The modern wearables market offers users a wide range of accessories, and it often happens that gadgets from different manufacturers end up in the same hands. Owners of Xiaomi, Redmi or POCO smartphones may wonder about the compatibility of Samsung's wireless headphones, such as the popular Galaxy Buds series. Fortunately, the Bluetooth wireless standard is a universal protocol, which makes pairing devices of different brands quite real and, as a rule, hassle-free.
However, despite the overall compatibility, the connection process can have its nuances, especially when it comes to specific features, such as automatic switching between devices or the use of proprietary codecs. Unlike pairing inside the same ecosystem, where everything works out of the box, cross-brand connection requires manual adjustment through the system menu. MIUI or HyperOS interface has extensive control of Bluetooth devices, but the user needs to know where to look for the right switches.
In this article, we will take a look at all the stages of connection, from basic pairing to fine-tuning sound quality. You will learn how to activate pairing mode on different models of Samsung headphones, how to properly manage the list of devices in a Xiaomi smartphone and what to do if gadgets “do not see” each other.
Preparing Samsung headphones for pairing
The first and most critical step is to put Samsung accessories into detection mode, and many users make the mistake of just opening the case, but for the first time connecting to a new device (in this case, Xiaomi), this is not enough.
For Galaxy Buds models (including Live, Pro, Plus and 2 versions), the procedure may vary slightly depending on the generation. If this is the first on, just open the charger case next to the smartphone.
- 🎧 For most models: Remove the headphones from the case and touch the touchpad on both headphones simultaneously, holding your finger near the headphone. 3-5 seconds until the indicators flash blue and green (or red and blue).
- 🔋 For models with a button on the case (for example, Galaxy Buds Pro): open the case cover without removing the headphones themselves, and press the pairing button on the outside or inside of the case before the indicator flashes.
- 📱 For older models (Gear IconX): place the headphones in the case, open the lid and press the Bluetooth button on the case.
⚠️ Warning: Make sure the battery is charged on Samsung headphones. If the indicators don't light up, put the case on wireless charging or plug in the cable USB-C on 15-20 minutes before attempting to pair.
Once the indicators start flashing quickly, the device is ready to search. Now you need to switch to a Xiaomi smartphone.
Bluetooth settings in the Xiaomi interface (MIUI/HyperOS)
Xiaomi smartphones are famous for their shell, which, despite its functionality, sometimes hides important settings in non-obvious places. To successfully connect, you need to make sure that the wireless module is activated and configured correctly. The standard path lies through the control center or system configuration.
Open the notification curtain with the swipe from top to bottom and find the Bluetooth icon. If it's gray, click on it to activate (it's going to turn blue). For a deeper setup, go to Settings → Bluetooth. Here you'll see a list of "Available Devices." If your Samsung headphones are in pairing mode, they should appear on this list under their model name, such as the Galaxy Buds2 or Galaxy Buds Live.
Some versions of MIUI firmware may require permission to access contacts or call history when the headset is first connected, and the system will request this automatically with a pop-up window, and consent is required so that the headphones can play system sounds and receive incoming calls.
If you find the device, just click on the name of the device. The connection process will take a few seconds. Once successfully paired, the status will change to "Connected", and the status icon will appear in the headphone battery bar if the data protocol supports displaying the charge level.
☑️ Checklist of successful connection
Use of the Samsung Galaxy Wearable app
While basic music playback and microphone performance will be available immediately after pairing via system Bluetooth, full use of all the features of Samsung headphones on a Xiaomi device will require the installation of special software. Without it, you will not be able to update the firmware of the headphones, adjust the equalizer or change the touch control circuit.
To get started, you need to download two apps from the Google Play Store: Galaxy Wearable and Samsung Audio Plugin (or Galaxy Buds, depending on the model), which can be installed in stages: the main application is first installed, which then prompts you to install the necessary components.
