Xiaomi’s wireless headphones are among the most popular smartphone accessories, thanks to a combination of price, sound quality and functionality. However, many users face an unexpected problem: the microphone in the phone is a very powerful device. TWS-Headphones (such as Redmi AirDots, Xiaomi Buds or FlipBuds Pro) can automatically activate during calls, voice recordings, or even when using voice assistants, which creates inconveniences from extraneous noises in a conversation to accidental voice transmission in the background.
In this article, we’ll look at all the ways you can turn off the microphone on Xiaomi wireless headphones directly through your smartphone — without having to physically turn off the headset or use third-party apps. We’ll focus on the nuances for different headphone models and MIUI versions, and explain why the microphone sometimes turns on on on its own and how to avoid it.
Whether you’re looking for a way to completely silence your microphone while making calls, disable it for specific applications (like WhatsApp or Zoom), or just want to understand how to manage audio inputs on Xiaomi, this tutorial will help you get to the bottom of the details.
Why does the microphone on Xiaomi headphones turn on on on its own?
Before we get to the shutdown, it's important to understand why the microphone is activated without you.
- 📱 Automatic switching of audio devices to MIUI. The system can choose headphones as a source of sound and microphone when connected.
- 🎧 The Noise Reduction or Talk Mode feature in some models (e.g. Xiaomi Buds 3 Pro) activates the microphone to improve voice quality.
- 🤖 Voice assistants (Google Assistant, Alice from Yandex or Xiao) AI). They can use the microphone of headphones to listen to commands.
- 📞 Settings for specific applications (messengers, call programs) Some of them force the headset microphone on.
MIUI 12/13/14 also has a Smart Connection feature that can automatically redirect audio streams to headphones, including the microphone, which is convenient for calling, but not always necessary when listening to music or watching videos.
Method 1: Disconnect the microphone through the notification panel (fast method)
The easiest way to silence the microphone on headphones is to use the Quick Settings Panel during an active call or recording, a technique that works on all Xiaomi smartphones regardless of the headphone model.
- During a call or voice message, swipe down from the top edge of the screen to open the notification bar.
- Find the microphone icon (usually it appears next to the call timer).
- Touch the icon, it has to cross over or change color to gray, which means that the microphone is turned off.
⚠️ Attention: On some firmware MIUI (particularly MIUI 14 for global version) this icon may not be available. In that case, try other ways from this article.
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If the microphone icon doesn’t appear, try swiping the notification bar twice – sometimes the extended menu is hidden behind the first layer.
Method 2: Configure the audio output in the parameters of the call
If the headphone microphone is only activated during calls, you can manually select another device to record voice, which is true for Xiaomi owners with MIUI 12 firmware and newer.
- Open the Phone app and dial the number (or accept an incoming call).
- During the call, click on the icon of three dots (⋮) orgs (⚙️) top-right.
- Select Audio or Sound (the name may be different).
- In the Microphone section, select Phone instead of Wireless Headset.
This method doesn't shut down the microphone completely, it just redirects it to the built-in microphone of the smartphone. Note that after the call is over, the settings may reset, and the next call the microphone of the headphones will be activated again.
Make sure the headphones are connected to the phone.|Open the call settings menu|Select "Phone" as your microphone|Check the quality of voice transmission-->
Method 3: Turning off the microphone via Bluetooth settings
In some cases, the headphone microphone can be deactivated directly in Bluetooth settings. This method is suitable for Redmi AirDots 3 Pro, Xiaomi Buds 4 and others. TWS-Headphones with Hands-Free profile support (HFP).
- Open Settings → Bluetooth.
- Find your headphones in the list of connected devices and click on the gear (⚙️) near-name.
- Scroll down and find the Audio or Sound and Vibration section.
- Turn off the use for calls or microphone (the wording depends on the headphone model).
⚠️ Warning: Once you disable this option, you won't be able to use your headphones to make calls -- they'll only work as a sound output device (for music, video) -- to get the microphone back on, you'll have to re-enable this setting.
| Model headphones | Does it support the microphone shutdown via Bluetooth? | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Redmi AirDots (1/2/3) | ❌ No. | Only redirect the microphone during the call |
| Xiaomi Buds 3/4 Pro | ✅ Yes. | Use for Calls option in Bluetooth settings |
| FlipBuds Pro | ✅ Yes. | In addition, noise reduction can be turned off. |
| SoundPEATS (Xiaomi line) | ⚠️ Partially. | Depends on the version of the headphone firmware |
Method 4: Using the Xiaomi Earphones app (for supported models)
For some headphone models (such as the Xiaomi Buds 3 Pro or FlipBuds Pro), there is an official Xiaomi Earphones app that allows you to fine-tune the settings, including the microphone.
- Download the Xiaomi Earphones app from Google Play or AppGallery (for Huawei).
- Connect the headphones to the phone and open the application.
- Go to the microphone settings or calls section.
- Turn off the options: 🎤 Use the microphone of headphones for calls 🔇 Noise suppression during conversation 🤖 Voice assistant through headphones
Important: Xiaomi Earphones doesn’t work with all headphone models, and if your headset isn’t supported, the app just won’t show it on the list of devices.
What models does Xiaomi Earphones support?
Method 5: Turning off the microphone for specific applications
If the headphone microphone is only activated in certain applications (such as WhatsApp, Zoom or Discord), you can prevent them from accessing the headset's audio inputs through the microphone resolution settings:
- Open Settings → Applications → Application Management.
- Select the app you want (such as WhatsApp).
- Go to the Permissions section.
- Find the resolution of the microphone and click on it.
- Choose to forbid or ask each time.
⚠️ Note: Some applications (such as Zoom or Microsoft Teams) may force the headphone microphone to be used if it is available on the system, in which case you will have to turn off the headset microphone completely via Bluetooth Settings (see Method 3).
Also, look at the settings of the apps themselves, for example, on WhatsApp you can choose the source of the microphone:
- Open WhatsApp and go to the ⋮ → Settings → Warehouse and data → Audio.
- In the Microphone section, select Phone instead of Wireless Headset.