Why Honor Headphones May Not Connect to Xiaomi and How to Fix It
Connecting Honor wireless headphones to a Xiaomi phone seems like an easy task — turned on Bluetooth, pressed the pairing button, and everything is ready. But in practice, users face errors: devices “can’t see” each other, the connection is reset in a few seconds or the sound is interrupted, the reasons are rooted in the peculiarities of Bluetooth protocols of different brands, conflicts of software versions or even the power saving settings of MIUI.
In this article, we will look at all the working ways of connecting, from standard pairing to manually adding a device through hidden menus. Separately, we will focus on common errors (for example, code 0x3E or “Device is not supported”) and explain how to fix them without resetting. If you have already tried to connect your headphones to your phone and were rejected, do not rush to blame the technique: 80% of the problem is solved by changing one or two parameters.
Important: the instruction is relevant for all Honor models (from Magic Earbuds to Choice Earbuds X5) and Xiaomi smartphones on MIUI 12-14 (including Redmi Note 12, Poco X5, Mi 13, etc.).
Preparation for connection: what to check before pairing
Before you try to pair your headphones with your phone, make sure both devices are ready to go, and skipping these steps often leads to errors like “I couldn’t connect” or endlessly searching for the device.
- 🔋 Headphone charge: Battery level should be at least 30%. If the indicator flashes red, connect the case to charge for 10-15 minutes. Honor Magic Earbuds headphones at a discharge below 15% can automatically turn off Bluetooth.
- 📱 Version. MIUI: Update your phone to the latest stable version. MIUI 13+ Fixed bugs with the connection of devices on Kirin chips (used in Honor). → The phone. → Version. MIUI.
- 🔄 Reset previous connections: If the headphones have already been paired with another device (for example, a laptop), delete them from memory. To do this, press and hold the button on the case for 10 seconds until the indicator flashes red and white.
- 🛡️ Permissions for Bluetooth: B MIUI Sometimes, Bluetooth rights for applications are reset. Check: Settings → Annexes → Application management → Systemic → Bluetooth → Enable all permissions.
Pay special attention to the power saving mode. Xiaomi may have the default "Limit background activity" option, which blocks stable headphone connection.
- Go to Settings → Battery and Performance.
- Select “Energy Saving Mode” → “Settings”.
- Turn off the item “Limit background activity for Bluetooth”.
Standard connection: step-by-step instructions
If you're done, you go to pairing, and 90 percent of the time, it works the first time, but it's important to follow the sequence.
- Activate the pairing mode on the headphones: For Honor Magic Earbuds: open the case cover and press the button on the back for 3 seconds until the indicator starts flashing white. For Choice Earbuds X5: remove the headphones from the case - they will automatically go into search mode.
- Turn on Bluetooth on Xiaomi: Swipe down the screen and hold the Bluetooth icon (or go to Settings → Connections → Bluetooth). Activate the switch and wait for the headphones to appear in the Available Devices list.
Confirm the conjugation
- Click on the headphone name in the list. If you have a request for code confirmation (usually 0000 or 1234), type it in.
- Wait for the message “Connected” – the indicator on the case should light up in blue.
What if the headphones are connected but there is no sound?
Addressing common mistakes
Even after a successful connection, problems can arise, and below is a table with typical errors and ways to fix them:
| Mistake. | Reason. | Decision |
|---|---|---|
| Unable to connect (code 0x3E) | Bluetooth version conflict (e.g. Honor uses 5.2 and Xiaomi uses 5.0) | Update your phone’s software or use the Honor AI Life app to force pairing. |
| The headphones are connected, but immediately switch off. | Power saving mode for Bluetooth or low charge headphones activated | Turn off energy saving (see Preparation) and charge the headphones up to 50%+. |
| The sound is interrupted or there is interference. | SBC codec enabled instead of AAC/aptX or interference from other devices | In Bluetooth settings, select High Sound Quality. Make sure there are no 2.4GHz Wi-Fi routers running nearby. |
| Phone doesn't see headphones after MIUI update | Resetting the Bluetooth stack cache | Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management → System → Bluetooth → Clear Cache. |
⚠️ Note: If Honor headphones were previously connected to the device on EMUI (Huawei smartphones, they can block pairing with MIUI In this case, reset your headphones to factory settings (hold the button on your case for 15 seconds until the indicator flashes red).
Optimizing the sound after connecting
Successful pairing is only half the battle, so to make the sound clear, without delay or distortion, adjust the following parameters:
- 🎵 Bluetooth Codec: Go to Settings → Connections → Bluetooth, tap the gear icon next to your headphones and select "Sound Quality." AAC, talk-in — SBC.
- 🔊 Normalization of volume: B MIUI Enable the option “Adaptive sound” (Settings) → Sound. → Adaptive sound) to automatically adjust volume according to ambient noise.
- 🎧 Equalizer: Use the built-in equalizer (Settings) → Sound. → Equalizer) or Wavelet app for fine tuning bass and high frequencies. Honor Magic Earbuds recommends a preset of Pop or Electronics».