Modern Android TVs and set-top boxes, such as the Xiaomi Mi TV Stick or Chromecast with Google TV, often cause confusion among users due to the similarity of names and technologies. When it comes to connecting a Chromecast to a Xiaomi TV Stick, it is important to clarify immediately: these devices do not connect to each other with cable or direct pairing like two independent gadgets. Xiaomi TV Stick is itself an analogue of Chromecast, already having a built-in signal reception (Cast) function over Wi-Fi.
By “connecting” in this context, it usually means configuring the Google Cast function from your smartphone to the TV screen where the console is inserted. You don’t need to buy a separate Chromecast if you already have a Xiaomi TV Stick, as it supports broadcast protocols natively. The setup process boils down to the correct configuration of the Wi-Fi network and installing the necessary intermediary applications such as Google Home.
In this guide, we’ll take a look at the nuances of how the Google ecosystem works on Xiaomi devices, how to activate the built-in receiver, what apps are needed to manage, and how to avoid common synchronization errors.
Understanding the architecture of Xiaomi and Google devices
The first step to a successful setup is to understand that the Xiaomi Mi TV Stick is running Android TV (or Google TV in newer versions), which means that Chromecast technology is built right into the hardware and the console software. You don’t need an external Chromecast device, since Xiaomi itself acts as a signal receiver.
Google Cast technology allows you to transfer content from a mobile device (smartphone, tablet) or laptop to a large screen. The protocol works over a local Wi-Fi network. This means that the quality of data transfer, picture resolution and lack of delays are directly dependent on the stability of your router and distance to it.
It is important to distinguish between two modes of operation: the first is the broadcast tab of the browser or the screen of the phone (Screen Mirroring); the second is the streaming of content from applications (YouTube, Netflix, Kinopoisk), where the phone acts only as a remote control, and the video is downloaded directly from the console from the Internet; the second option is preferable, since it less loads the smartphone and provides better image quality.
Necessary conditions for stable operation of Cast
Before you start software setup, you need to make sure that you meet a number of technical requirements, and ignoring these conditions often leads to devices “not seeing” each other or broadcasting is constantly interrupted, and the basis of stability is a single network space.
All devices involved – the smartphone (signal source) and Xiaomi TV Stick (receiver) – must be connected to the same Wi-Fi network. If you have a dual-band router, make sure both are on the same frequency (either both at 2.4GHz or both at 5GHz), although modern routers often combine them into a single network with the same name.
- 📡 Unified Wi-Fi network: The smartphone and console should be in the same network segment, without the use of guest modes or customer isolation (AP Isolation) on the router.
- 🔋 Power consoles: Xiaomi TV Stick must be connected to the outlet via the original power supply, not just to the power supply. USB-port of the TV to avoid power shortage for the Wi-Fi module.
- 📱 OS version: The smartphone should be installed the current version of Android or iOS, as well as the updated Google Home app.
⚠️ Note: If your router has Client Isolation enabled, devices on the Wi-Fi network will not be able to communicate with each other, and the console search will not be possible.
It’s also worth checking for system updates on the console itself. Go to Settings → About TV → System Updates and make sure the latest version of the software is installed. Often, security patches and Cast protocol improvements come with system updates.
☑️ Checking connection readiness
Setup through the Google Home app
The main tool for managing the smart home and broadcast ecosystem is the Google Home app, which is where the device is first identified and access rights are set up, and even if the console is already set up to watch TV, additional authorization may be required for the Cast feature.
Download and install the Google Home app on your smartphone (available from Google Play and the App Store). Sign in using the same Google account that is activated on your Xiaomi TV Stick. Account matching makes it easier to discover devices and sync settings.
Once you log in, it will automatically scan the network, and if you find the console, you'll see its card on the home screen, click on it to go to control, and you can change the device name (for example, rename Android TV 1234 to Living room), making it easier to choose a target for future broadcasts.
| Parameter | Description | Recommendation |
|---|---|---|
| Name of device | Displayed name in the list available for Cast | Use clear names by room. |
| Guest mode | Allows you to broadcast without connecting to Wi-Fi | Better to turn off for safety |
| Notifications | Alerts on the TV screen when incoming calls | Turn off so that the film is not interrupted. |
| Equallizer | Audio output setting | Choose depending on the audio system |
In the settings section of the device inside Google Home, look for Speech Recognition or Cast. Make sure that permissions to access the microphone and LAN are issued. Without that, the smartphone may not physically "see" the console in the list of available devices for broadcasting.
