How to use the stream on Xiaomi: a detailed guide

Xiaomi’s modern smartphones have long since ceased to be just callers, becoming powerful multimedia centers. The ability to display images from the phone screen to a large TV or monitor display opens new horizons for watching movies, showing presentations or mobile gaming. The broadcast feature, also known as Miracast or Wi-Fi Display, is built into the shell of MIUI and HyperOS by default, but is often hidden from the eyes of the average user.

The process of synchronizing devices does not require the purchase of expensive cables or complex adapters, if both gadgets support wireless standards. However, despite the apparent simplicity, owners often face delays, lack of sound or the inability to find the device in the list of available. Understanding the technical nuances of the data protocol will help avoid most errors in the configuration.

In this guide, we will cover all aspects of the function, from basic activation to advanced compatibility issues, and you will learn how to ensure stable connection and maximum picture quality using built-in system tools.

Technological foundations of wireless image transmission

Before you start to take action, it’s important to understand how your Xiaomi is transmitting video streaming, based on Miracast technology, which allows you to transfer uncompressed video and audio over a local Wi-Fi Direct network, which means that the function does not necessarily have a router, although in most scenarios it is used as an access point.

The key advantage is that there is no need for third-party applications on the receiving device, if the TV supports the Wi-Fi Display standard. The smartphone encodes the video stream in real time, and the TV decodes it. Signal latency is minimal, which is critical for games, but depends on the power of the processor and the quality of the wireless module.

⚠️ Note: Using a guest Wi-Fi network or client isolation networks will make it impossible to detect devices from each other, even if they are connected to the same router.

It is worth noting the difference between simple media broadcasting (DLNA) and full screen duplication: in the first case, the phone acts only as a control panel transmitting a link to the file, and in the second – broadcasts absolutely everything that happens on the display of the smartphone, including notifications and desktop.

Preparation of equipment and network for stable operation

The success of the operation depends on the correctness of the infrastructure. The first step is to make sure that your Smart TV or console (for example, Android TV Box) supports the reception of the signal. Modern TVs Samsung, LG, Sony and Philips have this feature out of the box, but it can be turned off in the settings.

Both the smartphone and the TV must be on the same subnet, which means they must be connected to the same router, and if you have a dual-band router, it is advisable to connect both devices to a 5 GHz network, as it provides more bandwidth for video streaming.

• 📡 Check that the TV has Screen Share, Miracast or Wi-Fi Display enabled in the signal source menu.
• 🔌 Make sure your smartphone is not in power saving mode, which can limit the Wi-Fi module.
• 🔄 Restart the router if the list of available devices is not updated for a long time or the search hangs indefinitely.

There may be codec issues on older versions of Android or older MIUI builds, and to run in 4K HDR, both the TV and smartphone must support HDCP 2.2.

Basic settings of broadcast via standard MIUI menu

In most current Xiaomi models, such as the Redmi Note or Xiaomi 13/14, the feature is built into the control panel. To get started, just unlock the screen and swipe down from the top edge to open the control center.

Find an icon called "Cast." If it's not on the first screen, click on the edit button (usually three dots or a pencil icon) and drag the icon to the active area. Once you click, the smartphone will start searching for available devices within range of the network.

Settings → Connection and Sharing → Broadcast

In the list that opens, select your TV. You may see a request for confirmation of connection on the TV screen, you need to take it by remote control, then the image from the phone will appear on the large screen. To stop the process, you just need to click the "Disable" button in the floating window or in the control center.

Use of Mi Remote App and Alternative Methods

If the standard method doesn’t work or deeper integration is needed, you can use the Mi Remote (Mi Remote) system application, which is often pre-installed on global firmware versions and allows you to control equipment via an IR port or Wi-Fi.

In some cases, it is useful to use the “Second Space” function or to start a broadcast through the developer menu. For advanced users, launch via ADB is available, which allows you to force certain display modes or resolutions.

Also worth mentioning is the Google Home app, which is ideal for Android TVs.It lets you stream not only the screen, but also specific Chrome browser tabs or content from apps that support Google Cast.

⚠️ Note: When using third-party broadcasting applications (non-system) audio and video may be desynchronized to 2-3 Seconds, which makes watching dynamic movies uncomfortable.

Xiaomi and Redmi TV owners have a special ecosystem link, and when you use one Mi Account on both devices, the stream can be started automatically when you start a video in a gallery or video player.

Configuring quality parameters and resolution

The quality of the image depends on many factors, including the load of the Wi-Fi channel and the TV's capabilities. In the developer settings or in the menu of the broadcast function itself (if available), you can try to change the coding parameters.

Often, the default is automatic resolution, which may not match the native resolution of the TV array. For example, a phone may broadcast 1920×1080, while a 4K TV will stretch the picture, which will lead to "soap".

If you notice a drop in FPS (frames per second) during games, try lowering the resolution in your phone’s settings before you start streaming, which will reduce the load on the encoding processor and reduce input lag.

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For games, use Game Mode in Xiaomi’s security and enable Network Acceleration to prioritize stream traffic.

Diagnostics and solution of common problems

Despite the technology, users often find that the TV is not visible on the list. The first reason is different Wi-Fi frequencies. If the router distributes a 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz network under different names (SSID), make sure that both devices are connected to one of them, preferably 5 GHz.

The second common problem is an antivirus or firewall on the router that blocks the ports used by the Miracast protocol. Try temporarily disabling packet filtering or guest network mode.

• 🔍 Make sure your TV is updated to the latest version, as manufacturers often release patches for compatibility.
• 📶 Check the distance between the router and the devices: the signal should not be interrupted by walls or metal structures.
• 🛑 Turn it off. VPN on a smartphone, as a virtual tunnel can redirect traffic to the local network to the Internet, disrupting the search for devices.

If nothing works, try resetting the network settings on your TV and smartphone. In extreme cases, when the wireless connection is unstable, consider a wired connection via a Type-C to HDMI adapter that is guaranteed to give a picture without delay.

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90% of connection problems are solved by restarting the router and bringing all devices to the same Wi-Fi subnet (the same SSID and frequency range).