How to Find a TV Remote at Home with a Xiaomi Phone

The situation of a TV remote suddenly disappearing in the bowels of the couch or being lost among scattered things is familiar to every owner of modern technology. Especially offensive if you just got comfortable to watch a movie and the screen went out and turned it back on nothing. Xiaomi smartphone owners are in a better position, because their devices are often equipped with a built-in infrared emitter that turns the phone into a universal tool for controlling consumer electronics.

Before you panic or search for a universal IR remote in the nearest electronics store, you should carefully look at the top end of your smartphone. If you see a small black window there, you're lucky you can launch the Mi Remote app and set up control of your TV in a couple of minutes, and this solution works even without access to the Internet, because it uses a direct IR signal that mimics the operation of the original remote.

However, even if there is no infrared port, there are alternative methods through Wi-Fi networks or special adapters. In this article, we will discuss all possible options for turning your phone into a full-fledged remote control, look at the nuances of settings for different TV models and answer frequent questions. The key to the Wi-Fi method is to find a smartphone and a TV on the same local network.

Checking for an IR port on your device

The first and most important step is to physically test your gadget. Not all Xiaomi and Redmi models are equipped with an infrared transmitter, as in recent years manufacturers have increasingly abandoned this module in favor of saving internal space and reducing the cost of design. Usually the "eye" of the IR emitter is located on the upper edge of the case, next to the noise reduction microphone or speaker, and looks like a small black dot.

To make sure that the module is available, you can use the technical documentation or specifications on the official website. There is also a simple folk method: point the camera of another phone to the intended location of the emitter and try to take a picture with a flash or just look at the screen. If you see a purple or white glow on the screen of the second phone when you press buttons in the remote application, then the infrared port is active and serviceable.

⚠️ Note: Do not confuse the IR port with a proximity sensor or microphone. the IR emitter always has a characteristic black filter and is not a through hole, unlike a microphone.

If you're confirmed to have an IR-enabled Xiaomi or Poco smartphone, you get a huge advantage: you can control not only your TV, but also your air conditioning, projector, or even split system if they support standard protocols, and the lack of this feature is not critical, but requires other, more network-dependent methods.

Customization of universal remote Mi Remote

Owners of IR-ported devices need to use the standard Mi Remote (or "Mi Remote") application, which is preinstalled in the MIUI and HyperOS shell. If you accidentally delete it, the program can be easily restored through the GetApps store or third-party resources. Launch the application and click the add button of a new device, usually indicated by the plus symbol.

In the category list that opens, select "TV" (TV). Then the system will ask you to choose the manufacturer of your TV. Xiaomi's database is extensive and includes brands such as Samsung, LG, Sony, Philips and many others. If your brand is not on the list, you can try to choose a universal code or the nearest analogue, although in this case it decreases.

Once you've selected a brand, you'll have a virtual power button on your phone. Point the top of your phone at the TV and press it. The app will say, "Is the TV working?" If the screen catches fire or the channel changes, say yes. If you don't, try to go through a few of the codes you've suggested until you find the right one. It can take a couple of minutes, but it's worth it.

Successful configuration allows you to fully control the basic functions: channel switching, volume control, menu entry and signal source selection. Unlike Bluetooth remotes, an IR signal does not require pairing every time — the phone will remember the settings until you reset them.

💡

Save multiple profiles for one TV with different codes, which will come in handy if the main code stops working after updating the TV firmware or resetting.

Control via Wi-Fi and Mi TV app

If you don't have an IR port, you can use Wi-Fi Direct or LAN control to do that, and your TV needs to be smart and connected to the same wireless network as your smartphone, a method that is often even more convenient than IR control, because it allows you to transfer media files and use a keyboard to input text.

To do this, download the official Mi TV - Remote control app from the Google Play Store. Once launched, the program will automatically scan the network and find available devices. Your TV will appear on the list, perhaps with the model name or simply as "Android TV." Click on it to pair.

