The situation when wireless headphones stop working as a single system is familiar to many owners of budget and medium audio equipment. Often users are faced with the fact that the left and right channel start playing music independently from each other, or one of them simply stays silent when connecting to a smartphone. This is due to the loss of synchronization between modules when they “forget” that they should work in pairs. Owners of Xiaomi Mi True Wireless Earbuds Basic, AirDots or Redmi Buds often look for a solution to this problem.
Reconnecting the headphones is a process that doesn't require you to go to a service center. In most cases, you just have to do a sequence of things to force the modules to pair, and the synchronization is done at the hardware level, so even if the smartphone "sees" the devices as two different sound sources, you can combine them again, and the key is to follow the algorithm of actions, because the timing of the taps is crucial here.
Before you start complex manipulations, make sure that the problem lies in the software failure, not in a dead battery. If one of the headphones is discharged to zero, it will not be able to enter pairing mode. It is also worth checking the contact areas for oxidation, since poor contact can simulate desynchronization. In this article, we will discuss all the ways to connect Xiaomi Earbuds headphones with each other, from standard methods to complete reset.
Reasons for desynchronization of headphones Xiaomi
Understanding the cause of a failure helps to avoid a recurrence of a failure in the future. Most often, the problem is that one of the headphones first connected to the phone, breaking communication with the "brother." Bluetooth protocol in such models often assumes that one headphone (master) transmits a signal to the second (slave), and the wizard already transcribes the sound from the smartphone. If this chain is broken, a dissynchron occurs.
Another common reason is software glitches in the smartphone operating system or the microcontroller itself inside the headphones. After updating the phone's firmware or installing new audio-control applications, the Bluetooth stack settings may change, and communication may be affected by interference from Wi-Fi routers or other wireless devices operating in the 2.4 GHz band.
Physical factors can also not be discounted. Moisture, a fall or just a strong battery discharge can cause the internal settings of the pairing mode to reset. Xiaomi Earbuds are sensitive to the quality of charging: if the case is discharged, the headphones may not have time to sync with each other at the time of extraction, trying to immediately connect to the last known phone.
Preparation for the connection procedure
Before any manipulations begin, you need to properly prepare the devices, which is a critical step that is often ignored, which leads to repeated errors. Make sure that both earbuds are sufficiently charged. Put them in the case for 10-15 minutes, even if the indicators are on. Stable voltage is necessary for successful pairing.
The second step is to clean the list of paired devices on your smartphone, find your device (e.g. Mi True Wireless EBs Basic) in your Bluetooth settings and select Forget Device or Delete, so that the phone stops trying to connect to the headphones using old, possibly flawed protocols during setup.
☑️ Preparing headphones for synchronization
It's also recommended that you turn off Bluetooth on all other devices nearby that have previously been connected to these headphones. If you have a tablet or a second phone with active Bluetooth, they can intercept the connection at the most inopportune moment, preventing the headphones from finding each other.
Standard Synchronization Procedure (Case Method)
The surest way to get Xiaomi and Redmi headphones to work in pairs again is to use the charging case as a reset tool.This method works for most models, including AirDots, Basic and Essential. First place both headphones in the case. Make sure they sit tightly in the sockets and the charging indicators (usually red) light up.
Now you have to remove both headphones from the case at the same time, and you have to do this quickly, literally in one second, so that they wake up together, if you take them out in turn, they may not have time to find each other and start looking for the phone, and after extracting them on both headphones, you should quickly blink the indicator (usually in white), signaling the search mode for a pair.
⚠️ Warning: If the indicators blink slowly or only on one earpiece, then the sync has not started. Return them to the case, close the lid for 5 seconds and try to remove again, but faster.
After the lights blink, wait 10 to 20 seconds without pressing anything, at which point the left and right channels must find each other, usually one stops blinking or changes the blinking frequency, which means successful creation of the internal network, only then you can turn on Bluetooth on the phone and search for the device.
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If standard extraction didn’t work, try leaving the headphones in a case with the lid open for 30 seconds, then closing the lid for 5 seconds and only then retrieving both at the same time.
The method of forced discharge (Hard Reset)
If simple synchronization doesn’t work, you need to perform a full Hard Reset, which returns the headphones to factory settings, erasing all memory of previous connections. For models without physical buttons (such as Mi True Wireless Earbuds Basic 2), resets are often done through prolonged retention of touch zones.
Place the headphones in the case, but don't close the lid. Press and hold the touchpads on both headphones at the same time. Hold it for about 20 to 30 seconds. The indicators should blink several times (usually red, then white), go out and catch fire again. This means that the reset was successful.
| Model headphones | Action for discharge | Indication of success | Retention time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mi True Wireless EBs Basic | Sensor retention 20 seconds | Blink 2 times | 20-25 seconds |
| Redmi AirDots | Sensor retention 15 seconds | Red indicator | 15-20 seconds |
| Mi True Wireless 2 | The button on the case | White flashing | 10 seconds. |
| Xiaomi FlipBuds | The button on the case | Orange light | 10 seconds. |
For models with a button on the case (such as Mi True Wireless Earphones 2), the procedure is simpler. Open the lid without removing the headphones, and press the button on the end or inside the case. Hold it for about 10 seconds until the indicator flashes orange or white. Then close the case and open it again for re-synchronization.
What if sensors don’t respond to touch?
Connection to the new device after setting up
Once the headphones have successfully connected (one stops blinking, the other continues), the connection to the smartphone begins. Turn on Bluetooth on your phone and start looking for new devices. Only one device with the name of your model should appear on the list. If you see two identical names, then the synchronization between the headphones has not gone, and you need to repeat the reset procedure.
Click on the name of the device to connect. Confirmation may be required during the connection process. Successful connection is usually accompanied by a voice message "Connected" or a characteristic audio signal. Now the audio stream must be transmitted to both channels evenly.
⚠️ Warning: Don't press the plug-in button on both headphones in the phone's Bluetooth list. Only connect to one device name. Trying to connect a second "independent" device will lead to conflict.
Check the sound. Turn on the music and check the balance. If there is sound in only one ear, check the balance settings in the smartphone itself (Settings -> Special features -> Hearing aids / Audio). Sometimes a software failure occurs on the Android or iOS side, not the headset.
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If two devices with the same name appear on the Bluetooth list, it's a sure sign that the headphones aren't paired together. You need to reset.
Solving problems with Xiaomi and Redmi models
Xiaomi’s different headphone lines may have their own features. For example, the Redmi Buds 3 or 4 Pro series often requires the use of Xiaomi Earbuds or Mi Home for full customization and flashing. If standard methods don’t work, try finding a firmware update through the app.
For active noise cancellation (ANC) models, synchronization problems can be related to calibrating the microphones, in which case it helps to completely discharge the case and headphones. Leave the case open with the headphones inside for 24 hours so that they are completely discharged, and then put on charging. This will restart the power controller.
If nothing helps, it's probably a hardware problem, and a common failure is a Bluetooth antenna in one of the headphones that fails after a fall, and then software methods like flashing or resetting will be useless, and a diagnostic at a service center is required.