“Connected besides audio” on Xiaomi: reasons and 7 working ways to fix

What is the “Apart from Audio” status and why does it appear?

The “Audio Connected” message on Xiaomi devices (smartphones, Mi TVs, smart speakers) signals that a physical Bluetooth or USB connection is established, but the audio transmission is blocked, a problem most often encountered when trying to connect:

• 🎧 Related Posts: Redmi AirDots, Mi True Wireless)
• 📻 Automotives with Bluetooth support or USB Audio
• 🎤 External microphones or headsets
• 🖥️ Computers / laptops when using a smartphone as a sound card

The causes of the failure range from MIUI software limitations to hardware conflicts. For example, in Xiaomi Mi TV 4S/5, the problem is often due to codec incompatibility (for example, aptX or LDAC), and on smartphones, with power saving settings that turn off the background audio transmission. In 30% of cases, the fault is damaged cache programs of the Bluetooth module.

Smartphone (Redmi/POCO/Mi)|Television (Mi) TV/Redmi TV)|Smart column (Mi) AI Speaker)|Headphones (AirDots/Buds)|Other-->

Method 1: Reboot the Bluetooth module (for smartphones and TV)

The fastest method is to force the restart of the Bluetooth module, which is done through developer mode on Xiaomi smartphones, and through service menus on TVs.

For smartphones:

1. Activate Developer Mode: Go to Settings → About Phone and click on MIUI Version 7 times.
2. Back to Settings → Additionally. → For developers.
3. Find the option to Disable Bluetooth (or Reset Bluetooth) and confirm the action.

For Mi TVs:

1. On the remote, press Menu → Settings → All settings → System.
2. Select Network Reset (this will reboot both Bluetooth and Wi-Fi).
3. Wait 30 seconds and try to reconnect.

Close all applications that use audio|Make sure your headphones are over 20%|Turn it off. VPN proxy|Remember the password from the headphones (if required)-->

⚠️ Note: On some models POCO F3/F4 If you reset Bluetooth, you may lose the sound in the calls.

Method 2: Change the connection profile (A2DP vs HSP/HFP)

Xiaomi devices sometimes misidentify the connection profile:

• A2DP – for music transmission (high quality, but without microphone)
• HSP/HFP – for calls (low quality but with microphone support)

If the status “except audio” appears when listening to music, then the smartphone / TV uses HSP instead of A2DP.

How to fix it:

1. Put the headphones/column on.
2. Open the Settings. → Bluetooth and tap the icon ⚙️ near-device.
3. Select Media Audio Profile (A2DP). If you don't have an option, delete the device and reconnect.

For Mi TV:

1. Go to Settings → Bluetooth and Devices → Device List.
2. Click on the connected device and select Use for Music.

Method 3: Clean Bluetooth cache and system services

On devices with MIUI 12+, the Bluetooth module cache is often damaged after updates, leading to connection failures.Cache clearing solves the problem 60 percent of the time.

Instructions for smartphones:

1. Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Press three points (⋮) → Show system-based.
3. Find Bluetooth (or Bluetooth MIDI Service) → Storage → Clear cache.
4. Reset the device.

For Mi TV:

1. Open Settings → Applications → System applications.
2. Select Bluetooth → Clear the data (this will reset all paired devices!).

⚠️ Attention: POCO M3/M4 After cleaning the cache, the Bluetooth headset may disappear until the next reboot.

Method 4: Update firmware and drivers

The manufacturer regularly fixes Bluetooth bugs in MIUI updates. For example, in Redmi Note 9, the problem “except audio” was solved in MIUI version 12.5.3, and in Mi TV Q1 – in firmware 1.4.65.

How to update your smartphone:

1. Go to Settings → About the phone → System update.
2. If the update is available, download and install it.
3. After the update, reset the network settings: Settings → SIM-maps and mobile networks → Resetting network settings.

For Mi TVs:

1. Open Settings → About TV → Software Update.
2. If the update is not, download the firmware from the official website and install via USB.

💡

If the problem persists after the update, roll back to the previous version of MIUI via Fastboot.

Method 5: Checking the compatibility of codecs

Xiaomi devices support SBC, AAC, aptX, LDAC codecs, but not all headphones/columns interact with them correctly. For example, the Sony WH-1000XM4 may not transmit sound to the Redmi K40 due to a conflict with LDAC.

How to check and change the codec:

1. Install the Bluetooth Auto Connect app.
2. Connect the headphones and open the Audio Codec tab.
3. If the current codec is LDAC or aptX, try to force SBC or AAC to choose.

For Mi TV:

1. Codecs change only through the service menu. On the remote, press sequentially: Menu → 4 → 6 → 2 → Menu.
2. Go to Bluetooth Settings → Audio Codec and select SBC.

💡

SBC codec is the most versatile, but the worst quality, and if the sound came with it, the problem is that the devices are incompatible.

Method 6: Reset all network settings (last resort)

If nothing works, do a full network reset, which will delete all stored Wi-Fi, Bluetooth devices and VPN-configuration.

For smartphones:

1. Go to Settings. → SIM-maps and mobile networks → Resetting network settings.
2. Confirm the action and restart the device.

For Mi TV:

1. Open Settings → System → Reset and Recovery → Network Reset.
2. After reset, connect to Wi-Fi and try to pair the device again.

⚠️ Attention: On Xiaomi 11T/12 After resetting the network, you may need to manually activate VoLTE again via ##4636##.

Method 7: Hardware diagnostics (if nothing worked)

If the problem persists on multiple devices, the Bluetooth module may malfunction.

• 📱 Smartphones after falling or getting moisture (Redmi) 9A, POCO M2).
• 📺 Mi TVs TV damaged Wi-Fi/Bluetooth-chip (often after voltage surges).

How to check:

1. Connect another Bluetooth device (like a keyboard) if it doesn't work, the module is faulty.
2. Check if the device is detected in Settings → Bluetooth. If not, it is a hardware problem.

For repairs:

• Smartphones require replacement of Bluetooth chip (cost) ~1500–3000 ₽).
• On Mi TVs TV often helps to solder antenna cable (cost) ~2000 ₽).

FAQ: Frequent questions about “Apart from audio”