How to connect a wireless display to a laptop from a Xiaomi phone

Modern Xiaomi smartphones have powerful displays, but sometimes you need to broadcast the image to the big screen for presentation, watching movies or showing games. Wireless display technology allows you to duplicate the screen of the smartphone on the laptop without the use of unnecessary cables, which provides mobility and convenience. Owners of devices based on the shell MIUI or HyperOS can take advantage of built-in system functions that do not require the installation of third-party software.

The setup process may seem complicated at first glance, but the algorithm is simple and logical. The key to a successful connection is to find both devices on the same local Wi-Fi network. If the router is configured correctly and the drivers of the laptop wireless adapter are updated, synchronization occurs in seconds. In this article, we will discuss all the stages of configuration, consider possible connection problems and offer alternative solutions for different use cases.

It is worth noting that the quality of the transmitted image depends on the bandwidth of your wireless channel. To transmit video in high resolution 1080p or 4K, it is recommended to use a frequency of 5 GHz, which provides a more stable signal and lower latency. Using the outdated 2.4 GHz band can lead to artifacts and twitching images, especially when using the network actively by other devices.

Technical requirements and equipment preparation

Before you start setting up, you need to make sure that your hardware meets the minimum technical requirements. Most modern laptops running Windows 10 and Windows 11 have built-in support for the Miracast standard, which underlies the wireless display function. However, on some older models or specific builds of the operating system, this feature may be disabled or require additional drivers to be installed.

Xiaomi smartphones, starting with the mid-range and flagship models, also support direct video transmission. It is important to check that the phone has Wi-Fi Direct module, which is used to establish direct connection between devices without routing traffic over the Internet, which provides low latency and high data transfer speeds.

⚠️ Warning: Make sure your laptop is not activated in Airplane mode and the wireless network card drivers are installed correctly. Lack of Wi-Fi drivers is the most common reason for not having Projection feature on Windows.

For stable operation, it is recommended to update the smartphone operating system to the latest available version. In the Settings menu → About the phone, you can check for firmware updates. New versions of MIUI often contain corrections for communication protocol errors, which can solve compatibility problems of certain laptop models.

Also worth paying attention to the battery charge: the process of wireless video broadcasting significantly increases the power consumption of both smartphones and laptops, it is recommended to connect the devices to power sources or make sure that the charge level is sufficient for long-term operation.

Set up a laptop to receive a signal

The first step in the setup process is to prepare the receiving device, your laptop. In Windows, the signal reception function is built into the system components, but requires activation. You need to open the notification center by pressing the Win + A key combination, and find the "Project" button. If there is no such button, go to the Settings → System → Projection menu on this computer.

The best option is to set up "Available everywhere on secure networks" to allow your Xiaomi smartphone to detect the laptop without having to confirm the connection on the computer screen each time, which is especially convenient when used frequently.

The system may suggest installing an additional Wireless Display component if it hasn't been installed before, which is a standard procedure that takes a few seconds to install, and when the component is installed, the computer will be visible to search by external devices, and you can also set the PIN requirements for the first pairing, which will add an additional layer of security.

It is important to check the settings of the firewall and antivirus. Sometimes security software can block incoming connections using the Miracast protocol. If the laptop is not detected by the phone, try temporarily disabling the firewall or adding an exception rule for the system application Wireless Display.

⚠️ Note: If the laptop is connected to the network via an Ethernet cable and the Wi-Fi module is off, the wireless display function will not work. To work Miracast, the Wi-Fi module must be physically turned on, even if the Internet is via the cable.

Launch of the broadcast from the phone Xiaomi

After you've prepared your laptop, you can switch to setting up your smartphone. In the MIUI and HyperOS shell, the screen broadcast function can be called differently depending on the firmware version and region. Most often it's in the notification curtain called "Translation" or "Wireless Monitor." If the icon is not available quickly, it can be found through a search in the settings or in the Settings menu → Connect and share → Broadcast.

