Xiaomi Screen Broken: Connection and Control Methods

When your Xiaomi smartphone has a broken screen, but the device itself is still working, it is one of the most stressful for the owner: you see notifications, hear messages, maybe even feel vibration from incoming calls, but visual contact with the interface is completely or partially lost. At this point, the main task is not just diagnostics, but urgent connection to the device to back up photos, contacts and important documents before sending the gadget to the service.

Fortunately, the Android ecosystem on which the MIUI or HyperOS shell is based has multiple scenarios for recovering data even when a touchscreen or display is broken, ranging from simply connecting the peripherals to using cloud services and customized PC software. The choice of the particular method depends on the extent of the matrix damage and whether the USB debugging mode was enabled in advance.

In this guide, we will take a detailed look at all the options available if you have a Xiaomi screen broken and explain how to connect to your phone as efficiently as possible.We will look at both hardware methods using adapters and software solutions available through a computer or other devices on your network.

Using a USB-OTG adapter to control your mouse

The most reliable and quickest way to get full control of a smartphone with a broken touchscreen is to use USB On-The-Go (OTG) technology. If the display does not respond to touch, but the image is present on it (or even if it is not, but you act at random or from memory), connecting a regular computer mouse will allow you to control the cursor on the phone screen.

To implement this method, you will need USB-OTG The adapter that fits your Xiaomi connector (usually this one) USB Type-C: China’s modern smartphones automatically recognize connected phones HID-devices such as mice and keyboards without the need to install additional drivers or configure complex settings.

After connecting the mouse, a cursor will appear on the screen, which will allow you to unlock the device if you remember the pattern lock or PIN-And then you go back up the data, and this is the perfect way to transfer files, because you get full visual and haptic control of the interface. MIUI.

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If you have a wireless mouse, make sure it has a charge, as a broken screen can interfere with timely notification of low peripheral charge levels.

It’s worth noting that if you have a flagship model with curved edges of the screen, the cursor may behave incorrectly at the borders, but in the center of the display, the control will be complete, and this method allows you to enable debugging over USB if it was turned off, which opens up access to more advanced recovery tools.

Connect to your computer via Mi PC Suite and ADB

If using the external periphery is impossible or inconvenient, the next logical step is to connect the smartphone to the computer to control through software interfaces. However, there is a critical condition: to fully manage the file system and screen from the PC, you often need a pre-set debugging permission.

The official Mi PC Suite (or its international counterparts) allows you to back up and manage some of the phone’s functions. However, official software is often limited if you don’t confirm file transfer mode on the screen, and in such cases, developer tools like Android Debug Bridge (ADB) come to the rescue.

To work with ADB, you need to have the developer mode activated on the phone in advance and USB debugging enabled. If these settings were made before the screen broke, you can control the device through the computer command line, transfer files, and even stream the screen image to the monitor.

ADB commands allow you to perform complex operations such as installing applications, removing system debris, or creating full backups. Below is the basic command to check the device's connection:

adb devices

If the list shows your Xiaomi serial number with the status of "device", then the connection is established, and you can execute commands to copy data, for example, the adb pull command to upload files to the computer memory.

Screen broadcast via Mi Remote or Cast

Xiaomi device owners often have the built-in “Mi Remote” feature or the ability to use the Cast protocol to display an image on a TV or other monitor. If the phone is connected to the same Wi-Fi network as a Smart TV or Android TV, you can try to run the broadcast.

The problem with this method is that it usually requires screen interaction to run a Translation or Wireless Monitor function, but if you have previously configured a Google Assistant or XiaoAI voice assistant, you can try to activate the broadcast with voice.

Just say, "Ok Google, broadcast the screen," or something like that. If the phone recognizes the command and connects to the TV, you'll see an image of your smartphone on the big screen. When you connect to your mouse (via OTG), that gives the perfect result: you're watching a big TV and you're controlling your phone with your mouse.

• 📺 Make sure both devices are on the same local Wi-Fi network for successful detection.
• 🔊 Voice commands may not work if the phone's microphone is damaged or closed.
• ⚡ Cast uses a significant amount of power, so keep an eye on the battery level.

⚠️ Note: If the phone screen is completely black and doesn’t glow, you won’t be able to see if the TV has been successfully paired, so it’s best to combine this method with a mouse connection.

Use cloud services and find my device

When physical access to the interface is difficult, cloud technologies come to the fore. Google Find My Device not only allows you to track the location of your smartphone, but also perform some actions remotely if your phone is connected to the Internet.

Through the service's web interface, you can lock a device, make it ring (which will help you find it by sound), or, most importantly in our situation, completely erase the data. Although erasure is a last resort, sometimes it's the only way to protect information if the phone falls into the wrong hands.

Mi Cloud is critical to Xiaomi ecosystem owners, and if you have Mi Account enabled and synced, your contacts, notes, photos and voice recordings are already in the cloud, and you can access them from any computer by going to i.mi.com.

Cloud storage check is the first step to take, as it doesn’t require any physical cable connection and works even when the display is completely broken, as long as the phone is online.

HDMI method: displaying images to an external monitor

Not everyone knows that many modern Xiaomi smartphones with flagship and upper-middle processors support video output via a charging port. Using a USB-C to HDMI adapter, you can connect the phone directly to a monitor or TV.

Unlike wireless broadcasting, a wired HDMI connection provides minimal latency and a stable picture, especially if you need to enter complex passwords or fine-tune before resetting, and the image will appear automatically on the external screen as soon as contact is made.

If you combine this method with the connection USB-A hub (which has a port at the same time) HDMI port USB), You'll get a full desktop, and you can plug a mouse, a keyboard, a power cable into the hub, turning a broken phone into a mini-computer to save data.

It is important to understand that Xiaomi’s low-end models (the entry-level Redmi series) may not support video output via USB-C, as the port there is implemented only on the USB 2.0 standard without the video core.

Remote Access Software (TeamViewer, AnyDesk)

If your broken Xiaomi phone had a remote access app installed in advance, such as TeamViewer Host, AnyDesk or RustDesk, and you remember a password or set up a trusted access, you can control the phone from another Android device or computer.

These apps allow you to see the phone screen in real time and transmit touches. However, on modern versions of Android and the MIUI shell, touching (rather than just viewing) often requires special permissions or superuser rights (Root) that are given through ADB.

If the app has been set up for full access before, it is a “golden key” to your device, you can open a gallery, instant messengers and banking applications (if they do not block the recording of the screen) and save all the information.

⚠️ Note: Most remote access apps won’t work if your phone has been rebooted and you haven’t manually unlocked its screen at least once after turning it on.

In situations where none of the software methods helps because of the screen lock, only the hardware solution remains - a temporary replacement of the display in the service center or self-installation of the work module for data extraction.

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The most universal way to save data when a broken touchscreen is a bunch of USB-OTG adapter and computer mouse, which does not require pre-configuration of the software.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)