Xiaomi’s current TVs are no longer just display devices, becoming full-fledged voice-controlled multimedia centers. Owners of models with an Android TV operating system or a PatchWall proprietary shell often underestimate the capabilities of an embedded microphone, relying solely on manual input through a remote control. However, voice control significantly speeds up content search, allows you to run applications and even control smart home devices without having to search for a button on the remote control.
The effectiveness of a voice assistant depends on the accuracy of the wording and understanding of the specifics of the operating system. Depending on the region and version of the firmware, the TV can respond to commands for Google Assistant or proprietary scripts MIUI for TV. Knowing the exact phrases triggers allows you to turn watching movies or navigating the menu into a truly seamless experience, freeing the user's hands.
In this article, we will look at exactly what phrases your technique recognizes, how to set the microphone for maximum sensitivity, and what hidden features exist that are not written in the instructions, you will learn how to control playback, search for information on the Internet, and adjust image parameters using only voice.
Activation and configuration of voice control
Before you go to specific commands, you need to make sure that the system is ready for speech. On most Xiaomi and Redmi models, activation occurs when you press a special button with the microphone on the remote. However, in some regions and on certain versions of Android TV, the “Ok Google” feature is available, allowing you to control the TV without touching the remote if the device is equipped with a built-in microphone.
To work properly, it is important to check your language and account settings. The system should be synced with your Google profile, as it is the cloud algorithms that process voice requests. If the TV does not respond to commands, go to Settings → Device → Settings → Voice input and make sure that permission to use the microphone is activated.
⚠️ Note: When you first set up your voice assistant, the system can request access to geolocation and action history. Without these rights, the accuracy of command recognition, especially for weather or local search, can be reduced.
Also worth considering is the quality of the Internet connection: Voice commands are not processed locally on the TV processor, but are sent to servers for decoding. An unstable Wi-Fi signal can lead to delays or misunderstood requests, which creates a false impression of a device malfunctioning.
☑️ Verification of readiness for voice control
Basic commands for navigation and system management
The foundation of voice interaction is commands that replace the remote buttons. They allow you to navigate the PatchWall interface or the standard Android TV shell without using a joystick, which is especially convenient when the remote is far away or its batteries are dead, and you have a smartphone with the Mi Remote app on hand.
The basic set of phrases is universal for most Android devices. You can ask the system to open a specific application, go back or call the main menu. For example, the phrase "Open YouTube" will instantly start the video service, and the command "Home" will return you to the start screen.
- 🗣️ "Open [application name]" - runs the specified program, whether it's Netflix, Kinopoisk or browser.
- 🗣️ "Go Back” or “Go Back” – This is the function of the return button in the menu.
- 🗣️ "Home - returns the user to the main screen of the launcher.
- 🗣️ "Menu – Calls a context menu similar to a three-dot button.
It is important to pronounce the names of applications clearly and preferably in the language that is installed in the system by default. If you use the Russian interface, but the name of the application in the store is indicated in English, it is better to pronounce it in Latin or as it is written in the list of installed programs.
💡
Pronounce the application names exactly as they appear in the list of installed programs to avoid recognition errors.
Content Search and Multimedia Teams
One of the most powerful voice controls is search. Instead of typing movie titles through a virtual keyboard, you can just query. Google Assistant algorithms understand context, so you can say, "Find Tom Cruise movies" or "Show 90s comedies."
Xiaomi TVs are integrated with a variety of streaming services. Voice search works not only within a particular app, but also throughout the system, scanning available sources, which allows you to quickly find where the desired picture is available, whether in a subscription or for purchase.
| Team team. | Description of action | Example of use |
|---|---|---|
| Search for film | Finds the movie by title | "Find the Interstellar movie." |
| Actor search | Showing filmography | "The Leonardo DiCaprio Movies" |
| Genre search | Searching for content by category | "Put the horror on." |
| Sound control | Volume control | "Loudness 50%" or "Hush" |
And you can also control voice playback, and the commands "Pause," "Continue," "Fast forward 5 minutes" are used in most popular video players, and this eliminates the need to point the remote control at the infrared receiver if you're moving away from the TV.
Managing a Smart Home through a TV
Xiaomi TV can act as a hub for managing smart home devices, if they are added to the ecosystem of Google Home or Mi Home.This allows you to control lighting, temperature and other equipment without getting your phone. Just say a command, and the TV will send a signal to the executive device.
To implement this functionality, you need all devices to be linked to one account, and once synchronized, you can create scripts or control individual gadgets, for example, Turn off the living room lights, if they are configured appropriately, you can turn off the smart lamps.
- 💡 "Turn on [device name]" - activates a smart socket or lamp.
- 🌡️ "Set a temperature of 23 degrees" - a command for a smart air conditioner or thermostat.
- 📹 "Show the camera [name] — displays the image with IP-full-screen cameras.
⚠️ Note: The function of displaying images from CCTV cameras does not work with all models of cameras and requires the installation of the appropriate plugin application on the TV.
Using a TV as a control center is convenient in situations where hands are busy or the remote is lost, but it is worth remembering that to execute commands, devices must be on the same local network or have access to the Internet for cloud management.
Secrets of device compatibility
Background information and system requests
In addition to entertainment, the TV can answer questions using Google's knowledge base, you can ask about the weather, currency, sports performance or news, and answers are usually displayed on the screen as cards or voiced by a speech synthesizer.
System queries are also available to help maintain the TV, so you can find out how much memory is left, what version of the operating system is installed, or ask to restart the device, which is especially useful when you don't have a keyboard to enter complex queries in the search engine.
Examples of useful queries:
- 🌤️ "What is the weather tomorrow? – the forecast will show on the screen.
- 📺 "What is my version of Android? – will provide technical information.
- 📅 "What’s in the calendar? – will remind about the planned events from Google Calendar.
For more accurate results, try to formulate questions naturally, as when talking to a human. Artificial intelligence is constantly learning and better understands context, if the speech is not fragmentary.
💡
The voice assistant on the TV is a full-fledged Google Assistant interface, so it understands the same queries as an Android smartphone.
Frequent problems and their solution
Despite the advanced functionality, users may encounter situations where the TV no longer understands commands, most often the problem lies in privacy settings or a temporary failure of network services, the first thing to do is check whether voice search is disabled in the account settings.
Sometimes it helps to just reboot the device or reset the remote settings. If the microphone on the remote is contaminated, sensitivity also drops. In rare cases, a firmware update of the TV is required, since older versions of MIUI TV may have bugs in the speech recognition module.
If the commands are executed but with a long delay, check the speed of the Internet. DNS-servers in the settings of the TV network to public (for example, from Google 8.8.8.8), which often improves communication with speech recognition servers.
⚠️ Note: If the TV does not respond to the microphone button at all (there is no audio signal or visual indicator), the remote or its IR port may be faulty./Bluetooth module.