How to connect headphones Xiaomi Airdots 2S: instructions for Android, iPhone and PC

Xiaomi Airdots 2S wireless headphones (TWS2S) remain a popular choice due to the balance of price and quality. However, even with such simple devices, users often face difficulties when connecting for the first time. In this article, we will analyze all the ways of pairing, from the standard procedure to solving non-obvious problems, when the headphones are “not seen” by the phone or connect only in mono mode.

The Airdots 2S feature is that they support the Bluetooth 5.0 protocol with low power consumption, but are compatible even with outdated Bluetooth 4.2 devices. This means that you can connect them not only to Xiaomi smartphones, but also to iPhones, tablets, laptops and even some TVs. The main thing is to correctly perform the sequence of actions and take into account the nuances of working with different operating systems.

If you've just unpacked your headphones or encountered an error after updating your phone's firmware, don't rush to bring them to the service. 90% of the time, the problem is solved by resetting your settings or choosing an alternative connection method. Below you'll find step-by-step instructions for all scenarios, including rare bugs that aren't written about in the official manuals.

1. Preparation of headphones for the first connection

Before pairing with the phone, you need to activate the search mode on the Airdots 2S themselves. This procedure is different from newer Xiaomi models (for example, Redmi Buds 3 Pro), which use touch control.

Here's what we need to do:

• 🔋 Charge the case to at least 30%. The indicator on the front panel should be white or orange. If the light bulb does not light up when connecting to the charger, check the cable or try another adapter.
• 🎧 Remove the headphones from the case. They will automatically turn on (the red indicator flashes). If this does not happen, press and hold the button on each earphone for 3 seconds.
• 🔄 Reset previous settings (if the headphones have already connected to another device). To do this, hold the buttons on both headphones for 15 seconds until the indicators start flashing red and white alternately.

After reset, the headphones will go into pairing mode, which is signaled by the flashing of white light at intervals of 1 time every 2 seconds. If the indicator is constantly lit or flashing red, then the device is discharged or an error occurred. In this case, return the headphones to the case for 10 seconds, then try again.

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If the headphones flash indiscriminately (one white, one red), it means that they are not synchronized with each other. To fix, put both headphones in the case, close the lid, wait 5 seconds, then remove them again.

2. Connection to Android-smartphone (MIUI, Samsung, Pixel, etc.)

On Android devices, the pairing process is as simplified as possible, but there are nuances for different versions of the OS. For example, on MIUI 14, additional confirmation may be required in the Bluetooth menu, and on older versions (below Android 8.0) there may be problems with supporting the A2DP profile (responsible for stereo sound).

Instructions for most Android devices:

1. Open Settings → Bluetooth and activate the module.
2. In the list of available devices, find Mi True Wireless Earphones 2S (or Redmi Airdots 2S – depending on the region).
3. Click on the headphone name and confirm pairing. Some phones (like the Samsung Galaxy) may request access to contacts and calls — that's normal for the assistant's voice function to work.
4. Wait for the "Connected" message and check the sound. If only one earphone is playing, see "Problem Solving."

On Xiaomi smartphones with MIUI 12+, after connecting, a pop-up will appear with a proposal to install the Mi Earphones branded application. It is not necessary for work, but adds features:

• 🎛️ Equalizer settings (presets "Basy", "Clean sound", "Voice").
• 🔋 Displaying the charge level of the case and each headphone separately.
• 🔍 Headphone search function when lost (works only within a radius of 10 meters).

Headphones are displayed in the list of connected devices | Headphone indicators are white (do not blink) | Sound is played in stereo mode | In Bluetooth settings there is a "Media-audio" item for Airdots-->

3. Connection to iPhone and iPad (iOS)

While Xiaomi Airdots 2S isn’t certified for iOS, it works perfectly with iPhones and iPads, but with some limitations: For example, iOS 16+ may not display headphone charge levels, and some apps (like YouTube) will play audio with a delay of up to 0.5 seconds.

Step-by-step instructions for iOS:

1. Open Settings → Bluetooth and turn on the module.
2. Hold the button on both headphones for 5 seconds until the lights start flashing white.
3. In the list of devices will appear Mi True Wireless... Click on it.
4. Wait 10-15 seconds (on iOS, pairing takes longer than on Android) and it will appear that it is "Connected".

Important nuances for iPhone users:

• 🔊 No codec support AAC/aptX. The headphones will be used. SBC, This is a slightly lower quality of sound compared to Android.
• 📱 Autoconnection is unstable. After restarting, the iPhone may not restore the connection, in which case you will have to manually select headphones in the Bluetooth menu.
• 🎵 Sound delay in games and videos. Solved by enabling Low Lag mode in the headphone settings (if you use the Mi Earphones app on your Android device for initial setup).

