How to turn headphones into a microphone on a Xiaomi phone: the complete guide

Are you in a situation where you urgently need to record a voice message, stream or call, but the built-in microphone Xiaomi fails or gives poor sound quality? Don’t rush to buy a new gadget – your regular headphones can be a great replacement! Even if the set did not include a headset with a microphone, most wired and wireless models can be adapted to record voice.

In this article, we’ll break down all the working ways to use headphones as a microphone on Xiaomi smartphones (including Redmi models, POCO And Black Shark. You'll know what the settings are. MIUI You need to change which adapters are suitable for connectivity, and how to get around the limitations of the system with third-party applications, and why sometimes headphones refuse to work as a microphone, and how to fix it.

Why the headphones may not work like a microphone on Xiaomi

Before we get to the settings, it's important to understand why your headphones don't get recognized by the system as a sound input device. There are several reasons, and they depend on the type of headphones:

• 🎧 Wired headphones without a microphone -- 90 percent of the time, they're just speakers, they don't have a built-in microphone, and they can be used as a microphone with only an extra adapter.
• 🔌 Connector. TRRS vs TRS — If your Xiaomi is expecting a standard connection TRRS (4 contacts: microphone + speakers), and headphones have TRS (3 contacts: speakers only, the system does not recognize the microphone.
• 📱 Limitations MIUI — Some firmware versions block the use of headphones as a microphone in certain applications (for example, WhatsApp or Instagram).
• 🔊 Hardware incompatibility – wireless headphones (such as AirDots) may not support the reverse-direction audio protocol (from microphone to phone).

If your headphones were originally coming with a microphone (like the Mi In-Ear Headphones) but your phone can’t see them, the problem may be a contaminated connector or a damaged cable. Try cleaning the socket with a 3.5mm toothpick (carefully!) or connecting the headphones to another device for inspection.

Method 1: Connecting wired headphones with a microphone (standard method)

If your headphones are originally equipped with a microphone (for example, Xiaomi Mi Dual Driver or Redmi Buds 3 Lite), then connecting them as input devices does not require additional manipulation.

1. Insert the plug 3.5 mm (or connect via USB-C adapter, if there is no connector).
2. Open an application where you need a microphone (for example, a voice recorder or Zoom).
3. Select headphones as the source of sound in the application settings.

But sometimes, MIUI It doesn't automatically switch the sound source to fix it:

1. Go to Settings → Sound and vibration → Additional settings.
2. Select the item I/O of sound.
3. In the Microphone section, install Headphones (built-in microphone).

Make sure the plug is tightly inserted into the connector|

Check the integrity of the headphone cable|

Update MIUI to the latest version|

Restart the phone after connecting-->

If you don't have a microphone choice in the settings, your headphone model doesn't support this feature at the software level, and an external microphone adapter (about it in the next section) will help.

⚠️ Note: On Xiaomi phones without a 3.5mm connector (e.g. Mi 11 or Mi) POCO F4) Connecting wired headphones will require an adapter USB-C → 3.5mm Cheap adapters without a chip DAC You may not be able to transmit a signal from the microphone – choose certified accessories (for example, the original adapter from Xiaomi).

Method 2: Using an adapter for headphones without a microphone

If your headphones don’t have a built-in microphone (like Sony) MDR-ZX110 or Audio-Technica ATH-M20x), You can connect an external microphone through a special splitter adapter that separates the output (speakers) and the input (microphones).

You'll need:

• 🔌 adapter TRRS (4-pole) → TRS (3-pole) + microphone-entry (example: UGREEN CM128 or SD-CM-UAUD).
• 🎤 External microphone with a 3.5 mm connector (for example, Boya lavalier microphone) BY-M1).

Connection diagram:

1. Connect the adapter to the 3.5mm phone connector.
2. In the jack. TRS Adapter insert headphones.
3. In the microphone connector adapter connect an external microphone.
4. In the phone sound settings, select the Outer microphone as the input source.

Microphone-enabled adapters must be labeled CTIA or OMTP. Xiaomi is a good standard CTIA (It's used by 99% of modern smartphones. OMTP, The sound from the microphone will be recorded with distortion or will not work at all.

