You took out of the box a new wireless headphone Redmi, plugged it into your smartphone, and suddenly you found that only one works, or both connect, but it sounds left, right, and sometimes one earphone falls off in 10 seconds. This problem is encountered by many owners. TWS-Xiaomi headphones, and both the budget Redmi Buds 3 Lite and the flagship Redmi AirDots 3 Pro.
80 percent of the time, it's not the faults, it's the software failures, the wrong settings, or the Bluetooth protocol features. But sometimes it's hardware malfunctions, from a dead battery to a damaged antenna. In this article, we'll look at all the possible reasons why Redmi headphones work one at a time, and give you step-by-step instructions to fix the problem, learn how to diagnose a malfunction, what settings to check first, and when to bring the device to service.
1. Bluetooth connectivity problems: the main reasons
The most common situation is when both Redmi headphones are determined by a smartphone, but only sound is in one, or the second headphone is connected, but immediately switches off, 9 out of 10 cases this is due to malfunctioning of the Bluetooth protocol or conflict profiles.
The point is, TWS-True Wireless Stereo uses a dual connection, one headphone (usually the right one) acting as the master and the other as the slave headphone, and if the connection between the two is broken, the sound may disappear from one of the headphones:
- 🔄 Automatic profile switching – smartphone tries to use headphones as a headset for calls (HFP), not for music (A2DP).
- 📱 Conflict with other Bluetooth devices – if a watch, speaker, or car radio is connected to the phone.
- 🔋 Low charge – when the battery of one earphone is discharged below 10%, it can automatically shut down.
- 📲 Outdated firmware - in headphones Redmi Buds 4 and older bugs are fixed through OTA-update.
The first thing you need to do is reset your Bluetooth settings on your smartphone and re-pair your headphones.
- Open the Settings. → Bluetooth on your phone.
- Find your Redmi headphones in the list and click on the icon ⚙️ (or “Forget the device").
- Return the headphones to the case, close it for 10 seconds, then pull out and hold the pairing button (usually 5-7 seconds) until the indicator starts flashing white/red.
- Connect again via the Bluetooth menu.
2.Discharged battery: why one earphone is turned off
If one of the Redmi headphones is stable and the other one is periodically turned off or issuing a low charge warning, the battery is almost certainly a problem, especially for models older than 1-2 years, where battery capacity naturally decreases.
Here's how it manifests itself:
- 🔴 The headphone is connected, but through 1-2 Minutes are off with a beep.
- 🔋 In a mobile app (e.g. Mi Earphones) different charge levels are displayed (e.g. 80% and 15%).
- 🔌 The earphone does not charge in the case or charges very slowly.
To check out this version:
Put both headphones in the case for 30 minutes, then check the charge level in the app
Listen to music for 10-15 minutes – if one earphone goes off earlier, the battery is the problem
Try charging the case from another cable/charging (possibly the power supply is to blame)
Pay attention to the indicators on the case - whether the red light flashes when charging-->
If the difference in charge level is more than 30 percent, it's a clear sign of battery degradation.
- 🔧 For Redmi Buds models 3/4 You can try calibrating the battery: completely discharge the headphone (before turning it off), then charge it to the battery. 100% breaklessly.
- 🔄 If headphones are warranty – contact Xiaomi to replace the battery.
- 💰 For older models (like the 2019 Redmi AirDots), replacing a battery may cost more than new headphones.
⚠️ Warning: Do not use headphones with a severely discharged battery (below 5%) - this accelerates the degradation of lithium polymer batteries.
3. Software failures and firmware errors
Redmi headphones, like any smart appliance, are built-in software, and if the firmware is damaged or outdated, it can lead to loss of synchronization between the headphones, accidental blackouts, or no sound in one of them.
Typical signs of software failure:
- 🎵 The sound is interrupted, although both earphones are connected.
- 🔄 After restarting the phone, one headphone does not automatically connect.
- 📱 Mi Earphones app displays an error: "Device is not responding".
- 🔊 The earpiece makes a constant squeak or other atypical sounds.
Decisions:
- Reset the headphones to factory settings: Put both earphones in the case. Press and hold the button on the case (usually 10-15 seconds) until the indicator flashes red/white. Pull out the headphones and pair again.
Update the firmware
- Install the official Mi Earphones app from Google Play or AppGallery.
- Connect the headphones and check the "Update" section.
- If an update is available, plug the case into the charging and wait for the process to complete (do not turn it off!).
⚠️ Warning: If Redmi headphones have been in water (for example, caught in rain or fell in a puddle), do not turn them on immediately. Put them in rice or silica gel for 24 hours, then try charging. Turning on wet headphones can cause a short circuit!
5. Conflict with other devices and phone settings
Sometimes the problem is not the headphones, but the settings of the smartphone or the conflict with other gadgets.
- 📱 On Android powered mode Energy saving, which limits the work of Bluetooth.
- 🎧 Other audio devices (column, car system) are connected to the phone, which intercept sound.
- 🔊 In the audio settings, the wrong audio profile is selected (for example, “Phone Call” instead of “Media").
- 📲 iPhone includes Automatic Sound Switching, which can redirect audio to the speaker.