Google TV on Xiaomi phone: a complete guide to features and setup

If you own a Xiaomi smartphone and you notice a Google TV app on the menu but don’t understand why you need it on a mobile device, this article is for you. Despite the name, the service doesn’t turn a phone into a TV, but it offers convenient options for managing content, finding movies and TV shows, and syncing with other devices. In 2026, the feature became available on most flagship and mid-budget models of Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO, but many users still do not know about its potential.

In this guide, we will take a look at what Google TV is in a phone, how it differs from the Smart TV platform of the same name, what features are available on Xiaomi, and how to set up the service for maximum convenience. Also, you will learn what models the app runs on, how to sync it with your TV and why it can disappear after the MIUI update. If you are looking for a way to centrally manage subscriptions to streaming services or quickly find content by voice, read on.

What is Google TV and why is it on Xiaomi?

Google TV is not just a video-watching app, but a whole ecosystem from Google designed to bring content from different streaming services (Netflix, YouTube, Disney+, Prime Video, etc.) into one place, originally developed for Smart TVs and media consoles (such as Chromecast with Google TV), but since 2022 has been actively integrating into mobile devices, including Xiaomi smartphones.

On a phone, Google TV has three key functions:

• 🔍 Universal Content Search – Searches for movies, TV shows and shows across all connected services simultaneously, showing where to watch them (free or by subscription).
• 📺 Television control – allows you to use your phone as a remote for Android TV Google TV-devices, as well as broadcast content on the big screen.
• 🎬 Personalized recommendations – analyze your preferences and offer content based on your browsing history (even if you’ve watched it in different apps).

It’s important to understand that Google TV on the phone is not a standalone firmware or mode, but an app that replaces the outdated Google Play Movies and Series.It’s pre-installed on most new Xiaomi smartphones (starting with MIUI 13), but it can be downloaded manually from Google Play if it’s gone after the update.

Which Xiaomi phones have Google TV (model list)

Google TV is not available on all Xiaomi devices, and it depends on two factors: the MIUI version and the firmware region, and here is the current list of models that have the app installed by default or officially supported (data for 2026):

If your model is not listed, check the app on Google Play at the link. Note that on devices with Chinese firmware (China ROM), the service can be blocked, in which case you will need to change the region or install a global version of MIUI.

⚠️ Note: On smartphones with MIUI 12 and below Google TV It won't work, you need to upgrade to the current firmware version. → The phone. → Version. MIUI.

How to use Google TV on Xiaomi: step-by-step instructions

If the app is already installed on your Xiaomi, you can run it through the main menu or search. When you first open it will prompt you to perform an initial setup.

1. Sign in to the same Google account you use on other devices (like Android TV) that syncs your subscriptions and browsing history.
2. Connect services. Go to Library → Service Management and select the platforms you use (Netflix, Prime Video, Okko, etc.) to search for content from all sources at the same time.
3. Customize recommendations. In Settings → Personalization, identify your favorite genres and actors. The more data you provide, the more accurate the selections will be.
4. Voice search. Click on the microphone icon in the top panel and say a query like, "Show the 2023 comedies with Ryan Reynolds," and the system will find movies in all the connected services.

For the control of the TV:

1. Make sure your phone and TV are connected to the same Wi-Fi network.
2. Open Google TV on your phone and tap on the Device icon (top right corner).
3. Choose your TV from the list. You can now use your phone as a remote or stream content to the big screen.

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If Google TV can't find your TV, check if it supports Google Cast technology. You can check the list of compatible devices at tv.google.com.

How Google TV on your phone is different from the Smart TV version

Although the name is the same, the functionality of Google TV on a smartphone and TV differs significantly.

• 📱 The mobile version focuses on search and recommendations, while TV-Version – on viewing the content.
• 🔄 The phone does not have a built-in player for most streaming services – when choosing a movie, you will be redirected to the corresponding application (Netflix, YouTube, etc.).
• 🎮 Android. TV Google TV-consoles have support for games and applications, while on the smartphone this functionality is absent.
• 🔗 The mobile app can control the TV (like a remote control) and TV-version.

The advantage of Google mobile TV is that it's mobile-friendly. You can:

• 📲 Add movies to the Watch List on the Move and then open them on the TV.
• 🔔 Get notifications about the release of new seasons of series.
• 🗣️ Use voice search even if your TV doesn’t have a microphone.

⚠️ Note: If you delete the Google app TV From your smartphone, synchronizing your viewing lists and recommendations with your TV will stop working, so to get back to the functionality, you'll have to reinstall the program and reconfigure the setup.

Why Google TV Suddenly disappeared from Xiaomi phone and how to get it back

Many Xiaomi users are faced with a situation where the Google TV Suddenly app disappears after a MIUI update or reset.

• 🔄 Update of the firmware - in new versions MIUI Sometimes Google Apps are removed from pre-installed applications.
• 📦 Memory optimization – the system can uninstall underutilized programs.
• 🌍 Change of region – if you change the region of your Google account or firmware, access to the service may be blocked.
• 🛠️ Manual removal – the user could accidentally delete the application, mistaking it for unnecessary.

To return your Google TV, follow the following steps:

1. Check Google Play for an app on the link. If it's available, install it.
2. If there is no application in the Play Market, download the APK from a reliable source (such as APKMirror) and install it manually, allowing installation from unknown sources in Settings → Applications → Special Access.
3. Once installed, restart your phone and check if the app appears on the menu. If not, clear the Google Play Services cache in Settings → Apps → App Management → Google Play Services → Storage → Clear the cache.

How to sync Google TV on Xiaomi phone with TV

One of the most useful things about Google TV is that you can sync your views between your phone and your TV, so you can start watching a movie on your smartphone on the road, and then continue from that moment on the big screen.

1. Make sure your TV has firmware installed with Google TV or Android TV (version 9.0 and higher).
2. Use a Google account on your phone and TV.
3. Enable sync in Google TV settings on both devices: On Phone: Open Google TV → Profile → Settings → Sync Views → Turn On TV: Settings → Accounts and Login → Google → Data Sync → Enable
4. To stream content from your phone to your TV, use the Broadcast function (the screen icon and Wi-Fi in the upper right corner of the app).

If the synchronization is not working:

• 🔄 Reboot both devices.
• 📶 Check that they are connected to the same Wi-Fi network.
• 🔒 In the TV settings, allow access to the local network for Google TV.

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Synchronization works only for content from connected streaming services (Netflix, YouTube, etc.) Local files or pirated content will not be transferred.

Google TV Issues on Xiaomi and How to Solve Them

Despite the convenience, Xiaomi users often encounter Google TV bugs, and here are the most common problems and ways to fix them:

If none of these methods worked, try:

1. Remove updates to Google Play Services and install them again.
2. Reset the app settings to Settings → Apps → Google TV → Additional → Reset settings.
3. Contact Google support through the in-app feedback form.

⚠️ Note: Some Xiaomi firmware (especially Chinese) Google TV It can be unstable because of the limitations of the region, and then only a global reflashing will help. MIUI.

FAQ: Frequent questions about Google TV on Xiaomi