Today’s Xiaomi Mi TVs are powerful multimedia centers that are far superior to conventional screens. However, there is often a need to show the contents of a smartphone on a large display, whether it’s a family album with photos, a YouTube video or a work project presentation. Fortunately, the Mi Home ecosystem and the Android TV operating system offer many built-in tools to accomplish this task without buying additional cables or adapters.
The process of synchronizing devices can vary depending on your device’s operating system. Android owners can access native Miracast and Chromecast protocols, while iOS users can count on AirPlay technology. It is important to understand that for all these features to work smoothly, both devices must be on a single local network, which is a basic requirement for high-density data transfer.
In this article, we will take a closer look at each available connection method, look at possible pairing errors, and give recommendations for improving picture quality, learn how to activate hidden signal reception functions, and which applications are best suited for mirroring the screen in different use cases.
Preparation of equipment and Wi-Fi network
Before you start setting up software settings, you need to make sure that the hardware is physically ready. The first and most critical condition is a stable wireless connection. Both devices — both a smartphone and a Xiaomi TV — must be connected to the same Wi-Fi access point on the router. If you have a dual-band router, make sure that the gadgets are not spaced at different frequencies (for example, one at 2.4 GHz and the other at 5 GHz), although modern routers often combine them into the same network.
Check the software version on your TV. Outdated firmware may not contain the necessary security certificates or drivers for new video protocols. Go to the settings menu, select About device and click System Update. If the manufacturer has released a new patch, be sure to install it before you start setting up.
⚠️ Note: When using Guest Network, the broadcast may not be available due to customer isolation.
☑️ Checking connection readiness
Also worth paying attention to is the battery charge of the smartphone: the process of encoding and transmitting a video stream in high resolution consumes a significant amount of energy. If you plan to have a long screen demonstration, it is better to connect the phone to the charger to avoid a sudden shutdown at the most inopportune time.
Use of the built-in Cast (Chromecast) function
The most common and convenient way for owners of Android devices is to use Google Cast technology, which is built into most Xiaomi TVs with Android TV certification.This method allows you to stream content directly from apps such as YouTube, Netflix or VLC without loading the phone’s processor with full desktop mirroring.
To start the broadcast, open the supported app on your smartphone. At the top of the screen or in the playback control menu, find the rectangle icon with waves in the corner — this is a standard Cast symbol. Click on it and the system will search for available devices on the local network. Your Xiaomi Mi TV should appear in the list.
When you select a TV, you may see a request to confirm your connection, and sometimes a window pops up on the TV with a code to enter on your phone, or simply a request to "Allow connection?" Press "Yes" or "Allow" to start transmitting data. The picture quality in this mode is usually higher, because the TV itself downloads the stream from the Internet, using the phone only as a remote control.
- 📱 Open the application with a video or photo on your smartphone.
- 📺 Press the Cast icon (rectangle with waves).
- 🔗 Choose your Xiaomi TV from the list of devices.
- ✅ Confirm the connection if required.
If automated search doesn’t work, check the permissions for the Google Play Services app on your phone. Sometimes geolocation access (GPS) blocks device discovery on the network, as this is a requirement of the Android operating system to work with Wi-Fi Direct.
Why isn't the device there?
Broadcasting via Mi Remote or Mi Home
For deeper integration with the Xiaomi ecosystem, you can use proprietary utilities. Mi Home or Mi Remote (in some regions called Mi Remote Controller) allows you not only to control the TV, but also to initiate the transfer of multimedia content. This method is especially useful if the standard Chromecast protocol is unstable or absent from your firmware version.
After installing the app and adding the TV to the list of devices, go to the control card of your Mi TV. The remote interface often has a button "Translation" or "Screen Cast." Clicking on it triggers search and connection. The advantage of this method is that the application uses its own compression algorithms, which can improve the smoothness of the picture with a weak Wi-Fi signal.
⚠️ Note: The functionality of the Mi Remote application may vary depending on the region specified in the settings of the Mi Account. For users from Russia or Europe, some features may be hidden.
In some PatchWall TVs, the process may look different, so you press the "Menu" button on the TV remote and select "Throw Screen" or the same. QR-The code or device name that you want to find in the app on your phone, which provides a more reliable connection, because the initiation is from the receiving device.
