How to Make Both Xiaomi Headphones Work: The Complete Guide

The situation when a pair of wireless headphones Xiaomi or Redmi sounds music from only one device, is one of the most common problems owners. TWS-Users often find that the left or right channel stops syncing with the phone, creating a feeling of failure of the equipment. However, in most cases the device is working, and the failure is caused by a software error in the Bluetooth protocol or dissynchronization between the ears themselves».

Restoring normal functioning requires understanding how to do this. TWS-The headphones communicate with each other, and usually one of them acts as a master, who connects to the smartphone, and transmits a signal to the second one (Slave), and if this chain breaks, the sound disappears in one of the channels. In this article, we will analyze step-by-step algorithms of actions that will help return stereo sound without contacting the service center.

Before you get to the tricky part, you need to rule out the trivial ones, and often the problem is a discharged battery on one of the headphones or contamination of the contacts, make sure that both devices sit tightly in the charging case and the indicators are on fire when the lid is opened, and only after checking the physical condition can you start software recovery.

Diagnostics and primary inspections

The first step in solving the problem is to thoroughly diagnose the current state of the headset. Don't rush to perform a full reset until you make sure that both earbuds are charged. Often, one channel has run out faster due to more active use or a defect in the battery, and it simply does not have enough energy to turn on and find a partner.

Carefully inspect the chargers on the headphones themselves and inside the case, which may have been ingested by fat, dust or oxides, which prevents normal charging, wipe the contacts with a dry lilaless cloth or a cotton swab slightly moistened with alcohol, after cleaning, put the devices in the case and leave for 15-20 minutes, then check if the indicators light up.

• 🔋 Check the charge level of each headphone separately through the widget MIUI or the Xiaomi Earbuds app.
• 🧹 Clean the speaker grid and charging contacts from sulfur and dust.
• 📱 Make sure that the Bluetooth phone settings do not select Mono mode or the balance is not biased one way.

Also worth checking is the settings of the sound balance in the smartphone itself. In the Settings → Sound and vibration → Balance slider should be strictly in the center. If it is moved to the left or right, the sound will play predominantly in one channel, which the user may mistaken for a breakdown.

Complete Reset (Hard Reset)

The most effective way to reconnect between channels is to reset completely, or Hard Reset, which causes the headphones to forget all previous connections and re-discover each other, prioritizing master-slave from scratch.

To start, remove the device from your smartphone’s Bluetooth settings list. Click on the gear icon next to the headphone name and select “Forget the device” or “Cancel pairing.” Then turn off the Bluetooth on the phone so it doesn’t automatically try to reconnect during the setup process.

Now place both earbuds in the charge case, leaving the lid open. Find a function button on the case case case (usually round and can be hidden inside or behind). If the button is not, the reset function is activated by simultaneously touching the touch zones on both headphones. Hold the button or touch for 10-15 seconds until the indicator on the case flashes white or orange (depending on the model).

⚠️ Warning: During the reset procedure, the indicators may flash in unusual mode. Do not remove the headphones from the case before the process is completed, otherwise the reset will not be correctly reset.

Once the lights go out or change color, indicating the completion of the reset, close the case cover for 10 seconds. Then open it again. The headphones should go into pairing mode. You can now turn on Bluetooth on your phone and start looking for new devices.

Correct pairing of devices

The critical thing is to pair properly after reset, and many users make the mistake of trying to connect their headphones one at a time. TWS-Headset Xiaomi and Redmi is built so that first they must connect to each other, and only then one of the devices becomes visible to the smartphone.

Remove both earbuds from the case at the same time. Don't touch them for a few seconds. At that point, they're exchanging service data. You may notice that the lights on them flash at different frequencies or colors. When one of the earbuds (usually the right one) flashes slowly, and the other one goes out or blinks very rarely, that means that the connection between them is established.

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When you first connect after reset, always remove both headphones from the case at the same time. If you take them out in turn, they may not “see” each other and will work as two independent mono-device.

Now, only one name of your headset should appear on the list of available devices on your phone. If you see two identical names (for example, "Mi True Wireless Earbuds" and "Mi True Wireless Earbuds (2)"), this means that the synchronization between the ears did not occur, in which case you need to put them back in the case, close the lid and repeat the reset procedure.

Successful connectivity is confirmed by voice message “Connected” and the appearance of information about the charge of both headphones on the smartphone screen. If only one channel is connected, check whether the Android developer’s settings are activated mode “Disable absolute volume” or similar experimental functions that may interfere with the operation of the protocol.

Features of working with the Xiaomi Earbuds application

For more in-depth diagnosis and management, it is recommended to use the official Xiaomi Earbuds app (formerly known as Mi Buds M8 or simply the system menu for MIUI), which allows you to see the real state of each channel and perform a software reset if physical buttons do not respond.

The application interface often displays connection status. If one of the headphones is shown as "Off" or "Off" even though it is in the ear, it is a signal for desynchronization. The application may suggest a firmware update, which often solves problems with unstable connection.

The use of the application is especially relevant for models with active noise cancellation. Sometimes ANC (Active Noise Cancellation) drivers can cause conflicts, leading to silence of one channel.

Common Errors and How to Resolve Them

Even after completing all the instructions, users may experience a recurrence of the problem, often due to signal interference or operating system features, for example, some energy-saving MIUI modes may aggressively turn off the Bluetooth headphone module to save charge, thinking that the device is not being used.

Add Bluetooth and the Bluetooth system service to the power saving exception list, which will prevent the system from "killing" the connection process, and check if the Wi-Fi router's air is overloaded if you're near it. 2.4 GHz frequencies can intersect, causing interference.

• 📶 Turn off Wi-Fi on your phone to check the quality of your Bluetooth connection.
• 🔋 Turn off the power saving mode on your smartphone while listening.
• 🔄 Reboot your smartphone to reset the Bluetooth protocol stack.

Another common mistake is trying to connect your headphones to multiple devices at once (Multipoint connection). Not all Xiaomi models support stable operation in this mode. If the headset is “hanging”, turn off Bluetooth on all but one device and reconnect.

⚠️ Warning: Do not force the earbuds to be disconnected by pulling them from the ears while playing the sound.This can cause the communication module to freeze software and only be fully discharged with the battery.

When repairs or replacements are needed

If neither reset nor reconnect nor update the firmware helped and one earphone is still silent, there is likely a hardware malfunction, most often the battery inside the earphone itself that stops holding charge, or a dynamic driver, fails.

You can check the battery by simply leaving the headphones in the case for 2-3 hours, then pull them out. If a non-working headphone doesn't light up at all or goes out after 1-2 minutes, its battery is dead, in which case the software methods are powerless.

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If after 3-fold complete reset and replacement of the charging cable, one headphone does not give signs of life - this is a guaranteed case for contacting the service center.

Also, if the sensors don't work, the internal control board is broken, and in such cases, self-repair is almost impossible due to the monolithic design and miniaturized dimensions of the components.