How to switch music on Xiaomi headphones: the complete guide

Modern wireless headphones from Xiaomi and its sub-brands like Redmi and QCY have become the benchmark for affordable audio, offering functionality comparable to top competitors. However, like any gadget, they require a habituation to control logic that may differ from the usual button models or wired headsets. Users often face a situation where standard actions do not lead to the desired result, causing confusion and finding answers to the question of how to control the playback.

In this article, we’ll take a look at all the possible ways to switch music tracks, including gestures, voice assistants, and software settings. You’ll learn why your headphones may not respond to touch and how to fix common connection errors. Touch control is a handy, but sometimes capricious, tool that requires precision.

Before we jump to specific commands, it’s important to note that the interface logic is directly dependent on the model of your device. Whether it’s the popular Mi True Wireless Earbuds Basic, the advanced Xiaomi Buds 3 Pro, or the classic Mi Neckband neck models, the user experience principle is based on several standard scenarios. Understanding these basic principles will help you master the device faster.

Basics of touch control and mechanical buttons

Most modern Xiaomi models feature touch panels located on the outside or inside of the headphone body. Unlike physical buttons, which require mechanical pressing and often have a clear stroke, sensors respond to light touch or tapping. The sensitivity zone is usually located on a flat surface, but its exact location can vary.

To switch the track forward, the standard configuration uses double tapping. You need to rhythmically touch the touch zone of the right earphone twice in a row. The interval between taps should not be too large, otherwise the system will consider this as two separate single taps that may be responsible for other functions, such as starting the voice assistant.

⚠️ WARNING: When doing double tap, try not to press the earbud too hard against the ear.Excessive pressure can displace the device in the ear, disrupting acoustic tightness, leading to loss of bass and distortion of sound.

If you have a physical button model, which is more common in neck headsets or older versions, the logic remains similar. Single tap usually pauses the track or resumes playback, and double tap switches the composition forward.

Specificity of the work of the right and left headphone

An important nuance of using fully wireless headphones (TWS) is the asymmetry of control. In the vast majority of Xiaomi models, the main control module is the right earpiece, which is responsible for switching tracks, adjusting volume and activating the assistant.

The left earphone often serves a support role or has a limited set of commands. In some models, such as the Redmi Buds 3 Lite, the left side may be completely devoid of touch controls to switch music, responding only to the withdrawal/insertion (wear sensor) or responsible for resetting a call.

However, in flagship models such as the Xiaomi Buds 4 or Pro versions, developers implement full control on both sides. In such cases, double tapping the left earphone can also switch the track, but by default this feature is sometimes reassigned to activate noise reduction or transparency mode.

• 🎵 Right earphone: standardly responsible for Play/Pause (1 tap, next track (2 tapa), voice assistant (3 tapa).
• 🔇 Left earphone: often used to activate sound modes (ANC/Transparency) or has a reduced function.
• 🔄 Reassignment: in many models, the functions of the left and right headphones can be swapped or customized individually.

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If double-touching doesn't work the first time, try changing the angle of touch. The sensors respond to the area of contact, so touching with a finger pad is more effective than touching with the tip of your nail.

Using voice assistants for navigation

An alternative and often more convenient way to control music is to use voice commands, which is especially true in winter when you're wearing gloves, or during sports, when it's unhygienic to touch the earpiece with sweaty hands. Voice assistants support teams in different languages, including Russian.

To activate the control, you need to call an assistant. Depending on the model, this is done by triple touch, long retention of the touch zone (usually 2 seconds), or voice activation (Hey Google, Xiao AI). After the beep, you can say the command "Next track", "Previous song" or simply "Next".

Google Assistant or Siri (on iOS) processes the request and sends the appropriate command to the media player, a method that works with almost any music application, whether it is Spotify, Yandex.Music or Apple Music.

⚠️ Attention: Voice control requires a stable Internet connection to handle complex queries, although basic commands like "next track" are often processed locally on your smartphone.

Customize gestures through the Mi Wear app and Xiaomi Earbuds

Xiaomi has developed applications to deep customize management, using Xiaomi Earbuds (or Mi Buds) for new models, and Mi Wear for older and more diverse devices, which is where key settings are hidden to adapt your headphones to your habits.

Once you connect your headphones to your smartphone and log in, go to the device settings section, and you'll find "Gestural Management" or "Touch controls." In this menu, you can not only see the current layout, but also change the purpose of actions. For example, if you're uncomfortable with double-touching, you can assign this feature to long-hold or triple-tap.

If you don’t see the right option, make sure the headphone firmware is updated to the latest version, as older versions of the software may have limited customization functionality.

Managing music directly from your smartphone

And remember the classic way to control it is through a smartphone screen. This may seem obvious, but there are nuances in the Android and iOS ecosystem that can make life easier for a Xiaomi headphone user. Desktop widgets and lock screen provide quick access to control.

Xiaomi’s MIUI or HyperOS smartphones have a handy media player in the notification curtain, displaying the album cover, track title and switch buttons, and displaying a music widget directly onto the desktop for instant access without unlocking your phone.

For voice-operators who don't want to use the headphone assistant, you can use the phone's assistant activation command. Just say "Ok Google, next track," and the music will switch, even if the phone is in your pocket or bag and the headphones are connected via Bluetooth.

Solving Track Switching Problems

Sometimes users are faced with a situation where the headphones stop responding to music switching commands.This can be caused by a software failure, battery discharge or conflict of Bluetooth profiles. The first step should always be to check the charge, since at low energy levels (less than 10%), some functions can be turned off to save life.

A common cause is the de-synchronization of the left and right earbuds, in which case one earbud might think it's in charge of media control and the other isn't, or both might be trying to control playback simultaneously, creating conflicts, and the solution is to completely reset the headphones to factory settings.

Resets usually require placing headphones in the case, opening the lid, and pressing the setting button on the case case case (if any) for 10-15 seconds before flashing the indicator. For models without a button in the case, it is often necessary to pinch the touch zones of both headphones simultaneously for 20 seconds until they flash red.

⚠️ Warning: After resetting, the headphones may “forget” your device, you will need to remove them from the Bluetooth list on your phone (“Forget the device”) and pair them again, as with a new gadget.

Also worth checking is the access settings in the music app. In rare cases, updating your smartphone operating system can reset the permissions for apps, and the player stops receiving commands from external devices.

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If the headphones stopped responding to touch, 80% of the time helps to clean the touch zone from fat and sweat, and 15% – rebooting Bluetooth on the smartphone.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)