Modern gadget owners often face the urge to show their friends photos, videos, or even mobile games on a big screen. The standard size of a smartphone display, however high-quality, cannot convey the depth of color and detail that a home theater can provide. It is in these situations that the screen broadcast feature comes to the rescue, allowing real-time display of the image from a mobile device to the TV via a media set-top box.
Xiaomi’s ecosystem offers several native ways to accomplish this, but users are often confused about the names of technologies and methods of connection. Some believe that this necessarily requires the Internet, while others are looking for complex wired solutions, forgetting about wireless protocols. In this article, we will discuss in detail how to configure wireless display (Wireless Display) with regular means of the system, and also consider effective third-party alternatives for iOS and Android devices.
Before you start setting up, you need to make sure that your equipment is ready to go. Xiaomi Mi Box S or the newer Xiaomi TV Stick model must be connected to the TV and have the latest firmware version. It is important to understand that for stable operation of Miracast or Chromecast built-in technology, both devices must be on the same local network, unless you are using live streaming mode without a router.
Equipment preparation and network inspection
The first step is to ensure a stable connection between devices. While many modern protocols allow direct connection, to minimize delays and improve picture quality, it is better to use a single Wi-Fi network. Make sure your router supports the 5 GHz standard, as high-definition video streaming can significantly load the 2.4 GHz channel, causing artifacts.
Check if Wi-Fi is on on the console itself. To do this, go to Settings → Network and Internet and make sure that the connection status is active. If you use a wired Ethernet connection on the console, make sure that your smartphone is also connected to the same subnet, otherwise devices may simply “not see” each other when searching.
⚠️ Note: If your router splits the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz network into different SSID (Network names, connect both the phone and the console to one of them, and different frequency bands within the same router can sometimes prevent devices from being detected via the protocol. DLNA Miracast.
Also worth paying attention to energy saving. When broadcasting the screen, the smartphone processor works in a strengthened mode, which leads to a quick battery discharge. It is recommended to put the device on charge or make sure that the charge level is at least 50%. For Xiaomi, it is advisable to use the original power supply unit included in the kit to avoid problems with the unstable operation of the Wi-Fi module.
Broadcast from Android-smartphone through built-in tools
The most common scenario is the use of an Android smartphone. In most modern shells, such as Xiaomi’s MIUI (now HyperOS), the broadcast feature is built deep into the system and does not require the installation of additional software.
To start, open the notification curtain and find the Broadcast, Cast, Smart View or Wireless monitor icon. If you don't have a quick access button, click on the menu edit icon (usually a pencil or three dots) and add the corresponding widget. Once activated, the system will start searching for available devices within the network range.
When your console appears on the list (usually called Android TV or Mi Box), click on it. You may see a request for confirmation of connection on the TV screen. Use the console remote to select Allow or Allow. After that, the image from the phone will appear on the TV.
It's worth noting that picture quality is directly dependent on Wi-Fi power and ether load. If you notice audio and video dissynchronization, try lowering the output resolution in your phone settings or getting closer to the router. Some applications, such as DRM-protected video services (Netflix, Disney+), can block screen recording by showing a black background instead of a video - this is normal content protection behavior.
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To reduce latency when playing games, turn on the game mode in the image settings, if this option is available in your version of Android TV.
Using Chromecast for YouTube and browsers
In addition to the full Screen Mirroring, Xiaomi has built-in support for Google Chromecast technology, a more advanced method that allows you not only to duplicate the screen, but to send a command to the console to play the content on the link, which significantly saves battery power and unloads the processor.
To take advantage of this method, make sure that the phone has Google Home installed or just updated Google Play services. Open an app that supports broadcasting (such as YouTube, Netflix, Twitch or Google Chrome browser). Find the rectangle icon with waves in the corner - this is the standard Cast symbol.
