How to connect your phone to the Xiaomi Mi TV 4S 50: all ways + tips for error elimination

Xiaomi Mi TV 4S 50

Android devices

iPhone

In this article, we will look at all the current ways of connecting, from classic HDMI to wireless technologies like Miracast and Google Cast, and give clear instructions for correcting typical errors. We will pay special attention to the nuances of working with the Mi TV 4S 50, since its firmware has specific limitations compared to new models of Xiaomi TV. If you have already tried to connect and received a message like “Device is not supported” or “No signal”, here you will find a solution.

Modern Xiaomi TVs support multiple sync protocols, but not all of them are equally stable. For example, Miracast can work with latency on older smartphones, and DLNA does not always correctly transmit sound. We tested each method on Mi TV 4S 50 with MIUI TV 2.0.18 firmware and identified optimal scenarios for different tasks from viewing photos to streaming games.

HDMI Connection: Reliable, but with nuances

The most versatile way to sync is to use an HDMI cable. It guarantees minimal latency and supports resolution up to 4K@60Hz, which is critical for gamers or watching movies in high quality. However, the Mi TV 4S 50 has a feature: the HDMI 2.0 and 1.4 ports work differently. HDMI 2 (ARC) port is optimized for sound, so it is better to use HDMI 1 or HDMI 3 to transfer video from a smartphone.

You'll need:

• 🔌 Cable HDMI-HDMI (for modern smartphones or adapter USB-C/HDMI (plug-free HDMI).
• 📱 Smartphone with support MHL DisplayPort Alt Mode (most flagships Xiaomi, Samsung, OnePlus after 2018).
• 🔋 Power supply for smartphone (with prolonged use of the connector) HDMI battery-discharge).

Step-by-step:

1. Connect the cable to the HDMI 1 or HDMI 3 port on your TV.
2. Insert the second end into your smartphone (or adapter).
3. On the Mi TV 4S 50 remote, press the Input button and select the appropriate HDMI port.
4. On the smartphone may appear a request for permission to transfer the screen – confirm it.

Challenges and solutions:

• ❌ No image: Check if your smartphone supports DisplayPort Alt Mode.Redmi Note 10 requires an adapter with a chip, for example USB-C to HDMI from Anker or Baseus.
• ❌ The sound is only through the phone: In the TV sound settings (Settings) → Sound. → Exit HDMI) choose PCM auto.

Select HDMI port 1 or 3 on your TV | Check adapter compatibility with smartphone model | Enable Screen Transfer mode in the Android curtain | Turn off Bluetooth on your phone (may conflict)

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2. Wireless connection via Miracast (Screen Mirroring)

Miracast is a wireless screen standard built into the Mi TV 4S 50, which runs without the Internet, but requires both the phone and the TV to support this protocol, the main plus is the lack of wires, the minus is the possible lags when watching 4K video or games.

How to turn Miracast on your TV:

1. Open Settings → Connection and Sharing → Wireless display.
2. Activate the Miracast option (called Screen Mirroring).
3. Remember the name of your TV on the network (e.g. MiTV-4S50-1234).

How to connect from a smartphone:

• 📱 Android: Open the notification curtain → Screen Transfer (or Smart View, Cast) → Choose your Mi. TV 4S 50.
• 🍎 iPhone: Settings → Screen mirror → On iOS, Miracast only works through third-party apps like ApowerMirror or LetsView, as Apple uses its own AirPlay protocol.

Typical errors and fixes:

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If Miracast is permanently off, try turning off the energy-saving mode on your smartphone – it can interrupt the connection to save battery life.

3. Connect via Google Cast (Chromecast)

The Mi TV 4S 50 has built-in support for Google Cast, allowing you to stream content from apps like YouTube, Netflix or Google Photos without duplicating the entire screen, saving your phone battery and delivering more stable transmission than Miracast.

How to set up Google Cast:

1. Make sure your phone and TV are connected to the same Wi-Fi network (preferably 5 GHz).
2. On your TV, open Settings → Connect and Sharing → Google Cast and turn on the option.
3. In a mobile app (such as YouTube), click the Cast icon (📺) and choose your Mi. TV 4S 50.

