How to connect a Xiaomi phone to a car: all the ways + fixing

Why to connect Xiaomi to your car and what it does

Modern Xiaomi smartphones (including the Redmi, Poco and Mi lines) can turn even a budget car into a smart transport with advanced features. Connecting the phone to the car multimedia system allows you to use Google Maps or Yandex.Maps navigation on the big screen, control music with voice, take calls through car speakers and even monitor the state of the car through applications like Mi Home (for smart devices).

But not all ways of connecting are equally convenient. For example, Bluetooth is suitable for calls and music, but does not transmit the screen of the phone, and Android Auto requires a compatible tape recorder and the right settings on Xiaomi. AUX to wireless Miracast, and also solve typical problems such as communication interruptions or lack of sound.

If your car was built before 2010, it probably doesn’t have Bluetooth built-in. USB-In that case, you'll need to buy more. FM-transmitter (from 500) ₽) or replace the tape with a modern one with support for Android Auto (from 10 000) ₽).

Method 1: Connect via Bluetooth (for calls and music)

The most versatile method that works even on older machines with a simple tape recorder. Bluetooth allows you to stream music and receive calls through the car's speakers, but does not transfer the phone screen to the radio display. MIUI 12+ and vehicles with profile support A2DP (Most cars after 2012).

Instructions:

• 📱 On the phone: open Settings → Bluetooth and enable device search.
• 🚗 In the car: activate the pairing mode (usually the Phone button or BT tape-recorded).
• 🔗 In the list of found devices on Xiaomi, select the name of your radio (for example, Toyota Audio).
• 🔑 Confirm the pairing code (usually 0000 or 1234).

After connection:

• 🎵 Music: Play tracks through Mi Music, Spotify or YouTube Music – the sound will go through the machine speakers.
• 📞 Calls: Incoming calls will automatically switch to speakerphone.
• 🗣️ Voice commands: if the tape recorder supports AVRCP 1.6+, You can control voice playback (for example, say “Next track»).

⚠️ Note: Some Xiaomi models (e.g. Redmi Note 10 Pro) after upgrading to MIUI 14 may lose sound when connected to Bluetooth. Solution: go to Settings → Connected devices → Bluetooth settings → Additionally. → Audio codec and select SBC instead AAC.

Method 2: Android Auto – Full Integration with the Cassette

Android Auto is Google’s official solution that projects the smartphone screen onto the car’s display, adapting the interface to control while driving.All Xiaomi on Android 10 are supported.+ (This means that the model is not older than 2019:

• 📱 Xiaomi phone with Android Auto app installed (download to Google Play).
• 🚗 Magnet with support for Android Auto (check in the instructions for the car or on the manufacturer's website).
• 🔌 USB-Type C cable (for wired connection) or Bluetooth 5.0 (for wireless, if supported).

Step-by-step:

1. Connect the phone to the tape recorder through USB (Use the original Xiaomi cable – cheap ones are often not recognized).
2. On the radio screen, select the source of Android Auto (can be called Smartphone Link or MirrorLink).
3. On the phone, confirm permission to access notifications and contacts.
4. Now, the display will show an adapted interface with large buttons for navigation, music and calls.

Android Auto wireless (without wireless) USB) It only works on Android 11 phones.+ and Wi-Fi Direct-enabled radios:

1. Connect your phone to the Bluetooth tape recorder.
2. In the Android Auto settings on your phone, turn on the Wireless Mode option.
3. Restart the application and wait for the automatic connection.

⚠️ Note: If Android Auto is not running, check it out:

• 🔌 Cable: Use only USB-Type C with data support (not charging!).
• 📵 Developer mode: some Xiaomi need to disable the debugging option USB In Settings → The phone. → Version. MIUI (7 times tap the version, then return to the Additional settings → For developers).
• 🔄 Updates: Update the Android Auto app and the firmware of the tape recorder.

