How to sync headphones Xiaomi AirDots: full instructions with solutions to typical problems

Xiaomi AirDots headphones (including Pro, Pro 2 models, SE, 3 and other modifications) remain one of the most popular wireless headsets due to the combination of price, sound quality and convenience. However, even with these devices, users often have difficulty with the first sync or reconnection – especially if it comes to connecting to a new smartphone, laptop, or after resetting. In this article, we will discuss all possible synchronization methods (including hidden functions). MIUI), and also tell you how to fix common errors when the headphones are not defined, connect only one by one or permanently disconnected.

It is important to understand that the synchronization process may vary depending on the headphone model (e.g. AirDots). 3 Pro supports Bluetooth support 5.2 Low latency, and old AirDots Basic runs on Bluetooth 4.2) and source devices (Android, iPhone, Windows/Mac, Smart TV). We will look at each scenario separately and give recommendations on optimizing connections for minimal delays and maximum stability.

1. Preparation of headphones Xiaomi AirDots for synchronization

Before you first connect or after a long period of downtime, Xiaomi AirDots headphones may be in “sleep” mode. To “wake” them and put them into pairing mode, follow the following steps:

• 🔋 Charge the case and headphones. Make sure the indicator on the case is white or green (charge). ≥If the indicator is red or flashing, connect the case to the charger for 10-15 minutes.
• 🎧 Remove both earphones from the case. They should automatically turn on (red/white LED flashes). If this does not happen, press and hold the touchpad on each earphone for 3-5 seconds.
• 🔄 Reset the settings (if previously connected to other devices). To do this, put the headphones back in the case, then press and hold the button on the case for 15-20 seconds until the indicator starts flashing red and white alternately.

If after extraction from the case, the headphones do not turn on or blink, check:

• 🔌 Contacts inside the case for oxidation or contamination (wipe with an alcohol napkin).
• 🔋 Case charge level (if the indicator does not burn at all, the case is discharged).
• 🛠️ Physical damage to headphones (cracks, dents, moisture intrusion).

⚠️ Note: Headphones Xiaomi AirDots Pro 2 and newer support fast pairing through MIUI Pop-up, if your smartphone is on MIUI 12+, You just open the case next to the phone, and you'll see a pop-up to connect. On Android 10.+ without MIUI Or iOS will require manual search in Bluetooth settings.

Charge the case to ≥30%|Remove both earphones from the case|Make sure the indicators are flashing|Reset the settings (if necessary)|Check the purity of contacts-->

2. Synchronization with Android-smartphone (MIUI and other firmware)

The process of connecting to Android depends on the firmware version and the presence of Xiaomi’s proprietary features.

Devices for MIUI (Xiaomi, Redmi, POCO)

If your smartphone is working on MIUI 11 or later, use simplified pairing:

1. Open the case cover with headphones next to the smartphone (distance) ≤10cm).
2. The screen will display a pop-up window “Xiaomi AirDots” with the “Connect” button.
3. Click "Connect" and confirm access to the contacts / microphone (if requested).

If the pop-up window does not appear:

• 📱 Go to Settings. → Bluetooth and enable device search.
• 🔍 In the list, find "Mi True Wireless Earphones" (or similar name for your model).
• 🔄 If the headphones don’t show, click “Update” or restart Bluetooth (turn off/on the module).

Devices on pure Android (Samsung, Google Pixel, etc.)

On smartphones without MIUI manual:

1. Open Settings → Connected devices → Bluetooth.
2. Activate Bluetooth and click "Add New Device".
3. In the list, find "Mi True Wireless" or "AirDots_XXXX" (where XXXX — unique identifier).
4. Confirm the pairing. Some models will need to enter PIN-code: default is 0000 or 1234.

After successful connection, check:

• 🎵 Sound quality: In Bluetooth settings, select “High-quality audio codec” (e.g., “High-quality audio codec, AAC or aptX, if supported).
• 🎤 Microphone operation: In some models (AirDots 3 Pro) the microphone is activated only after the first call.

⚠️ Attention: On Android 12+ If the headphones go off after 5-10 minutes of inactivity, add them to Settings. → Annexes → Special access → Optimizing the battery → All applications and disable optimization for "Bluetooth Settings".

AirDots Basic (1-I'm a generation)|AirDots Pro/Pro 2|AirDots SE/3|AirDots 3 Pro|Another model-->

3. Synchronization with iPhone (iOS) and iPad

While Xiaomi AirDots is optimized for Android, it is compatible with iOS, but with some limitations:

1. Open the case cover and remove the headphones (they should flash white).
2. Nana iPhone/iPad Go to Settings. → Bluetooth and turn on search.
3. Find a device called "Mi True Wireless" or "AirDots_XXXX" and tap on him.
4. Confirm the conjugation. PIN-The code is not usually required, but if it does, enter 0000.

