How to turn off headphones on Xiaomi Redmi Note 5: all working ways

Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 is one of the brand's most popular smartphones, but even it has software failures. A common problem is that the phone "hangs" in headphone mode, even though the headset is long disabled. The sound continues to go through non-existent headphones, the speakers are silent, and the status bar is lit icon of the headset. Why is this happening and how to bring the sound back to the speakers?

The reasons can be different: from the banal contamination of the 3.5 mm connector to a failure in the firmware MIUI. In this article, we will discuss 7 proven ways to turn off headphones on the Redmi Note 5 – from the simplest to radical. You will learn how to do without a service center, what settings are responsible for recognizing the headset, and what to do if the smartphone “does not see” turn off the headphones.

Important: If the problem occurs after a phone drop or moisture, check the physical condition of the connector first. Otherwise, follow the instructions below - they will be suitable for all MIUI versions (including MIUI 12/13/14) on the Redmi Note 5.

Basic actions: reconnect and reboot

Start with the simplest steps. Often, MIUI is bugged by a temporary failure to identify the connected device. Here's what you need to do first:

• 🔌 Physically turn off the headphones (if they're connected) and wait 10 to 15 seconds. Then put them back in the connector and remove them. Sometimes that's enough to change your mind and bring the sound back to the speakers.
• 🔄 Reboot your phone. Press the power button, select Reboot, and wait until it's fully powered, and that resets the time data of the Android kernel that runs the audio.
• 🎧 Check the headphones on another device, and if they don't work there, the problem is with the headset, not the smartphone.

If after these actions the icon of headphones in the status bar remained, and the sound still goes “to nowhere”, go to the next method.

⚠️ Warning: Do not use metal objects (needles, paper clips) to clean the 3.5mm connector, this can close contacts and disable the audio chip.

2. Cleaning the headphone jack

One of the most common causes of headphone hanging is contamination or oxidation of the contacts in a 3.5mm connector. Dust, pile from your pocket, or corrosion can cause a false alarm on the connection sensor.

1. Look at the flashlight jack, and if you see dirt, dust, or green oxidation inside, you need to clean it.
2. Use compressed air (a cleaning canister). Blow out the garbage with short presses. Hold the balloon vertically to avoid liquid.
3. For complex contaminants, take a cotton swab dipped in isopropyl alcohol (at least 90%), gently scrolle it inside the connector, then dry for 10-15 minutes.

After cleaning, plug and disable the headphones 2-3 times, which will help reset the state of the sensor. If the problem persists, go to software methods.

3. Resetting the sound settings in MIUI

MIUI has a hidden audio reset feature that often helps with headphone failures, which doesn't affect personal data, but it will bring all audio back to factory settings.

• 📱 Open the Settings. → Sound and vibration.
• 🔽 Scroll down and find the item “Resetting Sound Settings” (in some versions). MIUI It's hidden under "Additional»).
• 🔄 Confirm reset. The phone will reboot automatically.

If there is no item “Resetting Sound Settings”, try an alternative method through the engineering menu:

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From the menu that opens, select Audio → Headset Mode and click Reset. Be careful: changing other options in the engineering menu can cause the phone to function unstable.

1. Close all audio applications (music, video, games)

2. Turn off the Bluetooth headset (if connected)

3. Remove the headphones from the jack

4. Connect the phone to charge (recommended)

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4. Disable headphones through the developer settings

If standard methods don't work, you can try to force the headset recognition to be disabled through the developer modes, which requires activating the hidden menu:

1. Go to Settings. → The phone.
2. Click 7 times on the MIUI version until the notification “You became a developer” appears.
3. Return to the main settings menu and open Additional → for developers.
4. Find the option “Debug by USB” and turn it on.
5. Connect your phone to your PC, install it. ADB Adb shell settings put global settings headset_connected 0

This command forces the system to tell you that the headphones are off. After you do this, restart the phone. If you don't know ADB, skip this method and move on to the next one.

⚠️ Warning: Sloppy actions on the developer menu can cause phone malfunctions. Do not change other settings unless you are sure of their purpose.

5. Checking for software failures: safe mode

Sometimes the problem is caused by third-party apps that conflict with audio drivers, and to check this, run your phone in Safe Mode, where only system programs are running:

• 🔘 Press the power button until the off menu appears.
• 🔽 Press the “Switch off” point with your finger and hold for 3-5 seconds.
• 🛡️ Confirm the transition to safe mode (the inscription “Safe Mode” will appear at the bottom of the screen).

In Safe Mode, check if the headphone icon has disappeared and if the sound has returned to the speakers. If so, the problem is in one of the installed applications. alternately remove recently installed programs (especially audio players, modified firmware or audio-change applications) until you find the culprit.

If you're still in safe mode, it's the firmware or the hardware, and you're going to take a radical step.

Remove programs that:

1. Work with sound (ravels, equalizers, players).

2. require root access or modify system files.

3. were installed 1-2 weeks before the problem appeared.-->

6.Reset to factory settings

If none of these things work, you'll have to reset your phone completely, and that will delete all the data, but it will return the sound 90 percent of the time.

• 📱 Go to Settings. → Additionally. → Backup and reset.
• 🔄 Select "Resetting settings» → «Erase all data».
• 🔐 Enter a pattern lock or password to confirm.

Once reset, the phone will reboot and prompt it to be set up as new. Don't restore the data from the backup right away -- first check if the sound is working. If the problem is gone, the data can be returned (but selectively, without apps that could have caused the conflict).

7. Hardware malfunctions: when to contact the service

If all software methods have been tried, but the phone still “sees” non-existent headphones, the problem may be:

• 🔌 Damaged connector 3.5 mm (contact break, oxidation).
• 🔊 Faulty audio chip (often after falls or moisture hits).
• 📱 Problems with the motherboard (for example, after a failed repair).

Critical sign of hardware malfunction: the phone does not respond to physical connection / disconnection of the headphones at all (there is not even a short-term audible signal when inserting a plug).

• Replacement of the 3.5 mm connector: 800-1 500 ₽.
• Audio chip repair/replacement: 2,000–4,000 ₽.
• Diagnosis of the fee: 500–1000 ₽.

Before visiting the service, check whether the warranty does not apply to your Redmi Note 5. If the phone is warranty – do not disassemble it yourself, otherwise the warranty is canceled.

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If after all the manipulations, the sound never returned to the speakers, and the phone continues to “see” the headphones, there is a 99% probability of hardware failure, in which case only professional diagnostics will help avoid more serious problems (for example, a complete failure of the audio system).

FAQ: Frequent questions about headphones on Xiaomi Redmi Note 5