How to connect Xiaomi headphones both at once: TWS and Dual Connect setting

Modern wireless headsets like Xiaomi Redmi Buds or Mi True Wireless Earphones are designed to comfortably listen to music in both ears, but there is sometimes a specific need to share the audio stream. Users are often looking for a way to connect Xiaomi headphones both to the same device at once to use them independently or stream the sound to different speakers.This may be required to share videos, conduct a workout with a trainer, or simply to save battery power using just one earbud.

This function depends on the specific model of the gadget and the version of the operating system MIUI or HyperOS. The standard Bluetooth protocol is not originally designed to transfer one channel to two different receivers without the use of special profiles or third-party software. However, Xiaomi engineers have implemented a number of software solutions that allow you to bypass standard restrictions and adjust flexible control of audio output.

In this article, we will explore all available synchronization methods, from built-in dual mono mode functions to advanced developer settings. You will learn how to properly prepare devices, which models support simultaneous operation as independent sound sources, and how to avoid typical pairing errors. The key is to understand the difference between TWS (stereo pair) mode and Dual Mono mode, since their activation methods are radically different.

Preparation of the headset and smartphone for extended connection

Before you try to set up a complex workflow, you need to make sure that the basic connection is installed correctly. Make sure your Xiaomi Earbuds are fully charged and have the current firmware version. The update often contains patches for communication protocols, which is critical for work tabs in non-standard modes. Check the software version through the Xiaomi Earbuds app or Mi Wear in the Google Play store.

It's also important to clear the list of paired devices on the smartphone itself. If your phone has an old profile of your headphones with conflicting settings stored in its memory, the new configuration may not work. Go to Bluetooth settings, find your headphones in the list, and select "Forget the device" or "Cancel pairing." After that, perform a full reset of your headphones by holding the touch panels on both modules for 10-15 seconds.

⚠️ Warning: Before reset, make sure the headphones are in the case or have sufficient charge, otherwise the initialization process may be interrupted and the devices will go into emergency recovery mode.

To succeed, your smartphone must support an A2DP profile and preferably have a chipset with low data latency. Owners of Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO devices are in a better position, since the system shells of these manufacturers have deep integration with audio accessories. On other Android smartphones, the functionality may be limited by standard system capabilities.

Activation of the “Double Mono” mode in system settings

The most reliable and legal way to make both headphones work independently or broadcast the same channel to both devices is to use the built-in accessibility feature. In the MIUI shell, this parameter is hidden in the depths of the special features menu. It allows you to divide the stereo stream or, conversely, duplicate a mono signal on both channels, which is often interpreted by users as the ability to connect “both at once” for different purposes.

To activate this feature, go to the Settings menu → Advanced Settings → Special Features. In the list that opens, find the "Hearing" or "Audio" tab. Here you are interested in "Mono Mode" or "Mono Audio." When you turn on this switch, the smartphone stops separating the sound into left and right channels and sends a full mix to each connected device.

However, if your goal is to connect two physical earbuds as two different output devices (for example, two people), it is extremely difficult to do this with standard Android tools without root rights. But for most scenarios, when you want the sound to go to both the left and right earbud independently (if they are out of sync), the following sequence helps:

• 🎧 Turn on Bluetooth on your smartphone and pair with headphones as with a regular stereo device.
• 🔊 Activate the "Mono Mode" switch in special features so that the sound is guaranteed to go in both ears even if the communication between the headphones themselves is lost.
• 📱 Check the channel balance in the sound settings by moving the slider to the center to make sure the volume distribution is even.

This method is especially useful if one of Xiaomi’s headphones has stopped working in tandem with the other.Forced activation of mono mode often “wakes up” the second module and causes the system to see it again as part of a single system.

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If the mono sound turned off after the mono mode, try raising the high frequencies slightly in the equalizer settings (Settings → Sound and Vibration → Sound Effects) to compensate.

Use Dual Connect for independent work

Many modern models, like the Xiaomi Buds 3 Pro or Redmi Buds 4, support Dual Connect technology, which allows you to use each earphone independently. You can take out your left earphone, plug it into your phone, listen to a podcast, put it back in, and then pull out your right one and continue listening. But how do you connect both of them to the same phone as two independent devices?

The standard Bluetooth protocol does not allow a single source (smartphone) to keep an active connection with two separate addresses. MAC-The left and right earpieces are simultaneously stereo-separating without the wizard, and typically one earpiece is a "master" and the other is a "slug" even though they are visually independent:

1. Place both headphones in the case and close the lid.
2. Remove the device from the Bluetooth list on your phone.
3. Take out both headphones at the same time and wait until they start flashing different indicators (couple search mode).
4. Two devices with the same name but different endings can appear on the Bluetooth list (for example, Xiaomi Buds-L and Xiaomi Buds-R).