Features of working with iOS:

• 📊 No charge indicator: The headphone battery level is not displayed in the status bar (only in some third-party applications, such as Battery Widget).
• 🎧 Limited codeki: iOS only supports AAC, This can affect the sound quality of some models (AirDots Basic sounds worse than Android).
• 🔊 Delays when watching video: to reduce lag, in the video player settings (YouTube, Netflix) enable the option "Sound delay compensation".

If the headphones are connected, but the sound is interrupted:

• 📶 Check the distance to the device (maximum 10 meters without obstacles).
• 🔄 Reconnect the headphones (forget the device in Bluetooth settings and pair again).
• 🛠️ Update the headphone firmware (see Section 6).

💡

On iOS 15+ You can set a double tap on your headphones to call Siri. For this, after connecting, go to Settings. → Bluetooth → (i) near AirDots → Order action.

4. Connection to a laptop or PC (Windows, macOS, Linux)

Synchronization with computers has its nuances, especially on Windows, where problems with Bluetooth drivers often occur.

4.1. Windows 10/11

1. Turn on Bluetooth on your PC (via Taskbar or Settings) → Devices → Bluetooth).
2. Remove the headphones from the case and wait for the indicator to blink.
3. In Bluetooth Settings, click "Add Device" → Bluetooth.
4. Select "Mi True Wireless Earphones" and wait until pairing is complete.

If the headphones are not defined:

• 🔧 Update the Bluetooth driver via Device Manager (find Bluetooth Adapter, click PCM) → "Update the driver").
• 🛠️ Remove old coupled devices in Settings → Devices → Bluetooth.
• 🔄 Reboot Bluetooth: Open the Services (click Win) + R, type services.msc), search for Bluetooth Support and restart it.

4.2. macOS

On a Mac, the process is simpler:

1. Open System settings → Bluetooth.
2. Make sure Bluetooth is on and wait for "Mi True Wireless" to appear on the list.
3. Press "Plug in."

If the sound is interrupted or absent:

• 🔊 Check the sound settings in System settings → Sound. → Select "Mi True Wireless" (Outcome").
• 🛠️ Reset Bluetooth module: Hold the Shift + Option, click on the Bluetooth icon in the menu bar and select Reset Bluetooth module".

Linux (Ubuntu, Fedora, etc.)

Additional steps may be required on Linux:

Install Bluetooth support packages (if not installed)


sudo apt install bluez pulseaudio-module-bluetooth # For Debian/Ubuntu




sudo dnf install bluez pulseaudio-module-bluetooth # For Fedora




Restart services



systemctl restart bluetooth




pulseaudio -k && pulseaudio --start

Next:

1. Open the Settings. → Bluetooth (or use a blueman).
2. Click "Search" and select "Mi True Wireless".
3. Confirm the conjugation (PIN-code: 0000).

⚠️ Note: On some Linux distributions, Xiaomi AirDots headphones can only connect in mode HSP/HFP (low sound quality. To turn on A2DP (High quality), install pavucontrol and manually switch profile.

5. Synchronization with TV or other devices

Connecting AirDots to Smart TV or game consoles (e.g. PlayStation, Nintendo Switch) may, but with limitations.

5.1. Android TV (Xiaomi Mi TV, Sony Bravia and others.)

1. Open the settings. TV and go to the Web and access. → Bluetooth.
2. Activate device search.
3. Remove the headphones from the case and select "Mi True Wireless" in the list.

Challenges and solutions:

• 🔊 Sound delay: on Android TV Lag can reach 200-300 ms. To reduce it, turn it on in the settings TV "Game" or "Low Delay" mode".
• 🎮 No sound: check what is in the sound settings TV selected output to Bluetooth headphones.

5.2. PlayStation 4/5

Sony doesn’t officially support Xiaomi AirDots, but there’s a workaround:

1. Connect a Bluetooth adapter to the console (for example, 8BitDo Wireless USB Adapter 2).
2. Transfer the adapter to pairing mode (see the instructions for the device).
3. Couple AirDots with an adapter as with a regular device.
4. In the sound settings PS Select the exit to the connected adapter.

On the Nintendo Switch, Xiaomi AirDots only connect via third-party Bluetooth adapters (like the GuliKit Route Air), as the console does not support wireless headphones directly.

6. Update of the firmware headphones Xiaomi AirDots

If the headphones are unstable (frequent cliffs, poor sound quality), the reason may be outdated firmware. Xiaomi periodically releases updates for AirDots, but the process of installing them is not obvious.