💡
Rename your device to Google Home right after you set it up. Titles like "Xiaomi Stick 4K" are harder to find quickly on the list than "Kitchen TV" when you need to run a video urgently.
Broadcasting the screen and content from a smartphone
Once you've set up successfully, you can move to practical use. There are two main scenarios: streaming content from specific applications (YouTube, Netflix) and completely duplicating your smartphone screen (Screen Mirroring), depending on your goals.
To stream videos from apps (YouTube, Twitch, online cinemas), open the video on your smartphone and find the Cast icon (rectangle with waves in the corner). Click on it and select your Xiaomi TV Stick from the list. The video will play on the TV, and the phone can be used as a remote or turn off the screen without interrupting the viewing.
If you want to show a photo gallery, presentation or website that is not in the app format, use the screen duplication feature. On Android smartphones, this feature can be called Translation, Smart View (Samsung), or Screen Transfer. The Google Home app also has a button to Translate the screen in the device card.
⚠️ Attention: When you duplicate the entire screen of your smartphone, the image on your TV will repeat the orientation of your phone. If you hold the phone vertically, there will be black stripes on the sides of the TV.
It's important to remember latency. When you duplicate the screen, the delay between the action on the phone and the display on TV can be between 0.5 and 2 seconds. This is normal for Wi-Fi protocol, but makes it impossible to use the phone as a game controller in dynamic games.
Why is there no sound when broadcasting the screen?
Using Chrome browser for broadcasting from PC
Xiaomi TV Stick devices work well not only with smartphones, but also with computers. If you have Google Chrome on your PC or laptop, you can easily display any tab or entire desktop on your TV.
Open the Chrome browser on your computer. Make sure your computer is connected to the same Wi-Fi network as the console. Click on the three dots in the upper right corner of the browser and select Translate... (Cast.) The browser will scan the network and suggest available devices.
Chrome Menu (Three Dots) → Save and Share → Broadcast...In the window that opens, you can choose whether to stream the current tab, the entire screen, or the specific window of the app. After selecting the source, click on the name of your Xiaomi TV Stick console. The image will appear on the TV.
- 🖥️ Tab: only broadcasts the contents of one browser tab, convenient for displaying websites or videos from web resources.
- 💻 Full screen: Shows everything that happens on a computer monitor, suitable for presentations or program demonstrations.
- 📁 File: Allows you to select a specific video file or hard disk photo for playback on TV.
To stop the broadcast, just click on the Cast icon in the browser again and choose Stop, or just close the tab if it was broadcast, the quality of the picture in this mode depends on the power of your Wi-Fi router.
💡
Broadcasting through the Chrome browser is the perfect way to show content from your computer without having to plug in HDMI-cable, but requires a stable 5GHz signal for high resolution.
Solving Connection Problems and Errors
Despite the technology’s fine-tuning, users may face challenges, and often the problem lies not with the Xiaomi TV Stick itself, but with network settings or app cache. Below are solutions for the most common scenarios.
If the console doesn't appear on the list of available devices, try rebooting the router.This is a banal but often working tip that clears the table. ARP-Addresses and updates DHCP-leases, allowing devices to "see" each other again. MAC-address.
Another common problem is desynchronization of sound and video, or constant buffering, which is a direct sign of a lack of channel bandwidth. Try switching your router to a 5GHz channel if it supports dual-band, and move the router closer to the TV.
⚠️ Warning: Antivirus programs and firewalls on your computer can block incoming connections from Chromecast.If PC broadcasts don't work, temporarily disable protection or add an exception for Google Chrome app and Cast service.
In some cases, cleaning the cache of the Google Play Services app on the console itself helps. Go to Settings → Apps → Show all apps → Google Play Services → Clear the cache. Don’t confuse it with Clear Data, as this will reset your account settings.