Phone instead of remote for Xiaomi Mi Smart TV: a complete guide to setup and use

Introduction: why the smartphone is more convenient than a standard remote

Lost or broken the remote from Xiaomi Mi Smart TV? Or just want to control the TV from the screen of your smartphone without getting out of the couch? Modern Xiaomi TVs support full control through mobile devices — and with advanced features that are not in the physical remote, for example, you can use voice input, gestures or even automate the turn on of TV on schedule.

In this article, you’ll find step-by-step instructions for Android and iOS, comparisons of official and third-party apps, and solutions to typical problems, from TV unresponsiveness to synchronization failures. We’ve tested all of these on the Mi TV 4S/4A/5 Pro and the new Xiaomi TV A2/Q2 series, so the instructions are relevant for most of the brand’s devices.

Advantages of managing from the phone:

There is no risk of losing or breaking the remote;

Access to advanced settings (for example, color calibration or audio tuning via equalizer);

- The ability to use a virtual keyboard to quickly search for content;

Sync with other Xiaomi devices (such as smart lamps or speakers).

What Xiaomi phones and TVs support the function

Not all Xiaomi Mi Smart TVs work equally well with mobile remotes.

• 📺 Television: All models with MIUI TV (starting with Mi TV 3 2016 yearly and Google TV (series A2/Q2 2022–2026 Exceptions are older versions on Android TV 7.0 Download where Mi Remote support may not be available.
• 📱 Smartphones: any device on Android 6.0+ or iOS 12+ Bluetooth 4.0 and Wi-Fi Direct support. Xiaomi, Redmi or POCO (Optimization for the Mi Home Ecosystem).
• 🌐 Network: TV and phone must be connected to the same Wi-Fi network (or use Mi Home Mesh for remote control).

If your TV is released before 2018, check the firmware version in Settings → About TV. You need MIUI TV 2.0 or later to work smoothly. You can update the software through Settings → System Update.

Method 1: Official Mi Remote (Mi TV Remote)

The most reliable and functional option is the use of the proprietary application Mi Remote (formerly called Mi Remote). TV Remote. It's pre-installed on all smartphones. Xiaomi/Redmi/POCO, Available for other brands on Google Play and App Store.

How to connect:

1. Install the app and open it. Press Add Device → TV.
2. Select your Xiaomi TV model from the list (if not, choose Another Xiaomi TV).
3. Follow the instructions on the screen: the application will offer to connect via Wi-Fi or Bluetooth.
4. On the TV will be a request for confirmation of connection – agree with the physical remote or buttons on the panel.

After synchronization, the application will appear:

• 🎮 Virtual remote with buttons Volume, Channels, Back, etc.;
• 🔍 Search Tab with voice input (works through Google Assistant or Alice);
• ⚙️ Quick access to TV settings (such as Image Mode or Sound Effects).

Turn on Wi-Fi on your phone and TV|Update the TV firmware to the latest version|Make sure the TV is on "Mi Remote" in the network settings|Charge of the phone is not less than 30% (for stable operation of Bluetooth)-->

An important caveat: on Google TVs (A2/Q2), Mi Remote may not show some buttons (e.g. Netflix or Prime Video), in which case use alternative methods from the following sections.

Method 2: Manage via Google Home (for models with Google TV)

If your Xiaomi TV is running on Google TV (e.g. Mi TV Q2 55" or Xiaomi TV A2 43"), you can control it via the Google Home app.This method is convenient for integration with other Google devices (e.g. Nest speakers or Philips Hue lamps).

Instructions:

1. Install Google Home on your phone.
2. Open the app and click + → Set up the device → New device.
3. Select your TV from the list (it should show up as Xiaomi TV [model]).
4. Confirm the connection on the TV screen.

After setting up in Google Home, you will have options:

• 🔊 Volume control and on/off switching;
• 📺 Launching apps (YouTube, Disney)+, TV-applications);
• 🎤 Voice control via Google Assistant (e.g., OK Google, turn on Netflix on your TV").

