Why both Xiaomi headphones stopped working at the same time: a full analysis of the reasons

You took Xiaomi headphones out of the case, you turned on the music, but only one of them has sound -- or none at all? TWS-Headphones brand, from budget Redmi Buds to flagship Xiaomi FlipBuds Pro. Most often, the malfunction is not due to a hardware defect, but to software failures or incorrect settings. In this article, we will discuss 7 main reasons why two headphones do not work at the same time, and give step-by-step instructions for eliminating each of them.

It's important to understand that if the headphones don't sync after a fall, moisture or mechanical damage, it's probably a physical failure, in which case only the service center will help. But 80 percent of the time, the problem is solved on its own in 5-10 minutes, and let's start with the most common cause, which is a malfunction between the headphones.

1. synchronization failure between left and right earphone

T-T-T-T-T-T-T-T-T-T-T-T-T-T-T-T-T-T-T-T-T-T-T-T-TWS-True Wireless Stereo is a lead-and-follower headphone, one of which (usually on the right) connects to the phone, and the other is synchronized with the first via Bluetooth Low Energy. If this connection is disrupted, the sound may disappear from one of the headphones or not play at all.

Signs of a problem:

• 🔊 The sound is only in one headphone, the second is silent or emits intermittent signals.
• 📱 Bluetooth settings only display one headphone (e.g. Mi True Wireless Earphones) 2_R)
• 🔄 Headphones are constantly reconnected with a characteristic sound signal

How to fix it:

1. Return both headphones to the case and close the lid for 10 seconds.
2. Pull them out and hold the touch buttons (or mechanical buttons) on both headphones for 15 to 20 seconds until the lights start flashing red and white.
3. Wait 1-2 minutes – the headphones should automatically sync (the indicators will light up the same way).
4. Connect to them via Bluetooth on your phone.

⚠️ Warning: If the headphones never synced after reset, try connecting them to another device (tablet, laptop).If the problem persists, this is a sign of a hardware failure of the Bluetooth controller in one of the headphones.

2. Problems with headphone firmware

Xiaomi regularly releases firmware updates for its headphones that fix synchronization errors and improve sound. If your model has not been updated for a long time, this can cause unstable work, especially for the Redmi Buds 3 Pro and Xiaomi Buds 4, where early firmware versions had bugs with connection.

How to check the firmware version:

• 📲 Install the official Mi Home or Xiaomi Wear app (depending on the model).
• 🔍 Connect your headphones to the app via Bluetooth.
• 📊 Go to the "Device" section" → "Settings" → "Firmware update".

If the update is available:

Make sure your headphones are at least 50% charged | Connect them to a stable Wi-Fi network (via phone) | Don't remove the headphones from your case during the update | Don't interrupt the process (may take up to 10 minutes)

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If the update does not help or the headphones after it stopped working at all, reset to factory settings:

1. Hold the buttons on both headphones for 30 seconds until the indicators start flashing red quickly.
2. Remove the device from the list of conjugated in the Bluetooth settings of the phone.
3. Connect again as if to a new device.

3. Bluetooth conflict on phone or PC

Sometimes the problem isn't with the headphones, but with the device they're connected to. For example, Xiaomi smartphones with MIUI 13-14 have a bug where the system limits Bluetooth bandwidth to save power, which causes communication to break with one of the headphones.

How to diagnose:

• 📵 Check if the second headphone works when connected to another device (laptop, tablet).
• 🔋 Turn off Bluetooth power saving mode in phone settings: Settings → Battery → Energy saving regime → Bluetooth (disable optimization).
• 📱 On Android: Clear the Bluetooth Services Cache in Settings → Annexes → Systemic → Bluetooth (click "Clear the cache").

For iPhone owners:

⚠️ Note: On Samsung phones with One UI Dual Audio can be used to conflict with the TWS-Turn it off in Settings. → Connections → Bluetooth → Additionally. → Dual Audio.

4 Mechanical damage or contamination of contacts

If the headphones fell, were exposed to moisture or lay for a long time without use, the cause of non-working sound can be:

• 💧 Oxidation of contacts in the case or on headphones (after sweat, rain).
• 🧲 Demagnetization of speakers (rare, but occurs after impacts).
• 🔌 Damage to the plume inside the headphone (typical for models with flexible "legs", like Xiaomi AirDots).

How to check:

1. Check the contacts on headphones and in the case - they should be clean, without green plaque (oxidation).
2. Try to move the headphone leg slightly while playing the sound, and if there is interference, it is a sign of a plume break.
3. Light a flashlight into the speaker's grille - if the membrane is torn or deformed, a replacement will be required.

Contact cleanup:

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To clean the contacts, use a cotton swab dipped in isopropyl alcohol (at least 70%). Do not use water or acetone! After cleaning, dry the headphones 1-2 hours before use.

5. Faulty battery or case

If one of the headphones discharges much faster than the other or does not charge at all, the problem may be:

• 🔋 Faulty battery inside the headphone (blown, loss of capacity).
• 🔌 Damaged charging contacts in the case.
• 📉 Failure of the power controller (earphone is not determined by the case).

Diagnosis:

1. Check if the problem earphone is charging in the case. If the indicator is not on, the contacts will not touch.
2. Try charging the headphone from another case (if possible).
3. Use the Aida64 or AccuBattery app to check the actual battery capacity.

If the case does not charge the headphones, try to "reanimate" it:

1. Connect the case to the charge and hold the reset button (if any) for 10-15 seconds.
2. Leave the case on charge for 12 hours - sometimes this helps to "wake up" the controller.

6. Software conflicts with applications

Some applications (especially those that actively use Bluetooth or audio streams) can block the proper operation of the headphones.

• 🎵 Music players with their own audio engines (e.g. Poweramp, VLC).
• 🎮 Games with spatial sound support (e.g, PUBG Mobile, Call of Duty).
• 📞 Applications for recording calls or streaming sound.

How to resolve conflict:

1. Close all background applications through Settings → Applications → Launched.
2. Turn off spatial sound in the game or player settings.
3. In Android Developer Settings (Settings → About Phone → Build Number (Tap 7 times) → Developer Settings), turn off the option to Turn off absolute Bluetooth volume.

For the iPhone:

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If the sound is lost when playing through Apple Music or Spotify, try turning off the Auto Switch to Settings → Bluetooth → (i) next to the headphones → Connect to this iPhone and select For Multimedia.

7. Hardware breakdown: when without service can not do

If all of the above methods didn't work, it's probably a hardware problem, and here are some signs you should contact a service center:

• 🔊 Complete lack of sound in both headphones (even after resetting).
• 🔥 Visible damage to the board or battery (bloating, stubble).
• 📡 Headphones are not defined by any device (even after resetting).
• 💥 Characteristic smell of burning or crackling when connected to charging.

Cost of repair in official Xiaomi services (2026):

⚠️ Note: If headphones are warranty, do not disassemble them yourself - this will void warranty obligations. Contact the authorized Xiaomi service center with a check and packaging.

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Before visiting the service, make a backup of the data (if the headphones support storing settings in memory) and remove them from the list of associated devices on the phone.

FAQ: Frequent questions about Xiaomi headphones that don't work