You can have a request for permission on your TV screen, validate it using any control you can use (like the buttons on the TV body itself), and then you can turn your smartphone into a full touchpad, and you can drive your finger across your phone screen, moving your cursor on your TV, which is very convenient for navigating in the Android TV interface.

Importantly, Wi-Fi control has one critical feature: if the TV is turned off completely (not in standby mode), it may not be possible to turn it on over the network without using Wake-on-LAN technology, which is not supported by all models, so the IR port remains a more reliable option for initial switching on.

💡

Wi-Fi control is ideal for navigating menus and typing text, but requires the TV to be already on or support wake-up over the network.

Use of voice assistant and Bluetooth

Modern Xiaomi Mi TVs and many other Android TV models are actively supporting voice control. If you have the original microphone remote but it's lost, it can partially take over the smartphone. Google Home app or the built-in Google Assistant on the phone can stream voice commands to the TV.

This requires that your Google account on your phone and TV be the same: Open the Google Home app, find your TV in the list of devices, and select the option "Send a command" or just say "Ok Google, turn on the TV." The system will try to send a signal over the Internet to the device.

You also have Bluetooth remotes, some universal remotes for Smart TVs connect to Bluetooth, and if you buy one, it can be quickly re-connected to your phone, although this is a rare scenario. More often than not, Bluetooth is used to connect a wireless headset, but in the context of finding a lost remote, this protocol helps in setting up alternative controls.

⚠️ Warning: Voice control requires stable internet connection on both devices.

Using voice commands is particularly effective for finding content (“find space movies”) or controlling playback (“pause”, “volume 50%”), eliminating the need to poke at the screen when the remote is lost and your hands are busy eating or doing other things.

Alternative apps from Google Play

If the Mi Remote app doesn’t see your TV for some reason, or the codebase doesn’t have the right manufacturer, third-party development will come to the rescue. Google Play offers a variety of free and paid counterparts, which often have fresher codebases or a better interface.

One of the most popular solutions is Color Tiger's Universal TV Remote, which supports IR control for thousands of models and has a user-friendly interface with ergonomic buttons, and another is SURE Universal Remote, which can control not only TV, but also audio systems, and even PCs.

For Android TVs (which are almost all modern Xiaomi, TCL, Sony), Google’s Android TV Remote Control app works perfectly, providing perfect compatibility by allowing the phone’s keyboard to enter passwords from Wi-Fi or YouTube, which is a huge advantage over conventional IR remotes.

When installing third-party applications, pay attention to the permissions requested. The IR remote requires access to an infrared sensor to operate, and the Wi-Fi control requires access to the local network, without these permissions, functionality will be limited.

What to do if nothing helps

There are situations where the IR port on the phone is missing, the Wi-Fi module on the TV is down or lost, and third-party apps are not working, and then you don't have to despair. The easiest way out is to buy a universal IR remote, which is sold in any electronics store and is inexpensive. They often have a "learning" feature that allows you to copy signals from any other remote.

Another option is the use of USB-Keyboards or mice. Virtually all modern Xiaomi and Android TVs TV Supports the peripheral connection through USB-If you have a wired or wireless (dongle-om) mouse, you can connect it directly to the TV and control the interface, open the browser and even type queries.

As a last resort, you can use buttons on the TV body itself, which are usually hidden at the back or bottom of the screen and are marked with barely noticeable symbols, and pressing them can be uncomfortable, but you can turn on the TV to then adjust control from the smartphone over Wi-Fi.

⚠️ Warning: When buying a universal remote, make sure it supports IR, not just radio (RF), Since phones work with an IR signal.

Remember, technology is just a tool, and even if you lose the original remote, you have a lot of ways to regain control of your entertainment, and the key is to not panic and try the methods described above consistently, starting with checking your infrared port.

💡

USB-mouse or keyboard is a lifeline that will allow you to fully control the Smart TV even without any remote control.