Connecting Xiaomi wireless headphones to Redmi phone over Bluetooth: full instruction

Why you can not connect Xiaomi headphones to Redmi: typical mistakes

Xiaomi wireless headphones (Redmi Buds, AirDots, FlipBuds, etc.) should be automatically determined by Redmi smartphones via Bluetooth 5.0+, but in practice users face problems: devices do not find each other, the sound is interrupted or absent. Most often the fault is incompatible firmware versions, power saving mode or bugs in MIUI.

In this article, we will analyze step-by-step connectivity, taking into account the features of different models of headphones and phones, and solve common errors, from lack of sound to constant communication breaks, and pay special attention to the hidden MIUI settings that block automatic pairing.

If you've tried to connect and nothing has worked, don't rush to reset your headphones. 80 percent of the time, the problem is solved by changing one or two settings in Redmi's settings.

Preparation of headphones and phone before connection

Before pairing, make sure both devices are ready to go. For Xiaomi headphones, that means:

• 🔋 The charge of the headphone battery and case is at least 30% (at a low charge, the search mode may not start).
• 🎧 Headphones are removed from the case and are in pairing mode (usually flashing white / red indicator).
• 📱 Redmi phone disabled other Bluetooth devices (columns, fitness bracelets), which can cause interference.

For Redmi phones (especially Note 10/11/12, Redmi 9/10) it is important to:

• 📶 Enable Bluetooth in the notification curtain or through Settings → Connections → Bluetooth.
• 🔄 Update MIUI Up to the latest version (old firmware has bugs with support) LC3-headphone).
• ⚡ Disable Energy Saving Mode (it limits the operation of the Bluetooth module).

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If the indicator on the headphones does not blink, reset them to factory settings: press the button on the case for 10 seconds (for Redmi Buds 3/4) or touch the touch panel on both headphones 4 times (for AirDots Pro).

Step-by-step: how to connect Xiaomi headphones to Redmi

Follow the algorithm below – it is universal for all models Xiaomi/Redmi TWS-headphones (except FlipBuds Pro, for them there are some nuances in the next section).

1. Activate the pairing mode on the headphones: Take both headphones out of the case. Press the button on the case (or touchpad on the headphones) for 5-7 seconds until the indicator flashes white and red (for Redmi Buds 4) or blue (for AirDots).
2. Turn on Bluetooth on your phone: Swipe down from the top edge of the screen and press the Bluetooth icon. Or go to Settings → Connections → Bluetooth.
3. Find your headphones in the list of devices: The name of your headphones (such as Redmi Buds 4 or Mi True Wireless Earphones) will appear in the list of available devices.

Confirm the connection:

• The phone will be notified "Connected to the device".
• The indicator on the headphones will stop flashing and light up blue (or go out).

If the headphones don’t appear in the list of devices, try:

• 🔄 Reboot your phone and headphones (put the headphones in your case, close the lid, wait 10 seconds, then pull out again).
• 📱 Enable Developer Mode on your phone and activate the Bluetooth Debugging option (path: Settings) → The phone. → Version. MIUI — Press 7 times, then return to the Additional Settings → Developer parameters).

Features of connection for different models of headphones

Not all Xiaomi headphones connect the same way. Below are the key differences for popular models.

For active noise cancelling models (AirDots 3 Pro, FlipBuds Pro) install the official Mi Earphones app from Google Play after you connect. Without it, the ANC will not work even if the headphones are connected.

Problem Solving: Headphones are connected, but no sound

The situation where Xiaomi headphones are successfully paired with Redmi, but the sound goes through the speaker of the phone, is common.

⚠️ Note: If after connecting the headphones sound continues to play through the phone, check the settings of media audio in the phone. MIUI. Often, the system automatically switches to the speaker at a low level of charge of the headphones (less than 15%).

• 🔊 The sound is coming through the phone: Open the notification bar and click on the Bluetooth icon. Select your headphones in the list and click Use for media audio.
• 🎵 Low Volume: Turn on the Settings → Sound Option Volume Amplifier for Headphones. Set Up the Mi Earphones App Mode Improved Bass.
• 🔄 The sound is interrupted: Turn off Wi-Fi Assist in Settings → Wi-Fi → Additional (it interferes with Bluetooth). Switch the codec to SBC (In Bluetooth settings → Settings gear next to the headphones → Codec).

If the problem persists, try resetting the network settings on your phone:

1. Go to Settings → System → Resetting of settings → Resetting of network settings.
2. Reconnect the headphones.

How to turn off the automatic connection of headphones (if they interfere)

By default, Redmi automatically connects to Xiaomi headphones as soon as they are removed from the case.If this is annoying (for example, the headphones connect to the phone instead of a laptop), turn off the auto-connection:

1. Open Settings → Bluetooth.
2. Find your headphones in the list and click on the gear next to them.
3. Turn off the automatic connection option.
4. (Optional) Press Forget Device if you want to completely remove the headphones from your phone's memory.

For Redmi Buds 4 and later, you can also turn off autoconnection via the Mi Earphones app:

1. Open the app and select your headphones.
2. Go to Settings. → Connection.
3. Disable Autoconnection when extracting from the case.

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Disabling auto-connection does not remove the headphones from your phone’s memory. To completely “forget” them, use the option to Forget the device in Bluetooth settings.

Additional settings to improve sound

Once you've connected successfully, you can optimize your sound and eliminate delays.

• 🎚️ Equator: Go to Settings → Sound. → Equator.Select Preset Bass Boost or Pop for Music, Voice for Podcasts.
• 🎮 Low Delay Mode (for games): Enable Game Mode in Bluetooth headphone settings (cogs) → Low latency. Or activate Developer Mode and enable Low Latency Bluetooth Debugging.
• 🔋 Battery Optimization: Turn off Device Search in Bluetooth settings if you're not using it. Turn on Bluetooth when you lock the screen (saves up to 10% charge).

For supported models LC3-Codec (Redmi Buds 4, AirDots 3 Pro) is recommended to manually select it in the settings:

1. Open Settings → Bluetooth.
2. Press the gear next to the headphones.
3. Select Codec → LC3 (Improving sound quality with low bitrate).

Frequent questions and answers