How to remove stereo sound on Xiaomi: 5 proven ways (2026)

Stereo sound on Xiaomi devices can be uncomfortable in some situations: when watching movies through monophone headphones, when connecting to an outdated audio system, or when one TV speaker is worse than another. Unfortunately, the manufacturer does not always make this setting obvious - the sound parameters are hidden in different sections of the menu depending on the model and firmware version.

In this article, we will analyze all the current ways to disable the stereo effect on TVs (Mi series). TV A2, P1, Q2 etc.), smartphones (Redmi, POCO, Xiaomi 13/14) and tablets (Pad) 6). We will pay special attention to the nuances for different versions. MIUI (13–15) and Google firmware TV/PatchWall. If you are faced with a problem when the sound “splits” or one channel disappears – here you will find a solution.

Why can stereo sound interfere?

Stereophonic sound involves splitting the audio stream into left and right channels, which creates a three-dimensional effect, but in some cases this becomes a problem.

🎧 Monophone headphones (for example, cheap ones) TWS-Headsets play only one channel, which is why some of the sound is lost.
📺 Breaking the speaker on the TV – if one of them doesn’t work, the stereo effect makes the sound quieter and less legible.
🎤 Connecting to an outdated audio system (e.g., via a RCA 3.5 mm jack, where the stereo may be distorted.
🎬 Viewing poor mixing content – some movies or streams have unbalanced channels (e.g., dialogue in only one dynamic).

In addition, on some Xiaomi models (especially budget ones), the stereo effect is turned on by default even when connected via Bluetooth, which leads to artificial “splitting” of the sound. This is not a defect, but a feature of the firmware - and it can be turned off.

⚠️ Note: On Xiaomi TVs with Dolby Audio, disabling stereo can lead to automatic switching to standard PCM-It's normal and doesn't impair sound quality.

Method 1: Disable stereo on Xiaomi TVs (Mi TV, Redmi TV)

On Xiaomi TVs with PatchWall or Google TV, the audio setting is hidden in the depth of the menu. The instructions are relevant for Mi TV A2 43, P1 55, Q2 75 and others released after 2020.

Open Settings (cog in the upper right corner of the main screen).
Go to the Sound section. → Sound settings.
Select Sound Mode (or Audio Effects on older versions).
Find the Stereo/Mono option (can be called Channel Balance or Speaker Mode).
Set the value of Mono or Left + Right (depending on the model).

If you don’t have a Stereo/Mono item, try an alternative route:

In the Sound menu, select Additional settings.
Activate the mode for the hearing impaired - this will force the monophonic sound to turn on.

Turn off Bluetooth devices | Make sure TV is not in Game mode | Check HDMI connection (sometimes stereo is blocked by an external source)

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On Android TV 11+ (e.g., Mi TV Q2 2023), you may need to reset your audio settings to factory:

Settings → System → Reset → Reset sound settings

⚠️ Note: On some models (Mi) TV 4S, Redmi Smart TV X) the monosound option appears only when connected via HDMI ARC Or Optical. If you use Bluetooth, turn off the headset first.

Method 2: Sound tuning on Xiaomi smartphones (MIUI 13-15)

On Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO smartphones, the stereo effect is usually activated automatically when you plug in your headphones or Bluetooth speakers to turn it off:

Open Settings and go to Sound and Vibration.
Slip on the sound quality (or the effects of sound on MIUI 14+).
Find the Stereo extension option (or 3D-sound and turn it off.
For Bluetooth devices, select the Audio Codec and install SBC (the most compatible option).

If there is no stereo extension, try:

🔊 Enable Headphone Mode in the sound settings - sometimes this forcibly switches the sound to mono.
🎛️ Use Channel Balance: Find Balance in the same menu L/R and move the slider to the extreme left or right position.

What to do if there is no option "Stereo Extension"?

On some firmware (e.g. MIUI 13 for Redmi Note 10), this option is hidden. In this case: 1. Connect the headphones. 2. During music playback, call the control panel (swipe down). 3. Hold the volume icon - an expanded audio menu will open. 4. A Monoaudio switch may appear here.

For Android 12+ devices (e.g., Xiaomi 13 Pro, POCO F5), there is an alternative method through the developer:

Settings → About Phone → MIUI version (shap 7 times to activate developer mode)


Settings → Additional → For developers → Disable the absolute volume

If standard settings don't work, you can use the Engineering Mode, which is suitable for smartphones and some TVs, but requires caution.

For smartphones:

Open the Phone app and enter the code: ##36446337##
In the engineering menu, select Hardware Testing → Audio.
Find the Stereo Setting section and install Mono.
Save the settings and restart the device.

For TVs (only for Android TV 9-11 models):

Download the TV Engineer Mode app from Google Play.
Open it and enter the password: 1144 (for Xiaomi) or 0000.
Go to Audio. → Speaker Test.
Turn off the Stereo Mode option.

⚠️ Warning: Incorrect changes to the engineering menu can cause sound to fail. Before experimenting, write down the current parameters or backup the settings.

Television | Smartphone |Planchet |Smart column |Other

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Method 4: Software Disable Stereo Through ADB

If your Xiaomi device doesn’t have a GUI to disable stereo (like some Mi Box or older TV models), you can use it. ADB-This method requires a computer and basic knowledge of working with Android Debug Bridge.

