Xiaomi’s modern smartphones have powerful screens, but 6-7 inches of full-length movies or family videos are often not enough. Broadcasting multimedia content to a big TV screen turns a typical evening into a full-fledged movie theater. Fortunately, the MIUI and HyperOS ecosystem offers many built-in tools for this without requiring sophisticated equipment.
There are several ways to connect devices: from the wireless protocols Miracast and DLNA to be physically connected through HDMI-The choice of the specific method depends on the model of your TV, the version of the operating system on your smartphone and the quality of the wireless network. In this article, we will discuss all the current connectivity options in detail so that you can enjoy the content in the maximum quality.
Before you start setting up, make sure both devices - both smartphone and TV - are in good working order. Xiaomi is famous for its functionality, but the Translation feature often requires both gadgets to work on the same Wi-Fi network. Let's take a look at the basic preparatory steps and nuances that will ensure stable operation.
Preparation of equipment and Wi-Fi network
The foundation of successful wireless broadcasting is a stable network connection. If your Xiaomi phone and TV are connected to different routers or use different frequencies (for example, 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz with customer isolation), detecting devices may not be possible. Wi-Fi Direct and casting technologies require direct visibility on the local network.
Check to have Wi-Fi enabled on both devices. Some Smart TV models require you to activate a separate feature in the network menu, which can be called Screen Mirroring, Translation, or Wireless Display. Without activating this mode, the TV will be simply invisible to the smartphone, even if they are on the same network.
Also worth noting is the software version: On Xiaomi smartphones with MIUI 12, MIUI 13, MIUI 14 or the new HyperOS, the algorithms of the network modules may differ. Make sure that the system is updated to the latest version, as manufacturers often fix protocol errors through updates.
An important aspect is channel bandwidth: streaming video at 1080p or 4K resolution requires a stable channel without packet loss. If the router is far away, the signal may be unstable, leading to sound and image dissynchronization or constant buffering.
⚠️ Attention: Use of mobile network 4G/5G For the distribution of Wi-Fi (modem mode) on the TV can lead to rapid exhaustion of traffic and does not guarantee stable transmission of high quality video stream.
Built-in “Translation” feature on Xiaomi
The most popular and convenient way to do this without additional software is to use the system function “Translation”, which is based on the Miracast standard, which is supported by most modern Smart TVs, which allows you to duplicate the screen of a smartphone one-to-one, which is ideal not only for video, but also for displaying photos or games.
To activate the function, you need to open the control panel (curtain) and find the Translation icon. If it is not in the visible part, click on the edit button (usually a pencil icon or three dots) and drag the icon to the active zone, and after turning on, you will start searching for available devices within the network range.
In some versions of the MIUI shell, the path may be slightly different. You can find this feature through the settings menu: go to Settings → Connection and Sharing → Broadcast. Here you can not only enable the feature, but also configure the name of the device that will see the TV, and set a password to protect against unauthorized connection.
☑️ Checklist for connection via Miracast
Once the TV is on the list, click on it. The TV screen may have a connection request that needs to be confirmed by the remote, and from now on, the image from the Xiaomi phone will be broadcast to the big screen.
The quality of the image is directly dependent on the Wi-Fi module power and the load of the air. If you notice a delay (lag) between the action on the phone and the display on TV, try to approach the router or turn off downloads on other devices on the network. Miracast technology is sensitive to interference.
Why does the “Translation” feature not find the TV?
Broadcasting via Google Home (Chromecast)
If your TV is equipped with an Android TV built-in system or supports Chromecast built-in technology, the best solution is to use the official Google Home app, which often provides a more stable picture and lower latency compared to native Miracast, especially when streaming content from online cinemas.
To get started, download the Google Home app from the Google Play store. Once installed, open the app and make sure you use the same Google account as you do on your TV (if authorization is required).
