Connecting Xiaomi phone to TV via USB: full instruction with error solutions

Connecting a Xiaomi smartphone to a TV via the USB- cable seems like a simple task, but in practice users face a lot of nuances: from lack of screen reaction to media transmission errors. In this article, we will analyze all working methods of connection, including the hidden settings of the MIUI, features of different firmware versions and solutions for Samsung TVs, LG, Sony Bravia and Xiaomi TV.

It’s important to understand that USB connectivity between your phone and your TV can work in three modes: file transfer (MTP), charging and debugging over USB. However, displaying an image requires either a USB-C → HDMI adapter (for modern flagships), or activating special features in the developer menu, and we’ll focus on the standard Micro-USB/Type-C connection, which is supported by 90% of TVs older than 2015.

If your TV doesn't recognize Xiaomi when you connect, it's not always a cable problem, more often than not it's the phone settings or the outdated MIUI firmware. In this article, you'll find checklists for diagnostics, a table of model compatibility, and answers to questions about why the TV doesn't see the phone even after all the manipulations.

1. What cables and adapters are needed to connect

The first thing to check is the type of USB port on your TV and phone. Xiaomi’s current smartphones (starting with the Redmi Note 10 and Mi 11) feature a USB-C connector, while TVs until 2020 often only have a USB-A (standard rectangular port).

• 🔌 Cable USB-C → USB-A (if the TV has a USB 2.0/3.0 Type-A port)
• 🔄 Adapter USB-C → HDMI (to output an image if the TV supports MHL or Slimport)
• ⚡ Cable with support for USB 3.1 (for video transmission at resolution above 720p)
• 📱 OTG- Cable (unless the phone is recognized as a drive)

Note that cheap cables often don't support data transfer, only charging. To check this, connect your phone to your computer — if the notification menu features the option "Send files", the cable is working. Samsung's QLED (2018+) and LG OLED (2019+) TVs may require a proprietary cable with an authentication chip.

Critical: if your Xiaomi supports USB-C, but the TV has only HDMI, a regular USB cable will not help to display the image. In this case, you need an adapter with DisplayPort Alt Mode (for example, Xiaomi USB-C to HDMI or Baseus), the cost of such an adapter is from 800 to 2500 rubles, but it is guaranteed to transfer video to 4K@30Hz.

2. Set up Xiaomi phone before connecting

Before connecting devices, you need to activate the data mode on the phone. By default, MIUI blocks the connection to unknown devices, so:

1. Connect your phone to the TV with a cable.
2. On the screen of the phone will appear a notification “Charge via USB” – tap it.
3. Select the File Transfer Mode (MTP).
4. If you don’t have an option, go to Settings → Connected Devices → USB and turn on “Media Files Transfer”.

On Android TVs (such as Xiaomi Mi TV 4S or Sony Bravia), a request for permission to access files may appear after you connect, confirm it, or the phone will appear as an "empty device." If the notification does not appear:

Is the developer mode on?|Is debugging permitted USB?|Whether the regime is elected MTP customized?|Cable connected to port USB 3.0 on TV?-->

For advanced users: if the phone is not detected even in MTP mode, try to enable USB Debugging in the developer menu.

Settings → About the phone → MIUI version (shap 7 times)


Settings → Additional → For developers → Debugging by USB

Important: On Samsung’s Tizen TVs (2017–2022 models), MTP only works with MIUI 13+ firmware. If you have an older version, upgrade your phone or use alternative connectivity methods (such as Miracast or Google Cast).

3. Connect to TVs of different brands

The connection algorithm may vary depending on the TV's operating system, and the instructions for the most popular brands below are:

On Samsung TVs with Tizen, you may need to manually select the source of the signal after connecting the phone.

1. Press Source (or Input) on the remote.
2. Select the USB- device (may be called Media Player).
3. Confirm access to files on your phone.

For LG WebOS owners, if your phone is connected but your files aren't displayed, try rebooting your TV with the cable connected, which solves the recognition problem in 30% of cases, and check that your phone is in Media File Transfer mode, not Charging only.

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If the TV can't see the phone, try connecting the cable to another USB- port on the TV. The ports on the back are often more powerful and better recognize devices.

4 Why the TV can't see the Xiaomi phone via USB

If after all the manipulations the phone is not detected, the reasons may be as follows:

• 📁 Phone file system - exFAT or NTFS may not be supported.

Diagnosis by step:

1. Connect your phone to your computer – if it’s defined as a drive, the problem is with the TV.
2. Try another cable (preferably original from Xiaomi).
3. In the menu of the TV, find the section "USB-settings" and reset them to the factory.
4. On your phone, turn off "MIUI Optimization for USB" in the battery settings.

There's a famous bug on Samsung's Tizen TVs: They don't see phones with Protected Storage enabled in MIUI.

Settings → Privacy → Special resolution → Secure storage (disable)

Critical information: Sony Bravia 2018-2020 TVs do not support connecting Xiaomi phones with File-Based Encryption enabled. To get around this, create a separate folder on your phone without encryption and transfer media files to it.

5. Alternative ways to connect (if USB is not working)

If USB- connection is not possible, use one of the alternative methods:

• 📶 Miracast/Wi-Fi Direct is a wireless screen transmission (operates on MIUI 12+).

Instructions for Miracast:

1. On the phone: Settings → Connection and Sharing → Wireless display.
2. On TV: Turn on Screen Mirroring (on Samsung) or Miracast (on LG/Sony).
3. Select the TV from the list of available devices on your phone.

Google Cast will require both devices to be connected to the same Wi-Fi network.

1. Open the video in the app (such as YouTube or Google Photos).
2. Click the Cast icon (screen icon with Wi-Fi).
3. Choose your TV from the list.

Warning: Miracast may delay sound to 0.5 seconds, a hardware feature of the protocol that cannot be fixed. For games or videos with fast subtitles, you should use the HDMI- adapter.

6. Optimization of the transfer of media files

If the phone is detected but the files are being played with errors, follow these tips:

• 🎵 For music: Convert files to MP3 (TVs do not support FLAC or ALAC).
• 🎬 For video: Use the H.264 or MPEG-4 codecs with a resolution not higher than 1080p.
• 📷 For photo: Avoid the HEIC formats (use JPEG).
• 📁 For folders: Don’t use Cyrillic in file names – this causes crashes on Samsung Tizen.

On LG WebOS TVs to speed up access to files:

1. Open up the Media Player on TV.
2. Select the USB- device.
3. Click Options → Index files (accelerate downloading thumbnails).

For Xiaomi TV owners: If video slows down, turn off the "AI Image Processing" option in the TV settings. It consumes resources and can cause lags when playing from USB.

7. Solving specific errors

Let’s look at the most common mistakes and their solutions:

Error "USB- Device not recognized" on Windows PC (if you are testing the cable via a computer):

1. Open Device Manager (Win + X → Device Manager).
2. Find a device with a yellow exclamation mark.
3. Update the driver manually by selecting "MTP- device".

If the Samsung TV gives an error "Not supported format" when playing video, even though the file is in MP4:

• Check the bitrate – it should not exceed 20 Mbps.
• Make sure the audio track is in AAC format, not AC3.
• Rename the file in English (without spaces).

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If your Xiaomi phone is not detected on any device via USB, reset your network settings: Settings → System → Reset → Network Reset. This often resolves MTP driver issues.

Frequent Questions (FAQ)