6.1. Check the current firmware version

You can find out the firmware version through the Mi Home app (only for some models):

1. Install Mi Home from Google Play or App Store.
2. Connect the headphones to your smartphone.
3. Open the application, go to the Profile → Settings → Devices nearby.
4. If the headphones are supported, they'll show up on the list. Put them on to see the firmware version.

For AirDots 3 Pro and later, the firmware version is displayed in Mi AIoT (replaced Mi Home in some regions).

Update of firmware

Xiaomi does not officially provide manual firmware for AirDots, but the update can be launched via Mi Home:

1. Connect the headphones to your smartphone.
2. Open Mi Home and find them in the list of devices.
3. If an update is available, a notification will appear "New firmware is available."
4. Click "Update" and wait until it's finished (don't turn off the headphones!).

For models not supported by Mi Home (such as AirDots Basic), the firmware update is only possible through a service center or informal tools (risky!).

⚠️ Attention: Do not interrupt the firmware update process! If the headphones turn off during the update, they may stop turning on. In this case, you will need to flash through the service cable (you need an adapter to connect to the PC and specialized software).

7. Solving typical synchronization problems

Even after a successful connection, users face a number of challenges, and let's look at the most common ones and how to fix them.

Headphones are not defined by the device

If AirDots are not displayed in the list of available devices:

• 🔋 Check the charge of the headphones and case (the indicator should flash white, not red).
• 🔄 Reset the headphone settings (hold the button on the case for 15-20 seconds until flashing red/white).
• 📱 Reboot Bluetooth on the source device (turn off/on the module or restart the device).
• 🛠️ Check compatibility: Some older smartphones (such as Bluetooth 4.0) don’t support AirDots Pro 2.

Only one headphone is connected.

If the smartphone “sees” only the left or right earphone:

• 🔋 Put both headphones in the case, close the lid for 10 seconds, then remove them again.
• 🔄 Manually connect the second headphone: in Bluetooth settings, find the second "AirDots_XXXX" and pair him up.
• 🛠️ Update the firmware (see Section 6).

If the problem persists, the lead earpiece (usually the right one) may have malfunctioned, in which case repairs are required.

Permanent breaks of connection

If the sound is interrupted or the headphones are turned off:

• 📶 Reduce the distance to the source device (maximum 10 meters without obstacles).
• 🔋 Check the charge of headphones (at the level) ≤10% possible breaks).
• 🛠️ Disable other Bluetooth devices nearby (they may interfere).
• 📱 On Android, turn on the “High-quality audio codec” mode (in Bluetooth settings next to the headphone name).

Poor sound quality or noise

If the sound is distorted or interference is heard:

• 🎵 In Bluetooth settings, select the codec AAC or aptX (if supported).
• 🔊 Check if the "Phone Call" mode is activated (in some models it degrades the quality of music).
• 🛠️ Clean the earphone speakers from dust (use a soft brush or compressed air).

💡

If Xiaomi AirDots headphones don’t connect to a new device, always start by resetting (hold the button on the case for 20 seconds) and checking the charge. 80% of the time, this solves the problem.

8 Additional features and hidden capabilities

Xiaomi AirDots headphones have a few hidden features that many users are unaware of.

8.1.Gestural control

Depending on the model, the following gestures are supported (by default):

• 🎵 Double touch: playback/pause (both headphones) or call the voice assistant (left/right).
• 🔀 Triple touch: move to the next track (right) or the previous one (left).
• 📞 Holding 2 seconds: Reject incoming call (any headphone).

You can customize gestures via Mi Home (for supported models):

1. Open the app and find the headphones in the list of devices.
2. Go to "Control Settings."
3. Select an action for each gesture (e.g., assign a double tap to a Google Assistant call).

Low Delay Mode (Game Mode)

AirDots 3 Pro and later support low latency for games and videos:

• 🎮 Activates automatically when connected to Bluetooth 5.2 devices LE Audio.
• 🔊 Latency is reduced to 80-100 ms (versus 150-200 ms in standard mode).

To enforce the regime:

1. Connect the headphones to your smartphone.
2. Open Mi Home → pick out the headphones → "Game mode".

Mono mode (use of one earpiece)

All AirDots models support the use of a single headphone (e.g. right-handed):

• 🎧 Remove only one headphone from the case - it will automatically connect as a mono-headset.
• 🔋 The second headphone will remain in the case and will not consume the charge.

To return to stereo, remove the second headphone – the connection will be restored automatically.

💡

In mono mode, the microphone only works on the right earpiece (for AirDots Pro models and later). If you need a microphone on the left, change the headphones to the Mi Home settings (the option "Change lead earphone").

FAQ: Frequent questions about synchronization Xiaomi AirDots