How to control a Xiaomi TV via Android phone: 5 ways + tips for setting up

Controlling a Xiaomi TV from a smartphone on Android is easier than it seems: you don’t need to look for a remote, just a few taps on the screen. But how does it work in practice? Depending on the TV model (Mi TV 4S, Mi TV Q1, Redmi Smart TV, etc.) and the firmware version, the management methods can vary from the standard Mi Remote application to integration with the Mi Home ecosystem.

In this article, we’ll look at all the current methods, from basic Wi-Fi or Bluetooth connectivity to hidden features like voice control or file transfer, and common mistakes (like why your phone can’t find your TV) and how to fix them without going to the service. If you just bought a Xiaomi TV or want to optimize your existing system, here’s the answer to 90% of the questions.

1.Preparation: What You Need to Control Xiaomi TV from Your Phone

Before you connect your phone to your TV, make sure both devices meet the minimum requirements.

• 📱 Android 6.0+ smartphone (for stable operation of Mi Remote and Mi Home) on older versions, there may be sync failures.
• 📺 Xiaomi Smart-enabled TV (all models after 2018, including Mi TV 4A, Mi TV 5 Pro, Redmi TV).Old models (e.g. Mi TV 2) may not support some features.
• 🌐 Shared Wi-Fi (2.4 GHz or 5 GHz — depending on the TV model) Mi Remote is just a direct connection over a IR- blaster (if you have one on your phone), but you need a local area network to be fully managed.
• 🔄 Updated firmware on both devices. For example, the Mi TV version below PatchWall 3.0 may not have options to pair with the phone.

If your phone is not equipped with a IR- transmitter (infrared port), you can not control the TV through a standard remote application - you will have to use Mi Home or alternative solutions like Google Home. You can check the presence of IR in the model specifications or through the IR Test application from the Play Market.

Important: Some features (such as Miracast screen transfer) require the developer mode on the TV to be enabled. To activate it, go to Settings → About TV → Android TV version and click on the line with the version 7 times.

2. Method 1: Mi Remote application - universal remote

Mi Remote is the official app from Xiaomi, which turns the smartphone into a full-fledged remote control. It works on two protocols:

• 📶 Wi-Fi (for PatchWall models) phone and TV must be on the same network.
• 🔴 By IR (infrared port) It works like a conventional remote, but requires line of sight between devices.

To connect:

1. Download Mi Remote from the Play Market (or AppGallery for Huawei).
2. Launch the app and allow Wi-Fi and IR- port access (if any).
3. Click “Add Device” → select “Television” → Xiaomi.
4. Follow the instructions on the screen. If you connect over Wi-Fi, the TV should appear on the list of available devices.

If the TV is not available:

• ⚠️ Check if Wi-Fi is on on the TV (in Settings → Network).
• ⚠️ Reboot the router — sometimes the problem is blocking multicast packets.
• ⚠️ Update your TV firmware (in Settings → Software Update).

Mi Remote supports not only basic functions (on, switch channels), but also voice search through the microphone of the phone – this works even on budget models like Redmi TV A Series.

Method 2: Mi Home – Management through the Xiaomi ecosystem

Mi Home (renamed Xiaomi Home in some regions) is the central hub for all devices in the ecosystem, and it allows you to not only control the TV, but also integrate it with other gadgets (for example, turn on the TV on the motion sensor or voice via Xiaomi AI Speaker).

Instructions for connection:

1. Install Mi Home from the official store.
2. Sign up or sign in to your Xiaomi account (required!).
3. Click "Add device" (+) → select "TV" category.
4. Follow the setup wizard. The TV should flash the screen when paired successfully.

After connecting in the application will appear options:

• 🎮 Control as a remote (similar to Mi Remote, but with extended gestures).
• 🔄 Automation (e.g., turning off the TV when you leave the house).
• 📁 Transfer files (photos, videos) directly to the TV.

⚠️ Warning: If the TV is not added to the Mi Home, check:

1. Xiaomi account region (should match the TV firmware region). For example, if the TV is purchased in China and the account is registered in Russia, errors may occur. 2. There are updates for Mi Home (the Play Market sometimes has outdated versions).

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If the TV doesn’t appear in Mi Home, try resetting it to factory settings (Settings → Reset) and reconnecting.

4. Method 3: Google Home and Assistant – Voice Control

If you have a Google Nest speaker or a smartphone with Google Assistant, you can control your Xiaomi TV voice.

1. Make sure the TV is connected to the same Wi-Fi network as the phone.
2. Open Google Home, click Add → Set up your device → Have devices already?
3. Select Xiaomi from the list of brands and sign in to your account.
4. After synchronization, the TV will appear in the main menu of the application.

Now you can use voice commands:

• 🎤 OK, Google, turn on Mi TV in the living room.
• 🎤 "Put on the TV"
• 🎤 “Revolve the volume on Xiaomi TV to 50%.”

⚠️ Warning: Not all Xiaomi TV models support Google Assistant at the firmware level. Check compatibility in the table:

If your model does not support Google Assistant, you can use Alice from Yandex (via Yandex Station) or Amazon Alexa (for models with PatchWall 4.0+).

5. Method 4: Screen Transfer (Miracast) and Mouse Control

One of the most useful features is to duplicate the screen of the phone on the TV, and this allows you to:

• 🎬 Watch YouTube or Netflix videos on the big screen.
• 🎮 Play mobile games with a gamepad;
• 🖱️ Use your phone as a touchpad to control Android TV.

How to turn on Miracast:

1. On TV: Settings → Connections → Wireless projection (or Miracast).
2. On your phone: open Settings → Connections → Screen transfer (on Xiaomi this can be called Wireless Display).
3. Select the TV from the list of available devices.

⚠️ Attention: There may be delays (lags) when transmitting the screen due to:

weak Wi-Fi signal (switch to 5 GHz if the router supports); high resolution phone screen (try to reduce to 1080p in Miracast settings); background processes on the phone (close all applications before connecting).

To control the TV as a mouse (useful for surfing in the browser or typing):

1. Connect to Miracast.
2. Turn on the TV Mouse / Touchpad (in the settings Wireless projection).
3. Use gestures on your phone screen to navigate.

Method 5: Alternative applications (for older models)

If standard methods don’t work (e.g., Mi TV 2 or Mi TV 3), you can use third-party apps to:

To connect via Unified Remote:

1. Download the application and the server part (Unified Remote Server) to your TV (if it is an Android TV).
2. Run the server on TV and follow the instructions on the screen.
3. In the mobile app, select Xiaomi TV from the template list.

⚠️ Warning: Third-party apps may request access to personal data (such as files or a microphone).Please check reviews and ratings in the Play Market before installing.

Typical problems and their solutions

Even if you set it up properly, you can have failures.

• 🔌 Phone can't find TV in Mi Remote/Mi Home:
• 🔇 Volume buttons or channels are not working:
• 📶 Lags for screen transfer (Miracast):

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

Settings → Network → Resetting network settings

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90% of connection problems are solved by restarting the router and updating the TV firmware.

8 Additional chips: voice, gestures, automation

In addition to basic management, Xiaomi TV supports advanced features:

• 🗣️ Voice control via AliGenie (for China) or Google Assistant:
• 👋 Gesture control (on models with camera):
• ⏱️ Automation in Mi Home:

⚠️ Warning: Voice commands and gestures only work on models with PatchWall 3.0+ and built-in microphone/camera (e.g. Mi TV 5 Pro or Mi TV Q2). These features are not available on budget TVs (Redmi TV A Series).

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To voice commands work faster, disable the power saving option in the TV settings - it reduces the performance of the processor.

FAQ: Frequent questions