Managing Xiaomi TV from your phone over Bluetooth: full instruction

Modern Xiaomi TVs support not only traditional remote control, but also convenient control from a smartphone via Bluetooth. This feature is especially useful if the original remote is lost, broken or you just want to use one gadget instead of several. Unlike Wi-Fi control (through applications like Mi Remote), Bluetooth connection works even without Internet access and provides minimal signal latency.

Not all Xiaomi TVs support this out of the box, for example, the budget Mi TV 4A or Mi TV 4S series may require a firmware update, and the flagship Xiaomi TV Q2 or Xiaomi TV A Pro can connect to the phone in just two clicks. In this article, we will discuss how to set up a connection on different devices, which applications to use and what to do if the phone does not see the TV.

What Xiaomi TVs support Bluetooth control

Bluetooth control is available on most Xiaomi TVs released after 2019, but there are nuances:

• 📺 Full support: Xiaomi series TV Q1/Q2, Xiaomi TV A Pro, Mi TV 5/5 Pro, Mi TV 6 — These models have a built-in Bluetooth module and are compatible with the official Mi Remote app.
• ⚠️ Limited support: Mi TV 4A/4S (2018–2019 d.) – require firmware updates to version MIUI TV 3.0+ and can only work with alternative applications (e.g. Unified Remote).
• ❌ Not supported: old models up to 2018 year TV 3/3S) — They don’t have a Bluetooth module, but you can use the IR port via the adapter.

To find out if your TV supports Bluetooth control, check:

1. Go to Settings → About TV → Specifications and find the Bluetooth bar.
2. Or try to turn on the device search mode: Settings → Devices → Bluetooth.

What Xiaomi phones can be used to manage

Theoretically, you can connect to a TV via Bluetooth from any smartphone, but Xiaomi devices have advantages:

• 📱 Compatibility: phones on the phone MIUI 12+ (For example, Redmi Note 10/11, Xiaomi 12/13, POCO X4/F4) Automatically recognize Xiaomi TVs in the list of available devices.
• 🔄 Stable connection: by optimizing the protocol BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy: Minimum delays in operation.
• 🛠️ Additional functions: on phones with MIUI You can use Mi Remote for voice control (via Alice) or gestures.

If you have a phone of a different brand (Samsung, iPhone, etc.), you can connect, but you may need third-party apps, for example, AnyMote Universal Remote for iOS, and Unified Remote for Android or Yatse for Android.

⚠️ Note: on Xiaomi phones with custom firmware (for example, LineageOS), the Bluetooth control function may not work stable due to the lack of drivers. MIUI TV.

Step-by-step: how to connect your phone to a Xiaomi TV

The connection process depends on the TV and phone model, but the overall scheme looks like this:

1. Turn on Bluetooth on your TV: Go to Settings → Devices → Bluetooth. Activate the Bluetooth slider and select Add Device.
2. Activate Bluetooth on your phone: Open Settings → Connections → Bluetooth (on MIUI, the path may be different: Settings → Bluetooth).

Device pairing

• The phone will have the name of the TV (e.g. MiTV-Q1-1234) on the list.
• Confirm the connection on both devices (entry may be required) PIN-code, usually 0000 or 1234).

Once paired successfully, the phone can be used as a remote control.

• Open the Mi Remote app (if preinstalled) or download it from the Google Play/App Store.
• Choose the device type – TV, then brand – Xiaomi.
• The app will automatically connect to the TV via Bluetooth.

Management settings: what functions are available

You can control your TV through Bluetooth, much like you would with the original remote.

For advanced management (for example, launching applications or setting up a picture), you can use widgets in the Mi Remote application.

• Add to the main screen of the phone widget Mi Remote with buttons of quick access.
• Set up gestures in the swipe control app (e.g. swipe up – Volume up).

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If the buttons on the phone screen are too small, turn on the “Big buttons” mode in the Mi Remote application settings (Interface section).

Connection problems and their solutions

Even with the right setup, there can be errors. Let's look at the most common ones.

1.The phone can't find the TV

Causes and solutions:

• 🔋 Bluetooth is off on your TV – check settings or restart the TV (hold the power button for 10 seconds).
• 📶 Interference from other devices – turn off nearby headphones, speakers or fitness bracelets.
• 🔄 Outdated firmware - update the TV through Settings → Update of the PO.

2. The connection is interrupted

What to do:

• 📱 Reset Bluetooth cache on your phone: Settings → Annexes → All applications → Bluetooth → Warehouse → Clear the cache.
• 🔌 Check the power – if the phone is under 20%, the connection may break.
• 🛠️ Reconnect devices: Remove the TV from the list of associated devices and add again.

3.The buttons on the phone don't work

Possible causes:

• 🎮 Incorrect control profile – in the Mi Remote app, select the TV model manually.
• 🔧 Application conflict – disable other management programs (e.g, IR Blaster).
• 📲 Energy saving restrictions – add Mi Remote to battery optimization exceptions.

⚠️ Note: if after updating the TV firmware, Bluetooth control stopped working, try to roll back to the previous version of the software through Settings → Update of the PO → Recoil. This option is not available on all models.

Alternative ways to control Xiaomi TV

If the Bluetooth connection doesn’t work or doesn’t work, there are other options:

1. Wi-Fi management (via Mi Home or Google Home)

For this:

• Connect your TV and phone to the same Wi-Fi network.
• Open the Mi Home app and add the TV as a smart home device.
• Use voice commands through Alice or Google Assistant.

2. IR port (for older models)

If the TV does not have Bluetooth, but there is an IR receiver, you can use:

• 📱 Smartphone with IR transmitter (for example, Xiaomi Mi 10, Redmi Note 9).
• 🎛️ Mi Remote application in IR mode.
• 🔌 External IR blaster (connects to phone via Audio Jack or USB-C).

3. USB-OTG (for advanced users)

Some Xiaomi TVs (such as the Mi TV 5 Pro) support USB-OTG control:

• Use apps like Scrcpy to duplicate the screen and control.

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Bluetooth control is more convenient than an IR remote, as it does not require direct vision and works at a distance of up to 10 meters. However, for maximum functionality (for example, file transfer or streaming), it is better to use Wi-Fi Direct or Miracast.

Security: How to Protect Your Connection

The Bluetooth connection between the phone and the TV can theoretically be intercepted, so:

• 🔄 Update the TV firmware – new versions fix vulnerabilities (for example, CVE-2021-3413 old Mi models TV).

If you suspect that a third-party device has connected to your TV:

1. Go to Settings → Devices → Bluetooth.
2. Remove all unknown devices from the list of conjugates.
3. Reset your Bluetooth settings on your TV (Settings → Devices → Bluetooth → Reset settings).

FAQ: Answers to Frequent Questions