How to Manage Xiaomi Earphone Headphones 2: Complete Guide to Buttons and Gestures

Xiaomi Earphone 2 wireless headphones (TWS2) have become a popular choice due to the balance of price, sound quality and ease of control. However, many users face difficulties when first familiarizing themselves with the device: how to answer a call, switch a track or activate a voice assistant? In this article, we will analyze all the ways of control, from basic gestures to hidden functions, which the manufacturer does not always mention in the official documentation.

The Earphone 2 features touch panels on each headphone that respond to touch, but their sensitivity and logic may differ from other Xiaomi models (such as AirDots or Buds 4), and you’ll find not only standard combinations, but also unique techniques for managing without a smartphone, as well as solving typical problems (for example, why the headphones do not respond to touch after updating the firmware).

Basic control gestures: what does one, two or three touches mean?

Touchbars on Xiaomi Earphone 2 support up to 5 types of gestures, but their interpretation depends on the current mode (music playback, call, voice assistant).

• 🎵 One touch – playback/pause (in music mode) or answer/complete call.
• 🔀 Two touches – moving to the next track (right earphone) or returning to the previous one (left).
• 📞 Three touches – refuse incoming call (only during the call).
• 🔇 Retention 1 second - on / off the noise reduction mode (ANC) or transparent mode (if supported by firmware).
• 🗣️ 2 seconds: activate the Google Assistant, Siri or Xiao AI depending on the connected device).

Important: gestures only work when connected to a device. If the headphones are not connected to a smartphone, they will only respond to holding the button on the case (to reset or enable pairing mode). Also note that the Earphone 2 does not support volume control through touch - you need to use a smartphone or smartwatch.

If standard gestures seem uncomfortable, you can reassign them via the Mi Home or Xiaomi Wear app (depending on the region), but not all firmware supports this feature – read more about this in the section on settings.

How to connect and sync headphones with your phone

Before using the Xiaomi Earphone 2 for the first time, you need to pair it with the device. The process is different from other Xiaomi models, as it uses Bluetooth 5.2 with support for LE Audio (on the new firmware).

1. Remove the headphones from the case - they will automatically turn on and go into pairing mode (the indicator on the case will start flashing white).
2. On your smartphone, open Settings → Bluetooth and select the Xiaomi Earphone 2 from the list of available devices.
3. Confirm the pairing (may require input) PIN-0000 code on older versions of Android).
4. Wait for the sound signal in the headphones - this means a successful connection.

If the headphones are not determined, try resetting them to factory settings:

• 🔄 Put both headphones in the case.
• 🔋 Make sure the case is charged (the indicator is green when connected to the charger).
• 📱 Press and hold the button on the case for 10 seconds until the indicator flashes red and white.
• 🔍 Repeat the pairing process again.

On an iPhone or Mac, you may need additional confirmation to use the microphone (the Allow Microphone Access pop-up) without which the headphones will play audio but will not be used for calls.

Managing Calls and Voice Assistant

During an incoming or outgoing call, the management logic of the Xiaomi Earphone 2 changes.

To activate the voice assistant (Google Assistant, Siri or Xiao AI), you need to hold the touch panel for 2 seconds.

• 🤖 Google Assistant is launched on Android by default (if installed).
• 🍎 On iOS – Siri (requires permission in Siri settings and Search) → Headphones).
• 🇨🇳 On smartphones Xiaomi with MIUI for China - Xiao AI (You can turn off the Mi Home app settings).

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If the voice assistant is not activated, check if the Trusted Devices feature is enabled in your smartphone’s security settings. On Android, it’s in Settings → Google → Devices and Sharing → Trusted Devices

Note: If you’re using Earphone 2 with Windows or Linux, the voice assistant won’t work – this feature is only supported on mobile platforms.

Set up gestures through the Mi Home app

The standard gestures can be reassigned through the official Mi Home app (available for Android and iOS).