If the system allows, try connecting one first, then the second. In the rare cases where a smartphone chipset supports a multi-point connection with the same profiles, this will work. However, most often, when you try to connect a second earbud, the first one will turn off. This is not a defect, but a limitation of channel bandwidth.

⚠️ Warning: Attempting to force two independent channels to connect can lead to sound dissynchronization, where the audio in one ear will be ahead of the other by a few seconds.

For independent work of two people from the same phone, it is better to use the Audio Sharing function (if available) or specialized relay applications, which will be discussed below. Standard MIUI means to divide the stream into two different Bluetooth addresses for two different people is impossible, only duplication per stereo pair.

Developer settings and hidden Bluetooth settings

For advanced users who want to make the most of their Xiaomi TWS, the developer menu is open to users, and the settings that affect codecs, bitrates and Bluetooth stack behavior are hidden here, and activating this menu allows you to manually select the codec that is better at transferring data, which indirectly affects the stability of the connection of both headphones.

To get to the menu, go to Settings → About Phone and quickly click 7 times on either MIUI Version or OS Version. Once the notification “You’ve become a developer” appears, go back to the main settings menu, select “Additional” → “Developers.” Find the Bluetooth-related section.

The parameters of interest to us are:

• 📡 Bluetooth version AVRCP: Change the value to 1.4 or 1.5, which can improve metadata management and stability.
• 🎵 Bluetooth Codec: Switching to SBC or AAC It can improve compatibility, while LDAC or LHDC They are quality, but they require ideal conditions.
• 🔗 Turn off the absolute volume level: turning on this item allows you to adjust the volume of the headphones and phone separately, which is useful when configuring complex circuits.

Changing these settings requires rebooting the Bluetooth service or the smartphone itself. Be careful: improperly installing the codec can cause the sound to disappear altogether or the headphones to cease to be defined by the system.

adb shell settings put global bluetooth_avrcp_version 1.5

This command, via ADB (Android Debug Bridge), forcibly changes the protocol version, which sometimes helps shake up the connection if a software failure interferes with the normal operation of both channels.

Third-party applications for audio stream management

If Android and MIUI are not working, Google Play apps come to the rescue, emulating virtual audio devices or redirecting streams, and one popular solution is to use apps to create a virtual audio device that then broadcasts the signal to Bluetooth.

Lesser AudioSwitch or Bluetooth Mono allows you to force the audio output to switch, and while they don't create two independent connections, they help you control which channel (left or right) is active, or force mono mode where the system settings don't work.

Another approach is to use party apps like AmpMe or SoundSeeder, which are like creating a local network. You install the app on your phone (source) and on your second phone (if you need it), but for headphones, it works differently: these apps often allow you to synchronize playback across multiple devices over Wi-Fi, bypassing the limitations of Bluetooth.

For two headphones, one phone, there are tools like Audio Relayer, but they require Root rights. They can create a rule: "All sound is directed to Device A and Device B." Without root access, the capabilities are limited to the Android system API, which blocks multiple connections to one A2DP profile.

Compatibility table of models and supported functions

Not all Xiaomi headphones are equally capable of being manipulated with connectivity. Below is a table showing supported features for popular series. Note that the availability of the feature also depends on the version of the headphone firmware.

As you can see from the table, flagship models have better chips that are better at holding communications and switching between modes. Budget models may require more time to synchronize when extracted from the case.

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The newer the headphone model and the higher the Bluetooth version (5.2, 5.3), the more stable the independent use mode works and the less latency when switching channels.

Solution: desynchronization and lack of sound

A common problem when trying to adjust flexibly is to de-synchronize the left and right channels. The sound in one ear can lag, creating an echo. This is due to overload of the Bluetooth channel or interference from the Wi-Fi router (working in the same 2.4 GHz band). Try turning off the Wi-Fi on your smartphone and see if the problem disappears.

If one of the headphones is silent when you activate mono, check the balance in the special features settings. Sometimes the software failure locks the balance 100% in one direction, and also helps re-pairing: forget the device, restart the phone, put the headphones in the case, close for 10 seconds, open and reconnect.

In the case when the headphones are seen as two different devices, but only one connects, the problem lies in the limitation of the profile. A2DP Android by default does not allow you to send music stream to two different MAC-This will only help using external mixers or switching to a wired connection via splitter, if the headphone model has a wired connection option (rarely for Xiaomi).

⚠️ Warning: Constant desynchronization may indicate low battery power in one of the modules or a physical malfunction of the antenna inside the headphone case.

To diagnose, perform a video playback test with clear audio signals. If the delay is constant and is not eliminated by the reset, you may need maintenance or a headset replacement.

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Keep firmware headphones updated through the Mi Wear app. Xiaomi engineers regularly release patches that improve Bluetooth connection stability and eliminate desynchronization.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)