Setup Apple AirPods on Xiaomi smartphones: the full guide

Many Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO smartphone owners who have bought Apple’s wireless headphones are confronted with the myth that the devices cannot function properly without the iPhone. This is a common misconception, because Bluetooth technology is the universal standard for communication. You can easily connect AirPods to any Android device, including MIUI and HyperOS, and enjoy quality sound. However, the tuning process has its own nuances that differ from the Apple ecosystem.

The main difficulty lies not in the connection itself, but in the lack of native support for proprietary Apple functions on board Xiaomi. Users lose automatic switching between devices and some noise reduction settings directly from the system. However, the basic functionality of playback, microphone and even battery tracking (using third-party utilities) remains available. In this article, we will discuss all the steps of connecting, setting up and optimizing the work of headphones.

It’s important to understand that there’s no official Apple app for Xiaomi that unlocks the full potential of the headset. All you need is standard Android operating system tools and maybe a couple of trusted third-party apps. We’ll look at secure integration methods that don’t require root rights or complex device flashing.

Preparation of headphones and smartphone for pairing

Before starting the procedure, make sure your AirPods are charged and operational. If the headphones have previously been connected to an iPhone or iPad, it is advisable to “forget” them on that device to avoid conflicts when trying to automatically connect in the background. This is especially true if you have Apple tech in your home that may try to intercept the connection.

⚠️ Warning: Do not leave your headphones in a case with the cover closed while searching for the device.Pair mode is activated only when the cover is open and the reset button on the back is clamped.

On a Xiaomi smartphone, you need to activate the wireless module. To do this, lower the notification curtain and click on the Bluetooth icon, or go to the settings menu. Make sure that your phone is visible to other devices, although in modern versions of MIUI this happens automatically when you turn on the module. Place the case with the headphones as close to the phone as possible, within a radius of 10-15 centimeters.

There are two main ways to activate the search mode on the headset: the first is the classic one, through the button on the case; the second is software if you have an AirPods Max model or newer versions with support for functions without buttons (although for AirPods Pro and regular versions, the button remains the main method).

Step-by-step instructions for connecting via Bluetooth

Once the indicator on the case flashes white, pick up your smartphone. Go to Settings → Bluetooth. The system will start scanning available devices in range. The Available Devices list should show the name of your model, for example, AirPods Pro or simply AirPods. Click on this name to initiate the mating procedure.

Android will request a pairing confirmation. In some cases, a confirmation code may appear that needs to be checked on the phone screen (though this is rare for headphones), after a successful connection, the device status will be marked "Connected" or "Used for audio", the sound from the media files should switch to the headset.

If the connection does not happen the first time, try the following steps:

• 🔄 Reboot your Xiaomi smartphone and try again.
• 🗑️ Remove old headphone profiles from the list of saved Bluetooth devices.
• 🔋 Put the headphones in the case, close it, wait 10 seconds and open again.

And it's important to note that when you first connect, Android may not show the case opening animation that's common for iPhone users, which is normal behavior, and the main challenge at this point is to establish a stable connection to transmit audio, and if the sound comes up, then the basic setup has been successful.

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If the phone sees the headphones but doesn't connect, try turning off Bluetooth on all other Apple devices within a 20-meter radius, as they can block the connection.

Configure management and functions in the Android system

After successful pairing, users often find that touch control is not working as expected. Standard gestures such as double touch or leg compression on Android are often reassigned by the default system. Usually, double tap plays or pauses the track, but you can't call Siri or switch noise cancellation without additional tools.

To change the logic of the buttons, you can use the system settings of the Xiaomi smartphone itself. Go to Settings → Bluetooth, click on the gear next to the name of your AirPods. There may be basic functionality available here, but it is extremely limited. More advanced configuration is possible only through third-party applications, which we will talk about below, or through reassigning the volume buttons on the phone itself.

⚠️ Attention: Active noise reduction function (ANC) And the transparency mode on the AirPods Pro is switched only by long pressing the headphone leg. On Android, you can't reassign this action through standard system settings.

However, the basic teams are stable:

• 🎵 One touch/press: Start/pause or answer to a call.
• ⏭️ Double-touch: Next track (often requires in-app customization).
• 📞 Retention: Rejection or activation of the voice assistant (Google Assistant).

Note that when using Xiaomi, the automatic ear detection function is lost, which means that when removing one earphone, music may not be paused automatically if you do not use third-party software.

Use of third-party applications for advanced functionality

To unlock the potential of Android headphones, you need to install a dedicated app, the most popular and proven solution is MaterialPods or AssistantTrigger, which emulates the work of Apple system services, allowing you to see the charge level of the case and each headphone separately in the notification curtain.

Once you install the app from the Google Play Market, you will need to give it the necessary permissions, usually access to Bluetooth, location (required for scanning). BLE-Without these permissions, the charge widget will not work. The interface of such applications often copies the design of iOS, providing the familiar visual experience.

Key opportunities that such snails provide:

• 🔋 Display the exact percentage of charge of the left, right earphone and case.
• 🔍 Search for lost headphones by sound signal (works if the headphones are in Bluetooth radius).
• 🎛️ Basic setting of equalizer and touch control.

There is also the Podsync app, which specializes in displaying the animation of opening the case when connected, mimicking the behavior of iOS as much as possible. It is a purely visual feature, but for many users it is important to complete the experience of using the product. Installing such applications has minimal effect on the battery consumption of the smartphone.

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Third-party apps are the only way to see the exact battery charge of AirPods on Xiaomi, as the standard Android interface only shows a general level or icon without numbers.

Comparison of functionality: iOS vs Android on Xiaomi

It’s important for users to understand what features they’ll lose when they switch to Xiaomi. Despite being highly compatible, deep integration is only possible within the Apple ecosystem. Below is a table showing the differences in the way the headphones work.

As you can see from the table, Android is inferior in ease of control, but not in sound quality. The AAC codec that AirPods use is supported by all modern Xiaomi smartphones, so there is no loss of quality when transferring music. Basic connection stability also remains at a high level, if you do not use outdated versions of Bluetooth.

The lack of Find with a world map is the biggest drawback: If you lose your headphones in the park, you could see them on the map via your iPhone. On Xiaomi, you can only hear sound if you are in close proximity (up to 10 meters), which is an important point for those who often lose things.

Solving common problems and failures

There may be specific problems with Xiaomi devices, such as the out-of-sync between the left and right earphones or intermittent connection breaks, often due to aggressive energy savings in the MIUI/HyperOS shell that can kill Bluetooth background processes.

To solve the problem, go to the battery settings. Find your headphones (or an application to manage them, for example, MaterialPods) in the list of running applications and select No Limits mode. It is also recommended to turn off energy savings for the Bluetooth system process, if this option is available in your firmware version.

⚠️ Attention: If the sound is quiet or missing in one earphone, try cleaning the speaker grid. Often the problem is with the common earwax, not the software failure. Use a soft dry brush.

Another problem is low volume. On some Xiaomi smartphones, the volume levels of the phone and headphones are not synchronized. Try to reduce the volume to zero, then add it slowly. Network resetting: Settings → Connection and Sharing → Reset Wi-Fi, mobile networks and Bluetooth also helps.

If the headphones have stopped responding to commands at all, perform a full reset (Hard Reset):

1. Place the headphones in the case and close the lid.
2. Wait 30 seconds.
3. Open the lid without removing the headphones.
4. Press the button on the back for 15 seconds until the indicator flashes amber and then white.
5. Remove the device from the Bluetooth list on your phone and reconnect.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)