How to Remove the Headphone Icon on Xiaomi Phone: All Ways (2026)

Why is the Xiaomi headphone icon constantly hanging on the screen?

Did you take a Xiaomi phone out of your pocket, and the notification panel features an icon of headphones — though they're long gone? Or connected wireless AirDots, and the icon remained after the shutdown? This problem is familiar to many owners of Redmi, POCO and Mi smartphones based on MIUI. Most often it arises from an audio chip failure, contamination of the connector or software errors.

In 80% of cases, the icon disappears after a device reboot, but if it does not, you will have to dig deeper. In this article, we will analyze all the possible causes of the appearance of the headphone icon on Xiaomi (including the Redmi Note 12, POCO X5, Mi 11 and others) and offer 5 proven ways to fix it, from simple to radical, and you will learn how to avoid recurrence of the problem and what to do if none of the methods worked.

Before proceeding with the correction, make sure that:

• 🔌 You really turned off the headphones (check Bluetooth and 3.5mm jack).
• 🔄 Rebooted the phone – sometimes it solves the problem instantly.
• 📱 The device has an up-to-date version installed MIUI (Updates often fix audio bugs).

Method 1: Cleaning a 3.5mm connector – why does it work?

The most common, but common, cause is contamination or oxidation of contacts in the audio jack, and dust, moisture, or even small debris can give the false impression that the headphones are connected, especially for phones that are often carried in your pocket or used in high humidity conditions (for example, the Redmi Note 10 Pro after going to the gym).

How to clean the connector correctly:

1. Turn off your phone to avoid short circuits.
2. Take a toothpick with cotton wool (or a special brush for technique) and carefully remove visible debris.
3. To remove oxidation, use alcohol (90%+) - apply a couple of drops to a cotton swab and wipe the contacts.
4. Allow the connector to dry for 10-15 minutes before turning on.

💡

Do not use metal objects (needles, paper clips) - they can damage the contacts of the connector. If there is a lot of garbage, you should contact the service center.

If you still have the badge after cleaning, try connecting and turning off the headphones several times – sometimes it resets the state of the audio chip, and check if the contacts inside the connector are bent (this can happen when the headphones are not sloppy).

Method 2: Reset the sound settings in MIUI

MIUI 12/13/14 has a hidden audio reset feature that often helps with headphone icon problems, which doesn't delete your data, but returns all audio parameters to factory values.

Instructions:

1. Open the Settings. → Sound and vibration.
2. Slip on the three dots in the upper right corner and select Reset sound settings.
3. Confirm the action and restart the phone.

Check the volume of the media and alarm clock

Remember the equalizer settings (if used)

Turn off the Bluetooth headphones.

Reboot your phone after resetting-->

If the Reset sound settings item is not in your version of MIUI, try an alternative method:

1. Press the power button and select Reboot in Safe Mode.
2. In safe mode, check if the headphone icon has disappeared.
3. If yes, the problem is in a third-party application (remove the recently installed programs).

Method 3: Update or roll back the MIUI firmware

Errors with the display of the headphone icon are often associated with bugs in specific versions of MIUI. For example, in MIUI 12.5 for POCO F3 there was a massive bug when the icon remained even after the headphones were removed, in such cases, it helps to upgrade to the last stable version or roll back to the previous one.

How to update firmware:

• 📱 Go to Settings. → The phone. → Updating the system.
• 🔍 Click on “Check Updates” and install the available version.
• 🔄 After the update, reset the sound settings (see Method 2).

If the problem occurs after the update, try to roll back:

1. Download the desired version of MIUI from the official Xiaomi website (choose Stable, not Beta!).
2. Rename the file to update.zip and place it in the root of the phone’s memory.
3. In Settings → About phone → Update system tap on three points → Select a firmware file.

💡

Before rolling back the firmware, back up your data through Settings → Additional → Backup and Reset. Recoilout can erase user files!

Method 4: Use of the Engineering Menu (for advanced)

If standard methods don’t work, you can try resetting the audio chip via the Engineering Mode, which is suitable for experienced users, as incorrect actions can lead to failures.

Instructions:

1. Open the Phone app and type in the combination: ##36446337## (some models may run ##4636## → Audio).
2. Select Hardware Testing → Audio → Headset Mode.
3. Click Disable Headset or Headset Switch → Off.
4. Reboot the phone.

On Snapdragon models (such as the POCO X3 Pro), the engineering menu may not be available, in which case use the MTK Engineering Mode app (for MediaTek! devices only).

💡

If after manipulations in the engineering menu lost sound, reset the sound settings (Method 2) or restart the phone.

Method 5: Hardware solutions – when nothing helps

If the software methods didn't work, the problem is probably hardware, and here are the most common causes and solutions.

The cost of repair depends on the model:

• 🔧 Replacement of audio jack: 800-1 500 ₽ (on the Redmi 9A, POCO M3).
• 🔧 Audio chip repair/replacement: 2,500–5,000 ₽ (on Mi 10T, Redmi Note 11 Pro).
• 🔧 Diagnostics in the service: free (if you repair them).

💡

Don't try to solder the audio chip yourself - it requires special equipment and skills. Improper repair can put the phone out of order completely!

How to prevent the reappearance of the headphone icon?

To prevent the problem from returning, follow these recommendations:

• 🛡️ Use covers with protection of the connector from dust and moisture.
• 🔌 Carefully insert and remove headphones - do not apply force.
• 📵 Avoid using your phone in high humidity (bath, swimming pools).
• 🔄 Update regularly MIUI — In new versions, audio bugs are often corrected.
• 🚫 Do not use uncertified headphones with questionable connectors.

If you frequently connect wireless headphones (such as Xiaomi AirDots), turn them off via the Bluetooth menu, rather than just taking them out of your ears.

💡

On models with an infrared port (for example, Redmi Note 8 Pro) sometimes helps to turn off the IR remote in the settings – this can conflict with the audio system.

Frequent Questions (FAQ)

If neither of these methods worked, contact the official Xiaomi service or a trusted repair center. Please indicate that the problem is with the headphone icon, not with the sound - this will help the wizard to diagnose the malfunction faster.