How to connect wireless headphones to the phone Xiaomi via Bluetooth: instruction + problem solving

Introduction: Why Xiaomi headphones don’t connect the first time?

Wireless headphones have become an integral part of everyday life, from listening to music to calling and watching videos. However, even with Xiaomi’s technique, known for its intuitiveness, users often face problems when connecting for the first time: the device is not located, the connection is interrupted or the sound is distorted, the reasons lie not only in the phone’s settings, but also in the features of Bluetooth protocols (for example, AAC, aptX, LDAC), the version of MIUI firmware or even in the hardware limitations of budget models.

This article will help you understand how to pair headphones with a Xiaomi phone (including Redmi, POCO, Black Shark, avoid common errors and optimize sound. TWS-headphones (for example, Xiaomi AirDots, Redmi Buds), and devices of other brands – Sony WH-1000XM5, Apple AirPods or JBL We will pay special attention to solutions for cases when the phone “cannot see” headphones or the connection breaks after a few seconds.

Preparation for connection: what to check before pairing

Before you start connecting, make sure both devices are ready to go.

• 📱 Version. MIUI: Update the firmware to the latest stable version. in older versions (e.g., update the firmware to the latest stable version, MIUI 12 and below) may not be available LC3 (Bluetooth 5.2+) support LE Audio, which is critical for new headphones.
• 🔋 Battery charge: The phone should have a charge level of at least 20%. At low charge, the system can limit power-intensive functions, including Bluetooth.
• 🎧 Headphone compatibility: Check if your phone model supports headphone protocol.For example, Xiaomi 12 Pro works with aptX Adaptive, and Redmi works with aptX Adaptive. 9A — only SBC and AAC.

Now on the headphones:

• 🔄 Pair mode: Most headphones activate it with a long press on the power button (for example, Xiaomi AirDots 3 Pro - 5 seconds!).
• 🔋 Charge: Discharged headphones may not appear on the list of available devices. Charge them to at least 30%.
• 📦 Reset: If the headphones have already been connected to another device, reset (usually by pressing the buttons for 10-15 seconds until the indicator flashes twice).

If you connect Apple AirPods to Xiaomi, note that they will work in AAC mode, without support for proprietary features like Automatic Ear Detection or Spatial Audio. Sony WH-1000XM5 may require installation of the Sony Headphones Connect app, but it doesn’t always work correctly on MIUI.

Step-by-step: how to connect headphones to Xiaomi via Bluetooth

Follow this algorithm for successful pairing:

1. Activate Bluetooth on your phone: Swipe down the screen to open the Quick Settings Panel, and click on the Bluetooth icon (or go to Settings → Connections & Sharing → Bluetooth).
2. Put the headphones in search mode: For most Xiaomi models, it's a long tap on the touchpad (like the Redmi Buds 4 Pro) or the power button (the AirDots 2).
3. Find headphones in the list: The Bluetooth phone menu will show the name of your headphones (for example, Mi True Wireless Earphones or the phone’s Bluetooth menu). LE_Buds_R You can press them on the right earpiece.
4. Confirm pairing: A request for code confirmation (usually 0000 or 1234) may appear on the phone screen.

If the headphones don’t appear on the list, try the following:

• 🔄 Reboot the Bluetooth module: Disable and turn on Bluetooth on your phone or reboot the device.
• 📱 Clear the Bluetooth cache: Go to Settings → Annexes → Application management → Three dots (menu) → Show system-based → Bluetooth, then press Clear Cache.
• 🎧 Check the headphones on another device: Connect them to a laptop or other phone to rule out hardware malfunction.

Customizing sound and codecs: how to improve the quality of playback

Once successfully connected, the sound may seem worse than through wired headphones, and this is due to the choice of the Bluetooth codec, the audio compression algorithm. By default, Xiaomi uses SBC (low quality) or AAC (medium) to change the codec:

1. Open Settings → Connections and Sharing → Bluetooth.
2. Click on the icon. ⚙️ near the connected headphones.
3. Select Sound Quality or Audio Codec (names may vary depending on the MIUI version).
4. Check the box against aptX, aptX HD, or LDAC (if supported).

Here is a comparison table of codecs for Xiaomi:

Important: On budget models (e.g. Redmi 10A or POCO M4 Pro), codec choices may be limited to SBC and AAC due to the chipset’s hardware limitations.

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If the sound starts to break after changing the codec, go back to AAC or SBC, which indicates a weak Bluetooth signal or interference from other devices (for example, a Wi-Fi router at 2.4 GHz).

