Many Xiaomi and Redmi smartphone owners appreciate the built-in infrared port that turns the phone into a universal remote control.This feature allows you to control household appliances without finding the original remotes, which is especially convenient when a standard device is lost or failed. However, when it comes to connecting to a TV of another brand, such as Samsung, LG or Sony, users often have questions about compatibility and configuration methods.
The synchronization process depends on the type of connection: classic infrared signal or modern Bluetooth. In the first case, the phone simulates the signals of a conventional remote, in the second case, it requires more complex conjugated settings through the Mi TV menu or third-party applications. Infrared port is the most versatile solution, since it does not depend on the TV operating system, but only on the presence of a code base in the application.
In this guide, we will take a look at all the stages of setting up, possible problems and solutions for various use cases, learn how to choose the right model of the device in the application, what to do if automatic search did not give results, and how to expand the functionality of the smartphone to a full-fledged smart home control center.
Determination of connection type and compatibility
The first step before you start setting up is to understand what type of control your smartphone and target TV are running. Most modern Xiaomi models have an IR port on the top end of the case that visually looks like a little black glass. If your device doesn't have this element, the standard Mi Remote app won't work and you'll have to look for alternative solutions via Wi-Fi.
TVs, in turn, fall into two main categories by signal reception type: older models with an infrared receiver and new Smart TVs with Bluetooth and Wi-Fi Direct support. Infrared connection requires a line of sight between the phone and the TV receiver, whereas wireless protocols allow you to control equipment even from the next room, albeit with some functionality limitations.
⚠️ Note: If you are trying to connect the remote over Wi-Fi, make sure that both the phone and the TV are on the same local network.
It is also important to consider the age of technology. For TVs released more than 15 years ago, databases in applications may be incomplete, which will require manual code selection.
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The presence of an infrared port on a smartphone is a critical condition for the versatility of control, since this method does not depend on the brand of the TV.
Configure with the Mi Remote app
The main tool for managing is the Mi Remote app (or Mi Remote in Russian), which contains an extensive code base for thousands of models of equipment, and you need to start the application and press the add button, usually denoted by the plus symbol in the interface.
Then the system will suggest you select a category of device, in this case it is TV. After selecting a category, a list of brands will appear. Find the manufacturer of your TV in the list. If the brand does not appear immediately, search for or scroll through the list to the end, where often the option is "Other" or "Not listed".
- 📺 Click on the TV icon to select the type of device.
- 🔍 Choose a manufacturer from the proposed list of brands.
- 📡 Make sure the phone’s IR port is directed towards the TV.
- ✅ Follow the instructions on the screen to test the buttons.
Once you've selected a brand, the app will offer a test, and a button like "Enable" or "Loud" will appear on your smartphone screen, and you'll need to press it and confirm if the TV is responding, and if there's no response, the system will suggest you try a different set of codes, which can take a few minutes, but it will ensure that you're fine-tuned to your particular model.
☑️ Checking readiness for setup
Manual setting and code search
In situations where automatic brand search doesn’t work, you have to manually adjust, which is often the case with less popular TV brands or older models that aren’t in Xiaomi’s main database, in which case the app goes into digital code brute force mode.
The idea is to consistently check the code combinations, and the app sends a signal that matches a specific code and waits for the user to confirm it, and you need to watch the TV's response to each action carefully, and if the TV turns off or the volume changes, you need to press the confirmation button right away.
| Type of action | Description of reaction | User action |
|---|---|---|
| Nutrition test | The TV is turned off or turned on | Press "Yes" or "Works" |
| Volume test | There's a volume bar on the screen. | Confirm the work |
| Source test | Changes in input (HDMI 1, HDMI 2) | Verify and confirm |
| No reaction. | The screen doesn't change, the sound is there. | Press No for the next code |
The process may seem tedious, but it's the only way to get the remote with custom hardware to work. Once the code is successfully selected, the app will save the profile of the device. The saved profile can be renamed, for example, to "TV in the living room" to easily distinguish it from other devices on the list.
What if no code is available?
Using Bluetooth for Smart TV
Modern Xiaomi Mi TVs and some other Android TV-enabled models allow for Bluetooth remote connectivity, which provides more stable connectivity and enhanced functionality, including voice input. However, it may be difficult for Xiaomi to connect to another brand’s TV via Bluetooth using standard means.
Xiaomi Bluetooth remotes (physical or virtual) are typically tailored to the Mi Home ecosystem. To use a smartphone as a Bluetooth remote for a third-party TV, it often requires that a companion app be installed on the TV itself or a dedicated debugging feature be enabled. In most cases, the IR method remains more reliable for non-Xiaomi TVs.
However, if your TV supports HID (Human Interface Device) or has a built-in Bluetooth remote receiver, you can try to find it through the smartphone's standard Bluetooth menu. Go to Settings → Bluetooth, turn on the search and try to detect the device. If the TV is found, the pairing will go automatically.
- 🔵 Turn on Bluetooth on your TV via the settings menu.
- 📱 Activate the search for devices on your smartphone.
- 🔗 Click on the name of the TV model in the list of found.
- 🔢 Enter. PIN-code, if it is displayed on a TV screen.
It is worth noting that the functionality of such a connection can be limited to basic navigation commands. Voice search and special application buttons (Netflix, YouTube) may not work if the TV does not recognize the remote as a native device.
Alternative management applications
If the Mi Remote app doesn’t work well or the interface seems inconvenient, the market offers a variety of alternatives. Third-party developers often update codebases faster than official Xiaomi services, making their solutions relevant to new technology.
One popular solution is ZaZa Remote, which is famous for its smart matching algorithm, which tests hundreds of codes in seconds. Another is Lean Remote, which has a minimalist interface and low resource consumption, which is important for budget smartphones.
⚠️ Warning: When installing third-party apps from unknown sources, be careful. download software only from trusted stores such as Google Play Store or GetApps to avoid malware.
Many alternative applications also support macros. Macros allow you to perform a sequence of actions with a single click, for example, the Kino team can simultaneously turn on the TV, switch the source to HDMI 1 and launch the cinema application if the TV is connected to the network.
Solving problems and mistakes
Even with the right setup, there may be crashes. A common problem is that the phone stops "seeing" the TV after the system update. In this case, it is recommended to clear the cache of the Mi Remote application. To do this, go to Settings → Apps → All Apps → Mi Remote → Clean.
Another common situation is that the remote is not fully functional, and only the volume is running, but the power is not running, which means that the code profile is not the right one, so you have to go back to the remote settings in the app and select the option "Replace the remote" or "Change the code" to continue searching.
If the IR port of the phone is covered with a thick protective case, the range of the signal can be critically reduced. In some cases, the signal is blocked completely. Remove the case during settings and check if the situation has improved. Also make sure that there is no contamination on the top end of the phone.
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To check the IR port, use the camera of another smartphone. Point the top end of the remote phone into the camera lens and press any button. If you see a flashing purple or white dot on the camera screen, the port is intact.