Xiaomi’s current wireless headphones, known as Redmi AirDots or Mi True Wireless Earbuds Basic, have become the benchmark for the budget segment, driven by a great combination of price and sound quality, but the initial setup often raises questions among beginners. Proper pairing of devices is the key to stable Bluetooth protocol and high quality audio stream without delay.
In this guide, we will take a closer look at the process of activating headphones, how they connect to Android and iOS smartphones, and the hidden features available through voice commands. You will learn how to reset correctly if left and right channels are out of sync, which is the most common problem with these models. A deep understanding of the logic of the accessories will allow you to avoid typical errors in operation.
Before you start taking action, you need to make sure that the battery packs are charged. Often new gadgets come with minimal charge, which can lead to an unexpected shutdown during the setup process. Take a few minutes to prepare to go smoothly and without interruptions.
Primary activation and extraction from the case
The first step in using any TWS-The True Wireless Stereo is the right activation, and unlike wired counterparts, Redmi AirDots don't have physical buttons on the body in the traditional sense. All electronics are activated automatically when removed from the charging case or when first connected to the power source.
If you just purchased the device, note the presence of protective films on the charging contacts inside the case. They must be removed, otherwise the headphones will not be able to charge and therefore will not turn on. After removing the films, place the headphones in the case and connect it to the micro-USB network for 1-2 hours for the initial calibration of the battery.
⚠️ Attention: If the headphone indicator does not turn red when placed in the case, check the density of the contacts. Sometimes you need to press harder on the earphone or wipe the contacts with dry cloth.
The switching on process is instantaneous: once you take the headphones out of the case, they go into pairing mode. The indicators start flashing white to signal readiness to search for the device, at which point there is internal synchronization between the left and right channel, which is a critical step.
It’s worth noting that some Xiaomi revisions use different indicator logics, while some models show constant light when charging, others can flash. Understanding color indications helps quickly diagnose battery status or operating mode.
Color indication decoding
Connection with Android and iOS devices
The main step in the whole process is connecting to a smartphone. The algorithm for Android and iOS is almost identical, since it uses the standard Bluetooth protocol stack. However, there are nuances in displaying battery status that you should know about in advance.
To start, open the case cover and remove both earbuds. They should automatically go into search mode. On your smartphone, go to the settings menu and select the Bluetooth section. Make sure the activation slider is on and the phone has started scanning the available devices.
In the list of available devices will see the name Redmi AirDots_R Mi True Wireless EBs Basic_R. It's important to connect to the right side, because it's the master device that transmits the signal to the left earpiece.
- 📱 Make sure your smartphone screen is unlocked while searching for the device.
- 🔊 Keep your headphones at a distance of no more. 10-15 cm from the phone at the first connection.
- 🔄 If the device is not found, return the headphones to the case and remove them again.
Once you've successfully connected, the voice assistant will notify you of the status, in English it'll be "Connected," in Chinese it'll be the equivalent. From now on, you can play music. Bluetooth settings on Android often display the charge level of each headphone separately, while iOS can show the total percentage or only the charge of the main device.
Managing voice commands and taps
The physical buttons on the body have been replaced by touch-sensitive zones, which make it easy to control, but it's addictive. Touch control in Xiaomi Redmi AirDots doesn't support volume change directly from the headphones, which is often a surprise to users.
Single tap of the touchpad of any of the headphones allows you to answer an incoming call or pause tracks. Double tap on the right headphone (Right) activates the voice assistant (Google Assistant or Siri), and on the left (Left) - switches the tracks back or launches the last number dialed, depending on the firmware version.
Management scheme (standard):
1 Tap: Play/Pause/Respond to the Call
2 tapa (L): Previous track / Repeated set
2 tapa (R): Activation of voice assistant
3 tapa (R): Next track (on some versions)
Holding 2 seconds: Decline call/Switch off (on standby)In some cases, switching the track forward requires double pressing, but with a longer interval exposure. Experimenting with the rhythm of pressing will help find the best option for your model.
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To wake your headphones from sleep, just touch the touch zone once, which is especially useful if the auto-detection ear is not working properly.
Resetting and reconnecting (Hard Reset)
The most common problem owners face is channel desynchronization, which is that the sound comes from only one earphone, or the phone sees two Redmi devices. AirDots_L redmi AirDots_R One solution is to completely reset to factory settings.
The reset procedure requires precise sequence execution, first removing the device from the list of paired phones in the Bluetooth menu, then placing the headphones in the case (or holding them in your hands if the case does not have a reset button, which is typical for the basic version of AirDots).
- 🗑️ Delete "Forget the device" in the Bluetooth settings of the smartphone.
- 📴 Turn off Bluetooth on your phone to avoid automatic connection during reset.
- 👆 Press the touch panels on both headphones at the same time on 20-25 seconds.
During retention, the lights will flash red several times, you have to wait until they flash red twice in a row, and it's the double red flash that signals a successful reset, and then you can let the panels go. The headphones will turn off.
⚠️ Warning: Don't let go of your headphones immediately after the first red flash, reset only after a series of blinks. If you release it early, the procedure won't end.
After reset, remove the headphones from the case, they must automatically connect to each other (the indicator of one of them will flash slowly, the other will blink quickly or not at all, depending on the model), only after that you can turn on Bluetooth on the phone and search for the device again.
☑️ Checklist for headphone reset
Compatibility table and specifications
To understand the capabilities of your device, it is important to refer to technical specifications. Redmi AirDots supports various audio compression codecs, which affects sound quality and latency when watching videos or games. The base model uses the SBC codec, while more advanced versions can support AAC.
Below is a comparison table of the characteristics of different product line modifications, often having similar designs but different internal content, which will help to identify your model and understand what to expect from it.
| Characteristics | Redmi AirDots (Basic) | Redmi AirDots S | Mi True Wireless 2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bluetooth version | 5.0 | 5.0 | 5.0 |
| Codecs. | SBC | SBC, AAC | SBC, AAC |
| Delay (Low Latency) | No. | Got it (120 ms) | There is. |
| Mi Wear appendix | Not supported | Partially. | Supported |
| IPX4 protection | There is. | There is. | There is. |
As you can see from the table, the base version of AirDots has no low latency mode, making them less suitable for dynamic shooters on the phone, but quite enough for music and podcasts. The lack of support for the Mi Wear app for the base model means that all settings are made exclusively by hardware buttons.
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The base model of Redmi AirDots does not have an official app to adjust the equalizer, so use the system equalizer of your smartphone to correct the sound.
Frequent problems and methods of their solution
Even when you set it up properly, there can be situational problems, and one of the common complaints is that it's quiet, and it's often not because the speakers are not faulty, but because the volume levels between the phone and the headphones themselves are out of sync.
To solve the problem of quiet sound, you need to do the following procedure: plug in the headphones, turn the volume down on the smartphone to a minimum, then turn off Bluetooth. Then turn on Bluetooth again and plug the headphones in, gradually increasing the volume, this calibrates the signal levels.
Another problem is that one of the headphones is rapidly discharged, which usually means that the headphones were not completely turned off before being placed in the case, or the contacts of the case are contaminated, and it is also possible that one of the batteries degraded faster than the other due to a manufacturing defect.
⚠️ Note: If the left earphone is discharged much faster than the right one (for example, 20% vs. 80%), try a full reset according to the instructions above.
Intermittent connectivity is often caused by interference in Wi-Fi routers or microwave ovens. Bluetooth operates at 2.4 GHz, which is heavily loaded in modern apartments, and in such cases, you just need to step away from the source of interference.