Are your Xiaomi AirDots not connecting to each other, so only one earbud works? In this tutorial I show you how to reset both earbuds so they pair with each other again and work like new.
The Redmi Earbuds S, also known as the Redmi AirDots S, are affordable truly wireless earphones from Xiaomi. Despite the low price, Xiaomi markets them as full-featured earphones with a light design, a claimed 12-hour battery life, splash resistance and a low-latency gaming mode. In India they cost only about $24.
My story with this problem
One of my earbuds stopped connecting to the other one. I went to a Xiaomi store for help. They only pressed the buttons on the earbuds, then told me it was a manufacturing problem they could not fix. They also said the model was out of stock, so they offered me a refund instead.
I did not accept. With one earbud working and one not working, I spent a few hours figuring out how the pairing works, and I found a reset that fixed it.
How to fix AirDots not connecting to each other
Step 1: Prepare the earbuds and your phone
- Put the AirDots in the charging case and make sure they are charged.
- On your phone, open the Bluetooth settings and delete (forget) the AirDots.
Step 2: Take both earbuds out of the case
Take out both the left and the right earbud.
Step 3: Turn off both earbuds
Press and hold the button on each earbud for about 5 seconds, until you see the red light. Both earbuds are now off.
Step 4: Reset both earbuds
This step does two resets at once: it clears the stored Bluetooth devices and resets the connection between the two earbuds.
- Press and hold the buttons on both earbuds at the same time.
- Keep holding. The lights flash red after about 10 seconds and again after about 20 seconds.
- Do not release the buttons until you see the second flash. Then release them.
Watch the video and do exactly what I do. The timing is the most important part.
Step 5: Turn the earbuds on again
Press and hold the button on both earbuds for a few seconds (about 3 to 5 seconds) until they turn on. You can also put them back in the case and take them out again: they turn on automatically when you take them out.
Now check the lights:
- The right earbud blinks white.
- The left earbud shows no light.
This means the two earbuds are connected to each other, and the right earbud is waiting to connect to your phone.
Step 6: Connect the AirDots to your phone
Open Bluetooth on your phone, select your AirDots and pair them. Both earbuds should now play sound. Enjoy!
Note: It might be enough to reset only the left earbud, because in my case the left one had the connection problem. This is only my guess, so reset both earbuds to make sure it works.
FAQ
Why does only one AirDot work?
The two earbuds lost their connection to each other. The reset in Step 4 links them together again.
Do I need to pair the AirDots with my phone again after the reset?
Yes. The reset clears the stored Bluetooth devices, so you have to pair them with your phone again (Step 6).
On my YouTube channel you can also find my video “How to Connect Xiaomi Mi AirDots (Earbuds)”. Having pairing problems with other earbuds? See how to fix Buds 3 Pro not pairing or volume on one side only and Momentum 3 not pairing.