Method 3: Configuring wireless headphones (TWS) microphone-like

Wireless headphones (e.g. Xiaomi AirDots, Redmi Buds 4 or more) POCO Buds X1) It can be used as a microphone, but with reservations:

• 🎧 Built-in microphone - most TWS-headphones have a microphone, but its quality is often inferior to wired analogues due to the compression of sound over Bluetooth.
• 📱 Bluetooth Profile – You need a profile to transfer voice HFP (Hands-Free Profile or A2DP It's microphone-enabled, and not all apps handle it properly.
• 🔋 Sound delay – when using a microphone via Bluetooth, there may be a delay (latency) of up to 200-300 ms.

To turn on the microphone on wireless headphones:

1. Connect the headphones to the phone via Bluetooth.
2. Open an app where you need a microphone (such as Discord or Telegram).
3. In the application sound settings, select Bluetooth headphones as the input device.
4. If you don’t have an option, install the SoundAssistant app from Google Play and manually select the microphone source.

To improve sound quality:

• 🔊 Use headphones with support for aptX Low Latency (for example, Xiaomi FlipBuds Pro).
• 📶 Connect indoors without interference (Wi-Fi routers and microwaves impair communication).
• 🔋 Charge headphones to 100% – with low charge, the quality of the microphone drops.

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If you have two microphones in your wireless headphones (like AirDots Pro 2), turn on Monosound mode in your Bluetooth settings, which will reduce echoes and improve speech intelligibility.

Method 4: Software solution - applications for microphone emulation

If the hardware didn't work, you can use software workarounds, and the point is to trick the system into thinking of the sound on the headphones as a microphone signal.

• 📱 SoundAbout – allows you to redirect audio streams between devices.

Let's look at the settings by example. WO Mic:

1. Download. WO Mic for phone and computer (if necessary) USB/Wi-Fi microphone).
2. Put the headphones on the phone.
3. In the settings WO Mic select Transport → Bluetooth (or Wi-Fi Direct).
4. On the computer in the sound settings select WO Mic Device as the default microphone.

For use of SoundAbout:

1. Open the app and give it the rights to change the audio settings.
2. In the Media Audio section, select Wired headset.
3. In the Phone Call section, install Bluetooth headset (if you use it) TWS).
4. Restart the app where you need a microphone.

Warning: Apps like Microphone (from Smart Tools) use the phone's speaker as a microphone, which can lead to:

• 🔊 Damage to the speaker during long recording at high volume.
• 📉 Strong distortion of sound due to nonlinear frequency dynamics.
• 🔋 Fast battery discharge (up to 20% per hour of continuous operation).

Method 5: Manually changing settings MIUI (advanced)

If standard methods don't work, you can try manually reconfiguring the sound in the engineering menu, which is suitable for users with an unlocked bootloader or root rights, but can work on stock firmware.

Instructions:

1. Open the Phone app and enter the code: ##36446337## (this is an engineering menu). EMM for MIUI).
2. Go to Hardware Testing → Audio → Headset Mode.
3. Select Type-C Headset (or 3.5mm Headset if you use the connector).
4. Enable the Headset Mic option (if any).
5. Save the settings and restart the phone.

If the engineering menu is not available, try using it. ADB-team:

1. Connect your phone to your PC and enable USB Debugging.
2. Open the command line and type: adb shell settings put global force_use_headset_mic 1
3. Reset the device.

⚠️ Warning: Changing the settings in the engineering menu can result in resetting sound profiles or loss of warranty if the phone is on service firmware.Before experimenting, back up the data via Settings → Additionally. → Backup and reset.

Frequent problems and their solutions

Even when set up properly, the headphones may not work like a microphone, and here are the most common problems and ways to fix them:

If none of these methods helped, check:

• 🔧 Integrity of 3.5mm connector – connect the headphones to another device.
• 📲 Updates MIUI — in older versions of the firmware (below) MIUI 12) there may be sound bugs.
• 🛠️ Hardware damage – if the phone fell or got wet, the audio controller could fail.

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If the headphones are recognized as a microphone, but the sound is recorded quietly or with distortions, the problem is most likely in the wrong connection standard (CTIA vs OMTP). The solution is to use a manually switched adapter or replace the cable.

FAQ: Answers to Frequent Questions