Modern Xiaomi Mi TVs and Mi Box consoles turn the living room into a multimedia center, but to fully use them you need to integrate well with your smartphone. Many users face the need to bring a photo to the big screen, run a video from a browser or simply use the phone as a remote control. The process of synchronizing devices opens up access to advanced functionality that is not always obvious from the standard menu.
There are several basic data protocols, each with its own features and applications: Miracast provides direct mirroring of the screen, DLNA allows you to stream media content from storage, and Chromecast integrates with Google applications. Understanding the difference between these technologies will help you choose the best method for a particular situation and avoid delays or loss of image quality.
In this article, we will take a look at all the ways you can connect, from simple built-in Android features to advanced methods for power users. You will learn how to set up a network, which applications to install and what to do if devices can’t see each other. The key to a successful connection is to find both devices on the same local Wi-Fi network, without this step, neither of the methods described will work.
Equipment preparation and network setup
Before any manipulations begin, you need to make sure that your infrastructure is ready to transmit a video stream. Xiaomi TVs based on Android TV or PatchWall’s own shell require a stable connection. If the router is far away, the signal can be unstable, which will lead to dissynchronization of sound and video.
Check your router settings: AP Isolation should be turned off as it prevents devices on the network from communicating with each other. Also make sure both devices are connected to the same frequency, preferably 5GHz, as it provides higher bandwidth for streaming high-definition video.
⚠️ Note: If your router gives away two networks with the same name (2.4 GHz and 5 GHz), make sure the phone doesn’t “jump” between them during the setup process, this can break the handshake of devices.
To diagnose the current state of the network, you can use the built-in tools. Go to Settings → Network and Internet → Wi-Fi on your TV and see the signal quality. If the signal level is below two divisions, it is recommended to move the router closer or use a Wi-Fi repeater.
Screen broadcast via Miracast (Wireless Display)
The most common way that doesn't require additional software to be installed on your TV is Miracast technology. On Android, it's often called "Translation," "Wireless Monitor" or "Smart View," depending on the smartphone model. Xiaomi TV supports this protocol at the system level, so just activate the signal reception.
Xiaomi TVs don’t usually need to run a separate app, the receiver is active by default. However, some firmware versions may require you to open the Miracast or Wireless Display app in the program list to make the screen visible for search. Then, on the smartphone, in the notification curtain, find the Translation or Connect to the Device button.
The list of available devices will be updated, and you will see the name of your TV, and when you connect, you may receive a request for confirmation on the TV screen, which you need to receive by the remote, and the quality of the picture in this mode depends entirely on the power of the Wi-Fi module and the load of the air.
☑️ Checklist for Miracast
It should be noted that when mirroring the screen of the phone may turn off or change orientation if the smartphone will activate autolock. To avoid interruption of the session, set the screen timeout to "Never" or maximum time in the Settings → Screen.
Use of built-in Chromecast and Google Home
Most modern Xiaomi TVs have built-in support for Google Cast. This is a more advanced protocol than Miracast, since it allows you not only to duplicate the screen, but also to transfer a link to content that the TV downloads itself.
Google Home is the perfect way to manage this process. Once you install and log in to your Google account, the app will automatically find your TV on the network. By clicking on the device icon, you will get access to basic control functions and the Translate screen button.
| Function | Miracast | Chromecast | DLNA |
|---|---|---|---|
| Type of transmission | Mirroring | Streaming link | Media files |
| Dependence on the phone | High (screen active) | Low (can be rolled) | Low. |
| Quality. | Depends on the interference. | Stable HD/4K | Original file |
| Sound. | Through a TV speaker | Through a TV speaker | Through a TV speaker |
The advantage of Chromecast is that it supports a lot of third-party apps. YouTube, Netflix, Spotify, and many others have a built-in broadcast button that works through this protocol. You don't have to configure your smartphone screen, just select content and click the connection button.
What to do if Chromecast doesn’t work?
Video and photo streaming via DLNA
The DLNA protocol is designed specifically for sharing multimedia content within a home network, and unlike mirroring, you transfer a specific file (video, music, photos) and the TV acts as a renderer decoleting the stream.
Xiaomi TVs often already have a player that supports this standard pre-installed, or it is built into the file manager. On a smartphone you can use a standard "Gallery" or third-party combine applications such as VLC for Android or BubbleUPnP. In VLC, for example, you need to go to the "Overview" tab, select "Network" and find your TV.
Once you select a file on your phone, playback will begin on the big screen, and it's the perfect way to watch a movie that's downloaded in high quality, without losing bitrate, which sometimes happens when you compress the stream in Miracast. The formats are supported by the ones that the TV itself can decode.
⚠️ Attention: When in use DLNA Subtitles may not appear if they are embedded in a non-standard way. SRT-subtitles or screen mirroring method.
For a comfortable viewing of video files from your phone, make sure that they are stored in the device’s memory and not in the cloud, as some players are not able to stream video from cloud storage directly through DLNA.
Smartphone as a remote: Mi Remote and Google TV
If the physical remote is lost or its buttons are stuck, the phone can be a complete replacement. Xiaomi has developed the Mi Remote app, which works in two ways: via an IR port (if it is in a smartphone) and via Wi-Fi. For Android TVs, Wi-Fi mode is preferable, since it does not require direct visibility and supports voice input.
The alternative is the official Google app. TV (pre-Android TV Remote Control. It provides a full keyboard, touchpad and voice search, and it's connected by typed in. PIN-code that appears on the TV screen after attempting to pair.
Setting up the remote over Wi-Fi takes a few seconds. In the app, select Add Device, find your TV in the list, and confirm the connection. After that, you can control volume, navigation, and even type text in the YouTube search box directly from your smartphone keyboard.
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Use a smartphone gyroscope to control games on Android TV. The Google TV app has a gamepad mode that turns the phone into a controller for simple games.
Third-party applications for enhanced capabilities
Staffing is sometimes not enough, especially if you want to broadcast a screen with a locked phone or use specific codecs. There are many utilities on the Google Play store that extend the functionality of the connection, one of the most popular is AirScreen, which emulates the reception of AirPlay and Chromecast on the TV.
The AirScreen app must be installed on a Xiaomi TV through the built-in app store. Once launched, it creates a virtual device that can be seen by iPhones (via AirPlay) and Android smartphones, often addressing compatibility issues when standard methods don’t work.
Another powerful solution is Web Video Caster, which allows you to pull a video stream from any site in your phone's browser and send it directly to your TV, bypassing your smartphone screen, saving traffic and battery, since the phone is only a remote control.
⚠️ Warning: Free versions of third-party apps often contain ads that may overlap the interface.
For advanced users, the ADB (Android Debug Bridge) connection method is available, which allows you to control your TV from a computer or other Android device at a deep system level, but this requires including USB debugging in the developer menu.
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Third-party emulator apps (AirScreen, AirPin) are the best solution for connecting Apple devices (AirPlay) to Xiaomi TVs, since native Apple support is limited.
Solving Connection Problems and Errors
Despite the simplicity of technology, users often find the phone not seeing the TV or the connection is constantly broken.The most common reason is to use a guest Wi-Fi network, where customer isolation is turned on by default.
If the image twitches or the video slows down, try lowering the output resolution. In the streaming settings on your smartphone (if there is such an option), choose 720p instead of 1080p or 4K. Also helps to reboot the router and clean the cache of applications on the TV through the Settings menu → Applications → System processes.
In some cases, antivirus on your smartphone may block local connections. Try temporarily disabling network protection or adding a TV to your trusted device list. Also make sure that the date and time on both devices are synchronized, as desynchronization can prevent handshake security protocols.