How to connect your phone to a Xiaomi TV: all the ways from Miracast to USB-cable

Connecting a smartphone to a Xiaomi TV opens up new possibilities for viewing content, from streaming high-resolution video to dubbing the screen for presentations or games. However, not all users know that modern Xiaomi TVs (Mi TV A Pro, Mi TV Q2, Redmi Smart TV and others) support several ways of synchronizing, from wireless protocols to wired connections. The choice of method depends on your tasks: whether you need minimal latency for games, maximum picture quality for movies or simple screen mirroring for displaying photos.

In this article, we will look at all the current connectivity options (including hidden MIUI and Google Cast features), compare them in speed, stability and hardware requirements, and provide checklists to correct common bugs.

1. Wi-Fi Direct (Miracast) connection – no router

Miracast protocol (built into Xiaomi as Wi-Fi Direct) allows you to broadcast your phone screen to your TV without intermediaries - router, cables or additional adapters.It is ideal for trips or places where there is no stable Internet.The technology works on most Xiaomi TVs (starting with the Mi TV 4A 2018) and is supported by all Android 5.0+ smartphones (including Redmi, POCO and Black Shark).

To activate the connection:

• 📱 On the phone: open Settings → Connections and sharing → Wi-Fi transmission (Miracast).
• 📺 On TV: Go to Settings → The Internet and the Internet → Wi-Fi Direct and enable device visibility.
• 🔗 Select the name of your TV in the list on your phone (for example, MiTV-AB12-CD34).
• ✅ Confirm the connection on both devices – the phone screen should show up on the TV.

⚠️ Note: Miracast can delay up to 1-2 seconds, which is critical for dynamic games. For video streaming (YouTube, Netflix), this method is ideal, but for gaming it is better to choose HDMI or Google Cast.

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If the TV doesn't show up in the list of devices, reboot both gadgets and re-search. Sometimes it helps to turn off Bluetooth on the phone - it can conflict with Wi-Fi Direct.

2. Google Cast (Chromecast built-in) – for streaming content

Xiaomi Android TVs (Mi TV Q, Mi TV P1, Redmi Smart TV X) have built-in support for Google Cast, a technology similar to Chromecast. It allows you not to duplicate the entire screen of the phone, but only transfer content (video, music, photos) from supported applications (YouTube, Google Photos, Spotify, etc.).

Instructions for connection:

1. Make sure your phone and TV are connected to the same Wi-Fi network.
2. Open an app that supports Cast (like YouTube).
3. Slip on the broadcast icon (📡) Choose your Xiaomi TV from the list.
4. The content will start playing on TV, and the phone can be used for control (pause, volume).

⚠️ Note: If the app does not support Google Cast, but you need to stream its content, use Miracast mirroring (section 1). However, note that in this case the phone will run out faster, and the picture quality may decrease.

3. HDMI wired connection for gaming and 4K

If you want minimal response time (for example, for cloud games like Xbox Cloud Gaming or GeForce NOW) or video transmission in 4K@60fps resolution, wired HDMI connectivity remains the best choice. Xiaomi TVs support HDMI-CEC standard, which allows you to control TV from the remote of the phone (if it is connected via USB Type-C).

What you need:

• 📱 Smartphone with support USB-C → HDMI (Most of Xiaomi’s flagships after 2020).
• 🔌 adapter USB-C to HDMI (For example, original from Xiaomi or certified by Anker).
• 🖥️ Cable HDMI 2.0 or later (for 4K HDR).

Step-by-step:

1. Connect the adapter to the USB-C port of the phone.
2. Connect the adapter to the TV with an HDMI cable (use a port marked HDMI 2.0/ARC).
3. On the TV, select the signal source: HDMI 1/2/3 (depending on the port).
4. The phone may have a request to select the display mode – choose Duplicate screen or Expand desktop.

⚠️ Note: Some Xiaomi models (e.g. Redmi Note 10 Pro) when connected via HDMI To avoid discharge, use a Power Delivery-enabled hub (e.g. Baseus) 6-in-1).

4. USB connection – for files and charging

The easiest but limited way is to connect your phone to a Xiaomi TV via a phone. USB-It's suitable for viewing photos/videos stored in the memory of the phone, or for charging the gadget while watching. However, duplicate screen or streaming online content in this way can not be achieved.

How it works:

1. Connect your phone and TV with a USB-A → USB-C cable (use the USB 3.0 port on your TV for maximum speed).
2. The TV will show a notification about the device’s connection – select Transfer Files or Charge.
3. To view media files, open the Files or Gallery app on TV.

🔹 Limitations of method:

• ❌ No screen duplication (only file access).
• ❌ Low data transfer speed on older TV models (Mi) TV 4S previously).
• ✅ Suitable for viewing high resolution photos (RAW, HEIF).

5.Mi Share proprietary technology – for the Xiaomi ecosystem

If you have a Xiaomi smartphone (starting with the Mi 9), Redmi or POCO with MIUI 12+ firmware, you can use Mi Share’s proprietary technology for fast file transfer and screen duplication. Unlike Miracast, this method is optimized for Xiaomi devices and provides a more stable connection.

How to activate Mi Share:

• 📱 On the phone: open Settings → Connections and sharing → Mi Share.
• 📺 On TV: Go to Settings → Connections → Mi Share and turn on visibility.
• 🔍 On your phone, select the TV from the list and confirm the connection.
• 📤 To transfer files tap on the icon Send, to duplicate the screen – Screen broadcast.

🔹 The Benefits of Mi Share:

• ⚡ File transfer speeds up to 20 MB/s (vs. 10 MB/s for Bluetooth).
• 🎮 Support for Xiaomi Game Controller when duplicating the screen.
• 🔒 Data encryption (as opposed to the open Miracast protocol).

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Mi Share is the best choice for Xiaomi smartphone and TV owners, as it provides maximum compatibility and speed without additional adapters.

6. Connecting iPhone to Xiaomi TV (AirPlay)

iPhone or iPad owners can also connect to a Xiaomi TV, but this will require AirPlay support in the TV settings. This feature is available on Android TV 10+ models (e.g. Mi TV Q2 2023, Redmi Smart TV A65).

Instructions for iOS:

1. On TV: Settings → Connections → AirPlay and HomeKit → turn on AirPlay.
2. On iPhone: Swipe down to open Control Point and tap on Screen Duplication.
3. Choose your Xiaomi TV from the list.
4. Enter the confirmation code that will appear on the TV screen.

⚠️ Note: When duplicating the screen through AirPlay, it is possible to reduce the video quality to 1080p even 4K-To view content at maximum resolution, use apps that support Google Cast (e.g. YouTube).

7 Troubleshooting: Why the phone doesn't connect to TV

If your Xiaomi TV can’t see your phone or the connection is constantly breaking, check out the following:

🔧 Additional advice:

• 🔄 If nothing helps, reset your network settings on your TV: Settings → The Internet and the Internet → Resetting network settings.
• 📶 For stable Miracast, use a router with Wi-Fi 6 support (e.g. Xiaomi AIoT Router) AX3600).
• 🔋 When connecting through USB or HDMI Your phone can run out quickly – connect it to charge.

FAQ: Frequent questions about connecting your phone to Xiaomi TV