How to use a smartphone instead of a remote for a Xiaomi TV: 3 proven ways

Why turn your phone into a remote for Xiaomi TV?

Lost your native remote from Xiaomi Mi TV or want to control the TV remotely from another room? Modern smartphones easily replace the physical remote — just set up the connection correctly. In this article, we will analyze all the current ways, from the standard Mi Remote application to alternative solutions for TVs without an infrared port.

The main advantage of this approach is versatility. One smartphone can control several devices at once: TV, air conditioning, audio system. And if you have a Xiaomi Mi TV 4S/5 Pro with Wi-Fi Direct support, you don't even need an IR transmitter - control will work over the local network.

But there are some nuances, like, on an iPhone without jailbreak, you can't emulate an IR signal -- only Wi-Fi control through official software. And on Android devices without an IR port, you'll have to use Bluetooth remote control or special adapters.

Method 1: Official Mi Remote app (for Android)

The most reliable method for smartphone owners Xiaomi/Redmi/POCO — using the proprietary Mi Remote app, pre-installed on all shell devices MIUI, If necessary, you can download it from Google Play.

The app supports more than 50,000 models of equipment, including all Xiaomi TVs (from Mi TV 3 to Mi TV Q2 75), the main condition is the presence of an infrared port (IR) on a smartphone, you can check this by model specifications or by looking for black glass at the top of the case.

• 📱 Step 1. Open Mi Remote and allow location access (to determine the regional settings of remotes).
• ➕ Step 2. Press "Add device» → Select the category "Television» → Find it in the Xiaomi list.
• 🔍 Step 3: Choose the exact model of your TV (Like Mi. TV 4A If you don’t have one, try Xiaomi’s universal profile. TV (IR).
• 📶 Step 4: Point the smartphone's IR port to the TV and check the buttons. If the signal doesn't pass, reduce the distance to 3-5 meters.

Check if the IR port is enabled in your smartphone settings (Settings → Connected Devices → Infrared Port)

Make sure there are no obstacles between the phone and TV (glasses, mirrors block the IR signal)

Update the Mi Remote app to the latest version

Try restarting the TV and smartphone-->

If your Xiaomi Mi TV doesn’t respond to commands, try an alternative protocol. From the add-on menu, select Other Brands → Search for Codes and follow the on-screen instructions. The app will automatically pick up the compatible signal.

⚠️ Note: On some Redmi Note models 8/9 The IR port is disabled by default in firmware. To activate it, go to Settings. → Special facilities → Interaction devices → Infrared port and enable the option.

Method 2: Wi-Fi management (for Android and iOS)

If your smartphone is not equipped with an IR port (for example, iPhone 13 or Google Pixel 6), you can control Xiaomi TV over a local Wi-Fi network.

The official app for this is Mi Home (available on iOS and Android), which supports not only TVs, but also the entire Xiaomi Smart Home ecosystem.

1. Install Mi Home and sign up (or sign in via your Xiaomi account).
2. Add the device: press + → Television → select your model.
3. Confirm the connection: on screen TV appear QR-Code – scan it through the app.
4. Configure control: a virtual remote with main buttons will appear in the device menu.

The advantage of this method is to work at any distance (the main thing is that both devices are on the same network), but there are also disadvantages: delay when pressing buttons (~0.5-1 sec) and limited functionality (no access to all settings TV, as with the original remote).

The original remote.

Smartphone via IR port (Mi Remote)

Smartphone with Wi-Fi (Mi Home)

Voice Assistant (Alice/Google Assistant)

Another option-->

* Within the Wi-Fi coverage area.

** - An additional Bluetooth adapter or Wi-Fi bridge is required.

Method 3: Alternative management applications

If standard solutions don't work, you can use third-party applications, and they often offer advanced functionality, such as voice control or macros (command sequences).-3 variant:

• 🎛️ Yatse: Remote Control – Xiaomi Supports TV via Wi-Fi, has widgets for quick access and integration with Tasker for automation.
• 🖥️ Unified Remote – a universal remote with support IR, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. For Xiaomi TV The Mi plugin is required TV Remote, official website.
• 🗣️ Google TV (Android TV Remote – Google’s official Android TV control app TV, including Xiaomi Mi models TV P1/E1. Available on Android and iOS.

