Xiaomi as a control panel, how to set up and use it on a smartphone. Universal TV Remote for Android - Application for Xiaomi Redmi Mi Remote How to use the infrared port on xiaomi

Hello friends

In this review, I will talk about the universal Xiaomi infrared controller, designed to control any devices that have remote controls with an infrared LED. In addition to an extensive database of devices, the remote control can also be trained - so it can replicate absolutely any remote control. I will also give examples of smart scenarios with his participation, including those that activate/deactivate themselves or other scenarios. Details in my review

Where to buy?

Delivery, scope of delivery

Delivery - by Novaya Poshta, everything is standard, there is nothing special to describe, it comes in a cardboard box, this time not the usual white, but brown - I also came across these, it seems that the first versions of mi band bracelets were similar.

The dimensions of the box are perfectly adjusted to the controller - nothing hangs around the box. The cardboard is thick and hard; damage during shipping will be quite problematic.

The delivery set is ascetic - a controller “puck” and a flat USB - micro USB power cable

Appearance, dimensions

Dimensions - about 10 cm in diameter

and just under 3 cm thick

On the side end surface of the washer, which we will call “front”, there is a blue activity LED that is constantly lit when the controller is turned on, and on the diametrically opposite side - which we will call “rear” - there is a micro USB connector

The upper part is initially protected by a shipping sticker and seems opaque, but in fact it is not.

It’s invisible to the naked eye, but with the help of a camera, you can see the glow of infrared diodes arranged in a “chamomile” pattern to direct the signal on all sides. Screenshot from the video (video review, as always, at the end of the text review)

The bottom of the base looks like this.

Working with the controller

The base works via Wi-Fi; you don’t need a gateway for it to work, you just need a smartphone/tablet with Mi Home software installed. You will also need a 5V power supply with a USB A connector.

After turning on the power, the controller is detected by the Mi Home application, pairing occurs, after which the controller appears in the list of devices. The standard plugin is not even translated into English

Therefore, I had to use the translated version, which I took. Immediately after installation, the controller firmware is updated. The main menu of the controller contains options that allow you to sort saved remote controls in order, view or create new smart scenarios, and go to the main settings submenu.

In the main settings menu, you can set the device name, share it with another MI account, assign a group of devices (by room name), check for updates, delete, add a plugin shortcut to the desktop, and view network information.

Unfortunately, there is no developer mode - which allows you to add the device to alternative systems, like yeelight lamps or a gateway.

Now let's look at methods for adding remote controls. There are three of them

Model search - all supported remote controls by name, and there is both an official gallery of remote controls and a custom one.

Add remote control- add a remote control from the existing ones, selecting by device type - similar to the Mi Remote application on Xiaomi smartphones with an IR sensor

Remote control copy- copy control signals from any available IR remote control

The first and second modes differ only in the primary choice, and then they are absolutely the same - we find the device we need - for example a Samsung TV, then by checking the power and volume buttons we select a working remote control and save it in the list.

By the way, for owners of Android TV boxes with such a remote control - select a device from the Xiaomi Mi Box category - openbox - it will work fine. What’s convenient, the software offers to combine remote controls - and you can get TV control buttons on one screen - on top - power and volume, and nothing else is needed, and a TV box.

We can add any existing remote control to the remote control copy menu. First, select the device type, or the “Other devices” option, then, following the on-screen prompts, assign a command to each button. In the case of a certain class of devices - using the example of a TV box, we, using a screen template, alternately press the corresponding buttons on the real remote control, saving them on the virtual one, or, in a class - other devices name the buttons themselves and record actions on them from the real remote control.

My list of remotes for this controller is as follows. In addition to standard remote controls for TV and Android box, there are “trained” remote controls for a humidifier, a robotic vacuum cleaner and an air conditioner. Which allows you to control these devices using smart home scenarios.

Examples of my scripts.

Air humidifier - unlike a mechanically controlled humidifier, which can simply be turned on and off using a smart socket, this model is controlled from a remote control. In order to integrate it into the smart home system and control the humidity, I wrote an executable script in which, with a difference of 2 seconds, the humidifier first turns on, then the set humidity increases to 70% (especially so that it does not turn off on its own) and the ionization mode is turned on .

