How to connect Alice to the Xiaomi TV: all ways and life hacks

Why is Alice on Xiaomi TV so convenient?

Voice assistant Alice from Yandex has long ceased to be exclusive to smartphones and speakers. Today it can be integrated even into TVs — and Xiaomi is no exception. If you have a Smart TV or a Mi Box, connecting Alice will open up new possibilities from voice content management to running applications without a remote. But how do you do it right to avoid mistakes?

In this article, we'll look at all the current connectivity options, from standard Mi TV integration to old models workarounds, and how to set Alice up so she can understand commands from the other end of the room, starting with the simplest option, the official Yandex connection.

⚠️ Note: Not all Xiaomi models support Alice out of the box. If your TV is released before 2021, you will likely need additional hardware (e.g. Yandex Station or Mi Box S 2nd generation).

Method 1: Connect via Yandex on Mi TV

The most obvious method is to use the built-in Yandex app (if preinstalled), which works on most Xiaomi Smart TVs from 2022-2026, as well as on the Mi Box 4K and later.

1. Turn on the TV and go to the menu → Apps.
2. Find the Yandex app (the icon with the letter "I"). If it is not available, download it from Google Play (for Android TV) or the Mi App Store.
3. Open the app and log in to your Yandex ID account (the same as Alice’s on your smartphone).
4. In the application settings, activate the option of Voice Assistant Alice.
5. Follow the on-screen instructions to set up the microphone (if the TV has a built-in microphone) or connect an external one (via USB or Bluetooth).

Then Alice will be ready to go. To call her, say, "Alice, turn on Netflix" or "Alice, find the 2023 comedy." If voice input doesn't work, check the microphone settings in Settings → Devices → Microphone.

The TV version has been updated to the latest

Yandex application installed and authorized

Microphone is connected and enabled in settings

The TV is connected to the Internet (Wi-Fi or Ethernet)-->

⚠️ Note: Some Xiaomi models (e.g. Mi) TV A2 43) The Yandex application may not be available in the store, in which case use Method 2 (via Mi Box) or Method 3 (via external Alice device).

Method 2: Connecting via the Mi Box

If you have a Xiaomi TV without built-in support for Alice, but there is a console Mi Box S or Mi Box 4K – this is your chance! The console runs on Android TV, which means you can install any applications from Google Play, including Yandex with Alice.

Algorithm of action:

1. Connect the Mi Box to your TV via HDMI and turn it on.
2. Go to Google Play and find the Yandex app (or Yandex Music if you only need voice activation).
3. Install the application and log in.
4. In the Mi Box settings, activate Google Voice Search (Settings → Device → Voice Input), and then link it to Alice via the Yandex app settings.

Now you can use a remote from the Mi Box with a microphone button or an external microphone (like a Bluetooth headset) for voice commands. The main plus of this method is that Alice will work even on older Xiaomi, Released TVs until 2020, if they support the Mi Box.

⚠️ Note: The 1st generation Mi Box (2016–2017) may not have enough performance to keep Alice running smoothly. In this case, we recommend updating the firmware or using Method 3.

Method 3: Connect via Yandex Station or column with Alice

If your Xiaomi TV doesn’t support any of the previous ways, don’t despair! you can use an external device with Alice – for example, Yandex Station, Yandex Column or even a smartphone with the Yandex app.

For this:

1. Connect the Yandex Station (or other device) to the same Wi-Fi network as the TV.
2. In the Yandex app on your smartphone, go to Devices → Set up a smart home.
3. Add a Xiaomi TV as a controlled device (if the model is supported).
4. Set up voice commands such as “Alice, turn on the TV” or “Alice, put a video on YouTube about kittens”.

This method is universal, but has a limitation: Alice will not be able to directly control the interface of the TV (for example, open apps), but she will be able to turn on / off the TV, adjust the volume and run content through Chromecast or Miracast, if they are configured.

Method 4: Alternative method through IFTTT (for advanced)

If you're willing to do a little bit of tweaking, you can link Alice to a Xiaomi TV via IFTTT (If This Then That), which allows you to create custom voice commands like, "Alice, run Netflix on your TV."

Instructions:

1. Sign up for IFTTT and connect Yandex Alice and Mi Home.
2. Create a new applet (Create → If This) and select the Yandex Alice → Say a simple phrase trigger.
3. Enter the phrase you are going to say (e.g., “turn on the TV”).
4. In Then That, select Mi Home → Control device and select a command (e.g., Power on).
5. Save the applet and test the team.

This requires a basic knowledge of English (IFTTT interface in English) and time to set up, but opens up almost limitless possibilities, for example, you can set up the command "Alice, turn on the movie mode", which automatically switches the TV to HDMI 1, turns off the lights through the Xiaomi Smart Lamp and launch the film on Kodi.

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If IFTTT doesn’t find your Xiaomi TV, try adding it to the Mi Home app on your smartphone first and updating your firmware to the latest version.

Problem Solving: Why isn't Alice working?

Even after the correct setup, Alice may refuse to follow commands, and here are the most common reasons and ways to eliminate them:

If nothing helps, try resetting the Yandex app settings on your TV:

1. Go to Settings → Applications → Yandex.
2. Choose Clear Data and Clear Cache.
3. Restart the TV and reset the setting.

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If Alice stopped working after updating the firmware Xiaomi, check the compatibility of the version of the software with the application Yandex.

Optimizing Alice’s work on Xiaomi TV

To make sure that Alice works quickly and without disruption, follow these tips:

• 🔄 Update: Check for TV updates regularly (Settings) → System system → Software update) and Yandex applications.
• 🎤 Use an external microphone: The built-in microphones in TVs are often weak.Put a Bluetooth headset on or USB-microphone for better recognition.
• 🌐 Set Network Priority: If you have a dual-band router, connect your TV to a 5GHz network for less latency.
• 🔌 Use wired connection: For stability, connect the TV to the router via Ethernet (if there is a port available).

You can also customize hot words for Alice, for example, instead of the standard "Alice" you can set "TV" or "Xiaomi."

1. Open the Yandex app on your TV.
2. Go to Settings → Voice Assistant → Hot words.
3. Add a new word and save it.

This is especially useful if you have multiple devices with Alice (for example, a speaker and a TV) in your home, so you can address commands to a particular gadget.

FAQ: Frequent questions about connecting Alice to Xiaomi TV