How to Reboot Xiaomi Air Headphones 2: The Complete Guide

Modern wireless headphones from Xiaomi, such as the popular Air 2 and Air 2S models, are complex microcomputers running a specialized operating system. Like any gadget, they can encounter software failures: stop seeing the phone, do not charge until the end or make extraneous noises. In such situations, a standard shutdown often does not help, and requires a forced reboot of the device. This action clears the temporary memory buffer and resets current connections, returning the gadget to stable operation.

Mi True Wireless Earbuds is different from smartphones because they don’t have a physical screen or power button in the classic sense. Resets are done through combinations of touch zones or long-term retention of contacts in the charging case. Understanding the differences between a conventional reconnection and a full factory reset is critical to successful troubleshooting.

In this article, we will discuss in detail all the known ways to reboot for the entire Air 2 line, including the SE, S and Pro versions. You will learn how to correctly interpret the flashing of indicators, how to clean the list of paired devices in the phone and what to do if one of the headphones stopped responding to commands.

Differences between rebooting from full resetting settings

Before you start to act, you need to clearly distinguish between “reboot” and “reset to factory settings.” The usual reboot occurs every time you put your headphones in the case and close the lid, at which point the device goes to sleep or turns off, and when it is removed, it is rebooted, a regular mode of operation that does not affect saved Bluetooth profiles.

Full reset, or Hard Reset, is a more radical measure: It completely erases connection history from the headphones’ memory, resets the equalizer settings (if they have been changed through the app), and forcibly puts the device into a new partner search mode. Xiaomi Air 2 can accumulate errors in communication protocols, especially if they have often switched between different smartphones.

⚠️ Warning: After you complete the reset, you will need to re-pair the headphones to your phone as if you just bought them from a store.

Hard reset is only recommended when standard methods don't work. If your headphones just can't see the phone, but the lights are blinking normally, maybe the problem lies in the Bluetooth cache on the smartphone itself, not the headset.

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Before performing the reset, make sure that the charge of the case and the headphones themselves is at least 30-40%, so that the process does not interrupt at a critical stage.

Preparation for the re-establishment procedure

The success of the Mi True Wireless Earbuds operation depends 90 percent on proper preparation. Chaotic touches of sensors without first cleaning the list of devices on the phone often lead to the gadget not entering pairing mode.

Go to your smartphone’s Bluetooth settings, search the Xiaomi Air 2 (or Air 2S, Air 2 Pro) list of devices, and select Forget Device or Unpair. This is a critical step that many ignore. As long as the phone remembers the old encryption keys, it can block the attempt of new initialization.

The Air 2 uses magnetic charging through contacts on the leg of the earpiece, and if those contacts become oxidized or contaminated with earwax, the earpiece may not realize that it is in the case and will not be reset.

• 🧼 Wipe the metal contacts on the headphones and inside the case with a dry lilaless cloth or cotton swab lightly moistened with alcohol.
• 🔋 Make sure the indicator on the case lights up when placing the headphones inside - this is a signal of the correct contact.
• 📱 Close the Mi Wear or Xiaomi Earbuds app completely by unloading it from your phone’s memory.
• 📶 Turn off Bluetooth on your smartphone before starting the reset procedure on the headphones themselves.

Method 1: Reboot through touch control

The fastest way to reboot the Xiaomi Air 2 without losing settings is to use touch control, a method similar to rebooting a smartphone with a power button and suitable for eliminating small glitches such as desynchronizing sound or failure of a single headphone.

Remove both earbuds from the case. Find the touch zone on the case (usually the bottom of the leg or logo). You need to press and hold the sensors on both earbuds simultaneously for 5 seconds, at which point the headphones should turn off, as signaled by the voice assistant or characteristic sound.

Once turned off, press and hold the sensors again, but for 2-3 seconds until you hear the sound of the switch on. If the voice assent does not respond, try double-tapping one earpiece to check if it is alive. In some firmware, prolonged retention (about 10-15 seconds) can initiate the entry into pairing mode, which is also a form of soft reboot of the Bluetooth module.

⚠️ Note: If the earphone emits a “Conjugation” sound signal when holding the sensor, but the phone does not see it, then the Bluetooth module is working, and the problem is most likely in the phone settings or battery discharge.

This method doesn't require putting the devices in a case and can be done on the go, but if the software failure is severe, the sensors can just ignore the touch, so move on to deeper recovery methods.

Method 2: Complete reset via a charging case (Hard Reset)

If the soft reboot doesn’t work, you need to reset completely. For Air 2 and Air 2S models, this procedure is done using a function button on the charging case, which is the main method of solving problems when the headphones stop synchronizing with each other (only one works) or do not charge.

Put both earbuds in the charger case. Make sure the case lid is open. There's a small circular button on the back or bottom of the case (depending on the revision), and you have to press that button and hold it for 15 seconds.

Watch the status indicator on the front of the case. It can flash white as it holds the button. After 15 seconds, the indicator should light up in orange and then start flashing white quickly, and it's a signal that the settings have been reset and the headphones have gone into the pairing device search mode.