Xiaomi headphone does not work: what to do if the sound is lost in one or both headphones

You took Xiaomi's favorite wireless headphones out of your case, plugged them into your phone, but there's only one headphone in your headphone -- or nothing works at all -- and this problem is familiar to many owners of AirDots, Buds, and other models of the brand. The reasons range from trivial discharge to hardware malfunctions. 80 percent of the time, the headphones can be "resuscitated" on their own -- without going to the service center.

In this article, we’ll look at all the possible reasons why Xiaomi headphones might stop working, and give you step-by-step instructions for each situation. You’ll learn how to diagnose a problem, reset settings, check compatibility with the device, and even fix headphones if they stopped syncing with each other after a firmware update.

Before you put your headphones in repair or buy new ones, try all the ways in this article. Most of them take no more than 5-10 minutes!

1. Checking the basic settings: why Xiaomi headphones don't work

Start with the simplest one: make sure that the problem is not with the settings of your smartphone or other device that your headphones are connected to, and often the sound is lost due to randomly changed settings or conflict with other Bluetooth devices.

Here's what you need to do first:

• 🔊 Check the volume level. Press the volume buttons on your smartphone or the earphone itself (if any), sometimes the sound is "reset" to a minimum after you connect.
• 📱 Make sure the headphones are selected as the output device. On Android: open the notification bar → click on the Bluetooth icon → On your iPhone, swipe up from the bottom of the screen. → hold the control panel. → tap on the headphone icon.
• 🔄 Reboot the Bluetooth module. Turn off and turn on Bluetooth again in your phone settings. If that doesn't work, restart the device itself.
• 🎧 Check the connection to another device. Xiaomi headphones can automatically connect to the last used gadget (for example, a laptop or tablet). Open the list of connected devices and turn off the headphones from unnecessary devices.

If you don't have a sound after this manipulation, move on to the next step, but first answer the question:

Headphone Diagnosis: How to Know What’s Broken

Before you try to fix your headphones, you need to figure out what the problem is, which will save you time and help you choose the right way to repair your headphones, and here are the key symptoms and their possible causes:

To diagnose the problem more accurately, follow the following steps:

1. Check the charge indicators. On most Xiaomi models (such as the AirDots Pro 2 or Buds 3T), when connected to the charger case, the headphones flash red or white. If the indicator does not burn, the problem is in the contacts or the battery.
2. Connect your headphones to another device. Try connecting them to a friend's laptop, tablet, or smartphone. If they're on another device, your phone is a problem.
3. Listen to system sounds. When you plug in/disconnect, the headphones usually emit a short signal, and if you don't, you may have a malfunctioning speaker or microphone.

⚠️ Note: If Xiaomi headphones stop working after falling, getting moisture or a strong mechanical impact (for example, stepping on them), do not try to disassemble them yourself. In this case, there is a high probability of damage to the PCB or battery, which can lead to fire if improperly repaired.

3.Reset Xiaomi headphones to factory settings

If the headphones are connected but not working properly (for example, one earphone is quieter than another or the connection is constantly cut off), a complete reset will help, this procedure removes all saved connections and returns the headphones to the “out of the box” state.

Reset instructions vary by model. Here's the one-stop method that works for most Xiaomi headphones:

Put both headphones in the case and close the lid.|Wait until the headphones go out (meaning they charge)|Press and hold the button on the case (usually located behind) for 15-20 seconds.|When the indicators on the case and headphones start flashing red and white – release the button|Take the headphones out of the case and connect them again to the phone-->

For some models (for example, Xiaomi Buds 4 Pro or Redmi AirDots 3 Pro) the reset is performed differently:

1. Get the headphones out of the case.


2.Push and hold the touchpads on both headphones simultaneously for 10 seconds.




3. When the indicators start flashing red, let go.




4. Put the headphones back in the case and close the lid for 10 seconds.




5. Pull it out and reconnect it.

After reset, the headphones may require firmware updates, which we will discuss in the next section.

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If the headphones don’t connect after reset, try removing them from the list of conjugated devices in your smartphone’s Bluetooth settings, and then search for new devices.

4. Firmware Update: Why It Matters and How to Do It

Many of the problems with Xiaomi headphones (particularly the AirDots 2/3 and Buds series) arise from outdated firmware. The manufacturer regularly releases updates that fix plugging bugs, improve sound and increase the time of operation. If your headphones Suddenly stopped working after updating your smartphone or case, most likely you need to sew them again.

