How to control a Xiaomi TV from your phone: all ways + step-by-step instructions

Did you forget the remote from Xiaomi TV or did it break? No problem! Modern smartphones will easily replace the physical remote, and in some cases will offer even more features. You can control Xiaomi TV from your phone via infrared port (IR-blaster), Wi-Fi, voice commands or special applications. In this article, 5 proven ways with step-by-step instructions, a comparative table of methods and answers to frequent questions.

The main advantage of this control is that you can use one smartphone for all devices in the house, including air conditioners, music centers and even some household appliances, as long as they support Mi Home or Google Home protocols. And for Xiaomi TV owners, the bonus will be synchronization with the Mi Account ecosystem, which allows you to save settings and manage equipment remotely.

But before you start, make sure your TV and phone meet the minimum requirements, for example, to control over Wi-Fi, both devices must be connected to the same network, and for a IR- blaster, the smartphone must have a physical infrared port (not all models).

1.Management through the Mi Remote (IR-blaster) application

The most reliable way to do this is if your smartphone is equipped with an infrared port (IR- blaster). Xiaomi’s Mi Remote app supports thousands of devices, including all the models of the brand’s TVs, the main advantage is that you can work without Internet and minimal delays.

To set up management:

1. Download Mi Remote for Android or iOS.
2. Open the application and allow access to Infrared Port and Camera (needs to be set up).
3. Choose the TV category, then the Xiaomi brand.
4. Point your smartphone at your TV and follow the button testing instructions.

If the TV doesn't respond, try:

• 🔍 Make sure the IR- blaster is not covered with a cover or film.
• 📱 Reboot the smartphone and reset the setting.
• 🔄 Select another TV model in the list (sometimes Mi TV 4A works with the Mi TV 4 profile).

⚠️ Warning: There is no blaster on the iPhone IR-, so this method only works through external IR- adapters (e.g. BroadLink RM4 Pro).

Make sure you have a IR- blaster on your smartphone

Download the official Mi Remote app

Connect the phone to charge (setting drains the battery)

Direct your smartphone to the TV from a distance 1-2 square-->

2. Control Wi-Fi via Mi Home

If your Xiaomi TV is connected to the same Wi-Fi network as your smartphone, you can control it through the Mi Home app. This method does not require a IR- blaster, but depends on the stability of the Internet connection.

Instructions:

1. Install Mi Home and log in to the same Mi Account as you do on your TV.
2. In the main menu of the app, find your TV (if not, click Add Device → TV).
3. After connecting, open the control panel: there will be the main buttons (On / Off, Volume, Signal Sources).

Advantages of the method:

• 🌐 Works at any distance (mainly the Internet).
• 🔄 You can create automation scenarios (e.g., turn on the TV when you start Netflix on your phone).
• 📱 Supports voice control via Alice or Google Assistant.

Disadvantages:

• ⚠️ Delay in sending commands (0.5–2 seconds).
• 🔌 Requires a TV to be connected to Wi-Fi at all times.

💡

If the TV is not displayed in Mi Home, check if Remote Control is enabled in the TV settings: Settings → Account and Security → Mi Home.

3. Voice control via Alice or Google Assistant

Owners of Xiaomi TVs with support for Google TV or built-in Alice can control voice technology. This does not require additional devices - only a smartphone with an assistant installed.

Customization via Alice (for Russian users):

1. Open the Alice app on your phone.
2. Say, "Alice, find my devices."
3. Select a Xiaomi TV from the list and confirm the bundle.
4. Now you can give commands: "Alice, turn on Mi TV at 20 volume" or "Alice, open YouTube on TV."

Configure it through Google Assistant:

1. Make sure that your TV and phone are linked to the same Google account.
2. Say, "OK, Google, plug my TV in."
3. After syncing, use the commands: “Turn on Netflix on TV” or “Current volume by 5”.

Supported voice commands:

• 🎬 "Include [channel/application name]"
• 🔊 "Set the volume to 30%."
• 🔍 "Find [movie/series] on TV"
• ⏻ "Switch off the TV in 30 minutes."

⚠️ Warning: Voice control via Alice requires that the TV be connected to a Russian Mi Account server. If you use global firmware, this method won't work.

Alice.|Google Assistant|Siri|Not using.|Other-->

4. Manage through third-party applications (e.g. Unified Remote)

If standard methods don't work, you can use universal applications like Unified Remote or Yatse, which support Wi-Fi management and offer advanced features like a keyboard for text input or gestures.

Instructions for Unified Remote:

1. Download the app to your phone.
2. Install the server software on the TV (if it's on Android TV). For Mi TV with proprietary firmware, this step is not necessary.
3. Connect to the TV via Wi-Fi (it should be displayed in the list of devices).
4. Choose the Basic Input or Media remote.

The advantages of third-party applications:

• 🎮 Support for game controllers (you can play emulators on your TV).
• ⌨️ Virtual keyboard for easy password entry.
• 🖱️ Emulation of mouse and touchpad.

Cons:

• ⚠️ Not all features can work on Xiaomi closed firmware TVs.
• 💰 The free version has limited functionality.

5. Using the phone as a remote control over HDMI (Miracast/Chromecast)

If your Xiaomi TV supports Miracast or Google Cast, you can duplicate your smartphone screen onto a big screen and manage content directly, which is convenient for presentations, games or viewing photos.

How to connect:

1. On the TV, turn on the Wireless Display function (Settings → Connections → Miracast).
2. On your smartphone, open Settings → Connections → Screen broadcast (on Android) or Control Point → Screen Duplication (on iPhone).
3. Select the TV from the list of available devices.

Limitations of the method:

• 📶 Video delays are possible (50–200 ms latency).
• 🔋 Quickly drains the smartphone battery.
• 🎮 Not all games support screen duplication.

For owners of Xiaomi Mi TV Stick or Mi Box, the process is even easier – just say “OK Google, turn on [app name] on the Mi Box” and the content is automatically streamed to the TV.

Comparison of Xiaomi TV Control Methods from Phone

💡

For maximum reliability, use a combination of methods: IR- blaster for basic functions (on, switching channels) and Wi-Fi for advanced control (voice, automation).

Frequent problems and their solutions

Even with the right setup, you can have failures, and here are the most common mistakes and ways to fix them:

Problem 1: The TV doesn’t respond to commands via Mi Remote.

• 🔋 Check the battery power of the smartphone — at a low level IR- the signal weakens.
• 📱 Reinstall the application and reset the settings.
• 🔄 Try a different TV profile in the list (for example, instead of Mi TV 5, select Mi TV 4 Pro).

Problem 2: In Mi Home, the TV is displayed as “Offline”.

• 🌐 Make sure that the TV and phone are connected to the same Wi-Fi network.
• 🔄 Restart the TV and router.
• 🔒 Check if the router firewall is blocking the connection to Xiaomi servers.

Problem 3: Voice commands are not executed.

• 🎤 Check if the microphone is enabled in the assistant app settings.
• 🌍 Make sure that the region of your Mi Account is your country (for example, Alice needs a Russian region).
• 🔊 Reframe the command, instead of "Turn on the TV," say "Turn on Mi TV in the living room."

⚠️ Warning: If some management features have stopped working after the TV firmware update, reset your Mi Home settings to factory: Settings → Account and Security → Reset your Mi Home settings.

FAQ: Answers to Frequent Questions