How to turn off headphones on Xiaomi Redmi Note 4: if the sound does not switch to the speaker

Xiaomi Redmi Note 4 is one of the most popular smartphones of the brand, but even he has a common problem: the phone “hangs” in headphone mode, although the headset is long disabled, the sound continues to go into the headphones (or even disappears), and the icon of the headset still burns in the status bar, 80% of the time it is due to contamination of the 3.5 mm connector, software failure or mechanical damage to the contacts.

In this article, you will find 5 proven ways to turn off the headphones on the Redmi Note 4 – from simple (reboot, clean the connector) to radical (reset settings). We will also analyze why the phone does not see the headset turned off, and what to do if the sound disappears completely. All instructions are relevant for the original and custom MIUI firmware (including global and Chinese versions).

Why Xiaomi Redmi Note 4 doesn’t automatically turn off headphones

The reason is almost always one of three factors:

• 🔌 Pollution or oxidation of the 3.5mm connector: Dust, moisture, or mechanical particles close the contacts, and the phone “thinks” the headphones are connected.
• 🤖 The audio driver malfunctions, most often after an update. MIUI or installing third-party applications for sound (e.g, ViPER4Android).
• 🔄 A temporary failure may occur after a sharp removal of the headphones or a drop in battery power below 10%.

Less commonly, the problem is physical failure of the connector or motherboard, in which case the sound in the headphones will be interrupted, and the headset icon will flash, and if after all the manipulations the problem remains, you may need to repair or replace the connector.

Method 1: Reboot your phone (the fastest method)

In 60 percent of cases, a normal reboot helps, and it resets the audio system's temporary data and resets the connector state.

1. Remove the headphones from the connector (if connected).
2. Press the Power button for 5-7 seconds until the off menu appears.
3. Select Reboot (or Restart in English firmware).
4. After turning on, check if the headphone icon has disappeared in the status bar.

If the sound is still going into the headphones, try plugging and turning off the headset 2-3 times while the phone is loading (when the Redmi logo is on the screen), sometimes helping to wake up the audio controller.

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If the phone doesn’t respond to the power button, try a forced reboot: press Power + Volume up for 10-15 seconds until the screen goes out.

Method 2: Clean the 3.5mm connector (if the phone doesn't see the shutdown)

In 90 percent of cases, the problem is solved by mechanical cleaning of the connector, and over time, dust accumulates inside, which closes the contacts, simulating the connection of headphones.

• 🕯️ Toothpick or wooden stick (not metallic!).
• 💨 Compressed air container (optional).
• 🔦 Lighting lamp for the connector.

Step-by-step:

1. Turn off your phone to avoid short circuits.
2. Hold the flashlight to the connector and inspect it for debris. Usually dust accumulates at the base (3-5 mm deeper).
3. Carefully scroll the toothpick inside the connector 3-4 times, without pressing hard on the walls.
4. Blow the connector with compressed air (or just breathe out sharply into it).
5. Turn on your phone and check if the headphone icon has disappeared.

If the problem persists after cleaning, try inserting and removing the headphones 5-10 times in a row - this can "develop" contacts.

Method 3: Reset the sound settings (if the sound is completely lost)

If the sound disappears completely after the headphones are turned off (neither in the speaker nor in the headset), the problem may be a failure of the audio settings, in which case resetting the sound parameters to the factory will help.

Instructions:

1. Go to Settings. → Sound and vibration.
2. Slip on the three dots in the upper right corner and select Reset.
3. Confirm the action (you may need to enter the unlock password).
4. Reboot the phone.

After reset, check the speaker by playing music or video, and if the sound comes on and disappears again when you plug in the headphones, the problem is probably physical damage to the connector.

Make sure the volume regulator is not at a minimum.|Try playing the sound in another app (e.g. YouTube)|Connect your headphones and check if the sound is working.|Try to play the sound through a Bluetooth headset-->

Method 4: Disable headphones through the engineering menu (for advanced)

If standard methods don't work, you can try to force the headphone mode to turn off through the engineering menu, which requires caution, since improper actions can disrupt the audio system.

How to open the engineering menu on Redmi Note 4:

1. Open the Phone app.
2. Enter the combination: ##36446337## (code for MIUI).
3. Choose Hardware Testing → Audio.
4. In the Headset Mode section, click Disable (if the option is active).
5. Reboot the phone.

If the engineering menu is not available or the code is not working, try an alternative method:

1. Install the MTK Engineering Mode app (available from the Play Market).


2. Run it and go to Hardware Testing → Audio → Normal Mode.




3. Press Headset and select Disable.




4. Save settings and restart the phone.

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The engineering menu is for diagnostics. Don't change other parameters unless you're sure they're there!

Method 5: Reset your phone to factory settings (last resort)

If none of these methods work, you have to reset your settings completely, and that will delete all the data from your phone, so back up first.

How to reset Redmi Note 4:

1. Go to Settings → Additional → Recovery and Reset.
2. Select Settings Reset.
3. Mark Clear internal memory (optional if you want to delete all files).
4. Confirm the action and wait for the process to be completed (5-10 minutes).

Once the reset is done, the phone will turn on in its original state, and check the audio system before data recovery, and if the problem has disappeared, it must have been caused by one of the installed applications.

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To avoid data loss, sync contacts with Mi Account before reset and copy the photo/video to your computer or cloud.

What to do if nothing helps: diagnosis and repair

If after all the manipulations the phone still “does not see” the turn off of the headphones, most likely, the problem is in the hardware:

For an accurate diagnosis, contact the Xiaomi service center or a smartphone repair shop. The average cost of replacing a 3.5 mm connector with a Redmi Note 4 is 600-1,200 rubles (depending on the region). If the phone is warranty, repairs can be free.

Self-repair of the 3.5 mm connector: risks and recommendations

If you decide to repair the connector yourself, consider:

⚠️ Attention! Disassembling the phone will void the warranty. Without soldering experience, you risk damaging the motherboard, resulting in complete loss of sound or inoperability of the device.

What you need to replace the connector:

• 🔧 Set of screwdrivers (cross, flat, flat, T3, T5).
• 🔥 A soldering iron with a thin sting (power 20-30 W).
• 🧲 Solder and flux (e.g, LTI-120).
• 📱 New connector 3.5 mm for the Redmi Note 4 (article: Xiaomi 16074-0001).

You can find step-by-step replacement instructions on YouTube (like the Repair World video), but if you've never soldered microelectronics, you'd better trust the professionals.

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Self-repair is justified only if the cost of work in the service exceeds 50% of the price of the phone.

FAQ: Frequent questions about the problem with headphones on the Redmi Note 4