How the Voice Assistant Works on Xiaomi TV: The Complete Guide

Why You Need a Voice Assistant on Xiaomi TV

Voice control is no longer a fantasy — it’s now a standard feature for most Smart TVs, including the Xiaomi Mi TV line. With the built-in assistant, you can control channels, run apps, search for content, and even control a smart home without a remote. But how exactly does this system work? What commands does it support, and how do you set it up properly?

In this article, we will take a closer look at how the voice assistant works on Xiaomi TVs, its capabilities and limitations, and provide practical optimization tips, including speech recognition, integration with other Mi Ecosystem devices, and hidden features that are not covered in the official instructions.

If you’ve just bought a Xiaomi Mi TV 4S/5 Pro or have been using a TV for a long time but have never tried voice control, this article will help unlock the full potential of the device. And for experienced users, we have prepared unique life hacks to set up an assistant through ADB and hidden commands.

How to activate the voice assistant on Xiaomi TV

Before you use voice control, it must be enabled. On most Xiaomi models (starting with the Mi TV 4A 2018 and later), the assistant is activated through the system settings.

1. Take the Xiaomi TV remote and press the Menu button (or Settings on new models).
2. Go to Settings → Smart functions → Voice assistant.
3. Select Enable voice control and confirm the action.
4. Follow the instructions on the screen to set up the microphone (if required).

On some models (e.g. Mi TV Q1/Q2), the voice assistant turns on automatically when you first connect to the Internet. If you don't see an option on the menu, upgrade your TV firmware to the latest version via Settings → About TV → Software Update.

Check your Internet connection (Wi-Fi or Ethernet)

Update the TV firmware to the current version

Make sure the microphone on the remote (if any) is not closed

Connect to Xiaomi account to synchronize settings-->

Important: If you have a Xiaomi Mi Remote remote with a microphone (Models of 2020 and newer), voice commands can be given directly through it, holding the Google Assistant button or Microphone. On older remotes without a microphone you will have to use the built-in microphone of the TV (if any) or connect an external one.

What commands does the voice assistant support?

The list of supported teams depends on the TV model and the firmware region. In Russia and CIS countries, Xiaomi TV usually works with Google Assistant (on global firmware) or its own assistant XiaoAI (on Chinese versions).

• 📺 Content Management: “Enable Netflix,” “Find Interstellar,” “Open YouTube and look for smartphone reviews".
• 🔊 Adjust the sound: "Revenue volume by 20%", "Switch off the sound", "Switch to the volume". HDMI 1".
• 🌓 Screen settings: "Set Mode Mode", "Enable Night Mode", "Make it Brighter".
• 🏠 Smart home: Turn on the light in the living room (if connected Mi Home devices), Show the camera from the porch".
• ❓ General information: "What is the weather forecast today?", "How much time?", "Tell us about the history of Xiaomi".

The full list of commands can be viewed by saying, "What do you know?" or "Show me the team list." On the Chinese firmware with XiaoAI, the list will be in Chinese, but the assistant understands basic phrases in Russian (for example, "turn on the TV", "louder").

Google Assistant

XiaoAI (Chinese version)

I don't know which one is installed.

I don't use voice control.-->

Note that on Chinese firmware, many teams only work with Xiaomi services (for example, search will be conducted in Mi Video, not YouTube).If you need full support for Google Assistant, we recommend that you reflash the TV to the global version.

Speech recognition problems and how to fix them

One of the most common user complaints is that the assistant doesn't hear commands or misrecognizes them, and the reasons can range from the usual (contaminated microphone) to the technical (firmware incompatibility).

⚠️ Warning: If the TV doesn't respond to voice commands at all, check if the microphone is turned off in the privacy settings. → Confidentiality → Permits for microphone.

• 🎤 Microphone not working: Wipe the microphone hole on the remote or TV with a cotton swab. Check the external microphone connection (if used). Reset the TV (Settings) → On TV. → Reboot).
• 🗣️ Speak clearly, without accent, 1-3 meters from the TV. Reduce background noise (turn off music, air conditioning); switch the assistant's language to English (sometimes better recognizes).
• 🌐 No Internet access: Voice assistant requires a network connection to process commands. Check internet speed (minimum 2 Mbps). VPN, Disable it – it can block Xiaomi servers.

If the problem persists, try resetting the assistant settings:

1. Go to Settings → Smart functions → Voice assistant.
2. Select Reset Assistant Data.
3. Reboot the TV and reset the assistant.

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If the assistant is constantly activated on its own (false positives), reduce the sensitivity of the microphone in the settings or turn off the “OK, Google” / “Hello, XiaoAI” function in standby mode.

Integration with smart home and other Xiaomi devices

One of the key advantages of the voice assistant on Xiaomi TV is the ability to control the smart home through the Mi Home.

1. The TV and smart home devices must be linked to a single Xiaomi account.
2. All devices must be on the same local network (one Wi-Fi).
3. The latest version of the Mi Home app must be installed on the TV (updated via Settings → Apps → Updates).

After setting up, you will be able to manage:

• 💡 Lighting: "Switch on the light in the kitchen 50%", "Switch off the lamp in the bedroom".
• 🧹 Robot vacuum cleaner: "Run the cleaning in the living room", "Bring the vacuum cleaner back to the base".
• 🌡️ Climate engineering: "Set the temperature of 22 degrees", "Switch on the heater".
• 🔒 Security: "Show camera from the porch", "Activate security mode".

On global firmware, integration with Mi Home is often limited. To fully manage a smart home through a TV, it is recommended to use Chinese firmware with XiaoAI or a separate device (for example, Xiaomi Mi AI Speaker).

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To manage your smart home via Xiaomi TV, be sure to turn on the Local Control option in your Mi Home settings. Without it, teams will be sent through the Xiaomi cloud, which will increase latency.

Hidden functions and commands for power users

In addition to the standard features, the voice assistant on Xiaomi TV supports several hidden commands and modes that are not mentioned in the official documentation.

• 🔍 Search by settings: "Find sound settings" - the assistant will open the desired menu section.
• 📱 Smartphone management: “Show notifications from your phone” (requires connection via Mi Share).
• 🎮 Gamer Mode: Activate Low-Latency Game Mode".
• 🔄 Quick switch: "Switch to the last channel" or "Go back to the previous application".
• 📊 System information: "How much free memory?", "What version of Android" TV?".

For advanced users, you can control the assistant via ADB (Android Debug Bridge), for example, to force speech recognition, you can send a command:

adb shell am start -a android.speech.action.RECOGNIZE_SPEECH

You can also change the priority of microphones (built-in vs. remote) through the engineering menu.

1. Turn on Developer Mode: Settings → About TV → Software Version (click 7 times).
2. Go to Settings → For developers → Microphone by default.
3. Select the desired input device.

Comparison of voice assistants: Google Assistant vs XiaoAI

Xiaomi TVs can have two types of voice assistants: Google Assistant (global firmware) and XiaoAI (Chinese firmware), each with its pros and cons. Let's look at them in a comparative table:

The choice of assistant depends on your tasks:

• If you want to integrate with the Google ecosystem and support Western services, choose Google Assistant.
• If you are actively using Xiaomi smart home and are willing to put up with limited support for Russian, XiaoAI (Chinese firmware) will give you more options.

On some models (e.g. Mi TV Q2 2023), you can switch between assistants in settings.

1. Go to Settings → Smart functions → Voice assistant.
2. Select the Assistant Type and specify your preferred option.

FAQ: Frequent questions about Xiaomi TV voice assistant