How to Make Both Xiaomi AirDots Headphones Work: The Complete 2026 Guide

Did you pull out of your Xiaomi AirDots case, turn on the music, but it only comes from one headphone? Or did you both connect to your phone but the other one doesn't sound like a fish? This problem is familiar to many owners of Xiaomi wireless headphones, from the budget Redmi AirDots to the flagship Xiaomi Buds 4 Pro. The reasons can be different: from the banal discharge of the battery to the failure of the firmware. In this article, we will examine all possible ways to restore the work of both headphones, including hidden settings, hardware reset and even repair tricks.

It's important to understand that AirDots isn't just a two-headset, it's a synchronized pair with a master and a slave device, and if the connection between them is broken, the sound can disappear from one of the headphones. We won't offer magic solutions like "reset the phone" -- instead, you'll get detailed instructions explaining why this or that method works (or doesn't work).

1. Checking the basic settings: why one earphone can be silent

Before disassembling the headphones or resetting them to factory settings, make sure the problem is not in the obvious trivia. Most often, the second AirDots earphone does not work due to:

• 🔋 A discharged battery in one of the headphones (even if the case is charged, the earphone itself could not contact the pins).
• 📱 Incorrect Bluetooth settings on your phone (for example, “Mono” or “Left/right only” mode is enabled").
• 🔊 Hardware audio locking (some AirDots models have touch controls that can be accidentally activated).
• 🎧 Physical damage (infection of moisture, fall, wear of contacts in the case).

The first thing to do is to reconnect the headphones to the phone manually:

1. Open the Settings. → Bluetooth on your phone.
2. Find your AirDots in the list of devices (the name may include Mi True Wireless, Redmi Buds, or the name of your AirDots). LE_...).
3. Press the badge. ⚙️ Next to the name and select Forget the device (or Disable).
4. Return both headphones to the case, close it for 10 seconds, then pull it out and wait until they start flashing white/red (pairing mode).
5. Connect again via Bluetooth menu.

If you still have one headphone, then you can move on to the next section, and pay special attention to the indicators, which is that if one headphone flashes red and the other flashes white, it's a sign of a pair of earphones being desynchronized.

2.Reset Xiaomi AirDots headphones to factory settings

If reconnecting doesn’t work, the next step is a hard reset, which cleans all headphone settings, including device pairing data, and is suitable for most AirDots models, but there are nuances for stitched versions (more on this below).

Standard discharge method:

1. Put both earphones in the case and close it.
2. Remove them and hold the touchpads on both headphones for 15-20 seconds (until the indicators start flashing red and white alternately).
3. Return the headphones to the case, then pull them out again – they should automatically enter pairing mode (blinking white).
4. Connect to them via Bluetooth as a new device.

On some models (for example, Redmi AirDots 3 Pro) the reset is performed differently:

• 🔄 Press and hold the button on the case (if any) for 10 seconds.
• 📱 Or use the official Mi Earphones app (available for AirDots Pro and newer).

What if the reset didn't work? Maybe the headphones are stuck at the firmware level, and then the forced flashing (as discussed in section 5) will help.

• ⚡ Charging case: if the battery case is discharged below 10%, the headphones may not sync.
• 🔌 Contacts: wipe metal pins on headphones and in a case with an alcohol napkin.
• 📲 Phone firmware: on some versions MIUI There are Bluetooth bugs (update your phone).

⚠️ Warning: After reset, the headphones may lose touch with the case. If the indicators on the case do not respond to the headphones, try putting them in the case and plugging the charger - sometimes this restores communication.

3.Chronicity problems: why headphones can't see each other

One of the most common reasons why one AirDots earphone doesn't work is because there's a loss of connection between master and slave, and there's always a master headphone in the pair (usually on the right, but not always) that transmits sound from the smartphone to the second, and if the connection between them breaks, the second headphone will be silent.

How to check which headphone is the main one?