In the app interface, select your TV. In the control menu that opens, click the "Cast my screen" button. The system will warn you that everything that happens on the phone screen, including notifications, will be broadcasted. Confirm the action, and the image will appear on TV.
| Parameter | Miracast (Translation) | Chromecast (Google Home) | HDMI Cable |
|---|---|---|---|
| Type of connection | Wireless. | Wireless. | Wired |
| Delay (Latency) | Medium/High | Low/Mediocre | Absent. |
| Video quality | Depends on Wi-Fi. | High (adaptive) | Maximum. |
| Battery consumption | High-pitched | Medium. | Low (charging in) |
The thing about Chromecast is that it's smart, so if you stream videos from an app that supports this technology (like YouTube or Netflix), the phone acts as a remote control, and the video is downloaded directly from the Internet by the TV, which significantly offloads the smartphone and saves battery life.
However, if you are streaming a local video or game, the screen duplication method is used, which puts a strain on the Xiaomi processor, in which case the phone may get hot, and it is recommended to remove the case for better heat sink if you plan to watch long periods.
⚠️ Note: When using Google Home, make sure that your phone and TV have up-to-date versions of Google’s app and system services.Outdated versions can cause codec conflicts, causing the video to go without sound or distort colors.
Use of the HDMI-cable
For users who value maximum image quality and no delays, wired connectivity remains the "gold standard." USB Type-C often supports video output through this connector, but not all models have this feature. MHL DisplayPort Alt Mode.
You will need a special adapter to connect. USB-C to HDMI. One end is inserted into the smartphone, and the other connects the usual HDMI-After connecting, you need to switch the source of the signal (Source) on the TV to the appropriate port, for example, HDMI 1.
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When buying a USB-C to HDMI adapter, choose models that support 4K@60Hz resolution. Cheap analogues can limit the picture to 720p or 1080p at 30 frames per second, which is noticeable on large screens.
If your Xiaomi phone supports video output, the image will appear automatically. In some cases, you may need to allow access to the window that appears on the smartphone screen, which is ideal for viewing video in high bitrate, where compression of stream over Wi-Fi is not allowed.
It's worth noting that wired connectivity allows you to charge your device at the same time if the adapter has an additional power port, which is critical when watching long movies, because video output is energy-intensive. Without external power, the battery can run out in 2-3 hours.
Broadcasting through third-party apps and Mi Drop
The built-in tools don’t always work well with older TVs or other brands, and third-party apps come to the rescue, and one popular solution is the Mi TV app (or similar third-party apps available on Google Play), which specializes in pairing Xiaomi equipment with different displays.
You can also use the Mi Drop feature (known as Wi-Fi Sharing in newer versions of MIUI) to transfer files, but specialized players, such as VLC for Android or BubbleUPnP, are better suited for streaming, these applications are able to find DLNA-compatible TVs and send them video files stored in the phone’s memory.
The VLC action algorithm is simple: open the video file, click on the "Translation" icon in the corner of the screen and select your TV from the list. The player will encode the stream in a format that is understandable for the TV and begin playing.
The advantage of using third-party players is that they support a huge number of file formats (.mkv,.avi,.mov) that the built-in gallery or standard broadcast media may not digest.
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Third-party players like VLC solve 90% of the video format incompatibility problems that occur when using standard system tools.
Solving Connection Problems
Even with the right setup, there can be technical failures. One of the common problems is desynchronizing audio and video. If the sound is ahead of the picture or lags, try adding audio delay to the player settings (if you have one), if the problem is systemic, rebooting the router will help.
Another common situation is black screen when sound is present, which often happens when trying to stream content from secure streaming services (Netflix, Disney+) through the screen duplication function due to HDCP protection. In this case, only using the built-in Translate button inside the service application itself helps, rather than duplicating the entire screen.
If the connection is constantly breaking, check if the router is not limited by the number of connected devices or if the isolation of AP clients is not turned on. Also try to change the Wi-Fi channel in the router settings, switching to a less busy one to avoid interference with neighboring networks.
⚠️ Warning: When watching videos wirelessly, try not to run heavy background processes on your phone, such as downloading large files or updating games. This can cause "freezes" and stuttering images on your TV.