How to connect Xiaomi AirDots Pro 2 to the phone: full instructions with pictures and life hacks

Why AirDots Pro 2 Needs a Special Approach

Xiaomi AirDots Pro 2 wireless headphones (TWS Earbuds Basic 2 or MDZ-35-DB) have become one of the brand’s most popular accessories due to the balance of price and functionality. However, their connection often raises questions among users — especially if it is a first pairing or changing device. Unlike more expensive models (such as AirDots Pro 2s or Buddy), these headphones use a simplified connection system, which sometimes leads to confusion.

The main feature of the AirDots Pro 2 is that it doesn't have a physical power button, instead it uses touch control on the headphone case, and the connection process starts automatically when you remove it from the case, which is convenient, but requires a lot of nuance: for example, headphones may not appear on the list of available devices if they have already been paired with another gadget, and in this article we'll look at all the scenarios, from basic connection to solving rare errors.

Important: The instruction is relevant for Android 10+ and iOS 14+ firmware, but most of the steps work on older versions as well. If your phone is released before 2018, check for Bluetooth 5.0 support - without it, some features (such as low latency) may not work.

Preparing headphones for the first connection

Before you connect AirDots Pro 2 to your phone, you need to follow several mandatory steps, skipping at least one of them can lead to the fact that the headphones will not be detected or connect only in mono mode (one earphone).

First, make sure the headphones are fully charged. The case indicator should be white (open cover) or green (closed). If the indicator is red or flashing orange, plug the case into charging for 15-20 minutes. Xiaomi AirDots Pro 2 will not turn on if the charge level is below 10%.

Put both headphones in the case and close the lid.

Charge the case to the green indicator (minimum 30%)

Open the case cover - the indicator should flash white

Make sure your phone is Bluetooth enabled and other headphones are turned off.-->

Second, check that the headphones are in pairing mode.

1. Get both earphones out of the case.
2. Close the case cover and wait 5 seconds.
3. Open the lid, the indicator should start flashing white and red alternately, and this is a signal that you are ready to connect.

If the indicator does not flash or only lights white, then the headphones are already paired with another device, in which case you need to reset the settings (instructions in the next section).

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If the headphones do not respond to the extraction from the case, try lightly tapping the touch panel on each of them - sometimes the sensors get stuck due to dust.

Reset AirDots Pro 2: when and how to do

Reset to factory settings is required in three cases:

• 🔄 Headphones previously connected to another phone/tablet and don’t appear in the list of available devices.
• 🎧 One of the headphones does not work (does not connect or make sound in mono mode).
• 🔋 After updating the firmware of the phone, the headphones began to turn off after 1-2 minutes.

To reset AirDots Pro 2, do the following:

1. Put both headphones in the case and close the lid.
2. Press and hold the touchpad on both headphones simultaneously for 10-15 seconds. the indicator on the case will flash red 3 times in a row - this is a signal of a successful reset.
3. Open the case cover - the indicator should flash white and red (conjugation mode).

If the reset has not occurred (the indicator does not flash red), try:

• 🔌 Connect the case to charging for 1 minute, then repeat the procedure.
• 🧹 Clean the contacts of headphones and case with a dry cotton swab (sometimes oxidation interferes with resetting).
• 📱 Remove headphones from the list of conjugated devices in the phone settings (Bluetooth) → Xiaomi AirDots Pro 2 → Forget the device).

Step-by-step: Connecting to Android

The process of pairing with the Android phone takes no more than 30 seconds, if the headphones are properly prepared.

1. Open Bluetooth settings: Go to Settings → Connections → Bluetooth (on Xiaomi: Settings → Bluetooth). Activate the Bluetooth slider (should turn blue).
2. Activate pairing mode on the headphones: Take both earphones out of the case. The indicator on the case should flash white and red. If it only flashes white, return the headphones to the case, close the lid for 5 seconds and repeat.

Select headphones in the list

• The list of available devices will appear in the Xiaomi AirDots Pro 2 (or Mi True Wireless EB Basic 2).
• Click on it, and the pairing process will begin.
• Some phones may have a request for code confirmation (usually 0000 or 1234).

If the headphones are not connected:

• 🍎 Reboot your iPhone (sometimes helps with Bluetooth errors).
• 🔄 Forget the device in Bluetooth settings and repeat pairing.
• 📱 Update iOS to the latest version (older versions have bugs with Bluetooth 5.0).

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On the iPhone, you can turn on notifications about the level of charge of the headphones. To do this, after connecting, close the case cover, then open it, a pop-up with a percentage of charge will appear.

Important: iOS doesn't have the default touch controls (pause/play, track switching) to activate it, you need to install the Mi Home or Xiaomi Wear app and manually adjust gestures, but even then, the functionality will be limited compared to Android.

Solving common problems after connection

Even if the headphones are successfully connected, users often face typical problems, and here are the most common ones and ways to fix them:

1. Headphones turn off in 1-2 minutes

Reason: activated energy saving mode on the phone or headphones.

• 📵 On Android: Go to Settings → Battery → Power saving mode and turn it off.
• 🔋 On iOS: Go to Settings → Bluetooth → Xiaomi AirDots Pro 2 → Turn off low power consumption.
• 🔄 If the problem remains, reset the headphone settings (see section above).

2.The sound goes into only one earpiece

The reason: the headphones are not synchronized with each other.

• 🎧 Return both headphones to the case, close the lid for 10 seconds, then pull them out again.
• 🔄 If it doesn’t help, reset your settings and connect again.
• 📱 On Android, check if Mono Sound is activated in the special features settings.

Noise and interference when listening to music

Reason: weak Bluetooth signal or interference from other devices.

• 📶 Move closer to the phone (maximum distance - 10 meters without obstacles).
• 📵 Disable other Bluetooth devices (smart watches, speakers).
• 🔄 Switch to codec. SBC instead AAC (in the developer settings on Android).

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If the sound problems only occur in certain apps (like YouTube or Spotify), try clearing that app's cache or reinstalling it.

Additional settings and hidden functions

Many users are unaware that AirDots Pro 2 supports several hidden features that can be activated through the Mi Home or Xiaomi Wear app.

• 🎵 Equalizer setting: in the application you can select one of 3 preset sound profiles (Bases, Pure Sound, Voice).
• 🔊 Adjusting the sensitivity of the microphone: useful for calls in noisy places.
• 🔋 Charge level display: the status bar of Android will show the percentage of charge of the case and each headphone separately.
• 🎧 Automatic Shutdown: You can set a timer through which the headphones will turn off when inactivity (5 to 60 minutes).