With modern Xiaomi Mi TV and Redmi TV, you can turn your living room into a real multimedia center, where a large screen becomes a window into your digital archive. Viewing photos in 43 or 55 inches is a completely different experience, not available when looking at a small smartphone screen. Users often look for a way to quickly share highlights with family or show a presentation to colleagues without using wires.
There are several proven methods of image transmission, each with its own technical features and advantages. The choice of the specific method depends on the model of your TV, the version of the Android TV or PatchWall operating system, and also on which smartphone you use, based on Android or iOS. In this article, we will discuss all the options for connection.
The challenge for beginners is not the translation process itself, but the right protocol for data transfer. Some methods require a connection to a single Wi-Fi network, others work through a direct connection or even a wired interface, and understanding these nuances will help avoid delays and desynchronization.
Device preparation and network verification
Before you start setting up a broadcast, you need to ensure stable communication between gadgets. A fundamental condition for most wireless protocols, such as Miracast and DLNA, is that both devices are on the same local network, which means that your smartphone and TV must be connected to the same router.
Check your Wi-Fi settings on your mobile device. It is common for a router to broadcast two networks, one at 2.4 GHz and the other at 5 GHz. It is recommended to use a 5 GHz network to transmit heavy media content, including high-resolution photos, as it provides higher bandwidth.
It’s also worth making sure that the external device detection feature is enabled on the TV. In standard Android TV firmware, this option is usually active by default, but custom shells like PatchWall may require additional permissions. If you’re using a third-party router, make sure that it doesn’t include AP client isolation.
⚠️ Note: If your router supports the Guest Network feature, do not connect your TV and phone to it simultaneously for broadcast purposes. Guest networks often block the exchange of data between devices within the LAN for security reasons.
To keep the system running smoothly, make sure the software on both devices is updated to the latest version. Old Wi-Fi module drivers may not work properly with new encryption protocols.
☑️ Checking before connection
Use of the built-in Chromecast feature
The easiest and most reliable way for Android smartphone owners is to use Google Cast technology (Chromecast built-in), which is built into the operating system of most modern Xiaomi TVs and does not require installing additional software on TV.
To get started, open the Google Photos app or the standard gallery on your phone. Find the image or album you want to showcase. At the top of the screen, you'll see a rectangle icon with waves in the corner, which is the standard broadcast symbol.
Click on this icon, and the system will suggest a list of available devices. Select your Xiaomi TV from the list. Once paired successfully, the image will appear on the TV screen. It is important to note that in this mode the phone acts only as a remote control, and the data flow goes directly from the router to the TV, which saves battery power of the smartphone.
- 📱 Open the Google Photos or YouTube app on your smartphone.
- 📺 Click on the “Cast” icon in the corner of the screen.
- 🔗 Choose your Xiaomi TV from the list of devices offered.
- 🖼️ Enjoy viewing high quality photos on the big screen.
If you’re using iOS, the process is similar, but you’ll need Google Home or AirPlay 2 support on your TV (available on newer models), and the transfer quality is usually higher when using Chromecast than when using direct mirror display, as it uses hardware decoding of the TV.
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When broadcasting via Chromecast, notifications coming to the phone (messages, calls) will not appear on the TV screen, which ensures comfortable viewing without interruption.
Screen broadcast via Miracast (Wi-Fi Direct)
Miracast technology, also known as Wireless Monitor or Smart View depending on the brand of the smartphone, allows you to stream an image from the entire screen of the phone to the TV. Unlike Chromecast, it transmits a video stream of the entire interface, rather than a single file.
To activate this feature on a Xiaomi TV, you need to go to the app menu and find the built-in Wireless display or Broadcast app. Once you run it, you'll see the standby screen with your TV's name. Now, we'll move on to the smartphone settings.
On an Android smartphone, lower the notification curtain and find the "Translation," "Smart View," "Proximity" or "Device Connection" button. The system will start searching for available displays. Once your TV name appears, click on it to connect.
This method is especially useful if you want to show not only photos, but also other applications, maps or browser interface, but it should be noted that this method should constantly burn the phone screen, which increases the energy consumption.