4 Connection to Windows 10/11 and MacOS

PC interfaces have their own peculiarities: Windows may require installing drivers to keep the microphone running properly, and MacOS sometimes has problems switching automatically between headphones and speakers.

For Windows 10/11:

1. Press Win + I, select Devices → Bluetooth and other devices.
2. Press "Add device" → "Bluetooth".
3. Select Mi True Wireless Earphones 2S from the list.
4. After connecting, check that in the sound settings (right click on the speaker icon in the tray) the headphones are selected as the default playback device.

For MacOS (Ventura/Monterey/Sonoma):

1. Open System settings → Bluetooth.
2. Hold the button on your headphones until they appear in the list.
3. Click "Connect." Some Macs may need to enter the 0000 code.
4. After connecting, open System Settings → Sound and select Airdots 2S as the output device.

5. Solving common problems

Even with the right connection, users are faced with common errors, and here are the most common ones and how to fix them:

Problem 1: Only one headphone is connected

• 🔄 Reset settings (hold buttons on both headphones for 15 seconds).
• 📱 Forget the device in your phone’s Bluetooth settings and connect again.
• 🔋 Check the charge. If one earphone is discharged more, it may not sync.

Problem 2: Headphones are not defined by the phone

• 🔌 Reboot the Bluetooth module on your phone (turn off/on in settings).
• 📱 Check compatibility. Headphones don't work with Bluetooth 4.0 or lower devices (like old Nokia or Samsung Galaxy). S3).
• 🛠️ Update the phone’s firmware. Some Xiaomi (like the Redmi Note 8) had Bluetooth bugs in early versions. MIUI.

Problem 3: The sound is interrupted or interfered with

• 📶 Make sure there is no interference from other devices (Wi-Fi routers, microwaves).
• 🎵 Change the codec in the Android developer settings (if available). SBC instead AAC.
• 🔄 Reconnect the headphones after resetting the settings.

Only one headphone is connected.|Phone can't see headphones|Impeded sound|Fast discharge.|Other/No problem-->

⚠️ Warning: If the headphones are still not working in stereo after all the manipulations, check them on another device. If the problem persists, a hardware defect may occur (for example, oxidation of contacts in the case or damage to the Bluetooth antenna in one of the headphones). In this case, contact the Xiaomi service center.

6. Additional functions and hidden capabilities

Besides basic sound playback, Airdots 2S supports a few useful features that many users are unaware of:

Handling gestures (clicking the button):

• 🎵 One click - playback / pause.
• 🔀 Double tap - the next track (only on the right earpiece).
• 📞 Triple tap – call the voice assistant (Google Assistant or Siri).
• 📞 2 seconds retention – accepting/rejecting a call.

Low Delay Mode (Game Mode):

To reduce lag in games and videos, activate this mode via the Mi Earphones app (available only on Android). Sound delay will decrease from ~200 ms to ~120 ms. Note: this mode slightly degrades sound quality due to the use of compressed codec.

Monopoly (Single Mode)

You can only use one headphone (like the right one) by putting the second one in the case, which is convenient for phone calls or podcasts, and to get back into stereo, just remove the second headphone from the case, and they sync automatically.

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Low latency mode is enabled only through the official Mi Earphones app and works ONLY on Android. On iOS and PC, this mode is not available due to the limitations of the Bluetooth protocol.

7. How to reset headphones to factory settings

If the Airdots 2S started to work incorrectly (not synced, not connected, quickly discharged), a complete reset will help. This procedure removes all saved pairings and returns the headphones to the state of “out of the box”.

Resetting instructions:

1. Put both headphones in the case and close the lid.
2. Open the lid and hold the buttons on both headphones for 20 seconds (the indicators will start flashing red and white).
3. Release the buttons. The indicators will go out, then light up in white, which is a signal of a successful reset.
4. Close the case cover for 5 seconds, then remove the headphones - they are ready for a new pairing.

After resetting, the headphones will lose all previous settings, including:

• 📱 List of associated devices.
• 🎛️ Custom equalizer settings (if you used the Mi Earphones app).
• 🔋 Data on the time of operation (counter of charging cycles is zeroed out).

⚠️ Warning: Don't confuse resetting your headphones with rebooting. If you just hold the buttons for 5-10 seconds, you'll only restart the Bluetooth module and you'll keep all the settings. To completely reset, you need to hold the buttons for at least 20 seconds until the indicators start flashing in a specific mode (red-white-red).

FAQ: Frequent questions about Xiaomi Airdots 2S