model. In this article, we’ll look at all the ways to connect them, from standard pairing to circumventing restrictions through third-party apps.

You will learn not only the basic steps, but also the hidden features that will make using AirPods on Xiaomi as convenient as possible: how to turn on the display of charge level, adjust gestures or even activate spatial sound. And if something goes wrong, at the end of the article you will find a section with solutions to 90% of errors, including problems with connection, communication interruptions and improper microphone operation.

Before you start, check two key points: 1) Your AirPods are charged (the indicator on the case should burn white or green). 2 The Xiaomi smartphone has Bluetooth enabled (swipe down from the top of the screen → Bluetooth icon).

1. Standard AirPods connection to Xiaomi via Bluetooth

This is the easiest and most reliable way to do this, and works on 95% of Xiaomi devices (from Redmi Note 8 to Xiaomi 14 Ultra), the main advantage of which is that you don’t need to install additional apps, and the headphones will automatically reconnect when you open the case.

Instructions:

• 📱 Open the settings on your phone → Go to the Connections. → Bluetooth.
• 🔄 Make sure that the Bluetooth slider is active (blue).
• 🎧 Open the cover of the AirPods case and press the button on the back for 5-7 seconds until the indicator starts flashing white.
• 🔍 Your AirPods model (e.g. AirPods Pro (2nd generation)) will appear on the list of available devices.
• ✅ Confirm the pairing if a request appears (on some firmwares) MIUI may require input PIN-code - standard 0000).

After successfully connecting to the Bluetooth menu, the ✓ icon will appear next to the headphone name, and the headphone icon will appear in the status bar. Now you can listen to music, answer calls and use a voice assistant (if it is configured).

Reboot Bluetooth on your phone (turn off/on)

Charge your AirPods to 30% and try again

Make sure the headphones aren’t connected to another device (like a MacBook)

Update the firmware MIUI last-minute-->

2. Connection via the AirBattery application (for displaying charge and control)

The official MIUI app doesn't show the charge level of the AirPods, and it doesn't support some features like changing noise reduction modes, and it solves this problem with a third-party AirBattery app (available on Google Play), which not only visualizes the charge of the case and each headphone separately, but also adds:

• 🔋 Widget on the main screen with charge indicator.
• 🎛️ Quick switching between noise reduction modes (for AirPods) Pro/Max).
• 🔄 Automatic reconnection when opening the cover.
• 📊 Use statistics (connection time, discharge time).

How to install and configure:

1. Download AirBattery from Google Play (free version with ads).
2. Connect AirPods to your phone in the standard way (see Section 1).
3. Open the app and provide all the permissions you request (Bluetooth, notifications).
4. In the main menu, select your AirPods model – the app will automatically determine it.
5. Activate the option to Show charge notification (in the application settings).

Important: Xiaomi phones with MIUI 14+ may require additional permission to work in the background. To enable it, go to Settings → Applications → App Management → AirBattery → Permissions → Autostart and Background Work.

AirPods 1/2 generation

AirPods 3

AirPods Pro 1st generation

AirPods Pro 2nd generation

AirPods Max

Another model-->

3. Alternative way: Connect via Developer Mode (for older Xiaomi models)

If your Xiaomi smartphone is released before 2019 (like the Redmi 5/6 or Mi 8), the standard connection may not work as it is due to the older version of Bluetooth, in which case activation of the developer mode and forced change of the connection protocol will help.

Steps:

1. Activate Developer Mode: Settings → About Phone → MIUI Version (Tap 7 times in a row) You will be notified You have become a developer!.
2. Back to Settings → Additionally. → For developers.
3. Find the Bluetooth A2DP version option and select LDAC or aptX (if available).
4. Reboot your phone and reconnect the AirPods.

This method is especially useful for AirPods Pro models, where high data rates are important for active noise cancellation to work properly, but note that some firmware may not have a Bluetooth A2DP version.

4. Problem Solving: AirPods are connected but not working

Even after successful pairing, you may encounter common mistakes, and here are the most common problems and solutions.

Critical error: If AirPods are connected but shut down after 10 to 20 seconds, the problem may be in conflict with MIUI firmware.

1. Forget the device: Settings → Bluetooth → ⚙️ near the AirPods → Forget it.
2. Reset network settings: Settings → Connections → Reset your Wi-Fi, mobile network, and Bluetooth settings.
3. Reboot the phone and reconnect.

💡

If you stop connecting after the MIUI update, try rolling back the Bluetooth stack version. To do this, go to Settings → Applications → Application Management, find Bluetooth, press Storage → Clear the cache, and restart the device.

5. How to set up AirPods gestures and features on Xiaomi

On the iPhone, AirPods is set up in two clicks, but Xiaomi will need third-party tools to do this.

1. Gesture settings (for AirPods) 2/3/Pro):

• 🎵 Playback/pause: Double touch of any headphone (by default).
• 🔀 Track change: Triple touch (configurable via AirBattery or MaterialPods).
• 🔇 Noise reduction: Press the sensor on AirPods Pro (adjusted in the app).

2. Activation of spatial sound (for AirPods) Pro/Max):

MIUI does not support Spatial Audio natively, but it can be emulated via the Wavelet app (requires root or Magisk for full functionality).

1. Open Wavelet and select Headphone specific settings.
2. In the list of devices, find AirPods Pro.
3. Activate the Virtual Surround Sound option.

Voice assistant:

By default, the Google Assistant calls double tap to change it to Alice from Yandex or another assistant:

1. Install the desired application (for example, Yandex with Alice).
2. In the application settings (AirBattery), select Gesture settings → Voice Assistant.
3. Specify the default application for voice commands.

💡

For models AirPods Pro 2nd generation on Xiaomi is available adaptive noise reduction, but only through the app AirBattery Pro (paid version).

6 How to Reset AirPods If They Don't Connect to Xiaomi

If all the connection attempts fail, the headphones may have been stuck pairing with another device, in which case a complete reset will help.

Instructions:

1. Place the AirPods in the case and close the lid.
2. Wait 30 seconds, then open the lid.
3. On the back of the case, press the setting button for 15 seconds until the indicator starts flashing yellow (and then white).
4. Close the lid, wait 10 seconds and reconnect to Xiaomi (see section 1).

Once reset, all previous pairings will be removed and the headphones will return to the factory settings.

• 🔊 One of the headphones doesn't make sound.
• 🔄 AirPods only connect to one device (like an iPhone, but not Xiaomi).
• ⚡ The charge level is displayed incorrectly (for example, 100% when the battery is discharged).

⚠️ Warning: Resetting AirPods Pro will also reset the individual noise reduction and transparency settings, which will have to be reset via an iPhone or AirBattery app.

7 Comparison of AirPods compatibility with different Xiaomi models

Not all Xiaomi smartphones work equally well with AirPods. We tested compatibility on different devices and made a table:

If your model does not make it to the table, focus on the Bluetooth version:

Bluetooth 5.0 and below: Possible problems with AirPods Pro 2 and AirPods 3

Bluetooth 5.1+: Full compatibility with all models, but may require configuration via AirBattery.

⚠️ Note: On phones with custom firmware (such as LineageOS or Pixel Experience), the AirPods connection may not work smoothly due to the lack of original Xiaomi Bluetooth drivers. MIUI.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)