Humidity is controlled by two scripts - one is triggered when the humidity is less than 40% - it starts the executable script, the second is triggered when the humidity is over 50% - it simply activates the on/off button.

There is one subtlety here - the humidity changes and even after turning on / off the humidifier, it remains within the acceptable scenarios for operation for some time. In the case of control via a socket, this is not a problem, the socket is already turned on/off, a repeated command does not change anything. In the case of control via a remote control, repeated activation of the scenario turns it on or off again, since the same remote control button is responsible for this action.

To prevent this from happening, each of the scenarios has additional conditions - termination of its action and inclusion of a second boundary scenario. That is, the scenario humidity is more than 50% - activates the on/off button on the IR controller, switches itself to the “off” state and turns on the scenario - humidity is less than 40%. And vice versa.

I also added to this humidity control scheme - scenarios for opening and closing the window. Since there is no point in humidifying the room when the window is open, if the event is met - the window is open for more than 1 minute, the humidity control scenarios of less than 40 and more than 50% are disabled, the scenarios for working out the closing of the window are activated - there are two of them, and the “window is open” scenario is terminated, it has already worked, and there is no need to repeat it at home the moment the window is closed. Since I cannot track the status of the humidifier - whether it is working when the window is opened or not - I simply turn off the outlet in which it is plugged in for 30 seconds. Which simply resets it and ensures it turns off.

There are two scenarios for closing a window. The first one is triggered when the humidity when closing the window is less than 40% - the executable script for turning on the humidifier is immediately activated, the control script is activated - humidity is more than 50%, the script - “window is open” and both scripts for closing the window are disabled.

The second scenario is if the humidity is more than 40%. In this case, the humidifier does not turn on, but the scenario is activated - humidity less than 40%, then similarly - turn off the closing scenarios and activate the opening scenario.

As examples, I will also give a few scenarios that I use.

Executable script to turn off the TV. So that first I don’t have to leave the Android box player with one remote control - I watch movies and television with its help, and then, with the other remote control, I don’t turn off the TV - now I do this by pressing one button.

I also turned off scheduled cleaning on the robot vacuum cleaner (Ilife A4) - now it is controlled from the controller. Now on weekdays it starts a little earlier than on weekends, and on weekends, in addition to starting, it is automatically switched to high power mode, which reduces the cleaning time - instead of more than 2 hours, to an hour.

Video version of my review, which will also include inserts of the controller diodes triggering.

All my reviews of Xiaomi devices in chronological order -

Xiaomi Mi Remote controller. Every year there is a more and more clear trend towards the fact that a mobile phone will become a thing with which you can control almost everything in the house. We can judge this by new software products from leading gadget manufacturers. In particular, most Xiaomi Mi smartphones have begun to be equipped with infrared ports. This is done to ensure interaction with other electronic equipment that has the same IR port. So that the user can control all the equipment that surrounds him on one convenient screen, the Remote application from Mi was born.

Operating principle

By downloading and installing Remote on your gadget, you automatically turn it into a kind of remote control with which you can control household appliances. No special training is required to use the application, because navigation in it is extremely simple and clear. You can choose among the devices included in the Mi database. If it is detected there, then control via the infrared port directly from your mobile phone will not be difficult. If the device is little known or is not in the database at all, then it is unlikely that it will be possible to fully configure its control from the gadget. But there is no need to worry - the database has all modern TVs, washing machines, set-top boxes and a lot of other equipment.

In some cases, connection is possible not only via an infrared port, but also via a Wi-Fi wireless network. This is relevant for communication between several branded gadgets of the company. For example, a phone and Mi Box or Mi TV.

Usage algorithm

After installing the application on your Mi gadget, simply indicate which device you want to connect to. There are the following categories:

Camera – it’s easy to guess that we are talking about cameras;
Cable / Satellite box – here we mean any cable antennas;
Fan – fans;
TV – televisions;
Mi TV/Mi Box – set-top boxes for TVs;
Box – any other consoles;
DVD players;
Acoustic Systems – acoustic systems;
Projector – projectors;
A/V receiver – any audio or video amplifiers.