Once installed, launch the Galaxy Wearable and press Start. The app will scan the airwaves and suggest connecting your headphones, and here's the important thing: if the system asks you to update the headphone software, you'll agree, which will ensure stable connection to non-Samsung devices.
| Function | No app. | With the Galaxy Wearable app |
|---|---|---|
| Music reproduction | It's working. | It's working. |
| Microphone (calls) | It's working. | It's working. |
| equalizer | Unavailable. | Available and customizable |
| Noise reduction mode (ANC) | Don't switch. | Full management |
| Headphone search | Unavailable. | Available. |
The app also includes SmartThings Find, which allows you to track the location of your headphones if they are lost and even play sound on them. However, some features, such as AutoSwitching between Samsung devices, will require emulation or manual reconnection on Xiaomi.
Solving Connectivity and Stability Issues
Despite standardizing protocols, users sometimes face problems: the sound is interrupted, the headphones do not connect or quickly discharge, often due to accumulated Bluetooth cache or conflict profiles.
The first thing to do when you have a problem is to forget the device. Go to Settings → Bluetooth, find your Samsung headphones in the list, click on the gear icon next to them and select "Unpair" or "Forget." After that, repeat the connection procedure again.
If the problem persists, try resetting your network settings on your Xiaomi smartphone.This action will not delete your personal data (photos, contacts), but will clear all stored Wi-Fi passwords and Bluetooth keys.
- 📡 Go to Settings. → Connection and sharing → Reset Wi-Fi, mobile networks and Bluetooth.
- 🔄 Click Reset Settings and confirm the action (you may need to enter the unlock screen password).
- 🔌 After restarting the phone, re-arrange the headphones.
⚠️ Note: Before resetting your network settings, make sure you remember passwords from your Wi-Fi networks, as they will have to be re-entered.
It's also worth checking if the phone is in Absolute Volume mode, and in some cases, dissynchronizing the volume of the phone and headphones causes the sound to be either too quiet or distorted, and this is on the developer menu.
Customization of sound quality and codecs
For audiophiles, an important aspect is the data codec used. Xiaomi smartphones usually support a wide range of codecs, including SBC, AAC, aptX, aptX HD and sometimes LDAC. Samsung headphones tend to use their own SSC (Samsung Seamless Codec) codecs when working with Samsung phones, but when connected to Xiaomi they switch to universal standards.
Most often, the connection will be established through the AAC codec, which provides good sound quality and acceptable latency. However, to verify this or try to activate more advanced codecs (if the hardware of the headphones and phone allows it), you can use the developer menu.
How to turn on the developer menu on Xiaomi?
In the developer menu, look for the Audio section and the Bluetooth Codec item. When you click on it, you'll see a list of available codecs. Choose the one that your headphones support (usually AAC or aptX).
It’s worth noting that using high-resolution codecs (like aptX HD) can increase power consumption and, as a result, reduce the battery life of headphones. If you listen to music through streaming services (Spotify, Yandex.Music) in standard quality, the difference between SBC and AAC will be almost indistinguishable to most users.
💡
To minimize the delay in games, try changing the Bluetooth audio backlog option to 100 ms or less in the developer menu if your codec supports it.
Features of the microphone and control
When using Samsung headphones with a Xiaomi phone, there may be small features in the microphone. The HFP (Hands-Free Profile) protocol, responsible for voice transmission, can work with different bitrates depending on the load of the radio channel.
Users sometimes note that when active noise cancellation (ANC) is used, voice quality can be reduced, because the headphone processor is busy processing external noise and resources for voice encoding are allocated on a residual basis, in which situations it is recommended to temporarily switch to “transparency” mode or turn off the ANC during important conversations.
Touch control configured through the Galaxy Wearable app should work correctly. You can switch tracks, receive calls and activate the Google Assistant with a touch of the headphone. However, calling the Bixby system assistant through a long press on Xiaomi will not work, since this service is tied to the Samsung ecosystem.
It's also important to mention the automatic pausing feature: The proximity sensors, which pause music when you take the earpiece out of your ear, work at the Firmware level of the headphones themselves and should function independently of the smartphone brand.
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For stable microphone operation in noisy places, use the “Ventination” mode or turn off the ANC to reduce the load on the headphone processor and improve voice transmission.