How to connect both headphones Xiaomi AirDots to the phone: full instructions

Xiaomi AirDots wireless headphones (including the Pro, SE, 3 and Youth Edition models) sometimes refuse to sync with each other — the phone sees only one headphone, and the second is silent or flashes white. The problem arises after a reset, firmware update or prolonged inactivity. 80% of the time, the fault of the pair connection between the headphones themselves, not the phone.

In this article, we will look at the step-by-step methods for forced synchronization of both AirDots, including hidden button combinations and reset via an engineering menu. We will examine both the standard methods from the Mi Home instruction, and non-obvious techniques (for example, forced reconnection over the Bluetooth stack). All methods are tested on the MIUI 12-14 firmware and Android 10-14.

If your left earphone is plugged in and your right earphone is not (or vice versa), check the battery first – a difference in charge level greater than 20% can block synchronization.

Basic method: resetting and re-conjugation

This works 60 percent of the time, and it's recommended by the manufacturer, and it doesn't require any special knowledge, but it's important to be very consistent.

Take both earphones and follow the following steps:

• 🔋 Charge the case to 100% -- low charge may interrupt the synchronization process. Connect the case to charge for 10-15 minutes, even if the indicator is green.
• 📱 Remove the headphones from your phone's memory. Go to Settings → Bluetooth, find AirDots in the list of associated devices, and click "Forget" (or "Disable" → "Delete").
• 🎧 Remove both earbuds from the case and wait until they flash red and white (search mode). If only one flashes, see Section 3.
• 🔄 Press the buttons on both headphones for 10-15 seconds until the indicators start flashing red-blue (reset). Release the buttons.
• 🔗 Bring your headphones to your phone and wait for the Mi True Wireless or AirDots_Basic_R device to appear on the Bluetooth list (for the right model).

If only one earphone is connected after these actions, move to the next section. Do not repeat the reset more than 3 times in a row - this can block the headphones.

2. Forced synchronization of headphones with each other

When resetting doesn't work, the problem is that the earbuds are broken, so you need to manually tie them together, which works for all models except the AirDots 3 Pro (see Section 5 for them).

You'll need:

• 🔌 Charged case (minimum 50%).
• 📌 A paperclip or toothpick (to press a hidden button on the case).
• ⏱ Timer on the phone (to count the seconds).

Instructions:

Put both headphones in the case and close the lid.|Remove the headphones and wait for the white flashing|Press and hold the buttons on both headphones at the same time.|After 7 seconds, the indicators should flash red and blue alternately.|Release the buttons and wait 20 seconds – the headphones must sync (constant white lights up)|Connect to your phone as a new device-->

If the lights flash only red or go out after 5 seconds, then the headphones do not "see" each other.

⚠️ Warning: Don't try to plug the headphones in separately! This could cause the firmware to become desynchronized, and then you'll need to flash it over the Mi Flash Tool.

Go to section 4, which describes alternative methods using the phone's engineering menu.

3. Verification of headphone firmware versions

Different firmware versions on the left and right headphones are a common cause of connection problems, such as if one headphone was updated via Mi Home and the other one was not.

Download Mi Home (or Xiaomi Wear for new models) and follow the following steps:

1. Open the app and go to Devices → Add Device → Headphones.
2. Connect the headphones manually (if they are displayed as two separate devices, that’s a bad sign).
3. After connecting, go to the headphone settings → About the program.
4. Compare the firmware versions for left (L) and right (R) headphones. They should match up to the last character (e.g. V4.7.1_R0126).

If the versions differ:

If the Mi Home doesn’t see the headphones at all, try connecting via Bluetooth Settings → Additional → A2DP Profile (see Section 4).

4. Manual connection via the Bluetooth stack of Android

This method bypasses the standard MIUI interface and works directly with the phone's Bluetooth module.

Instructions:

1. Activate the developer mode on your phone: go to Settings → About Phone → MIUI version and press 7 times on this item.
2. Return to Settings → Additional → For developers and enable Bluetooth debugging.
3. Install the nRF Connect app from Google Play (free).
4. Open nRF Connect, press Scan, and find devices named AirDots_L and AirDots_R.
5. Connect first to the right earpiece ( R), then to the left earpiece ( L).
6. From each headphone menu, select Unknown Service and send the command 0xFF01 (without quotes).

If after these actions, the headphones still do not connect together, try:

• 🔄 Reboot your phone (sometimes the Bluetooth stack freezes).
• 📴 Turn off battery savings for the nRF Connect application.
• 🔌 Connect the headphones to another phone (e.g., iOS) and return it back.

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If the headphones are displayed as Unknown Device in nRF Connect, try changing the MAC- address via the engineering menu (##4636# → Device Information → Bluetooth).

5. Features for AirDots 3 and AirDots Pro

AirDots 3 and AirDots Pro use a different Qualcomm QCC3040 chip, so standard methods may not work.

For AirDots 3:

• 🔋 Charge the case to 100% and leave the headphones inside for 1 minute (they automatically sync).
• 🎵 Turn on the game sound mode in the headphone settings (Mi Home → AirDots 3 → Sound → Low latency). This sometimes resets the connection.

For AirDots Pro:

• 📱 Only use the Xiaomi Wear app (not Mi Home).

If nothing helps, check the hardware serviceability:

• 🔍 Examine the charging contacts in the case for oxidation (wipe with alcohol).
• 🎧 Blow into the microphone hole of the earphone — sometimes there gets dust blocking the Hall sensor.

6. Hand-flashing of headphones

If all the previous methods have failed, the last option is manual flashing.

• 🔄 Headphones are constantly reset when connected.
• 📛 Firmware versions vary greatly (e.g. V3.x and V5.x).
• 🚨 A single earpiece is defined as Unknown Device.

You'll need:

• 💻 Windows computer 10/11.
• 🔌 USB-Type-C Cable (to connect the case).
• 📦 Firmware archive (download from Xiaomi's official website for your model).
• 🛠 Mi Flash Tool or QFlash (for Qualcomm chips)

Step-by-step:

1. Unpack the firmware archive into a folder without Cyrillic characters (e.g., C:\AirDots_FW\).
2. Connect the case with headphones to the computer with the cover closed.
3. Launch the Mi Flash Tool, select the firmware folder and press Refresh.The device should be defined as QCOM HS-USB Diagnostics.
4. Press Flash and wait until the case is completed (don't turn it off!). The process will take 2-5 minutes.
5. After flashing, remove the headphones from the case and wait for the white flashing. Connect to the phone as a new device.

⚠️ Warning: Continuous flashing red after flashing means damage to the bootloader. In this case, the headphones can only be restored via JTAG at the service center. Do not use firmware from other models (for example, AirDots Pro for AirDots Basic)!

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Flashing is the last resort, and 90 percent of the time, the problem is solved by resetting or synchronizing it with nRF Connect.

7. Frequent mistakes and how to avoid them

Many users make the problem worse by doing the wrong thing, and here are the typical mistakes and their consequences:

If you experience permanent shutdowns after a successful connection, check:

• 📶 Bluetooth signal level – walls and metal objects can cause interference.
• 🔋 Battery savings – turn it off for the Mi Home app.
• 🎵 Bluetooth Codecs – Select SBC instead of AAC or aptX in the developer settings.

FAQ: Answers to Frequent Questions