Having selected the device type, proceed to selecting its manufacturer. The list there is huge, so you will probably find what you need, unless you are using equipment from some completely unknown company.

When the desired device is found in the system, you can begin testing its interaction with the gadget. To do this, point your smartphone at the infrared port of the equipment with which you want to establish contact, while holding down the button that appears on the application screen. If there is a response, and control of another piece of equipment is established, then we confirm the settings and edit the profile, adding the location of the device to it (a specific room in a living space or office). This is only possible when connected to the Internet, and when the data is saved in the profile on the phone, each subsequent contact can be established even offline. Managing home or office equipment is possible even without logging into your Mi account, that is, without any passwords, codes or registrations.

Download the Mi Remote controller app for Android you can follow the link below.

Developer: Xiaomi Inc.
Platform: Android 4.2 and higher
Interface language: Russian (RUS)
Status: Free
Root: Not Needed

The Chinese company Xiaomi continues to occupy a leading position in many criteria and constantly pleases the public with interesting innovations, one of which is a built-in infrared port. Controlling household appliances using a smartphone is very simple and convenient, so many people wonder how to turn on the IR port on a Xiaomi phone and where is it located?

Navigation

What is IR port

The IR port (infrared port) is a kind of remote control that can be used by almost all modern devices. At the same time, there are no wires, no need to change batteries, and no individual charging is required.

With IrDA you can:

Turn on/off the TV, change channels, adjust the volume, record programs.
Change the intensity of the air conditioner and the jet flow.
Work with a DVD player, camera, portable speakers and even kitchen appliances.

You can forever forget about a bunch of extra remote controls, about the fear of losing them, about faulty or worn-out buttons. Most popular electronics brands are supported, starting fromSamsung and endingAsus. Thus, remote control will only bring pleasure and comfort.

Where is the infrared port on the phone?

It should be noted right away that IrDA is not present on all Xiaomi smartphones, which we will discuss below. In addition to the official characteristics and settings, you can simply visually determine the presence of a given port, which is much faster.

It is usually located near the headphone output (always at the top of the phone) and looks like a medium-sized black circle. Larger than the headphone compartment, but smaller than the main compartment.

Xiaomi smartphones with IR port

List updated 08/17/19

IrDA is not present in all models, but the list is still extensive and includes both budget and flagship models:

Redmi Note 2;
The entire Redmi 3 line;
The entire Redmi 4 line;
The entire Redmi 5 line;
The entire Redmi 6 line;
Redmi 7, Redmi Note 7;
Redmi S2;
Mi 4;
The entire Mi 5 line;
Mi 6;
Mi 9, Mi 9 SE;
Mi A1, Mi A2, Mi A2 Lite, Mi A3.
Mi Max 2, Mi Max 3;
Mi Note 3;
Pocophone F1;

If your model is not on the list, then it can act as a remote control via a Wi-Fi connection, but it will only be effective in relation to TVs from Mi TV and Mi Box set-top boxes.

Setting up the IR port for the first time

Now let’s get down to the most important and basic thing – how exactly to use the “mobile remote control”. To do this you will need a special application - Mi Remote, which we partially discussed in the article “”.

The application is freely available for download on Google Play. Its main advantages:

Simple and intuitive interface;
Russian language support.
Support for a large number of brands.

Let's now start working with the infrared port:

We go into the application and immediately see a white screen with an orange or blue highlight.
The software first asks you to select a remote control. This is the device you want to control. Click on the plus.
A list of available electronics is displayed: TVs, players, fans, set-top boxes, etc. Select what you need.
Next step: determine the manufacturer. For example, if you need to manage TV from LG, we find this company in the list. The choice is wide: there are both modern titans of the world market, and slightly forgotten companies of yesteryear, which have faded into the background in popularity and sales.
When all the data is specified, point the port at the projector and first test the buttons, as indicated in the on-screen prompts. If everything was configured correctly, reading the information is successful.
Now you can use your smartphone as a remote control. All the necessary function buttons are displayed on the phone screen.
Didn't work out? Then we re-enter the data about the equipment in a special window and check it carefully.