Instructions:

Enable USB debugging on your device: Settings → About Phone/TV → MIUI version (tap 7 times) Settings → Additional → For developers → Debugging on USB
Connect the device to your PC and open the cmd (or Terminal on Mac/Linux).
Enter the command to check the connection: adb devices
Execute the command to disable stereo: adb shell settings put global stereo_speaker false
Reset the device.

For Xiaomi TVs on Android TV, you may need another command:

adb shell am start -a android.settings.SOUND_SETTINGS

After its execution, a hidden audio menu will open, where you can manually turn off the stereo.

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If ADB doesn’t recognize the device, try installing Mi PC Suite drivers or using an adb kill server before connecting.

Method 5: Resetting sound settings to factory

If none of these methods worked, the last option is to reset the audio settings, which will bring all the audio settings back to the "out of the box" state, but will not affect the other data in the device.

For smartphones:

Settings → System → Resetting settings → Resetting sound settings →

For TVs:

Settings → Support → Reset and Update → Reset the sound settings

After discharge:

🔄 The sound will automatically switch to default mode (usually Stereo for TV and Auto for smartphones).
🎛️ You will have to reconfigure the Equalizer, Dolby Atmos and other parameters.
📱 On smartphones, check the settings of Bluetooth devices – they too will reset.

⚠️ Note: On Xiaomi TVs with PatchWall firmware, the sound reset may temporarily turn off HDMI ARC. To return the feature, restart the TV and check the Digital Audio Output settings.

Comparison of methods: which one to choose?

Depending on the device and the purpose, the effectiveness of the methods varies. Below is a table with recommendations:

Method	Suitable for	Difficulty	Reversibility	Notes
Standard sound settings	Televisions, smartphones	⭐	Yes.	The safest way.
Engineering menu	Smartphones, some TVs.	⭐⭐⭐	Yeah (requires reset)	The risk of failure in the wrong settings
ADB-team	All devices on Android	⭐⭐⭐⭐	Yes.	Requires PC and debugging over USB
Resetting sound settings	All devices.	⭐⭐	Yes.	All sound parameters will be dropped
The hearing-impaired regime	Televisions	⭐	Yes.	Forcedly turns on monosound

For most users, the first two are enough. ADB and the engineering menu should only be used if you are confident in your actions or other methods have not worked.

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On Xiaomi TVs with Dolby Audio, disabling the stereo can lead to an automatic switch to PCM – this is normal and does not impair sound quality.

Frequent problems and solutions

When you turn off stereo, users often experience side effects, and consider typical situations and ways to correct them:

🔇 The sound went completely after the stereo was turned off: Check if No Sound or Don't Disturb is activated. On TVs, go to Settings → Sound. → Output signal and select PCM auto.
🎵 Music only plays in one headphone: It could be due to a malfunction in your headphones or cable. Check them on another device. If the problem persists, in your smartphone sound settings, turn on Channel Balance and move the slider to the middle position.
📻 On the TV, the sound became quieter after switching to mono: In mono mode, the power is distributed evenly across both speakers, so the volume may decrease. Increase the volume level manually or activate Dynamic Range in the sound settings.
🔌 Stereo is automatically turned on when connected HDMI: It's a protocol feature. HDMI ARC. To disable, go to Settings. → HDMI → Sound format and select PCM Bitstream instead.

If the sound is incorrect after all the manipulations, check:

🔌 Cables and connectors for physical damage.
📥 Firmware updates (sometimes sound bugs are fixed in new software versions).
🔧 Settings of external devices (receiver, soundbar) – they can also impose stereo.

FAQ: Answers to popular questions

Can you only turn off stereo for a specific app (like YouTube)?

At the system level, no. But some apps (like VLC or MX Player) have their own audio settings where you can choose mono mode. Youtube doesn't have that option, but you can use an external player with mono support.

Why is my Xiaomi Redmi Note 12 not having a “Stereo Extension” option?

On some firmware MIUI 14+ This option is hidden. Try: Connect your headphones and call the sound control panel (holding the volume icon). ADB-Adb shell settings put global stereo_speaker_enabled 0. Update the firmware to the latest version – sometimes the option appears after the update.

After switching off the stereo on the Xiaomi TV, the sound through HDMI ARC disappeared.

This is a well-known PatchWall firmware problem. Solution: Go to Settings → Sound → Digital Audio Output (HDMI). Set PCM format instead of Auto or Bitstream. Disable and reconnect the HDMI ARC cable. If it doesn't work, reset the audio settings (see Method 5).

How to check if the stereo is actually off?

Simple test: Turn on a track with a clear stereo effect (e.g., where the voice is from the left, then from the right speaker). If the sound now comes the same from both speakers / headphones, mono mode is activated. On a smartphone, you can use the Sound Test app from Google Play to check the channels. On Xiaomi TVs, press the Volume button - on the remote control - the current sound mode indicator will appear on the screen.

Will the sound quality deteriorate when the stereo is turned off?

Not if the original content was recorded in mono (e.g. podcasts, old movies). For stereo or multichannel audio (5.1, 7.1), the quality will drop slightly as the two channels will be mixed into one. However, for most users, the difference is not noticeable, especially when listening through TV speakers or budget headphones.