⚠️ Note: Miracast may cause small delays (lags) between your phone and your TV image. This is not critical for static viewing, but a mouse cursor or scrolling may seem a little floaty".
The quality of the image in Miracast mode depends on the Wi-Fi module power and the load of the ether. If you notice compression artifacts, try to approach the router or reduce the output resolution in the phone settings.
Use of Mi Remote and Mi Home
Xiaomi’s ecosystem offers its own content management tools, which can be especially useful if Google’s standard protocols are unstable.The Mi Remote app is often pre-installed on Xiaomi and Redmi smartphones, but is available for other devices as well.
The app's functionality allows you to not only control volume and channels, but also transfer media files. Open the app, select your connected TV. In the control menu, find the "Photo" or "Gallery" section. The system will suggest selecting images from the phone's memory for display on the large screen.
Alternatively, you can use the Mi Home app, if your TV is added to your smart home, you can use scripts or built-in file transfer features, which is especially convenient for Xiaomi app owners, as it provides deep integration.
Why can't Mi Remote see TV?
The advantage of using native Xiaomi apps is the ability to control playback with more advanced functionality, including creating a slideshow with music directly from the remote interface.
Comparison of connection methods
The best way to choose depends on your specific tasks and conditions of use, and to make the decision easier, we have prepared a comparative table of the main characteristics of the methods considered.
| Method | Image quality | Battery consumption | Delay (Latency) | Compatibility |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chromecast | High (up to 4K) | Low. | Minimum | Android, iOS |
| Miracast | Medium/High | High-pitched | Medium | Android, Windows |
| DLNA (BubbleUPnP) | High. | Low. | Absent. | All LAs. |
| HDMI cable | Maximum. | Charging. | Absent. | All (with adapter) |
As you can see from the table, the Chromecast is the most energy efficient and high-quality for simply viewing photos. However, if you need to show a screen with a custom application, Miracast is the only choice.
Wired HDMI (using a USB-C to HDMI adapter) gives the best quality and no delays, but limits mobility and requires the purchase of additional accessories.
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To view high-quality photos regularly without draining your phone, use Chromecast. To demonstrate the application interface, choose Miracast.
Third-party applications for advanced users
If the built-in tools don't suit you, there are plenty of third-party solutions available in the Google Play and App Store, and one of the most popular is the BubbleUPnP app, which supports a wide range of codecs and file formats.
Another powerful tool is the LocalCast app, which automatically adjusts video and photo resolution to suit the TV, and has a built-in player that supports subtitles and audio tracks. It can be redundant for photo transfer, but the app's functionality is very rich.
iOS users can pay attention to the app Cast to TV - XCast. It emulates the work of Chromecast on Apple devices, allowing you to stream content to Xiaomi TVs, even if native support for AirPlay is not working properly.
- 🚀 BubbleUPnP: The best choice for working with local media libraries and NAS-storehouse.
- 🎨 LocalCast: Excellent format support and the ability to customize the interface.
- 🍏 Cast to TV: The best solution for iPhone and iPad owners.
When installing third-party software, pay attention to the permissions requested. The application only needs access to the local network and media files. Requesting access to contacts or microphone for the broadcaster application is suspicious.
Troubleshooting and troubleshooting
Users may encounter a number of common problems during the setup process, the most common being that the TV is not visible on the list of available devices, first of all, check if the antivirus on the phone or router is blocking data exchange on the local network.
The second common problem is poor image quality or constant buffering, which often indicates Wi-Fi overload. Try rebooting your router or switching your TV to 5GHz if it only supports 2.4GHz, and vice versa to rule out interference.
If there is an image but no sound (when watching a video photo or a music slideshow), check the volume settings on the TV itself, not just on the phone. In Miracast mode, volume is often synchronized, but in Chromecast mode, control can be split.
⚠️ Note: If the Xiaomi TV stopped seeing any broadcast devices, try resetting the TV network settings through the Settings menu. → Network → Reset network settings. It won't delete your applications, but it will update network protocols.
In rare cases, the problem may be in an outdated version of the Google Home app or Google Play system services. Go to the app store and make sure all components are updated.