Limitations of the method:

• ⚠️ Not all apps support Cast, such as TikTok or VK Videos can't broadcast content on TV.
• ⚠️ Sound can be transmitted with a delay of up to 2 seconds – this is normal for Google Cast.

If Google Cast is not working:

⚠️ Note: Some of the Mi's firmware TV 4S 50 (especially up to) MIUI TV 1.9.5) Cast is disabled by default. To activate it, go to Settings → On TV. → The software version and 5 times click on the line with the version, you will see a hidden menu where you need to turn on the Google Services Framework.

4. USB Connection: for Files and Charging

If you just need to transfer photos, videos or music to the TV, you can use it. USB-cable. TV 4S 50 supports regimes MTP (for access to files) and PTP (for the photo, but there are nuances:

• 📁 The TV will only see files in folders DCIM, Download or Movies.
• 🎵 Formats: video — MP4, MKV; audio — MP3, FLAC; photo — JPEG, PNG.
• ⚡ When connected, the phone will start charging (power to the device) 5V/1A).

Instructions:

1. Connect your smartphone to a USB 2.0 port on your TV (usually located on the side).
2. On the TV screen, a request to select a mode will appear – select File Transfer (MTP).
3. Open the Files app on your TV (Settings → Apps → Files) and find your smartphone in the list of devices.

What to do if the TV can’t see the phone:

• 🔄 Reconnect the cable or try another port USB.
• 📱 On your smartphone in the notification curtain, select File Transfer Mode (not Charging).
• 🔧 Update the TV firmware – in the old versions there was a bug with Android 11 recognition+.

5. Use of third-party apps (for iPhone and older Android)

If the built-in methods don't work (like you have an iPhone or an old Android without Miracast), you can use third-party apps. We tested the 3 most stable options for the Mi TV 4S 50:

How to set up ApowerMirror:

1. Install the app on your phone and TV (available on Google Play for MIUI TV).
2. Connect both devices to the same Wi-Fi network.
3. On the phone, launch ApowerMirror, press M (Mirror) and select the TV.
4. On the TV, confirm the connection.

⚠️ Note: When using third-party apps for Screen Mirroring on Mi TV 4S 50 may see a message saying "Device not certified." This is not a mistake - just confirm manual connection on the TV via Settings → Security → Non-certified devices.

6. Solving Connection Problems

If none of these methods worked, check the following points:

1. Wi-Fi problems:

• 🌐 Television and phone must be on the same network (you can not use mobile Internet on your phone and Wi-Fi on TV).
• 🔄 Restart your router – sometimes DHCP-server does not issue IP-address correctly.
• 📶 If you use 5 GHz, try switching to 2.4 GHz (some older smartphones don't support high-frequency range).

Firmware errors:

• 📦 Update the TV: Settings → On TV. → Updating the system.
• 🔧 If the update doesn't help, reset to factory settings: Settings → Preferences → Resetting and remediation → Resetting all settings.

Conflicts with other devices:

• 🎮 Turn off game consoles or other devices connected to the TV HDMI-CEC (They can block the signal).
• 🔊 Check if Game Mode is enabled in your TV settings – it can turn off some data features.

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If the TV doesn’t see the phone in the Miracast device list, try temporarily disabling the firewall on the router – some models (such as the TP-Link Archer C6) block the multicast packets needed to detect the devices.

7. Alternative ways: DLNA and cloud services

If you don’t need to duplicate the screen, but simply stream media, you can use DLNA or cloud services like Google Drive:

• 📂 DLNA: Install BubbleUPnP or Plex on your phone and open Settings on your TV → Network services → DLNA.
• ☁️ Cloud: Upload files to Google Photos or YouTube, then open them on your TV via your built-in browser or Google app TV.

Advantages of these methods:

• ✅ No connection to a single Wi-Fi network (for cloud services).
• ✅ You can stream files from a PC or laptop.

Disadvantages:

• ❌ Dependence on Internet speed (at low speed there will be buffering).
• ❌ Not all formats are supported by the TV player.

FAQ: Frequent questions about connectivity