Install the latest version of Android Auto from Google Play|

Use the original. USB-Xiaomi|

Enable data transmission to USB (Select "File Transfer" when connecting)|

Turn it off. VPN and energy saving mode on the phone-->

Method 3: Miracast (Wireless Display) – Screen duplication

Miracast is a wireless screen transfer technology from phone to radio, similar to Samsung's Smart View. Suitable for watching videos, navigating or showing presentations, but not optimized for driving while on the move (buttons remain small). MIUI 11+ and radios with Miracast or Wi-Fi Display support.

How to connect:

1. On the phone: open Settings → Connection and sharing → Transfer to the screen (or Wireless Display).
2. On the radio: Enable Miracast mode (in the signal source menu).
3. Select the name of the tape recorder from the list of available devices on the phone.
4. Confirm the connection on both devices.

Features:

• ⚡ Image Delay: about 0.5-1 seconds (not critical for navigation, but noticeable in games).
• 🔋 Battery consumption: Increases by 20–30% due to active Wi-Fi and video transmission.
• 🎮 Control: Touch screen tape recorders duplicate taps on the phone (if supported).

⚠️ Note: On some tape recorders (e.g. Pioneer) AVH-Z5200BT) Miracast only works when Android Auto is disabled. Select one mode!

Method 4: Connecting through a wired USB (MTP or MirrorLink)

If you don’t have Bluetooth or Android Auto in your car, you can USB-Port can be connected to Xiaomi in mode MTP (MirrorLink is an outdated standard, but it is still supported by some tape recorders (for example, Sony). XAV-AX100).

Instructions for MTP (music):

1. Connect the phone to USB-magnetoport.
2. On your phone, select File Transfer Mode (not Charging).
3. On the tape, select the source. USB or media.
4. Control playback through the radio interface (playlists will be displayed automatically).

Instructions for MirrorLink:

1. Download the MirrorLink app from Google Play.
2. Connect the phone to USB-magnetoport.
3. On the tape, select the MirrorLink source or Smartphone Link.
4. Follow the instructions on the screen for pairing.

Limitations:

• 🚫 MirrorLink does not support Google Maps or Android Auto, only basic features (calls, music, some navigators like Sygic).
• 🔌 When connecting through USB The phone will charge slowly (current is limited) 0.5A).

💡

If the radio does not see the phone in mode MTP, Try another cable or enable the debugging option in the developer settings USB (Sometimes it helps paradoxically).

Method 5: AUX and FM-Transmitter – for older cars

If your car was released before 2010, it probably doesn’t have Bluetooth or any other devices. USB. In this case, it will help:

• 🎧 AUX-cable (3.5 mm): connects the phone to the audio system through the headphone jack.
• 📻 FM-transmitter: transmits sound from the phone to the radio frequency (e.g. 87.5) FM), The sound quality is worse than Bluetooth.

How to connect through AUX:

1. Buy a Type-C cable. → 3.5 mm (for new Xiaomi without headphone jack).
2. Connect one end to the phone, the other to the port AUX car.
3. On the phone, turn on the music playback, and the sound will go through the machine speakers.

How to connect through FM-transmitter:

1. Buy a Type-C or Bluetooth transmitter (e.g. Baseus) FM Transmitter).
2. Connect it to the lighter and set it to a free frequency (e.g. 107.7). FM).
3. On the tape, tune to the same frequency.
4. Connect the phone to the transmitter via Bluetooth or connect via cable.

⚠️ Attention: FM-In a city, sound quality can be impaired by radios at adjacent frequencies. Solution: select the frequency manually (e.g., 88.1). FM or 106.3 FM), broadcast.

The solution to the problems: why Xiaomi does not connect to the car

Even with the right settings, errors can occur, and here are the most common solutions.

If the problem is not resolved:

• 🔄 Reboot your phone and tape (sometimes resetting Bluetooth settings on your phone helps).
• 📋 Check compatibility: the manufacturer’s website should have a list of supported phones.
• 🛠️ Update the firmware of the tape recorder (relevant for Pioneer, Sony, Alpine).

💡

If neither method works, check if the connection is blocked by the battery-saving app (like Security or Battery Doctor on Xiaomi).Add Bluetooth and Android Auto apps to the exceptions.

FAQ: Frequent questions about connecting Xiaomi to the car