How to stream to Xiaomi TV with iPhone: a step-by-step guide

The smart home ecosystem often forces users to choose between different brands, but the iPhone and Xiaomi TV bundle has become one of the most popular thanks to its excellent price-performance ratio. Many Apple gadget owners face difficulties when trying to bring an image to the big screen, since native AirPlay technology does not always correctly work with the Android shell of MIUI TV by default. However, this does not mean that wireless broadcasting is impossible - modern DLNA standards and Miracast protocols allow you to establish a stable connection without unnecessary wires.

To successfully sync devices, you don’t need to buy expensive consoles like Apple TV, although they remain the gold standard of convenience. Built-in features of the Android TV operating system installed on most Xiaomi Mi TV models allow you to implement the β€œTranslation” function with minimal effort. The key here is to understand which data transfer method will suit your tasks: mirroring the entire screen or streaming multimedia content from specific applications.

In this article, we will take a look at all the ways you can connect, from standard system settings to specialized software, how to avoid audio delays, eliminate video desynchronization, and why DLNA sometimes turns out to be better than full screen cloning. A deep understanding of data transfer processes will help you enjoy content in the highest quality possible.

Preparatory stage and network setup

The first and most critical condition for any wireless data transfer is the correct organization of the local network. Both devices – iPhone and Xiaomi TV – must be connected to the same Wi-Fi network. If you have a dual-band router, make sure that the gadgets are in the same frequency range, preferably 5 GHz, as it provides higher bandwidth for video streaming.

Check your router settings: Client Isolation must be turned off, otherwise devices won’t see each other online even in the same room. It’s also worth updating your TV firmware through Settings β†’ About TV β†’ System Update, as newer versions of MIUI TV often improve compatibility with Apple protocols.

⚠️ Note: If your router gives out networks with the same name for 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz, try temporarily splitting them or force one of the devices to switch to another band if the connection is unstable.

To check the quality of the signal, you can use built-in diagnostics or simply assess the speed of loading pages on the phone, and a weak Wi-Fi signal is the main reason for the appearance of artifacts and buffering during streaming.

πŸ“Š Which router is your Xiaomi connected to? TV?
Single-band 2.4 GHz
Dual-band 5 GHz
Mesh system
Wired connection (LAN)
Mobile hotspot

Using the built-in AirPlay feature on Xiaomi

Starting with certain firmware versions, Xiaomi TVs have built-in support for AirPlay 2, making life much easier for iOS users. You don’t need to install any additional apps if your TV model is fresh enough. To activate this feature, you need to go to the TV settings and find the section associated with connecting external devices or Apple AirPlay.

Once the feature is turned on, a confirmation code may appear on your TV screen. On your iPhone, open Control Point (swipe down from the top right corner or bottom up, depending on the model) and click on the Screen Replay icon. From the list of available devices, select your Xiaomi TV.

If the connection is successful, the screen will be fully displayed on the TV, a method ideal for displaying presentations, photos or navigating the interface, but it can consume more battery life than streaming.

β˜‘οΈ AirPlay verification

Done: 0 / 4

It’s worth noting that AirPlay implementations on Android TVs sometimes run unstable with heavy apps, and in such cases, the system can automatically switch to the standard Miracast protocol, which is also supported by iOS through screen duplication, but with some quality limitations and delays.

Broadcasting through Mi Remote and Xiaomi Home

Xiaomi’s official ecosystem offers its own tools for managing and interacting with technology. Xiaomi Home (or Mi Home) app allows you not only to manage a smart home, but also to perform the functions of the remote and broadcast media files. This is especially true if the built-in AirPlay works incorrectly or is not available in your version of the software.

To get started, install the app on your iPhone and add the TV to your device list. After pairing, a media button will appear in the app interface. You can select videos or photos from the phone gallery and send them to the big screen. The advantage of this method is that it uses the DLNA protocol, which is less required for network resources.

