Xiaomi’s modern Smart TVs offer endless multimedia options, but the screen is often more convenient for finding content. How to quickly and easily play video from a mobile device on a large screen becomes especially relevant when viewing family archives or online cinemas. There are many synchronization methods, from wireless protocols to physical cables, and the choice of the best option depends on your current conditions.
The main difficulty is often not the lack of a feature, but the lack of knowledge of where exactly the desired switch is hiding in the menu Android TV or PatchWall. Some users try to use third-party applications where there is enough built-in system. In this article, we will discuss in detail all available ways of broadcasting images, eliminating broken methods and focusing on proven solutions.
Whether you’re using an Android or iOS smartphone, you’ll be able to find the right option for your use case.We’ll look at native operating system features, specialized utilities from Xiaomi, and universal streaming standards.
Preparation of devices for wireless connection
Before you start streaming, make sure that both devices are in the same network environment, a fundamental requirement for most protocols, such as Miracast or Chromecast. If your router distributes a network at 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz under different names, make sure that both the phone and the TV are connected to one of them, preferably the faster five-hertz.
On Xiaomi Mi TVs, you often need to activate manual reception mode, as it can be disabled by default to save resources. Go to the system settings and find the section responsible for connecting external devices or screen broadcast. The name of the item may vary depending on the firmware version and region.
It’s also worth checking out software updates on both gadgets.Outdated Wi-Fi module drivers can cause connection breaks or a complete lack of visibility of devices to each other on the local network.
☑️ Checking before connection
⚠️ Note: If you use a guest Wi-Fi network in a hotel or office, the broadcast may not work due to the isolation of client devices on the router side.
Use of the built-in Chromecast feature
The Android TV operating system on which Xiaomi TVs are based has native support for Google Cast technology. This is the most stable way to stream content from apps that officially support this feature, such as YouTube, Netflix or Google Photos. You do not need to duplicate the entire screen of the smartphone, which saves battery power and reduces the load on the processor.
To start playback, open the supported app on your phone and find the characteristic rectangle icon with waves in the corner. Once clicked, the system will suggest a list of available devices on the network. Select your Xiaomi TV from the list, and the video will play directly to the TV while the phone can serve as a remote control.
The advantage of this method is that the image quality is automatically adjusted depending on the speed of the Internet, rather than the speed of the local network, the phone in this case acts only as a remote control transmitting a link to the video stream.
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If the Chromecast icon doesn’t appear, make sure that the phone has Google Play Services installed and the Google Home app is updated to the latest version.
It’s important to note that the phone doesn’t have to be on Android to work; iPhone owners can also stream content through compatible apps using the same connectivity principles.
Screen broadcast via Miracast and Wi-Fi Direct
When you want to bring to the big screen exactly what is happening on the display of the phone, including menus, games or the browser, Miracast technology is used. In the Xiaomi ecosystem, this feature is often called Translation or Wireless Display, which allows you to create a direct connection between devices without the help of a router using the Wi-Fi Direct protocol.
On Xiaomi TV, you need to run the “Miracast” app or find the appropriate item in the signal source menu. On Xiaomi and Redmi smartphones, this feature is called through the notification curtain control center and is called “Translation”. On other Android smartphones, it can be called “Smart View”, “Screen Translation” or “Projection”.
The connection process is as follows:
- 📺 Run the Miracast app on your TV and wait for the sign “Waiting for Connection” to appear».
- 📱 Activate the search for devices on the smartphone in the screen settings.
- 🔗 Select your TV name from the list.
- ✅ Confirm the pairing if an access request appears on the TV screen.
Image quality when using Miracast is directly dependent on the power of Wi-Fi modules and the absence of interference in the air. Unlike Chromecast, here the phone encodes the video stream in real time, which can lead to a small latency, noticeable in dynamic games.
Why is the picture twitching?
Broadcast from iPhone and iPad (AirPlay)
Owners of Apple equipment may face difficulties, as the iOS ecosystem uses its own AirPlay protocol, which is not native to Android TV. However, modern Xiaomi TVs often have built-in AirPlay 2 support, which allows you to broadcast the screen without installing additional software.
Check for support in your TV settings: Go to About Device or Apps and look for AirPlay. If you have the feature, just make sure the devices are on the same network, open Control Point on your iPhone, click Screen Replay, and select TV.
If there's no built-in support, don't despair: In the Google Play store, you can install emulator apps on the TV itself, like AirScreen or Receiver for AirPlay, which create a virtual receiver that tricks the iPhone into thinking it's connected to an Apple device.
Once you install an app on TV, the algorithm remains the same: start the emulator on the TV and select the device from the iPhone menu, while the transmission quality remains high, supporting the transmission of sound and video stream in HD.
| Method | Type of connection | Delay. | Quality. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chromecast | Online (stream) | Low. | Up to 4K HDR |
| Miracast | Local (screen) | Medium | Up to 1080p. |
| AirPlay | Local/Online | Low. | Up to 4K. |
| HDMI cable | Wired | Absent. | Maximum. |
Wired connection via HDMI and USB-C
To achieve maximum image quality and no delays, nothing beats a physical connection. If your smartphone supports video output via a charging port (MHL, Slimport or DisplayPort Alt Mode), you can connect it to a Xiaomi TV with a conventional cable.
You'll need a USB-C to HDMI adapter. Once you connect the cable and select the appropriate signal source (HDMI 1, HDMI 2, etc.) on the TV remote, the smartphone screen will instantly display on the panel, which is ideal for watching heavy video in high bitrate, which can slow down when wireless.
Note that not all budget phones support USB image output, which is usually the function of flagship lines, and check the support in the specifications of the device on the official website of the manufacturer.
⚠️ Note: When using adapters of cheap brands, the image may flicker or be absent at all. Use certified cables that support video transmission.
Using DLNA to play files
If your goal is to play a video file that's already stored in your phone's memory, there's no point in duplicating the entire screen. DLNA allows you to broadcast only the media file, leaving the phone free for other tasks. The TV in this case decodes the video itself, taking data from the storage of the smartphone.
To implement this method, you need to install a media center application on your phone, such as BubbleUPnP or VLC for Android. The application selects a video file, then a renderer is selected from the playlist - your Xiaomi TV.
The advantage of DLNA is that the phone does not heat up from encoding the video stream, and the battery is consumed minimally, and you can also control the playback queue by adding files from different folders.
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DLNA is the best choice for watching downloaded movies, as it does not load the phone’s processor and provides a stable picture.
Solving Connection Problems
Even when set up correctly, there can be situations where devices can't see each other. Often the problem lies in settings on the router firewall or the antivirus on the phone that blocks local connections. Try temporarily disabling protection and checking the connection.
Another reason could be an outdated version of the Google Home app or the Android System WebView system component.Update all system apps through the Play Market store.A simple router reboot that clears the cache also helps. DHCP-servers and re-distributes IP-address.
If nothing helps, reset the network settings on the TV via the Settings → Network → Reset menu, which returns network settings to factory values and often eliminates software conflicts.