Cat Controls on Xiaomi: How to Disable and Remove Completely

If you are a lucky owner of a TV or other Xiaomi device with an operating system MIUI TV Google TV, You may have noticed a strange feature called Cat Controls, which is an option designed to protect the screen from accidental pet taps, often activated spontaneously or after firmware updates. As a result, users are faced with blocking part of the gestures, delays in the remote response or even the complete inability to control the TV through the touch panels.

The problem is compounded by the fact that in some Xiaomi models (for example, Mi). TV Q2 2023 or Redmi Smart TV X) Cat Controls is integrated at the kernel level and does not have a clear switch in standard settings, which leads to confusion: users search for a solution in the "Security" or "Special features" menu, but do not find the desired options there. In this article, we’ll break down all the current ways to disable Cat Controls – from official methods to hidden commands for power users.

What is Cat Controls and Why You Should Turn It Off

The Cat Controls feature was first introduced by Xiaomi in 2021 as part of an initiative to improve the user experience for pet owners, the idea being to ignore the random touches of a screen or remote, caused by, for example, a cat walking on the touchpad. However, in practice, the algorithm often works falsely, perceiving the user's usual gestures as "cat interference."

The main problems faced by users:

• 🐱 Delayed response of the remote control to 2-3 seconds when switching channels
• 🎮 Block swipes (horizontal/vertical gestures) in the menu
• 🔄 Unintentional return to the main menu during viewing
• 🚫 Inability to use game controllers (e.g., Xiaomi Game Controller)

Especially hard feature interferes with the owners of Xiaomi Mi Box S and Mi TV Stick, where the touch panels are most sensitive. According to Xiaomi's internal documentation, Cat Controls analyzes pattern motion and force of pressing, but the learning algorithm often fails, mistaking human actions for animals.

Official way to disconnect through settings

If your Xiaomi device is released after 2022 (e.g. Mi) TV Q2 75" or "Redmi Smart" TV A Pro, then the Cat Controls function may have a separate switch in the menu:

1. Open the Settings. → All settings → System and device
2. Select Additional Settings → Special facilities
3. Scroll down to Interaction with the Screen
4. Find Cat Controls (or Animal Protection) and turn off the slider.

On some firmware (e.g, MIUI TV 3.0) the function may be hidden under another name:

• 🛡️ Pet Mode (Pet Mode) (Pet Pet Mode)
• 🐾 Touch Filter (Touch Filter)
• 🖱️ Accidental Touch Protection (Accidental Touch Protection)

If you don’t have these items on your menu, it means one of two things:

⚠️ Attention: On devices with Google TV (for example, Xiaomi TV A2 4K) Cat Controls is managed via Android TV Settings, not MIUI. Try the way: Settings → The device → Screen and sound → Additionally. → Protection against accidental pressing.

Hidden Disconnection Methods for Power Users

If the standard method didn't work, you'd have to use hidden commands or an engineering menu, and these methods need to be careful, because the wrong actions can cause the system to crash. We recommend you back up your settings first through Settings. → System system → Backup.

Method 1: ADB (Android Debug Bridge)

This is a universal way for Android devices TV (including Xiaomi Mi Box and Mi TV You will need a computer with drivers installed. ADB and the debugging on USB TV-wise.

1. Activate Developer Mode: Go to Settings → About TV and 7 times click on the Assembly Number
2. Back to Settings → Additionally. → Developer settings and enable debugging by USB
3. Connect the TV to the PC via USB-port and execute in the command line:

adb shell settings put global cat_controls_enabled 0


adb shell settings put global accidental_touch_protection 0

After you execute the commands, restart the device (adb shell reboot). If the function does not turn off, try an alternative command:

adb shell am broadcast -a android.intent.action.CAT_CONTROLS_DISABLE

Method 2: Engineering menu (only for the MIUI TV)

On Xiaomi TVs with firmware MIUI TV (Like Mi. TV 4S or Mi TV 5 Pro) you can use a hidden engineering menu:

1. On the remote, press sequentially: Menu → Settings → All Settings → General
2. Enter the code: ↑↑↓↓←→←→↑↑ (like Konami games)
3. In the menu, select Touch Panel Settings.
4. Find the Cat Mode setting and set the Disabled value

⚠️ Warning: Do not change other options in the engineering menu unless you are sure of their purpose. TP Firmware or Calibration Data may cause the remote touch panel to fail.

Disable Cat Controls on Specific Xiaomi Models

The algorithm for Cat Controls may vary depending on the device model and firmware version, and here are the current instructions for popular Xiaomi devices.