To configure Yatse or Unified Remote, you will need to:

1. Install the app and plugin for Xiaomi TV.
2. Enable Network Management on your TV (path: Settings → Network and Access → Remote Management).
3. Add the device manually, specifying IP-TV address (can be found in Settings) → On TV. → State of the network).

⚠️ Note: When using third-party apps, turn off the Safe Mode option in Mi settings TV (Path: Settings → Confidentiality → Safe Mode: otherwise, the TV may block external commands.

The answer to the problem: why the phone doesn’t control the TV

If your smartphone can’t connect to Xiaomi TV, check out the following:

• 🔌 TV power: Make sure that TV It's on and on standby (the indicator is red/orange). Some models don't respond to IR signals when completely off.
• 📶 Network settings: For Wi-Fi control, check that the phone and TV are connected to the same network. If 5GHz is used, try switching to 2.4GHz - some Mi models TV They do not support high frequency range.
• 🔄 Software updates: Outdated firmware of a TV or app can cause crashes.Update Mi Remote/Mi Home to the latest version and check for updates TV In Settings → On TV. → Updating the system.
• 🛡️ Firewall/antivirus: On Android smartphones, antivirus programs (such as Avast or 360 Security) can block IR signals.

If the problem persists, reset the remote settings on the TV:

1. Open Settings → Remote DU → Reset paired devices.
2. Confirm the action and restart the TV.
3. Re-add the smartphone as a new control device.

💡

If the IR port of the smartphone is damaged, but you do not want to buy a new remote, use a Bluetooth adapter (for example, BroadLink RM4 Pro). It connects to the phone via Bluetooth, and controls the equipment through IR. The cost is from 1500 rubles.

Voice control of Xiaomi TV via phone

Modern Xiaomi TVs (starting with the Mi TV 4S and later) support voice assistants: Alice (from Yandex), Google Assistant and XiaoAI (branded Xiaomi assistant). To control the TV voice over your phone, follow the following steps:

• 🎙️ For Alice: Install Yandex with Alice. Connect the TV to your Yandex account via Mi Home. Say, "Alice, turn on Xiaomi." TV» Or "Alice, put it on Mi." TV channel».

For Google Assistant:

1. Open Google Home and add your TV as a new device.
2. Activate voice control in TV settings: Settings → Voice Assistant → Google Assistant.
3. Use the commands: "OK Google, turn up the volume on the Mi TV by 20%."

XiaoAI will require:

1. Install the Mi AI app (only available for Chinese firmware Mi TV).
2. Enable the assistant in the settings of the TV: Settings → XiaoAI → Activate.
3. Pronounce the command in Chinese or English (Russian not supported).

💡

Voice control works only for models with built-in microphones (such as Mi TV Q1 or Mi TV ES 2022). On budget TVs (the 4A/4S series), this will require an external microphone or smart speaker.

If voice commands are not recognized:

• Check that the TV microphone is not silenced (some models have a physical switch on the back).
• Make sure that the assistant settings (Settings → Voice Assistant) have the correct language chosen.
• Reboot your TV and smartphone – sometimes it helps to reset recognition errors.

Additional accessories for managing Xiaomi TV

If none of the software methods are suitable, consider hardware solutions:

• 📱 IR adapter for a smartphone: Devices like Xiaomi Mi IR Blaster or BroadLink RM Mini 3 connect to the phone over Wi-Fi and emulate IR signals. Cost - from 1000 rubles. Support all models Mi TV.
• 🎮 Game controllers: Xiaomi Mi Game Controller or 8BitDo You can use it to navigate the menu. TV It's Bluetooth, it's good for gamers who connect to a set-top box.
• 🔄 Universal remotes: For example, Xiaomi Mi Universal Remote or Logitech Harmony. They replace the original remote and control several devices at once.

To connect Xiaomi Mi Game Controller:

1. Turn on Bluetooth on your TV: Settings → Devices → Bluetooth.
2. Press the Pair button on the controller until the indicator flashes.
3. Select the device from the list of available and confirm pairing.

Hardware solutions have the advantage of stability (no delays like Wi-Fi management) and advanced functionality (like programmable buttons on Logitech Harmony), but they do require additional costs.

FAQ: Frequent questions about managing Xiaomi TV from your phone