Xiaomi AirDots: how to connect to the phone in 2 minutes - instructions with pictures

Xiaomi AirDots wireless headphones (including Pro, Pro 2, SE, Youth Edition) remain among the brand’s most popular gadgets due to their combination of price, sound quality and battery life. However, even with such simple devices, users often wonder why headphones are not on the list of available devices, how to sync them with each other or what to do if the sound is interrupted. This article will help you understand all the nuances of connection – from basic pairing to solving non-obvious problems.

Not only will we look at the standard Android and iPhone connection procedure, but we’ll also look at rare cases like connecting to a PC/laptop, TV or other Xiaomi appliances (like a Pad 6 or Mi Band smartwatch), a separate section dedicated to resetting headphone settings, which saves 80 percent of the time when a gadget is “not visible” by a phone, and for those who like to optimize, we’ve put together unique Bluetooth codec settings (AAC/SBC/aptX) that will improve the sound by 15-20% without buying a new device.

1. Preparation of headphones for the first connection

Before pairing with your phone, make sure Xiaomi AirDots is ready to go. Most problems arise from a dead battery or the wrong positioning of the headphones in the case.

• 🔋 Charge the case and headphones by at least 30%. The indicator on the case should burn white (when connected to the charge) or orange (when discharged). If the light bulb does not light up, check the cable or try another adapter.
• 🎧 Take both earbuds out of the case. They should automatically turn on (red/white light flashes). If one of the earbuds doesn't respond, put it back in the case and pull it out again.
• 🔄 Make sure the headphones are synchronized with each other. To do this, put them next to each other: the left earphone should flash red and white alternately, and the right should flash white. If there is no blinking, a reset is required (instruction in section 5).

Important: Xiaomi AirDots Pro 2 and later support automatic on when extracting from the case, but older models (such as AirDots Basic) may require manual button retention for 3 seconds.

2. Step-by-step connection to an Android smartphone

The pairing with the Android phone (including Xiaomi, Redmi, POCO) takes no more than a minute if you follow the algorithm:

1. Open Bluetooth settings: go to Settings → Connected devices → Bluetooth (on MIUI the path may differ: Settings → Bluetooth).
2. Activate the search: click on “Device Search” or “Add New Device”.
3. Select headphones: a device called Mi AirDots Basic, Redmi AirDots or similar (depending on the model) will appear in the list.
4. Confirm pairing: on your phone and headphones (if required).Some AirDots models request PIN-code - default is 0000 or 1234.

Once you've successfully connected, you'll have a headphone icon in the status bar, and in Bluetooth, you'll have a "Connected" status. If you only hear one headphone, check:

• 🔊 Sound balance in phone settings (Settings) → Sound. → Stereo balance).
• 🔄 Synchronization of headphones (see section 1).
• 📱 Codec compatibility: on Android 10+ Go to Bluetooth Settings → Settings of the gear next to AirDots → Audio codec and select AAC (better quality; or SBC (stability).

3. Connection to iPhone (iOS) and features of the work

On the iPhone, the pairing process is similar, but there are nuances due to the limitations of iOS:

1. Open Settings → Bluetooth and activate the function.
2. Get the headphones out of the case – they should appear on the list as Mi AirDots.
3. Click on the headphone name and wait for the status "Connected".

Problems on iOS and their solutions:

• 🎵 No audio in games/video: AirDots can only be used for music and calls on iOS by default. To make the sound sound in games, go to Control Point. → Hold the soundbar. → Choose AirDots.
• 🔋 Quick discharge: iPhone uses codec AAC, It consumes 10-15% more energy than SBC No solution, that's Apple's limitation.
• 🔊 The sound is interrupted: turn off the settings → Bluetooth → iCloud Sync (sometimes in conflict with headphones).

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On the iPhone, you can use low latency for gaming: go to Settings → Universal Access → Audiovisual → Monoaudio (ON). This will reduce the lags, but the sound will become mono.

4. Connect to a PC, laptop or TV

If you need to use AirDots with Windows, MacOS or Smart TV, the algorithm will be slightly different.The main rule is to make sure your computer/TV supports Bluetooth 4.0+ (AirDots Pro 2 requires Bluetooth 5.0).

There's a big caveat for Windows: if the headphones are connected like a headphone (not a Stereo), the sound will be mono.

1. Go to the Control Panel. → Sound.
2. Find AirDots in the list of devices, right-click → Properties.
3. On the tab Additional select the format 16 bits, 44100 Hz (CD-quality).

5. Resetting headphone settings (if not connected)

If AirDots are not defined by the phone, the sound goes to only one headphone or other failures occur, hard reset will help. The instructions are universal for all models, but there are differences in the number of clicks:

1. Put both headphones in the case and close the lid.
2. Open the lid and hold the button on the case for 10-15 seconds (AirDots Pro 2 has 20 seconds).
3. Remove the headphones from the case – they will automatically go into pairing mode (blinking white light).
4. Reconnect them as described in Section 2.

After resetting, all previous connections will be removed, and the headphones will return to the factory settings.

• 🔋 Check the case charge (sometimes a discharged battery blocks the reset).
• 🔄 Try to reset the headphones separately: hold the button on each for 5 seconds (until flashing red).
• 📱 Update the firmware of the headphones through the Mi Home app (not available for all models).

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Resetting your headphones is the first thing you need to do for any connection problem, and 8 out of 10 times it solves the problem.

6. Sound optimization: codec selection and settings

The sound quality of Xiaomi AirDots depends not only on the headphones themselves, but also on the chosen Bluetooth codec. By default, Android and iOS use different codecs, and they can be changed for better sound:

To change the codec on Android:

1. Connect AirDots to your phone.
2. Go to Settings → Connected Devices → Settings (cogs) next to AirDots → Audio codec.
3. Select AAC (for music) or aptX (for games/video, if supported).

On the iPhone, you can't change the codec -- the system always uses AAC. However, you can improve the sound through uniform setting (EQ):

1. Open the settings → Music → Equalizer.
2. Choose a preset of more low (for bass) or Rock (for clarity).

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To listen to music in Spotify or Apple Music, turn off Volume Normalization in the app settings – this will improve dynamic range.

7. Frequent problems and their solutions

Even after a successful connection, users face typical problems, and we've put together proven solutions for each of them:

⚠️ Attention: If the headphones are connected but the sound is interrupted every 5-10 seconds, the problem may be in the Wi-Fi router.The fact is that some routers (especially with 2.4 GHz) are causing interference to Bluetooth.

• 🔇 There's only one earphone to have sound: Check the balance of sound in your phone settings. Reset your headphones (section 5). Clean your contacts on your headphones and in your case with a cotton swab dipped in alcohol.
• 🔊 Noise/Crack when playing: Switch to codec SBC (Disable other Bluetooth devices nearby (fitness bracelets, wireless mice) and check if the phone is near the microwave or other source of interference.
• 🔋 Battery goes down quickly: Turn off constant device search in Bluetooth settings. Use codec SBC instead AAC/aptX. Keep your headphones in your case when not in use – they automatically turn off.

If neither solution worked, check the headphones on another device. If the problem persists, it's a hardware defect (e.g., damaged speaker or battery), in which case, contact Xiaomi's service center (the AirDots warranty is usually 12 months).

FAQ: Answers to popular questions