Modern Xiaomi and Redmi smartphones have powerful multimedia functionality, allowing you to display an image on a large TV screen in seconds. Chromecast built-in technology (formerly known as Google Cast) is built directly into the shell of MIUI and HyperOS, making the broadcast process as easy as possible for the user. You do not need to buy additional consoles or cables if your TV also supports this technology or is equipped with Android TV.
However, despite the apparent simplicity, owners often face connection problems, audio desynchronization or lack of visibility of devices on the network. This is due to the peculiarities of setting up the router, application versions or the specifics of the energy-saving modes in Xiaomi smartphones. In this article, we will discuss in detail how to use the built-in cast, how to connect an external Chromecast to the phone and what nuances should be considered for stable operation.
We're not just going to look at basic YouTube or Netflix use cases, but also more complex tasks like mirroring the entire screen or streaming Chrome tabs. Understanding the protocol's workings will allow you to enjoy high-resolution content without delays and compression artifacts.
What is Chromecast and how does it work on Xiaomi?
Google Cast technology (often called Chromecast) is a multimedia content protocol developed by Google. Unlike simple screen mirroring (Miracast), where the phone simply streams its display video stream, the Cast works differently. The smartphone acts as a remote control: it sends the TV a link to the content, and the TV downloads the video from the Internet on its own.
This key difference ensures high picture quality, as the load falls on the TV's processor, not the phone. Xiaomi's battery is minimally consumed, and you can fold an app or even answer a call without interrupting playback on the big screen. The protocol runs over a local Wi-Fi network, providing a stable connection between devices.
On Xiaomi devices, support for this technology is built into the system level, which means that you do not need to install separate drivers, but to work correctly, you need both devices — a smartphone and a TV (or console) — to be on the same subnet and use the same Google account to sync some of the features.
⚠️ Attention: Chromecast is critical to turn off customer isolation on the router. If this feature is active, devices on the Wi-Fi network will not “see” each other, and the broadcast button will not appear.
Preparation of equipment and Wi-Fi network
Before you start setting up, make sure your hardware is ready to go. The main success factor is a stable Wi-Fi network. The Cast protocol is sensitive to signal quality, especially when streaming video to 4K. If the router is far from the TV or smartphone, buffering and desynchronization can occur.
It’s recommended to use the 5GHz band if your devices support it.It provides the higher bandwidth needed for streaming video, though it has a smaller range compared to 2.4GHz. Make sure your Xiaomi is connected to exactly the network the TV is connected to.
Also worth checking for system updates on your smartphone. In the Settings menu → About your phone, make sure you have the current version of MIUI or HyperOS installed. Google regularly updates the components of Google Play Services that are responsible for the broadcast feature.
- 📡 Make sure your smartphone and TV are connected to the same Wi-Fi network (SSID).
- 🔄 Update Google Home and Google Play Services to the latest version.
- 🔋 Turn off the power saving mode for the setup time so that the system does not block background processes.
- 📶 Check the Wi-Fi signal: it should be sure on both devices.
Set up the built-in Chromecast (Google Cast)
Using the built-in feature doesn't require much preparation. Most modern apps like YouTube, Netflix, Spotify and VK Video have native protocol support. You don't have to configure anything on the phone's menu other than Wi-Fi and Bluetooth enabled (Bluetooth is needed for initial device detection).
The broadcast process is standardized. Open the content app, find the broadcast icon (a rectangle with waves in the corner) and select the target device from the list. If the device is not displayed, check if the TV is not on Guest Network or similar restrictions.
☑️ Checklist before broadcast launch
In some cases, especially on global versions of Xiaomi firmware, you may need to allow access to the local network. When you first run a broadcast application, the system may request permission to search for devices on the local network — be sure to confirm this request. Without this, the application will not be able to send a command to the TV.
If you use third-party video players like VLC or MX Player, the Cast feature is also available via the playback menu. In VLC, you need to click on the screen icon at the top, select Rendering and find your TV. This allows you to play files stored in the smartphone memory or on the network storage (NAS).
Use of an external Chromecast device
If your TV doesn’t support Smart TV or runs on an outdated system, you can use Google Chromecast (like a Google TV model) to connect to a Xiaomi smartphone via the Google Home app, which you need to download from the Play Market.
The initial setup process requires you to turn on Bluetooth on your phone. Open Google Home, click + and select Set up your device. The app will automatically find a new console. You will need to confirm the code that appeared on your TV screen and configure your Wi-Fi connection.
| Parameter | Built-in Cast (Smart TV) | External Chromecast | Miracast (Translation) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Signal source | Internet (online) | Internet (online) | Phone screen |
| Battery consumption | Low. | Low. | High-pitched |
| Video quality | Up to 4K HDR | Up to 4K HDR | Depends on the phone. |
| Management | Remote/Telephone | Remote/Telephone | Just a phone. |
Once set up, the external Chromecast becomes part of the Google Home ecosystem, so you can create groups of devices to stream music to multiple speakers or TVs in different rooms. For Xiaomi, this works steadily, as Android provides deep integration with Google services.
What to do if the external Chromecast is warm?
Screen Mirroring (Screen Mirroring)
Sometimes you need to display a smartphone image on your TV, like a presentation, a photo from a gallery that doesn't support Cast, or a game interface. This uses the Cast feature in Xiaomi's system settings, which is based on the Miracast protocol, but is often integrated into the same menu as Google Cast.
To start mirroring, lower the notification curtain and find the "Translation" icon (or "Cast"). If it's not there, click on the pencil (button editing) and add it. The system will start looking for available receivers. Choose your TV or console from the list.
It’s important to understand the difference: when mirroring, the phone encodes the video stream in real time and sends it to TV. This puts a strain on the Xiaomi processor and can lead to input lag. This method is not suitable for games, since the reaction to touch will be delayed.
- 📱 Open "Settings» → «Connected devices» → «Broadcasting».
- 🔍 Turn on the "Enable" switch in the top corner of the screen.
- 📺 Select the device from the list of available (Mi) TV, Android TV etc.d).
- ⏹ To stop, click the “Disable” button or physical button on the TV remote.
⚠️ Warning: When broadcasting the screen, notifications, messages and incoming calls will be visible on the big screen. Enable Do Not Disturb mode in advance to hide personal information from prying eyes.
Problem Solving and Optimization
The most common problem is that the phone can't see the TV, and 90 percent of the time, it's because the devices are connected to different frequencies on the router (guest network) or different routers on the mesh system, unless you're roaming. Reconnect both devices to the main SSID network.
Another common issue is audio and video desynchronization, which is often treated by rebooting the router as the data buffer is overflowing, and try to lower the broadcast quality in the application settings (for example, from 4K to 1080p) if the communication channel is unstable.
💡
If the broadcast is constantly interrupted, try to fix static in the router settings IP-address (DHCP Reservation for phone and TV: This will prevent address conflicts and improve connection stability.
On Xiaomi smartphones, an aggressive power saving system can “kill” the background broadcast process if you fold the app. Go to Settings → Apps → Google Play Services → Autostart and allow work in the background, and also remove battery restrictions.
In rare cases, network resets help. Go to Settings → Connection and Sharing → Reset Wi-Fi, mobile network and Bluetooth.This action will remove stored Wi-Fi passwords, but often resolves deep software conflicts of network modules.
💡
The stability of Chromecast is 80% dependent on the quality of the router’s configuration and the absence of IP-address conflicts, not the power of the smartphone.