Unfortunately, it may be that your electronics simply do not support the ability to be controlled using a Xiaomi device.

And I can’t be happier with the vastness of its built-in functionality. In this article I’ll tell you about one such feature with which you can turn Android into a universal remote control for your TV and any other device that operates using an infrared signal.

Xiaomi Mi Remote

Simply put, if your device comes with a remote control, then it can be controlled from a Xiaomi Redmi phone, which has a built-in IR port - no Wi-Fi or Bluetooth connection is needed, so you can even use it with older TV models. In general, the owners of smartphones from this company are lucky, since many really useful programs and hacks are already pre-installed - I showed how, what dual applications are, etc.

And in today’s case, you don’t need to download a remote control for your TV either - the application is initially present in the MIUI shell and is called “Mi Remote”, or Mi Remote in English transcription. But it can also be downloaded from the Play Market and installed on any phone that has an IR port.

How to set up the remote control app on Android for TV?

To add a new control panel, click on the plus sign with the inscription “Mi Remote” in the upper left corner

and select the type of device for which we will configure our universal remote control on Android. There are quite a few preset settings available here, built into the program:

Mi TV/Mi Box
TV
Air conditioner
Fan
Prefix
AV receiver
DVD player
Projector
Chinese satellite TV
Camera

In order to use your phone as a TV remote control, select the appropriate item and then look for your manufacturer - there are not only the popular Samsung, LG or Philips, but also a lot of other companies - in most cases you will find it in this list.

And we press one of the buttons offered to us to check the functionality of the remote control on the phone. If it works and calls the desired function, then click “Yes” in the application.

In the next step, give our TV a name and click “Connected”

After this, a new TV remote control icon will appear on the Android desktop, and when you click on it, control buttons will appear on the screen.

Phone as a remote control for Android TV

In the same way, in this application you can configure your phone as a remote control for a TV set-top box on Android. If Xiaomi Mi Box is listed as a separate item here, then for everyone else we select “Set-top box”. And then by manufacturer.

There are many more models of Chinese set-top boxes than TVs, so yours may not be among them, as happened in my case. But by searching through all of them you can find a suitable option. As a result, we will get the remote control panel from the TV set-top box on the display. Here you can select the operating mode - as a track pad or control arrows.

All remote controls configured for Android will appear on the main page of the application on your phone. Please also pay attention to the link "My room"

You can use Xiaomi as a remote control for home appliances. On this page you will find instructions on how to set up the remote control on Xiaomi Redmi 4X. Perhaps information on how to use the remote control on your phone and other Xiomi smartphones and tablets on Android. To make it easier for you to understand what and how to do, we have attached screenshots where we have highlighted the necessary points with an index.

Open the Mi Remote application preinstalled on your Xiaomi phone. In the window that opens, we need to add a device that we want to control from the phone, for example a TV, by clicking on the plus sign + Mi Remote. Next, select the desired device; in our example, we selected TV. Perhaps a window will also appear Add room name, you can enter any name, I wrote “Room” and confirm “Create a new room”. Look at the pictures attached below and everything will become clear.

Next, a list will open where you need to select the TV brand; in the example, we chose LG. Now the remote control application on Xiaomi will offer the following - 1. Point your phone at TV And 2. Press the power button. Point the phone at the TV that you want to control from the remote control and press the red button. I have highlighted where to click in the picture attached below and indicated with an arrow. If everything went well, your TV will turn on if it was turned off, and if the TV was turned on, it will turn off. If the TV responded to the remote control, then confirm Yes in the window. Look at the screenshots attached below where the necessary buttons and items are highlighted.

Ready! Now you can control your LG TV, change channels, adjust the sound and perform other actions using the Xiaomi remote control. You can configure the remote control on your Xiaomi smartphone in this way to control other equipment. I hope the information helped you set up the remote control on Xiaomi. Don’t forget to leave a review and indicate the model of your smartphone to which this instruction fits or not, so that other visitors to the site will receive useful information from you.

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