1. Make sure the app is updated to the latest version (at least 6.5.4).
2. Connect the headphones to the smartphone via Bluetooth.
3. Open Mi Home, find the Xiaomi Earphone 2 in the list of devices and go to the Control Settings.
4. Choose an action for each gesture (one/two/three touches) from the options available.

Available options for reassignment:

• 🎶 Reproduction/pause
• 🔀 Next/Previous Track
• 📞 Answer/reject call
• 🔇 On/off ANC
• 🗣️ Voice assistant
• ❌ No action.

On iOS, customization options are limited — Apple blocks gesture change for Bluetooth devices, in which case you can only use standard combinations.

Problem Solving: Headphones do not respond to touch

If the Xiaomi Earphone 2 has stopped responding to touch gestures, the reasons may be as follows:

⚠️ Attention: Most often, the problem occurs after updating the firmware of the headphones or smartphone. Before reset, check whether the energy-saving mode blocks Bluetooth (on Android: Settings) → Battery. → Energy conservation → Turn off for Mi Home).

• 🔋 Battery discharged - at a charge level below 10% The touch panels may be switched off. Charge the headphones in the case. 10-15 minute.
• 📱 Conflict with another Bluetooth device – disable all other gadgets (fitness bracelets, speakers) and reconnect the Earphone 2.
• 🔄 Firmware failure – perform reset (hold the button on the case for 10 seconds) and update the software via Mi Home.
• 💦 Moisture intake - if your headphones get wet, dry them for 24 hours in rice or silica gel!
• 🛠️ Mechanical damage - the plume of the touch panel could have moved away when it fell, and only repairs can help.

For diagnosis:

1. Check if the headphones respond to the button holding (on/off). If so, the sensor problem.
2. Connect your headphones to another smartphone. If the gestures work, it's your phone's fault (like Android 13+ restrictions for background apps).
3. Update the firmware through Mi Home (Section Update).

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If after all the manipulations gestures do not work, and headphones are under warranty, contact the service center Xiaomi. In 80% of cases, the problem is solved by flashing, but sometimes you need to replace the touch module.

Hidden features: what the Earphone 2 can do, but it is not written in the instructions

In addition to the basic features, the Xiaomi Earphone 2 supports several hidden features, which the manufacturer does not mention:

• 🎧 Mono mode - you can only use one headphone (right or left). To do this, remove the right earphone from the case, and leave the second one inside. In 5 seconds, only the active earphone will connect.
• 🔊 Low Latency Mode – turns on automatically when watching video (if your smartphone supports aptX Low Latency). To force it to activate, go to Bluetooth Settings → Additionally. → Sound quality → Low latency (on Android 12)+).
• 🔋 Fast charging – 5 minutes in a case give up to 1 hour of playback (provided that the case is charged from the network, not from the powerbank).
• 📱 Auto-connect to the last device — if the headphones were connected to two smartphones (for example, a work and a personal), they will try to connect to the one they last connected to. To change priority, remove the device from the list of conjugates and connect again.

Another little-known feature is switching between devices, where if the headphones are already paired with two gadgets (like a smartphone and a laptop), to switch:

1. Turn off Bluetooth on your current device.
2. Turn on Bluetooth on the second device.
3. Press one touch on any headphone and it will automatically connect.

This feature does not work on all firmware, but it can be activated manually through Mi Home (Special settings → Quick switch).

Comparison with other Xiaomi models: which is better?

If you’re choosing between the Earphone 2 and other Xiaomi headphones, here are the key management differences:

The Earphone 2 beats the AirDots 3 Pro in price and versatility (works with any headphone in mono mode), but loses in ANC functionality and no volume control. Buds 4 offer better sound quality but lacks the ability to reassign gestures.

If you need to control without a phone, look for Xiaomi Buds 3T Pro – they support volume control and have touch sliders instead of buttons.

FAQ: Answers to Frequent Questions