How to Show Photos on Xiaomi TV: Everything from Mi TV to Redmi Smart TV

Do you want to showcase family shots on the big screen, but don’t know how to quickly and without loss of quality transfer them from your phone or computer to your Xiaomi TV? This problem is familiar to many owners of Mi TV, Redmi Smart TV or models of the A series. Fortunately, modern Xiaomi TVs support several ways of displaying images – from wireless technology to classic cable connection.

In this article, we will discuss all the current methods of photo transfer, including nuances for different generations of TVs (from Mi TV 4 to Xiaomi TV Q2 2023), you will learn how to use the built-in features of Mi Share, Google Cast, as well as third-party applications like Send Files to TV. Particular attention will be paid to solving typical problems - why TV does not see a flash drive, how to fix the error "Format is not supported" and what to do if the photos are displayed in low resolution.

1. Wireless transmission via Mi Share (for Xiaomi smartphones)

The easiest way for owners of Xiaomi, Redmi or POCO smartphones is to use Mi Share’s proprietary technology. It works on the Wi-Fi Direct protocol, which allows you to transfer files without connecting to the router. Transfer speeds up to 10 MB / s, and most importantly, you do not need to install additional applications.

To take advantage of Mi Share:

• 📱 Open the Gallery on your smartphone, select photos and click "Share".
• 🔄 In the list of options, select Mi Share (or "Fast Transfer" on new versions). MIUI).
• 📺 On Xiaomi TV, go to Settings → Connection and sharing → Mi Share and activate the function.
• 🔗 Wait for the devices to detect each other and confirm the connection on both screens.

⚠️ Note: Xiaomi TVs older than 2019 release (Mi) TV 4A, Mi TV 4C) Mi Share may not be available, in which case use alternative methods from the following sections.

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If Mi Share doesn't find the TV, restart both devices and make sure your smartphone is on Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, sometimes with a temporary VPN shutdown.

2.Using Google Cast (Chromecast) for Android and iOS

Xiaomi’s Android TVs (starting with the Mi TV 4S and later) support Google Cast technology, which allows you to broadcast the screen of a smartphone or tablet. This method is universal – it works for both Android and iPhone/iPad devices.

Instructions for Android:

1. Make sure that your TV and smartphone are connected to the same Wi-Fi network.
2. Open the Google Photos app or Gallery, select a photo.
3. Click on the broadcast icon (📡) Choose your Xiaomi TV from the list.

For iOS:

• 📱 Install the Google Home app from the App Store.
• 🔧 In the settings of the TV, activate the settings → Connection and sharing → Chromecast.
• 🖼️ In the Google Photos app, click "Translate" and select your TV.

⚠️ Note: When streaming through Google Cast, you can slow down the scrolling of photos on Xiaomi TVs with an Amlogic processor S905 (Mi model TV 4A, Mi TV 4X). To avoid lags, reduce the resolution of photos to 1920×1080 beforehand.

3. Connection through USB-drive-storage

The classic method that works on all Xiaomi TV models, including the old Mi TV 3 and Mi Box, will require a flash drive or an external drive with a FAT32 or exFAT file system (NTFS is not supported on all models).

Step-by-step:

1. Copy photos on a flash drive (recommended image format: JPEG, PNG, BMP).
2. Connect the drive to USB-TV port (usually located on the side or back).
3. On the remote, press the Home button, then select File Manager. → USB-device.
4. Go to the photo folder and click Enter to view.

*NTFS is read-only. File writing is only possible on FAT32/exFAT.

4. Broadcast from a computer (Windows, macOS, Linux)

If the photos are stored on a laptop or PC, they can be streamed to a Xiaomi TV in several ways: via DLNA, Miracast or direct HDMI connection.

Method 1: Local Area Network (DLNA)

• 🖥️ On your computer, enable sharing of the photo folder (Folder properties) → Access. → Sharing in Windows).
• 📺 On the TV, open the File Manager → Local Network and Select Your PC.

Method 2: Miracast (wireless display)

1. Press Win + K on the keyboard and select your Xiaomi TV.
2. On TV, confirm the connection in the Settings menu → Screen → Wireless display.

⚠️ Note: Miracast may allow you to display edge-cut photos due to differences in the aspect ratio. To avoid this, change the resolution of your PC beforehand. 1920×1080 (60 Hz).

5. Cloud services: Google Photos, Mi Cloud, Yandex Drive

If the photos are stored in the cloud, you can open them directly on your Xiaomi TV without any additional devices.

1. Install the Google Photos app or Yandex Drive from Google Play on your TV.
2. Log in to your account.
3. Select an album or folder with photos to view.

🔹 Advantages of the method:

• 🌍 Access to photos from any device.
• 🔄 Automatic synchronization of new images.
• 📁 The opportunity to create a shared album for the family.

🔹 Deficiencies:

• ⚠️ Requires a stable Internet connection (minimum 5 Mbps for Full) HD).
• 💾 Free storage (15 GB in Google Photos, 10 GB in Yandex Drive).

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Cloud services are the best choice for regular photo viewing, but are not suitable for high-resolution (4K) displays due to internet speed limitations.

Direct HDMI connection (for professional photographers)

If you want to show the photos in the best possible quality (for example, RAW-Camera files, the best option is to connect your laptop or computer to your Xiaomi TV via cable HDMI. This method guarantees:

• 🎨 Precise color reproduction (support) HDR10, Dolby Vision on new models).
• 🖥️ Ability to use professional programs (Lightroom, Photoshop).
• ⚡ Minimal latency (important for music slideshow).

How to connect:

1. Connect your laptop and TV with an HDMI cable (version 2.0 or later is recommended).
2. On the Xiaomi remote, click the Input (or Source) button and select HDMI.
3. On your laptop, press Win + P and select the Second Screen Only mode.

⚠️ Note: On Xiaomi TVs with resolution 4K (Mi TV Q1, Xiaomi TV A Pro) when connected via HDMI You may need to manually adjust the resolution in the PC graphics settings:

Resolution: 3840×2160 (4K UHD)


Frequency: 60 Hz




Color mode: RGB (full range)

7. Solving typical problems when displaying photos

Even with the right connection, users are experiencing errors, and here are the most common ways to fix them:

🔧 Additional advice:

• 🔄 If Xiaomi TV does not see the smartphone through Mi Share, update the TV firmware to the latest version (Settings) → On TV. → Updating the system).
• 📶 For stable Wi-Fi broadcast, use 5 GHz (less loaded than 2.4 GHz).
• 🖼️ To prevent the photos from being cut, select Screen Settings in the TV settings → Image format → By screen size.

FAQ: Frequent questions about viewing photos on Xiaomi TV