How to turn off headphones on Xiaomi phone: step-by-step instructions

Why Xiaomi phone doesn't "see" that headphones are off?

You took your headphones out of the 3.5mm jack or disconnected your Bluetooth headset, but your smartphone persists in sending sound “to the void”? This problem is familiar to many owners of Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO – from the budget Redmi Note 10 to the flagship Xiaomi 14. The reasons can be both software (a system failure, a “hung” driver) and hardware (a contaminated connector, a damaged plug).

The most common glitch is the connected device: the phone thinks the headphones are still inserted, and blocks the speakers. Less often, the problem is with the audio settings — for example, activated the "Hearphones Only" mode or Dolby Atmos with a headset binding on it. In this article, we will examine all working methods, from basic to radical, to bring sound back to the speakers.

Before you start settings, check the obvious:

• 🔌 Physical Connection: If you use wired headphones, gently clean the 3.5mm connector with a toothpick (not metal objects.
• 🔋 Headset charge: Bluetooth headphones sometimes "silently" discharge, but the phone keeps trying to connect with them.
• 🎵 Speaker test: Turn on music and adjust volume - if the slider is gray and inactive, the problem is precisely in the recognition of headphones.

Method 1: Rebooting the phone – a universal solution

In 60% of cases, a banal reboot helps, which works if the failure occurred at the operating system level (for example, the sound driver “hangs” after removing the headphones). Xiaomi has two options for restarting:

1. Soft reboot: Press the power button, select Reboot (or Restart) and is suitable for most models, including the POCO X5 and Redmi 12.
2. Hard Reb: If the screen does not respond, press the power button + The volume is up for 10-15 seconds until the phone turns off and starts to boot again. 13T newer.

After you restart, check the sound through the speakers. If the problem persists, proceed to the next method.

Method 2: Manual switching of the sound device

Sometimes, Xiaomi phone doesn’t “understand” that the headphones are off, but lets you manually select the source of the sound.

1. Open the Settings. → Sound and vibration.
2. Find the “Replay Devices” section (or “Media output” in global firmware).
3. Select “Phone Speaker” (or “Phone Speaker”).

If this is not the case, try an alternative route:

• 🎧 When playing music or video, swipe down to open the notification bar.
• 🔊 Click on the Sound icon (speaker) and hold it for 1-2 seconds.
• 📱 In the menu that appears, select “Phone” or “Dynamic».

On some models (e.g. Xiaomi 12 Pro), this item may be called “Output Sound” or “Audio output.” If the sound icon in the notification panel is inactive, then the system still “sees” the connected headphones – move to method 3.

Make sure the headphones are physically disabled

Reboot the phone.

Try to connect and disable the headphones again

Check the sound through the speaker on another device (e.g. on a PC)

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Method 3: Cleaning the cache and data of the Sound application

If the phone persists in not recognizing the headphones' disconnection, the cache of the system app responsible for the sound may be to blame. Cleaning helps in 30% of cases, especially after MIUI updates.

1. Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. In search, type “Sound” (or “Audio” in global firmware).
3. Select the Sound app (Display icon).
4. Click on “Storage” → “Clear Cache” and “Clear Data”.

After cleaning, be sure to restart your phone. If this method doesn't work, try a similar procedure for the Bluetooth app (relevant to wireless headphones).

⚠️ Attention: Clearing the Sound app data will reset your individual equalizer and effects settings (like Dolby Atmos or Mi Sound Enhancer.

Method 4: Resetting the sound settings to the factory

If previous methods didn't work, the next step is to reset the audio settings, which will return all the audio settings to the post-purchase state.

1. Open the Settings. → Sound and vibration.
2. Scroll down and select “Reset sound settings” (or “Reset sound settings”).
3. Confirm the action.

After reset, check the sound through the speakers. If the problem persists, it may be a hardware failure (damaged connector or sound controller).

Method 5: Hardware diagnostics and repair

If none of the software methods worked, the problem was probably hardware.

• 🔌 3.5mm connector: contact oxidation, mechanical damage or liquid intake, on non-connector models (e.g. Xiaomi) 11T) check USB-C-port if you use an adapter.
• 🎛️ Audio controller: the chip responsible for processing sound may fail after falling or overheating.
• 🔋 Bluetooth module: if the problem is only with wireless headphones, it may be that the antenna or Bluetooth chip is damaged.

For diagnosis:

1. Connect other headphones (wired and wireless) – if the sound works, the problem is in your headset.
2. Check the sound through the speakers on another device (like a PC or other phone).
3. If nothing works, go to the service center, and the 3.5 mm connector repair cost starts at 800. ₽, Audio controller replacements – from 2,500 ₽.

⚠️ Warning: Don't try to disassemble your phone to clean the connector yourself if you don't have experience. IP-certification (for example, Xiaomi 13 Pro) disassembly can violate the tightness and deprive of warranties.

Additional tips for Xiaomi owners

To avoid headphone problems in the future, follow these guidelines:

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If you use Bluetooth headphones frequently, turn them off via the Settings → Bluetooth menu, rather than just turning off the headset. This will prevent the connection from hanging.

• 🛠️ Clean the 3.5mm dust connector regularly (every 2-3 months). Use a plastic toothpick or compressed air.
• 🔄 After connecting / disabling the headphones, pause 5-10 seconds before playing the sound - this gives the system time to switch.
• 📱 Update. MIUI Up to the latest version, but watch for feedback on forums (e.g, 4PDA) — Sometimes new versions introduce bugs with sound.
• 🎧 For Bluetooth headsets, turn off the Auto Connection function if it causes glitches (you can find it in the settings of a particular device in the Bluetooth menu).

If you’re an active Xiaomi user, install the “Mi Sound Assistant” app from Google Play, which allows you to flexibly customize your audio profiles and sometimes helps in situations where standard settings don’t work.

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On Xiaomi models with MIUI 14 and newer, the problem with “hung” headphones is often solved by updating the firmware to the latest version or rolling back to a stable build.

FAQ: Frequent questions about headphones on Xiaomi