And if you click on this icon, you'll see a list of available devices. Choose your Xiaomi console. Unlike DSLR, the phone is just a remote control, so you can turn the app down, answer the phone, or even turn off the screen of your smartphone, and playback on the TV will not stop.
| Parameter | Screen mode (Miracast) | Chromecast (Broadcast) |
|---|---|---|
| Booting the phone's processor | Tall. | Low. |
| Battery consumption | High-pitched | Minimum |
| Working in the background | Impossible (screen on) | Possible. |
| Image quality | Depends on the Wi-Fi signal. | Maximum (flow from the server) |
It's important to distinguish between the two. If you want to show an app interface that isn't on your TV, or show you the settings, use Miracast. If the goal is just to watch a video, always choose the Cast icon inside the app itself, which will provide the best image quality, up to 4K HDR, if the content and hardware support it.
Broadcast from iPhone and iPad (AirPlay)
Apple users can also easily connect to Xiaomi consoles, since the Android TV operating system (on which Xiaomi consoles work) often already has built-in support for the AirPlay 2 protocol. If your console model does not support native AirPlay, the situation is easy to fix with the help of third-party applications.
Check for built-in support: Go to Settings → Device Settings → AirPlay. If you have one, make sure it's on. On iPhone, open Control Point (swipe down from the top right corner or bottom up on older models) and press the Repeat screen button (two intersecting rectangles).
In the list of devices, select your console. If the code does not appear automatically, enter it from the remote or confirm the connection on the TV. The image from the iOS device will instantly appear on the big screen. This method is ideal for showing presentations, photo albums or games that do not support Chromecast.
⚠️ Warning: AirPlay is very sensitive to network delays. If the image twitches, try to turn off other devices that actively consume traffic (torrents, downloads), or move the router closer to the viewing area.
If you don't have native support, the best solution is to install an AirScreen or AirPin app from the Google Play Store on the console itself, and when you run it, these programs emulate the AirPlay receiver, making it visible to the iPhone, and the setup process inside these apps is extremely simple and usually requires you just press the Start button on the start screen.
Third-party applications for enhanced capabilities
Staff tools do not always cover all the needs of the user, for example, you may need to broadcast the screen from the computer to the console, mirror from devices that do not see each other, or transfer files.
One of the most popular solutions is the LocalCast app or BubbleUPnP. They allow you not only to stream media files, but also to control playback. A more advanced tool is ApowerMirror, which requires you to install the client on both the phone and the console (or use an embedded receiver in the application).
☑️ Check before broadcasting launch
For gamers who want to stream an image from a PC to a sofa, a Steam Link or Moonlight bundle is great. These apps create a low latency stream, which is critical for action games. Installation is standard through a Google Play search on the console.
And you can also make sure that you have wired connectivity, although it's less relevant for Xiaomi consoles because you don't have video input. However, if you're using the phone as a source, there are USB-C to HDMI adapters, but they require that the phone itself support video output (MHL or DP Alt Mode), which is not available on all models.
What to do if the application crashes?
Typical Problem Solving and Diagnostics
Despite the simplicity of the technology, users can face a number of challenges, and the most common problem is that devices can't find each other. 90% of the time, this is solved by checking the network: make sure that the router does not include the "Customer isolation" feature. AP» (AP Isolation, which prevents devices within the network from communicating with each other.
Another common complaint is audio desynchronization. If the video is ahead of the audio or vice versa, try to find the Audio Delay settings in the settings of the player app on the console and adjust the value, and switching the sampling frequency in the Android TV audio settings from 48 kHz to 44.1 kHz or vice versa also helps.
If the image is broadcast but in low resolution or with artifacts:
- 📶 Check the Wi-Fi signal strength on both devices.
- 📡 Switch router to less congested channel (use Wi-Fi analyzer applications).
- 🔄 Restart the router, as work can cause buffer overflow.
In rare cases, the problem lies in antivirus software or a firewall on a smartphone that blocks outbound connections for the local network. Try temporarily disabling protection or adding an exception for the broadcast application. Also make sure that the latest version of the system is installed on Xiaomi, since updates often contain patches for the stability of wireless modules.