💡

If the TV doesn’t show up in Google Home, check if its settings have Chromecast mode enabled (Settings → Devices & Accessories → Chromecast).

On Xiaomi models with Google TV voice commands work only in English – Russian support is limited to basic functions (on / off, volume control).

Method 3: Alternative applications (for older models)

If the official methods don't work (for example, Mi TV 3 or Mi TV 4 with outdated firmware), try third-party apps.

To connect via Yatse:

1. Install the app and select Add Device → Android TV.
2. Enter. IP-TV address (you can find it in Settings) → Network → State of the network).
3. There will be a request for confirmation on the TV - agree.

⚠️ Warning: Third-party applications can request permissions to access the LAN or geodata. Don't give unnecessary permissions - only Wi-Fi and Bluetooth are enough.

Problem Solving: The phone doesn’t connect to the TV

If your smartphone doesn’t see Xiaomi TV or the connection is constantly reset, check out the following points:

• 🔄 Reboot both devices: Turn off the TV for 30 seconds, restart the phone.
• 📶 Wi-Fi issues: Make sure your phone and TV are connected to the same network (not the guest!) if you use a dual-band router (2.4GHz) + 5 GHz), connect both devices to 2.4 GHz, which is more stable to control. VPN On the phone, it can block the local connection.
• 🔒 Firewall or antivirus: temporarily turn them off on your phone (for example, Avast or Kaspersky can block Mi Remote).
• 📱 TV settings: go to Settings → Network → Remote management and enable Mi Remote and Wi-Fi Direct options.

If the problem persists, reset the network settings on the TV:

1. Go to Settings → Network → Reset network settings.
2. Connect the TV to Wi-Fi again.
3. Try again to connect the phone.

💡

On Xiaomi TVs with firmware older than 2020, you may need to manually enable ADB Debugging mode for third-party applications. To do this, go to Settings → About TV → Software version and 7 times click on the line with the version to activate Developer Mode.

Advanced functions: what does the remote phone, what is not in the usual

Control from the phone opens up possibilities that are not available for a standard remote:

• 🎤 Voice search: In Mi Remote or Google Home, you can say, for example, “Put the Lord of the Rings movie on Netflix,” and the TV will automatically open the app and find content.
• 📱 Remote control: If your phone and TV are connected to Mi Home, you can turn the TV on/off even outside the home (assuming the router supports cloud access).
• 🎛️ Fine tuning: Apps have access to advanced options that are hidden in the standard menu (e.g. Color Temperature with increments) 100K Or the 10-band Equivalent Sound Equator).
• 🤖 Automation: With Google Assistant or Alice, you can create scripts like “When I say ‘Movie Time’, the TV turns on, YouTube starts and the lights are dimmed".

Example of automation settings in Mi Home:

1. Open the Mi Home app and go to Automation → Create a script.
2. Select a trigger (such as Voice Command or Time).
3. Add the action Control TV → Turn on.
4. Save the script and activate it.

⚠️ Warning: to work with automation, the TV must remain connected to the Internet. If you disconnect it from the outlet, the scripts won't work.

How to protect your TV from unauthorized control

If your Xiaomi TV is connected to a phone, it could theoretically be used by someone else (for example, through your Wi-Fi).

• 🔐 Disable Unnecessary Devices: In Mi Remote or Google Home, Remove All Phones You Don't Use.
• 🌐 Set up a guest network: If guests connect to your Wi-Fi, create a separate network without access to local devices.
• 🔄 Regularly update the software: in new versions MIUI TV Vulnerabilities that allow remote control of the TV.
• 📵 Turn off Wi-Fi Direct: If you don’t use it, deactivate it in Settings → Network → Wi-Fi Direct.

To check which devices are connected to your TV:

1. Go to Settings → Devices and accessories → Connected devices.
2. Remove unknown gadgets by clicking on them and selecting Forget the device.

If you sell or transfer a TV, be sure to reset to factory settings:

1. Go to Settings → Accounts and Security → Resetting.
2. Select Reset all settings and confirm the action.

FAQ: Answers to Frequent Questions