Here’s how to check and update the firmware:

• 📲 Using the Mi Home app or Xiaomi Earbuds: Connect your headphones to your phone. Open the app and find your headphones in the list of devices. If an update is available, a notification will appear with the Update button. Press it and wait for the process to be completed (don't turn off the headphones!).

via PC (for advanced users)

1. Download the official firmware for your model from the Xiaomi Firmware website.
2. Connect the headphones to your computer via Bluetooth.
3. Use a utility like Xiaomi Flash Tool to install firmware.

⚠️ Warning: Don't interrupt the firmware update process! If the headphones turn off during firmware, they can turn into a brick (they will completely stop turning on). If the update has been hanging for longer than 10 minutes, carefully remove the headphones from the case, put them back and try again.

When you update the firmware, the headphones automatically reboot. If there was a problem with the software, the sound should appear. If not, read on.

5.Bleaking contacts and checking charging case

One of the most common reasons why one Xiaomi earphone stops working is contamination or oxidation of the contacts. Over time, dust, sweat or residues of cosmetics accumulate on metal areas (if you wear headphones while exercising), which leads to poor contact with the case, and one of the headphones discharges or is not detected by the system.

Here’s how to clean your contacts yourself:

1. Take a cotton swab, moisten it in an alcohol solution (you can use a liquid to clean the screens or ordinary vodka).
2. Gently wipe the contacts on the headphones and inside the case. Don't press too hard to avoid bending them.
3. Let it dry for 5-10 minutes. Do not use a hair dryer or other heating appliances!
4. Check the work: put the headphones in the case and wait until they charge (the indicator should burn red, then white).

If one earphone doesn't charge after cleaning, the problem may be that the case malfunctions.

• 📦 Battery case: If the case discharges quickly or does not hold the charge, it may be necessary to replace the battery (at the service center).

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If after cleaning the contacts, the headphone started charging, but there is still no sound, the problem is most likely the dynamics or the plume, in which case only repairs in the service will help.

6.Sync problems: Why Xiaomi headphones don't work together

A frequent complaint by users of Xiaomi AirDots and Buds: one earphone connects to the phone, and the second is silent or identified as a separate device, this is due to loss of synchronization between the headphones.

• ⚡ Failure to connect to a new device.
• 🔄 Automatic firmware update that went wrong.
• 📵 Long-term presence of headphones outside the case (discharge of one of them).

Here's how to restore synchronization:

Put both headphones in the case and close the lid for 30 seconds.|Pull them out and wait until they automatically connect to each other (indicators should flash synchronously)|If synchronization is not restored, reset your headphones (see Section 3)|Put them back on the phone.-->

If the headphones still don't sync, try forced pairing:

1. Open the Settings. → Bluetooth on your phone.
2. Remove both earbuds from the list of devices.
3. Remove the headphones from the case and hold the button on the case (or touch panels on the headphones) until the indicators start flashing white quickly.
4. Both earbuds should appear on the list of available devices.

For models with Mi AI support (e.g. Xiaomi Buds 4), synchronization can be restored through the app:

1. Open the Xiaomi Earbuds app.


2. Go to the section "Hearphone settings".




3. Find the item "Reset sync" or "Reset connection".




4. Follow the instructions on the screen.

7 Hardware malfunctions: when repairs are not necessary

If all software methods have been tried, but Xiaomi’s headphones still don’t work, the problem is likely hardware.

Some malfunctions can be diagnosed independently:

• 🔍 Check the headphones on another device. If they don't work anywhere, they're the problem.
• 🎵 Listen to the sound at maximum volume. If you hear distortion or cracking, the speaker is damaged.
• 🔋 Check your time. If the earphone runs out in 10 to 15 minutes, the battery is broken.

⚠️ Attention: If you're going to take your headphones apart, remember: The batteries in Xiaomi headphones can swell if you get damaged. Don't puncture them! The headphones are very fragile. If you don't handle them carefully, you can tear contacts off. Self-repairing gives you no warranty if it's still valid.

The cost of repairs at the service center depends on the model and the malfunction.

• Dynamic replacement: 1,000–2,500 ₽.
• Battery replacement: 800–1,500 ₽.
• Repair of plume/fee: 1,500–3,000 ₽.

If headphones are older than 2-3 years, it is sometimes cheaper to buy new ones than to repair old ones, but before you make a decision, check the warranty card - perhaps the repair will be free.

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