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Use a Mi Account in China only if you know exactly what you're doing, which can open up additional features, but often disrupts voice search and some streaming services in other regions.
Screen Mirror (Miracast) for Android
If you want to show not a specific video from an app, but the entire screen of a smartphone — for example, to demonstrate a game or a browser, you will need Miracast technology (in Xiaomi it is often called “Wireless Monitor” or “Wireless Display”). This method creates a direct connection between the screens, copying each pixel in real time.
On a Xiaomi TV, you need to open the Wireless Monitor app. It's usually preinstalled and located in the app menu or in the Tools folder. Once the app is launched, the TV will go into standby mode. On an Android smartphone, open the notification curtain and find Translation, Smart View (on Samsung), or Wireless Monitor. From the list of available devices, select your TV.
Miracast image quality is highly dependent on Wi-Fi power and router distance, and input lag is possible, so it may not be suitable for dynamic games, but it is ideal for viewing photos or static pages.
| Parameter | Chromecast | Miracast |
|---|---|---|
| Type of transmission | The Internet stream | Screen mirroring |
| Phone load | Minimum | Tall. |
| Screen locking | Possible. | The screen is always on. |
| Delay (Latency) | Low. | Medium/High |
It is worth noting that some content-protected applications (DRM-protection) can block the transmission of images through Miracast, showing a black screen with sound. This is normal security behavior, and it is impossible to circumvent it with standard means.
Connection of iPhone and iPad (AirPlay)
Apple owners may face difficulties, as native AirPlay support has appeared in Xiaomi TVs relatively recently and is not present in all models. However, if your Mi TV supports this feature (usually models with Android TV 9.0 and above), the connection process is as simple as possible.
Make sure your TV has AirPlay support on. To do this, go to your TV settings, find the Apps or External Inputs section and make sure AirPlay is active. On your iPhone, open Control Point (swipe down from the top right corner or bottom up, depending on the model). Click on the Screen Repeat icon (two intersecting rectangles) and select your TV.
If there is no built-in support, don’t despair: You can install a third-party app on a Xiaomi TV from the Google Play Store, such as “AirScreen” or “AirPin,” which emulates an AirPlay receiver, allowing the iPhone to “think” it’s connected to an Apple TV device.
- 🍏 Install an emulator app (such as AirScreen) on your TV.
- 📡 Launch the app on TV Wait for the device name to appear.
- 📱 On iPhone, click "Screen Replay" at Control Point.
- 🔗 Select the name that appears in the app on the TV.
Emulators can lead to a slight decrease in image quality or compression artifacts, but for viewing video from a gallery or Safari, this is quite enough. It is important to keep the phone close to the router to minimize buffering.
Wired connection via HDMI and USB-C
When wireless connectivity is not possible or maximum image quality is required without compression, the only option is cable. For modern smartphones with a USB Type-C port, a USB-C to HDMI adapter is required. It is important that your phone supports MHL or DisplayPort Alt Mode technology, otherwise there will be no image transfer (only charging will work).
Connect the adapter to your smartphone and an HDMI cable to it, the second end of which is inserted into the free port of the Xiaomi TV. Switch the signal source to the TV by pressing the Login button on the remote and selecting the appropriate HDMI 1 or HDMI 2 port.
Sequence of action:
1. Connect the USB-C -> HDMI adapter to the phone.
2. connect the HDMI cable to the adapter and TV.
3. On the TV remote, press the "Input" button or the arrow square icon.
4. Select the desired HDMI port from the source menu.The advantage of wired method is that there are no delays and no dependence on Wi-Fi speed. This is ideal for playing or watching video in 4K HDR, where wireless protocols may not be able to cope with bitrate. However, it is worth remembering that the phone will discharge faster if the adapter does not have pass-through charging.
⚠️ Caution: Cheap cables and adapters often don’t support higher resolution 720p or 1080p. For 4K Buy certified cables from the broadcaster HDMI 2.0 and supportive adapters HDCP 2.2.
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Wired connectivity is the only way to ensure no delays and maximum picture quality, but it requires the purchase of an additional adapter and limits mobility.