For devices on Google TV (for example, Xiaomi TV A Pro) may require additional disabling of com.google.android.tv.touchfilter. ADB:

adb shell pm disable-user --user 0 com.google.android.tv.touchfilter

💡

If after disabling Cat Controls, the remote still works incorrectly, try resetting it: press the Home buttons. + Menu for 10 seconds until the indicator blinks 3 times.

Frequent mistakes and their solutions

When you try to disable Cat Controls, users often face typical problems, and let's look at the most common ones and how to fix them.

Error 1: Cat Controls option is not on the menu

If you don’t find the appropriate item in the settings, it could mean:

• 🔍 Function hidden by the manufacturer (solution: use) ADB)
• 📱 The device does not support Cat Controls (check the model in the table above)
• 🔄 Firmware is outdated (update the system through Settings) → On TV. → Update of the PO)

Mistake 2: ADB-teams are not working

If you see a device unauthorized message or no devices/emulators found, follow the following steps:

1. Check if the debugging is included USB TV-wise
2. Make sure the drivers ADB Installed on PC (download Platform Tools)
3. Reconnect. USB-cable USB 2.0 (not 3.0!)
4. In the command line, execute: adb kill-server, then adb start-server.

Error 3: The function is activated after restarting

On some devices (e.g., Mi) TV P1) Cat Controls is activated automatically every time you turn on, and this is linked to the com.xiaomi.mitv.petmode service, to shut it down forever:

adb shell pm uninstall --user 0 com.xiaomi.mitv.petmode


adb shell pm disable-user --user 0 com.xiaomi.mitv.touchprotect

⚠️ Note: Removal of system services through ADB This can cause the TV to work unstable. Before executing commands, back up through Settings. → System system → Backup and reset.

💡

On Google devices TV (for example, Xiaomi TV A2) Cat Controls can be linked to a Google account, and after resetting, it can return if you log in to the same account.

Alternative solutions if Cat Controls is not disabled

If none of the above methods worked, consider alternative approaches, which are less elegant but often help to regain full control of the device.

Method 1: Using a third-party remote

Some remote controls are not affected by Cat Controls, such as:

• 🎮 Gaming controllers (e.g. Xbox Wireless Controller or DualSense)
• 📱 Bluetooth remotes (e.g. Xiaomi Mi Remote or Logitech Harmony)
• 🖱️ Wireless mice/keyboards (connected via USB-receiver)

To connect a third-party remote:

1. Go to Settings. → Devices → Bluetooth
2. Activate Search Mode and Connect the Device
3. In the management settings (Settings) → Remote and accessories) choose the connected remote as the main

Method 2: Reverse the firmware

If Cat Controls came up after the system update, you can return the previous firmware version.

1. Download the necessary firmware version from the official Xiaomi website (Support section)
2. Copy the file. update.zip on USB-storage device FAT32)
3. Connect the flash drive to the TV and go to Settings → On TV. → Update of the PO → Local Update
4. Select the file and confirm the rollback

Note that rolling back the firmware will reset all settings to factory settings. Save important data (such as channel list or audio settings) before the procedure.

Method 3: Physically locking sensors

If software methods don’t work, you can physically block sensors that cause false positives.

• 🧲 Stick a thin metal foil on the IR receiver of the remote (without completely closing)
• 📏 Use a cover for a remote with a magnetic fixator
• 🔌 Turn off the touchpad on your TV (if any) via the engineering menu

Prevention: How to Avoid Cat Controls Re-enabled

Even after a successful shutdown, the function can be activated again. To avoid this, follow these recommendations:

• 🔄 Turn off automatic firmware updates in Settings → On TV. → Update of the PO
• 📵 Do not connect your TV to your Xiaomi account if you have previously activated the feature through the cloud
• 🛠️ Check the active services list regularly ADB: adb shell dumpsys package | grep "cat\|pet\|touch"
• 📋 Back up your settings after you turn off the feature (to quickly restore them after you reset)

If you are using Xiaomi Mi Box or Mi TV Stick, add to the build.prop file (via ADB) next line:

persist.sys.cat_controls.disable=1

This will block automatic activation of the function at the system level.

For Google owners TV-devices (e.g. Xiaomi) TV A2) Disable the Android Accessibility Suite, which sometimes conflicts with Cat Controls:

adb shell pm disable-user --user 0 com.google.android.accessibility.switchaccess

FAQ: Frequent questions about Cat Controls on Xiaomi