Xiaomi’s modern wireless headphones, known as Airdots, Redmi Buds or Mi True Wireless Earbuds, have become some of the most popular devices in the segment, and their appeal lies not only in the affordable price, but also in the wide-ranging functionality that is hidden behind the minimalist design of the case, and many users who purchase such gadgets for the first time face difficulties in setting up the playback control.
The main difficulty is that there are no physical buttons on most models, as control is through touch zones or mechanical pressing on the surface of the case. Intuitive gestures are not always obvious, especially if you used headphones with wire or classic Bluetooth headsets. Incorrect pressing can lead to the activation of the voice assistant or reset of the connection instead of switching the composition.
In this article, we will discuss in detail all possible ways to control the audio stream on different versions. TWS-You'll learn about standard circuits, the differences between the left and right ears, and how to fix things if the commands don't work. Accurate knowledge of the algorithms will help you enjoy music without interruption or irritation.
Principles of operation of sensory and mechanical control
Before you get into specific combinations, you need to understand the logic of how your device interface works. Xiaomi Airdots has two main types of control: capacitive sensors and mechanical buttons with haptic impact. Touch models respond to touching a specific area, usually marked with a logo or a small notch, whereas mechanical ones require the physical pressing of part of the body.
It is important to distinguish between types of impacts, as the system recognizes them in different ways: short tap is usually responsible for pause or playback, double tap is responsible for switching tracks or activating an assistant, and long-term retention is responsible for adjusting volume or calling a menu. Mechanical buttons often have a clearer stroke, but require more effort, which can be uncomfortable when wearing inserted headphones.
⚠️ Attention: When using touch control, try to touch the surface with light and fast movement. Strong pressure can be perceived by the system as a long press, which will lead to the wrong command, for example, turning down the volume instead of missing a song.
The differences in firmware also play a significant role. Older versions of Airdots Basic and Redmi Airdots may have different operating logic from newer models. For example, in earlier versions, the left earphone was often reserved only for calling a voice assistant, and track management was carried out exclusively by the right module. In newer models, such as the Redmi Buds 3 Pro or Mi True Wireless Earbuds Basic 2, functionality is often symmetrical or customized through the application.
Standard gestures for switching compositions
The main use case that most owners are interested in is skipping the current track or going back to the previous one. In the standard factory settings, these actions are tied to double and triple touch. But here lies the important caveat: by default, many models do not support returning to the previous track without reconfiguring.
Consider the basic scheme that is relevant to most Airdots and Redmi Buds models. The right earbud usually takes over the bulk of the media management workload. Double tapping on the right module leads to switching to the next track in the playlist, a standard behavior that works out of the box on Android and iOS.
- 🎵 Double touch of right earphone - move to the next track.
- ⏸ Single touch of any headphone – pause or resume playback.
- 📞 Double touch of the left earphone (on older models) – call the voice assistant (Google Assistant or Siri).
- 🔊 Triple touch of the left earphone (on some models) – a return to the previous track.
It's worth noting that on some firmware versions, triple tapping of the left earbud may be reserved for other functions or not work at all. If the standard circuit doesn't work, perhaps in your case an alternative configuration is activated, where a long press is responsible for rewinding back, although this is less common. Checking the manual of a particular model will always be the best solution to eliminate errors.
Customization of management through the Mi Wear app
For Android smartphone owners, especially Xiaomi and Redmi devices, Mi Wear (formerly known as Mi True Wireless Earbuds) is a real salvation, a software tool that not only tracks battery power, but also customizes the controls by reassigning gestures to your needs, especially if you are not satisfied with the standard scheme, where you can not go back to the previous track.
Once you connect your headphones to your phone and pair them in the app, you go to your device settings. In the control menu, you'll find a list of available actions for single, double and triple touching left and right headphones. Here you can reassign functions to make the control more convenient for your use case.
☑️ Setup of Mi Wear
The app often has a feature called "Gaming Mode," which can also affect sensor response, but it's more important for music to correctly allocate commands, for example, you can assign a double tap to the left earphone on "Previous track" and the right earphone on "Next track," which makes life much easier, especially if you wear headphones in different ears at different times.
⚠️ Warning: Changes to settings through the Mi Wear app only apply when the headphones are connected to the smartphone.If you turn off Bluetooth, the settings will be stored in the headphone memory, but you will need to re-connect to re-edit.
Features of management on different models Xiaomi
Linea TWS-Xiaomi's headphones are vast, and each model has its own unique features. You can't blindly apply instructions from Airdots Basic to Mi True Wireless Earbuds Basic 2 or Redmi Buds 3 Lite. The differences are not only about design, but also about the internal logic of the controllers.
Below is a comparison table showing the differences in standard controls for popular models. Note the Return of the Track column, as this is the most problematic feature in the basic configurations.
| Model headphones | Track. Track (Right) | Previous track (Left) | Long press. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Redmi Airdots | Double touch. | Not working (by default) | Voice assistant |
| Airdots Basic 2 | Double touch. | Triple touch. | Voice assistant |
| Mi True Wireless 2 | Double touch. | Double touch (left) | Noise suppression mode |
| Redmi Buds 3 Pro | Tune in. | Tune in. | Noise suppression |
As you can see from the table, with the release of newer models, the manufacturer is trying to make control more flexible. While the first versions of Redmi Airdots had hard-wired logic, modern Redmi Buds allow the user to decide what will happen when touching, which makes using the device more comfortable and personalized.
Why are there no returns on the old models?
Solving problems with touch immunity
There are times when you're doing everything right, but the headphones ignore your commands, the tracks don't switch, the pause doesn't come, and instead the connection is reset, and most often the problem is the pollution of the sensory area or the nature of the skin's interaction with the sensor during the cold season.
Sensors respond to changing capacity, so thick gloves, wet hands, or even a long nail can interfere with proper operation. Cleaning the surface with an alcohol napkin or dry soft cloth often solves the problem, and it is also worth checking whether the area of the logo is sealed with a protective film that was forgotten to remove when unpacking.
- 🧼 Wipe the sensory area with dry lilaless cloth.
- 🌡️ Make sure the headphones are not supercooled (in the cold, the sensors work worse).
- 📱 Reconnect the device to the Bluetooth menu of the smartphone.
- 🔄 Reset your headphones to factory settings (Hard Reset).
If the cleaning didn't work, there may have been a software failure, in which case a complete reset will help. This requires placing the headphones in the case, opening the lid, and clamping the buttons on the headphones themselves (or the button on the case, if any) on the case. 10-15 Then you'll have to do the pairing again, and you'll have to remove the device from the Bluetooth list on your phone.
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If the sensor has stopped responding after falling or getting moisture, try to gently warm the headphones with warm hands or put on a warm (not hot!) surface for 5 minutes.
Alternative ways to manage music
If the built-in headphone capabilities don’t suit you or work unstable, you can always use third-party solutions. Android allows you to reassign the actions of the volume buttons on your smartphone or use widgets on the lock screen, which is sometimes more convenient than aiming at a small sensor on your ear.
There are specialized player apps like Poweramp or Musicolet that have their own widgets and control settings through the headset. They can intercept standard Bluetooth commands and translate them into the right actions within the application. This is especially useful if the standard phone player ignores commands from the headphones.
And also, voice control, which requires the Internet, and may not always be convenient in a noisy place, commands like "Next Track" or "Live Music" from Google Assistant or Siri work seamlessly, and it's a good fallback when your hands are busy or your sensors are floping.
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Using third-party players and widgets on the smartphone screen is the best way to get around the limitations of built-in budget management. TWS-headphone.