When you activate the function, the phone will start looking for available devices within range. In a few seconds, your laptop should appear in the list. Click on its name to start pairing. A request for permission to connect may appear on the computer screen, which you need to confirm.

Settings → Connection and Sharing → Broadcast → Device Selection

In some cases, the system will suggest selecting a mode of use. To view a video or photo gallery, you should choose a video mode that optimizes the flow for smoothness. To demonstrate the interface of applications or games, the Game or Text mode will suit, prioritizing font clarity and responsiveness.

If you use your smartphone for gaming, it is recommended to turn on Do Not Disturb mode so that incoming calls or notifications do not block the broadcast image, and it is also worth turning off the automatic screen lock so that the phone does not go out during a long session.

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To reduce gaming delay, close the background apps on your phone that consume Internet traffic, such as downloads to the Play Market or cloud sync photos.

Use of Mi PC Suite and third-party solutions

Embedded tools don’t always work perfectly, especially if the versions of operating systems are very different. In such cases, specialized applications come to the rescue. The official Mi PC Suite app (or its modern counterparts for the Xiaomi ecosystem) allows you not only to broadcast the screen, but also to manage files, take screenshots and respond to messages from the computer.

There are many third-party programs, such as LetsView, ApowerMirror or Scrcpy. Scrcpy deserves special attention, as it works through USB debugging or TCP/IP and provides minimal latency. To use it, you need to turn on the developer mode on your phone and activate debugging over USB in the Settings menu → Advanced Settings → For developers.

Third-party software often requires the installation of the client side on both the computer and the phone, which provides a more stable communication channel and additional functions, such as recording a screen with sound or controlling a mouse and keyboard, but it is worth remembering the security of data, downloading applications only from trusted sources.

Optimizing quality and eliminating delays

Even with perfect setup, there can be image quality issues, and the main enemy of wireless transmission is an unstable Wi-Fi signal. If you're far from the router or the wall between the devices is too thick, there can be squares and communication breaks, and in such cases, you should consider using a Wi-Fi repeater or moving closer to the signal source.

Screen resolution is also important. If a laptop has a 4K screen and the phone broadcasts a 1080p signal, the image may look stretched or fuzzy. In the projection settings on the computer, you can select a zoom mode so that the image occupies the entire screen or appears in the original size with black fields.

Frame rates are critical for gamers. Standard Miracast often limits the frequency to 30 FPS at high resolution. Lowering the output resolution on a phone to 720p can increase the frame rate to 60 FPS, making the picture smoother, though less detailed.

⚠️ Note: Do not attempt to broadcast protected content (DRM) from apps like Netflix or Disney+ Wireless display – you will see a black screen instead of a video due to copyright protection policies.

Optimize your work by setting up your router, as well as providing a separate channel for Xiaomi devices and laptops, and prioritizing traffic (QoS) for multimedia, will help reduce the impact of other devices on the network on broadcast quality.

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Decreasing the resolution on your phone before streaming is the most effective way to boost FPS and reduce latency in games.

Solving Common Connection Problems

Often, users are faced with a situation where the laptop simply can not see the phone, the first thing to check whether the devices are not isolated from each other by the router settings (AP Isolation), this security feature prevents devices on the same Wi-Fi network from communicating with each other, you can turn it off in the router settings in the Wireless Settings section.

Another common problem is desynchronization of sound, which can be from the phone while the laptop is displaying video, and to fix this, the phone's broadcast menu needs to make sure that the audio option is selected, or manually switch the Windows audio output device to the phone speaker (if it's defined as an audio device), or vice versa.

If the connection is constantly broken, try to “forget” the Wi-Fi network on both devices and connect again. Also helps reset the network settings on the phone through the Settings menu → Connection and Sharing → Reset Wi-Fi, mobile networks and Bluetooth. This will not delete your personal data, but will return network settings to factory values.

In rare cases, the problem lies in third-party antivirus software (Kaspersky, ESET, Avast), which has its own firewall. Check the network protection settings in your antivirus and make sure that the current network is marked as “Trusted” or “Home” rather than “Public”.