Xiaomi confirms new HyperOS 3 update causes total silence on some devices

The Redmi Pad 2 has long been a popular choice for those after a reliable and affordable way of consuming their multimedia content. Unfortunately, a recent software update has left many owners of this tablet completely mute, literally, with news of a critical sound bug beginning to emerge.

I’ve been monitoring user responses to the latest update, and it would seem that the problem is prevalent enough to draw the notice of Xiaomi’s official team. Chances are, if you’ve been frantically hitting the volume buttons or rebooting your tablet to no avail, you’re not alone.

TL;DR

Device affected: Redmi Pad 2 (Global and Regional variants).
Buggy Version: OS3.0.1.0.WOVMIXM
The Issue: Complete loss of audio output through the internal speakers.
Official Fix Status: Xiaomi has acknowledged the bug and is working on a patch.

What is the Redmi Pad 2 Audio Bug?

The problem particularly affects users with Xiaomi HyperOS version OS3.0.1.0.WOVMIXM. As has been widely observed, once this particular build has been installed, the speakers just won’t work anymore. Though there have been attempts by users to perform a factory reset, this particular problem appears to run quite deep within the system’s sound drivers with this particular version of the software.

Such “silent” bugs have also manifested themselves in the past during major transitions for the OS, but for such a device that has its primary functionality in playing videos and making calls, such a “pain point” for the community would be quite substantial. Xiaomi has already officially announced that they are “currently working on a fix.”

Is There a Temporary Solution?

As we wait for the official OTA update to fix the issue, some of us have noted that we can actually continue to play using Bluetooth headphones as well as using the USB-C port to listen to audio. This is an indication that the bug is not affecting the entire audio processing unit of the tablet.

What we suggest is that users refrain from trying to “roll back” their firmware unless they know what they’re getting themselves into with bootloader unlocking. In the meantime, keep an eye on your System Updates page for the hotfix, which will probably be called “Stability Improvement.”

Xiaomi usually starts working quickly once the bug has been “acknowledged” in their tracking system. A polished version of Xiaomi HyperOS should be released in the next two weeks to resolve the conflict with the speaker driver. Meanwhile, we recommend keeping an eye on the MemeOS Enhancer app. It may occur that the update of the individual system app (for example, Xiaomi Audio Settings or Media Editor) may come through before the update of the whole system.