ParameterAirPlayMi Remote / DLNAThird-party annexes
Image qualityHigh (up to 4K)Depends on the file.Medium/High
Delay (Latency)MinimumMissing (streaming)Medium
iPhone battery consumptionHigh-pitchedLow.Medium.
Screen mirroringComplete.Only the media.Full/Partial

Using native Xiaomi apps ensures better compatibility with the hardware of the TV, but functionality can be limited compared to specialized streaming solutions.

Why can't Mi Remote see TV?
If the app doesn't find the TV, make sure you've given all the necessary permissions to access the LAN. In iOS 14 and later, you need to allow access to local devices when you first start, otherwise search will not be possible. Also check if the antivirus on the router blocks the device detection ports (UPnP).

Third-party applications for screen duplication

When regular funds fail, third-party developers come to the rescue, and there are many apps available on the App Store that are installed on the TV (via Google Play Store on TV) and on the iPhone, special software to organize the connection, among the most popular solutions are Web Video Caster, TV Cast or AirScreen.

The principle of operation of such programs is usually to create a virtual receiver on the TV that emulates the AirPlay protocol or offers its own method of connecting via a network. QR-code PIN-For example, the AirScreen app turns Android into a new code. TV A full-fledged AirPlay receiver, often running more stable and faster than built-in counterparts.

⚠️ Warning: Free versions of third-party apps often contain ads that may overlap the image or interrupt playback.For continued use, consider buying a premium version.

Installing these solutions requires a Google account on your TV and access to the app store. The setup process usually takes no more than 5 minutes and involves scanning. QR-iPhone-camera.

πŸ’‘

Use H.265 codec-enabled (HEVC) applications to stream high-resolution video to reduce the load on the TV’s processor and avoid image jerks.

Streaming from browsers and YouTube

The simplest and most common scenario is watching YouTube videos or browser pages. YouTube uses Google Cast technology, which is built directly into the iOS app and the Android TV system. You don't have to duplicate the entire screen; just click on the broadcast icon in the corner of the video player.

Safari also has the ability to stream tab content or the entire screen if the TV supports the appropriate standards. When choosing a device to stream in Safari, the system will offer AirPlay options. This is convenient for browsing web pages that do not have a separate app on the TV.

The advantage of this approach is that the phone acts only as a remote control, video is downloaded directly from the TV from the Internet, which saves battery power and does not burden the Wi-Fi channel with the transmission of heavy video stream from the phone.

πŸ’‘

For YouTube and Netflix, always use the built-in Cast button inside the app, rather than screen mirroring – this will ensure better picture quality (HDR, 4K) and no delays.

Solving Connection and Delay Problems

Even with perfect setup, there can be technical difficulties, such as desynchronizing sound and image, or twitching images periodically, often indicating overloading the Wi-Fi channel or a lack of processing power on the TV when decoding the stream.

Try to reduce the quality of the streamed video in the settings of the source app. If you use screen mirroring, close all background apps on your iPhone. Also helps reboot the router and clean the TV cache through the Settings menu β†’ Apps β†’ Delete data for Google system services.

If nothing works, you can try static connectivity. Although the iPhone does not have HDMI output, using a Lightning to HDMI adapter (or USB-C to HDMI for new models) in conjunction with capturing video on a TV (via a USB camera) is an option for advanced users, but it requires additional hardware and is not a standard method for ordinary users.

Why is the TV not visible on AirPlay?
This can happen for several reasons: the isolation of access points on the router is turned on, the devices are connected to different networks (guest and main), or the firewall blocks the ports. Try rebooting both devices and the router.
Can I broadcast a delayed screen for games?
For dynamic games, wireless broadcasting is not suitable due to the inevitable delay (input lag) of 100-300 ms. For games, it is better to use wired connection or streaming through cloud services directly to TV.
Does Xiaomi support Dolby Atmos sound when streaming from iPhone?
Support depends on the specific app and model of the TV. When using AirPlay 2, multichannel audio is possible, but often the audio stream is converted to stereo for compatibility.
How to improve the image quality when mirroring?
Make sure the TV is on Game or PC mode in the image settings to minimize post-processing. Also turn off the power saving on the router.