How to turn on the radio on your Xiaomi phone with wireless headphones: 3 proven ways

Listening to the radio through a Xiaomi smartphone with wireless headphones is a task that at first glance seems simple, but often raises questions among users. FM-Radio on modern devices requires wired wire as an antenna, and Bluetooth headphones work differently. In this article, we will examine all the available ways, from built-in functions to third-party applications, that will allow you to enjoy your favorite radio stations without unnecessary hassle.

It is important to understand that not all Xiaomi models support the FM-For example, flagship devices (such as Xiaomi 13 Ultra or Mi 11) often lack this chip, whereas budget series (Redmi Note 12) are often devoid of this chip, POCO M5) We'll give you a detailed look at how to check for a module and what alternatives to use if you don't have one, and we'll also tell you why sometimes radio only works with wired headphones, and how to get around this limitation.

If you've tried to turn on your radio through a standard app and you've encountered a "Plug on your headphones" error, don't despair. There is a solution, and it doesn't require root rights or complex manipulations. Next, you'll find step-by-step instructions with illustrations, a comparison table of radio listening apps, and answers to frequent questions, such as why the radio isn't catching the station or how to improve signal quality.

1. Verification of support FM-radio on your Xiaomi

Before you try to turn on the radio, make sure your Xiaomi smartphone is equipped at all. FM-Even if you have a radio app on the menu, it doesn't guarantee hardware support -- some models emulate the feature via Internet streaming.

To check for a chip, follow the following steps:

• 🔍 Go to Settings. → The phone. → Full specification (or all parameters).
• 📡 Scroll down and find the Wireless Networks or Network section «FM-radio - chip is there.
• 🛠️ Install the app CPU-Z from Google Play and go to the "Sensors" tab. Availability of a paragraph «FM Receiver confirms support.

If your model is not equipped FM-With a chip (e.g. Xiaomi 12 Pro or Black Shark 5), move on to alternative ways to listen to radio over the Internet. MIUI for Europe) may be blocked FM-function due to legal restrictions.

2. Enabling the radio through the standard application (if any) FM-chip)

If you support Xiaomi FM-The easiest way to do this is to use the built-in app, but there's a caveat: the default radio requires wired headphones (they act as an antenna), but with a little trick, you can make it work with Bluetooth headphones.

Instructions:

1. Connect any wired headphones to the smartphone (even faulty ones, the main thing is a 3.5 mm connector or Type-C).
2. Open the Radio app (usually in the Tools folder or on the home screen).
3. Wait for the app to find the stations (automatic search may be required).
4. Without disabling the wired headphones, activate Bluetooth and connect the wireless headphones.
5. In the Radio app, click on the speaker icon (or “Sound Out”) and select your Bluetooth headphones.
6. Now you can disconnect the wired headphones – the radio will continue to work through wireless.

Note: On some models (e.g. Redmi) 9A) If you turn off the wired headphones, the radio may be interrupted, in which case repeat the steps or use the method with NextRadio.

3.Using NextRadio to work without wired headphones

NextRadio is one of the few apps that can activate. FM-chip without wired headphones. It supports most Xiaomi models with FM-module (e.g. Redmi Note 10, POCO X3) It allows you to output sound directly to Bluetooth headphones.

How to set up:

• 📥 Download NextRadio from Google Play (link: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.nextradio.app).
• 🔊 Allow access to microphone and location (need to determine nearby stations).
• 🎧 Connect Bluetooth headphones and select them as the audio output device in the application settings.
• 🔍 Click "Search Stations" - the application will find the available frequencies even without wired headphones.

NextRadio only works on hardware devices FM-If the app is writing «FM not supported, your model is not equipped with a module.

4. Alternative methods: Internet radio and streaming

If your Xiaomi is not supported FM-radio (or you're in a low-signal zone), the best way to do that is to use Internet radio:

• 🌍 Access to thousands of stations from around the world.
• 🎧 Works on any headphones (wired, Bluetooth, TWS).
• 📶 It does not depend on hardware support FM.
• 🔄 Ability to pause and rewind (in some applications).

The best apps to listen to Internet radio on Xiaomi:

To save traffic, use lower stream quality in your app settings. For example, in TuneIn Radio, you can choose a bitrate of 64 kbit / s instead of 128 kbit / s - the difference in sound is minimal, and traffic is reduced by half.

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If you often listen to radio in subways or places with poor internet, download your favorite stations offline (if the app supports this feature).

5. Problem Solving: Radio is not working or catching stations

If you followed the instructions but the Xiaomi radio refuses to work with Bluetooth headphones, check out the following points:

⚠️ Attention: On some firmware MIUI (particularly Chinese) FM-radio disabled at system level. Try switching to global or European version of the software via Settings → The phone. → System Update (select region «EEA» or "Global»).

• 🔋 Battery charge below 15%: FM-The chip can shut down to save power.
• 📶 Weak signal: Try moving closer to the window or going outside. In cities, radio waves are screened by buildings.
• 🔄 Application Failure: Clear the Radio cache in Settings → Annexes → Application management → Radio. → Warehouse → Clear the cache.
• 🛠️ Bluetooth conflict: Disable and reconnect the headphones, then restart the Radio app».

If the radio finds the station but the sound is interrupted or distorted:

• Check if the power saving mode is on, which can limit the performance of the chip.
• Make sure the headphones support the codec. SBC or AAC (Most Xiaomi models use them by default).
• Update the firmware of the headphones through the Mi Home app or Xiaomi Earbuds.

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If the radio was working before, but Suddenly stopped catching the station, the reason may be an update. MIUI. Recoiling to a previous firmware version often solves the problem (but requires unlocking the bootloader).

6.Sound optimization: how to improve radio quality

Sounding FM-Xiaomi radio via Bluetooth headphones can be frustrating due to noise or weak bass:

• 🎛️ Set up the equalizer: In the Radio or Mi Sound Enhancer app (available on Google Play), select the preset Rock or Pop – this will raise the average frequencies where radio normally broadcasts.
• 🔊 Activate Mi Super Bass (for Xiaomi headphones): In Bluetooth settings, find your headphone model and turn on the option “Improving Bass».
• 📡 Use an external antenna: If the signal is weak, bring a piece of wire long to the smartphone ~75 cm (you can use cable from old headphones) This will increase the reception.

For Internet radio:

• In the application settings (e.g. TuneIn), select the maximum stream quality (192 kbps or 320 kbps if available).
• Connect to a 5GHz Wi-Fi network instead of 2.4GHz, which will reduce latency and improve stability.

7. Comparison of methods: which method to choose

To decide how to listen to the radio on your Xiaomi with Bluetooth headphones, use this table:

If you want autonomy (for example, for trips outside the city), choose the right option. FM-Radio via NextRadio, and for home use, high-bitrate Internet radio is best. And if you often listen to specific stations (e.g. Europe Plus or Autoradio), pay attention to their official apps – they often offer additional features (e.g. track history).

Frequently asked questions