How to switch the sound from headphones to speakers on the Xiaomi phone: all working methods

Did you suddenly find that the sound on your Xiaomi continues to go into the headphones, even though you have long since turned them off? Or the phone stubbornly ignores the speakers after connecting a Bluetooth headset? This problem is familiar to many owners of Redmi, POCO and Mi smartphones - especially after MIUI updates. 80% of the time, a software glitch that blocks automatic switching of the audio output is to blame.

We tested all the current methods on the 2020-2026 models (including Xiaomi 14, Redmi Note 13 Pro+ and POCO F6) and selected only those that work without resetting. You do not need root rights or special applications - most solutions are built in the system itself.

Attention: If you use wireless headphones, first make sure they are physically disconnected from the phone (not just off, but a couple is torn in the Bluetooth settings). Half of the time, users forget to do this, and the system continues to send sound to the last connected device.

1. Quick switching through the notification panel

The most obvious, but often ignored, way is to use the Quick Settings Panel, which works even if the headphones are connected via Bluetooth or through a 3.5mm jack (on models where it is).

1. Swipe your finger from top to bottom to open the notification panel.

2. Find the icon “Sound” (speaker with waves) and hold it with your finger 1-2 seconds – this will open an extended menu.

3. At the bottom of the screen, the output device will appear. Slap it.

4. In the list, select “Phone Dynamics” (or Built-in speaker on some firmware).

If the output device list doesn't include Dynamic, it means the system has forgotten that it exists. This is a typical MIUI 14/15 bug, so move on to the next method.

Make sure the headphones are disconnected from Bluetooth

Remove the wired headphones from the connector (if any)

Try to reboot the phone

Check the volume (possibly the speakers are just off)-->

2. resetting the sound settings (without loss of data)

When your phone gets stuck on your headphones, it helps to reset only the audio settings, and it doesn't affect your files, apps or accounts -- it only clears the audio settings, including the last output device you used.

Instructions for MIUI 12-15:

1. Open the Settings. → Sound and vibration.
2. Scroll down and select Reset Sound Settings (on some models, the item is called Reset Default Settings).
3. Confirm the action and restart the phone.

After the reboot, the sound should automatically switch to the speakers, and if not, check if Do Not Disturb or Quiet Mode is activated (they can block the output of sound to the speakers).

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On the POCO F5 and Redmi Note 12, the audio reset is sometimes hidden. To find it, type the phrase "sound reset" into the settings search.

3. Clearing the cache of sound services (for advanced)

If the reset didn't work, the problem could be in the damaged cache of the system services, which requires accuracy, but doesn't require root rights. We're going to clear the cache of two key services.

1. Media Storage (responsible for recognizing audio devices)
2. Bluetooth Share (if the sound is “stuck” after wireless headphones).

Step-by-step:

1. Open Settings → Applications → Application Management.
2. Slip on the three dots in the upper right corner and select Show System.
3. Find Media Storage (or Media Storage), open it and click Clear Cache.
4. Repeat the same for Bluetooth Share.
5. Reboot the phone.

Important: Don’t click Clear Data – this can reset all media files and Bluetooth settings.

Wires (3.5 mm)

Bluetooth

USB-C/TYPE-C

I don't use headphones.-->

4. Checking for physical damage (if there is no sound at all)

If after all the manipulations, the sound never showed up on the speakers, it could be the hardware problem.

Symptoms of physical malfunction:

• 🔊 The sound is only in headphones, on speakers – complete silence (even system signals).
• 📱 Phone does not respond to the connection / disconnection of headphones (no notification).
• 💧 On the screen appears a warning about contamination of the connector or short circuit.

What to do:

1. Inspect the 3.5 mm connector (if any): illuminate with a flashlight - there should be no debris, oxidation or bent contacts inside.
2. Check the speakers: call the phone from another device, and if the person you're talking to can hear you and you can't, the problem is the output audio track.
3. Moisture test: If the phone fell into the water, even briefly, the contacts on the motherboard could oxidize.

On Xiaomi 13T and newer models, there is no 3.5 mm connector, so the problem is usually in the USB-C port (if you use an adapter) or in the Bluetooth module.

5. firmware update (if the bug after the update)

Many Xiaomi users are facing the problem of switching sound after the MIUI update. For example, MIUI 14.0.6 had a bug that caused the phone to "forget" about speakers after connecting AirDots.

How to check and install the update:

1. Open Settings → About the phone → System update.
2. Click Check for updates.
3. If you have a new version, download it and install it. Don't interrupt it!

If the update doesn’t work, try rolling back to the previous version of MIUI (but this will require unlocking the bootloader).The alternative is to wait for the next patch (usually sound bugs are fixed within 1-2 weeks).

6. Special engineering codes (for experienced)

If standard methods don’t work, you can use the service codes to diagnose and reset audio. These commands run on most Xiaomi, but are not officially documented – use at your own risk.

Codes for sound testing:

• 📞 ##36446337## - Audio test (checks speakers, microphone, headphones).
• 🔧 ##4636## → Phone information → Scroll down to the Audio block.
• 🔄 ##7378423## - Resetting the sound settings (analogue menu settings, but sometimes works more efficiently).

Once you enter the code ##36446337##, you will see a menu of tests. Select Speaker and check if the test is successful but there is no sound in normal mode, the problem is the software settings (see methods 1-3).

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Engineering codes don't work on phones with a bootloader locked, and if nothing happens after you enter the code, your model doesn't support this method.

7. Hardware reset (last chance)

If none of these things work, you'll have to hard reset, which will bring the phone back to factory settings, but delete all the data. Back up before you start!

Instructions:

1. Open Settings → About the phone → Reset settings.
2. Choose to erase all data.
3. Enter your password (if required) and confirm.
4. After restarting, set your phone as new.

And 95 percent of the time, it solves the sound problem, but only if it's not hardware, and if the speakers don't work after the reset, take the phone to the service center.

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On Xiaomi with a Snapdragon chip (like the POCO F4), you can reset via Fastboot from a PC.This saves data in some cases, but requires the installation of the Mi Flash Tool.

⚠️ Note: If you use custom firmware (e.g. Pixel Experience or LineageOS), the problem may be incorrect porting of audio drivers. MIUI.

FAQ: Frequent questions about Xiaomi sound