• 🎵 Play the music and take the earbuds out of your ears one by one, the one that completely disappears when you remove the sound is the master.
• 🔦 Look at the indicators: when connected to the phone, the main headphone flashes white, and the slave - blue or does not blink at all.

How to restore synchronization:

1. Put both earphones back in your case and close it for 30 seconds.
2. Take out only the master headphone and wait until it connects to the phone (the sound will be mono).
3. Now, take out the second headphone – it should automatically connect to the first one (the sound will become stereo).
4. If this does not happen, put both headphones in the case and repeat the reset procedure (section 2).

On models that support Mi Earphones (such as AirDots Pro 2), sync can be manually started:

1. Open the app and go to the device settings.
2. Choose Reset the connection between the headphones.
3. Follow the instructions on the screen (usually you need to tap the touch panels of both headphones).

⚠️ Attention: If the headphones are still out of sync after all the manipulations, the problem may be a hardware malfunction of the Bluetooth antenna in one of the headphones, in which case only repair or replacement will help.

4. Hardware malfunctions: what breaks down in AirDots most often

If software methods didn't help, it's worth considering the physical breakdowns. Xiaomi's wireless headphones have several vulnerabilities:

• 🔌 Charging contacts: oxidation or contamination of pins in the case or on headphones leads to undercharging of one of them.
• 📡 Bluetooth antenna: a microwire break inside the headphone (often after a fall).
• 🔋 Battery: bloating or loss of capacity (earphone quickly discharges and turns off).
• 🎛️ Control board: combustion of elements after moisture or voltage surge.

How to diagnose a hardware malfunction:

• 🔍 Visual inspection: check headphones for cracks, bloating, corrosion on contacts.
• 🔋 Charging test: Put both earbuds in your case and watch the indicators. If one of them doesn't flash red (charging), the problem is in the contacts or battery. Try cleaning the contacts with a blower or alcohol.
• 📱 Test with another device: connect your headphones to another phone or tablet. If the problem persists, a malfunction in the headphones.

Typical symptoms of hardware breakdowns:

If you're confident in your skills, you can try to take the earbud apart and check the board.

• 🔧 Plastic mediator or thin screwdriver.
• 🔥 Fryer (for softening glue).
• 🧲 Tweezers and magnifying glass.

⚠️ Note: Disassembling Xiaomi headphones gives you no warranty (if it is still valid), there is also a high risk of damaging the microphone or speaker if you do not open it neatly.

5. Headphone flashing: when necessary

In rare cases, the problem is a damaged headphone firmware, which can occur after:

• ⚡ Failed update via Mi Earphones app.
• 📱 Connections to a device with a non-standard Bluetooth stack (for example, to a computer).
• 🔄 Interrupted discharge.

Signs of firmware failure:

• Headphones plug in, but the sound only goes into one, despite the reset.
• Indicators are lit in a non-standard color (for example, green instead of white).
• Headphones are defined as LE_Audio or Unknown Device.

How to reflash AirDots:

There is no official way to manually reflash AirDots, but there are workarounds:

1. Through the Mi Earphones app (for supported models): Open the app and go to Settings → Firmware update. If you have an update, install it.

Computer (for advanced users)

• Download the utility nRF Connect (for Windows/macOS).
• Put your headphones on mode. DFU (Hold the touch panels for 30 seconds until you blink yellow).
• Download the firmware for your model (see forums like this). 4PDA or XDA).

Flashing through third-party utilities can permanently disable the headphones. Use this method only if other methods have not worked, and you understand the risks.

💡

Before flashing, back up your current firmware via nRF Connect (if possible), which will help restore your headphones if you fail.

6. Alternative solutions: if nothing helps

If all of the above methods have not worked, consider the following options:

• 🔄 Use one headphone in mono mode: Some AirDots models support Mono mode (e.g. Redmi AirDots 3 Pro.

How to choose a replacement:

💡

If headphones are warranty, do not try to repair them yourself - contact the Xiaomi service center.

FAQ: Frequent questions about broken headphones Xiaomi AirDots