The situation where Xiaomi or Redmi wireless headphones suddenly stop working and turn off in the middle of a track is familiar to many users. This can happen at the most inopportune moment: during an important call, in the midst of an intense workout, or when watching a movie on an airplane. Users often experience the indicators flashing, and then the device completely loses communication with the smartphone, requiring a second attempt to connect.
The main reason is not always in the breakdown, but in software failures or the specifics of the battery. TWS-True Wireless Stereo models have a complex internal energy saving logic that sometimes interprets a resting state as a signal to turn off.
In this article, we will take a look at all the possible factors that affect the stability of your headphones, learn how to distinguish a software bug from physical battery wear, and get step-by-step diagnostic instructions. Recovery often doesn’t require going to a service center if you know the right sequence of actions.
Hardware problems with battery and contacts
The most common reason Xiaomi earphones are turned off is the wear or deep discharge of the lithium polymer battery. Over time, the battery capacity decreases and the device begins to “think” that the charge is still there, and then plummets to zero, a phenomenon called the “memory effect” or simply the degradation of the chemical composition of the cell, which is especially characteristic of models older than two years of active use.
The second important aspect is the state of the contact areas. TWS-In headphones, the charge is done through pogo pins (metal dots) that over time become oxidized or covered with a layer of earwax and dust. If contact is broken, the earphone may not charge up to 100% in the case, and when removed, immediately show a low charge and turn off after a few minutes.
At low temperatures (below 0 degrees Celsius), the electrolyte in the batteries thickens, causing a sharp drop in voltage, in which the electronics of the device detect a critical state and initiate an emergency shutdown to protect the components.
Why is the battery swelling?
Software failures and freezes of the microcontroller
Often the problem is not hardware, but software, the internal microcontroller controls Bluetooth connectivity and power consumption, and sometimes it accumulates errors that cause cyclical reboots or sudden shutdowns, similar to a smartphone that requires a reboot to function normally.
This is especially common after updating a smartphone firmware or installing a new app that conflicts with data protocols. Headphones can receive incorrect signals from the Android or iOS operating system, interpret them as a command to end a communication session and turn off.
To eliminate such failures, you need to perform Hard Reset, which clears the device's memory cache and returns the settings to factory settings. The procedure differs for different models, but usually involves holding touchpads or physical buttons for 10-20 seconds.
☑️ Actions in case of software failure
Synchronization problems between left and right earphone
In True Wireless Stereo, one headphone (usually the right one) acts as a master and the other as a follower. If communication between the two is broken, the led earpiece may behave incorrectly, including turning off, which occurs if the radio channel between the ears is blocked by external interference or if they are out of sync.
When desynchronized, the headphones can try to connect to each other indefinitely, which leads to rapid charge consumption and subsequent shutdown, and the user sees this as flashing indicators and no sound. In some cases, one headphone is working, and the second constantly goes into sleep mode.
To fix this, you need to re-mating, which is usually done by removing both headphones from the case and simultaneously pressing the touch zones (or buttons) until the characteristic beep or color changes on the indicator, and it is important that the Bluetooth on the phone is turned off at that point.
In rare cases, the problem is that the 2.4GHz Wi-Fi router is interfering, because Bluetooth uses the same range. If you're near a powerful signal source, try stepping back a few meters.
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For better synchronization, take both earbuds out of the case at the same time, rather than one at a time, which helps them find each other faster and establish a stable Master-Slave connection.
Effects of pollution and physical wear
The physical condition of the device directly affects its operation. Moisture (sweat during sports or rain) on the control board can cause a short circuit. Current models have IPX4 or IPX5 protection, but it is designed for spraying, not immersion in water. Moisture can oxidize the contacts of the on button, causing spontaneous break of the circuit.
Mechanical damage from a fall can also be a cause: the impact can move the plume connecting the battery to the motherboard, or the battery itself cracks, in which case the earphone can work at a certain position in the ear, but turn off when displaced.
The buildup of sulfur in the speaker grid creates additional resistance. The speaker starts to work with overload, consuming more current, which leads to a rapid discharge and emergency shutdown of the overheating protection system.
| Symptoms. | Probable cause | Decision |
|---|---|---|
| Shut down in 5-10 minutes. | Battery degradation | Replacement of battery or device |
| Touch blower | Bad contact or dirt | Cleaning contacts with alcohol |
| Blinks and turns off. | Firmware failure | Hard Reset (Resetting settings) |
| Only one works. | Razsynchronization | Re-pairing (Re-pairing) |
Settings of energy saving on a smartphone
The smartphone itself is not excluded: Aggressive power saving settings in MIUI or HyperOS shells can force the Bluetooth headset to save the phone's charge, and the system can perceive the headphone connection as a background process, not important, and break the connection.
There are also settings that turn off Bluetooth when you lock your screen or go to sleep. This looks like turning off your headphones, when in fact the phone just stops transmitting. Check Settings → Battery → Energy Saving.
In some cases, it helps to disable the option “Adaptive brightness control” or “Smart connection”, which may conflict with Bluetooth drivers. Try to remove the device from the list of conjugated and add it again, allowing all the requested permissions.
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Smartphone power saving settings often block the peripheral from working. Add a headphone management app (such as Mi Wear or Zepp Life) to the exclusion list ("No Limits").
Diagnosis and methods of recovery
If your Xiaomi headphones keep going off, you need to do a comprehensive diagnostic. Start with a visual inspection: check the contacts for plaque. Clean them with a cotton swab slightly soaked in isopropyl alcohol. Let them dry completely before you put them in the case.
Then do a full reset. For most models (AirDots, Redmi Buds), the algorithm is as follows: place the headphones in the case, open the lid, press and hold the functional buttons on both headphones (or on the case) for 15-20 seconds until the indicators flash red and white (or orange) several times.
After reset, remove the device from the phone's Bluetooth list ("Forget the device") and pair again. If the problem persists after all the manipulations, it is likely a physical battery malfunction that requires replacement.
⚠️ Warning: Don't try to open the headphone case yourself unless you're experienced, there are miniature lithium batteries inside, which can cause ignition to break down, and it's also very easy to damage fragile plumes.
⚠️ Warning: If the earphone gets hot before turning it off, stop using immediately.This is a sign of an internal short circuit or a fault in the charge controller.