Common Problems and Their Solutions

Even after a successful connection, users face typical problems.

1.The headphones plug in, but no sound.

Causes and solutions:

• 🔇 Wrong sound source: Check if the sound is directed at the phone speaker.In the notification bar, click on the headphone icon and select Wireless headphones.
• 🎵 Application conflict: Some programs (e.g, ViPER4Android or equalizer FX) They can block the sound. Turn them off temporarily.
• 🔄 Reset Bluetooth connection: In Bluetooth settings, click on the icon ⚙️ next to the headphones and select Disconnect, then plug again.

2. Permanent communication breakdowns

This is typical for cheap headphones or when there's interference.

• 📶 Change Wi-Fi frequency: If the router is running at 2.4GHz, switch it to 5GHz - this will reduce interference for Bluetooth.
• 📱 Turn off battery savings: In Bluetooth settings, turn off the battery saving option (may limit the module's power).
• 🔋 Check headphone charge: At levels below 15%, communication becomes unstable.

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If the breaks only occur in the subway or elevator, the problem is in shielding the signal with metal surfaces, in which case only changing the headphones to a model with Bluetooth 5.2+ support and LE Audio technology (for example, Xiaomi Buds 4 Pro) will help.

3. The sound is distorted or "breaks"

This is due to the choice of codec or overloading of the Bluetooth channel.

• 🎧 Change the codec to AAC or SBC (see section above).
• 📱 Close background apps, especially instant messengers with voice messages (such as Telegram or WhatsApp).
• 🔄 Reconnect your headphones after rebooting your phone.

⚠️ Note: If distortions only appear when you listen to music through Spotify or YouTube Music, check the stream quality settings in the app itself. → Sound quality and set Very High (320 kbps).

Features of connecting headphones of different brands

While most wireless headphones connect to Xiaomi using the standard protocol, some brands require additional steps:

🍎 Apple AirPods (all generations)

Connect as normal Bluetooth headphones, but with limitations:

• ❌ Automatic Ear Detection (automatic pause when removing the headphone).
• ❌ No Spatial Audio support (volumetric sound).
• ✅ Transparency Mode (transparency mode) works, but is manually controlled.

To improve compatibility, install the AirBattery app from Google Play – it adds a display of the charge level of the headphones and case in the status bar.

🎵 Sony (WH-1000XM4/XM5, WF-1000XM4)

They require the installation of Sony’s branded Headphones Connect app, but it may not work well on Xiaomi.

• 🔧 Use Developer Options: Enable Bluetooth Debugging in the Developer Settings (activated by 7-fold tap on the Build Number in Settings) → The phone).
• 🎛️ Adjust the sound through a uniform equalizer (for example, Wavelet), as Sony proprietary software may not correctly apply presets to the sound. MIUI.

🔊 JBL (Live Pro+, Tune, Reflect)

You often have problems with the microphone when you call.

• 📞 In your phone settings, select Headphones (mono) instead of Phone (dynamic) during a conversation.
• 🔧 Turn off Noise Reduction in Bluetooth settings (may conflict with microphone).

⚠️ Attention: Headphones JBL Bluetooth Multipoint (connecting to two devices at once) may not work properly with Xiaomi due to protocol conflict.

Additional Features: What You Can Configure After Connecting

After successful pairing, you can optimize the work of the headphones:

1. Customization of gestures

For Xiaomi/Redmi headphones:

• 👆 Double touch: Replay/pause (by default).
• 👇 Triple touch: Track switching (configured to MIUI Music or Mi AI).
• 🔇 Retention: Activation of the voice assistant (Google Assistant or Xiao) AI).

For headphones from other brands (such as Sony or JBL), gestures are customized in their branded apps.

Noise reduction activation (ANC)

If your headphones support Active Noise Cancelling (such as Xiaomi AirDots 3 Pro or Redmi Buds 4 Active), turn it on:

1. Open the settings → Sound → Sound effects.
2. Select Noise Reduction and activate the slider.
3. Set up the ANC level (usually there are options Weak, Medium, Strong).

3. Optimization for gaming

To reduce the latency of sound in games:

• 🎮 Select the aptX Low Latency codec (if supported).
• 📱 Enable Game Mode in Phone Settings (Settings) → Special opportunities → Game mode).
• 🔊 Turn off the sound effects in the game settings (e.g., in the PUBG Mobile or Call of Duty).

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If you use headphones to watch video, turn on the player (for example, MX Player or VLC) the option “Sync Sound” and adjust the latency manually (usually +50... + 150 ms for Bluetooth).

FAQ: Answers to Frequent Questions