How to cast your phone to tv

The best part? You just might already have everything you need. If not, well, it's not horribly expensive to get set up. Here's how you can start mirroring or casting your Android phone or tablet's screen to your TV.

Everything you need to mirror your Android phone to your TV

To start, you'll need an Android phone or tablet running Android 5.0 or later. That version of Android was released in 2014, so odds are your phone or tablet is running a newer version of Android. You can check by opening the Settings app and going to About phone and looking for Android version. 

In addition to an Android phone or tablet, you'll also need a Google Chromecast streaming device, like the recently released Chromecast with Google TV, a TV with Chromecast built in or a smart display like the Google Nest Hub. If you don't know whether your TV has Chromecast support, the best way to check is to see if it shows up as an available casting device when you follow either method below.

Cast your screen to a TV using the Google Home app

The most reliable and consistent way to mirror your Android phone's screen is to use the Google Home app. If you've already set up any of Google's smart speakers, Nest Wifi or Chromecast devices, you likely already have it installed. If not, you can download it from the Play store.

Open the Home app and select the Chromecast device you want to use. At the bottom of the screen will be a button labeled Cast my Screen; tap it. You'll have to accept the prompt reminding you that whatever is on your phone's screen will be visible on your TV to anyone in the room with you. You may also see a second prompt warning you if your device isn't optimized for mirroring. I haven't had any issues casting my screen when I've run into the warning. To stop casting your screen, tap on the button labeled Stop mirroring in the Home app.

There's an easier way, depending on your phone 

Using the Home app isn't a lot of work, but there's an even easier way: Use the Casting shortcut in the quick settings panel. Access the quick settings panel by swiping down from the top of your Android phone or tablet's display. There should be an option labeled Screen cast -- if you can't find it, you may have to tap on the pencil icon to edit what is and isn't available in your quick settings panel. 

Once you find the Screen cast button, select it and then pick the device you want to mirror your display on from the list. It can take a few seconds for your phone to connect to the Chromecast-enabled device, but once it does, your screen will show up on your TV. Stop casting by repeating the same steps we just outlined. 

But here's the rub: Not every phone includes a cast button option in the quick settings panel. It's not clear why, but if your phone doesn't have the shortcut option, don't give up. You can still mirror your phone using the Home app. 

Thankfully, modern smartphones come with a brilliant feature that allows you to mirror on-device content to your TV.  In this article, we will look at how you can connect your phone to TV using Screen Mirroring.

Also Read: Mirror Phone to a Laptop: How to Cast Your Android or iOS Mobile Screen to a Laptop

What is Screen Mirroring?

Screen Mirroring (Casting) is a feature in most smartphones that allows you to wirelessly cast the phone’s content on another device screen, mostly a TV or an external monitor. It is useful in situations where you want to showcase photos, play games, and watch movies on the big screen. 

Smart TVs have the screen mirroring functionality built-in whereas for older TVs, you will need a media stick or a media player for the screen mirroring to work. Google Chromecast, Amazon Fire Stick and Roku are some of the most popular media streaming devices that support screen mirroring.

There are mainly two prerequisites required for casting your smartphone to a Smart TV. First, make sure both your smartphone and TV should be connected to the same WiFi network. Secondly, your smart TV should have chromecast built in or/and you should have a streaming device that supports screen mirroring.

Also Read: How to Connect Mobile to Laptop or PC to Share Internet or Transfer Photos or Files?

How to Mirror an Android Phone to a Smart TV?

Although most smartphones have a screen mirroring option, the terminology and steps to activate the feature might vary depending on the smartphone manufacturer. Here’s how to connect your Android phone screen to a smart TV wirelessly – 

1. Swipe down twice from the top of the screen to access the Quick Settings panel and look for the Cast option.

2. If you don’t see the option, tap on the Edit button and locate the Screen Cast toggle.

3. Hold and drag the cast button to the Quick Settings tray.

4. Toggle the Screen cast button and see if your Smart TV is showing up on the list.

5. Tap on your TV name to begin mirroring your Android phone. 

To disable Android screen casting, tap on the Cast toggle in the Quick Settings panel. Android screen mirroring is available on devices running Android 5.0 or later.

If the screen cast option does not appear in the Quick settings panel, see if your device has the option to connect Android to TV wirelessly option under a different name in settings.

For instance, Xiaomi devices have two options within the device settings that offer screen mirroring –  Cast and Wireless display. Most users are able to cast their Xiaomi screen with the help of Wireless display. The option is located in Settings > Connection & sharing > Wireless Display.

Also Read: How to Hide Apps in Samsung, Vivo, OPPO, Realme and Xiaomi Android Mobile Phones?

How to Mirror an Android Screen Wirelessly Using the Google Home App?

An alternative method to connect your Android screen to your Smart TV is with the help of the Google Home app. This method will work if you own a Chromecast or have an Android TV with Chromecast built-in.

1. Download the Google Home app from the Google Play Store. 

2. Setup Google Chromecast if you haven’t already. If your smart TV has a Chromecast built-in, it will automatically appear on the app.

3. Tap on the device and then tap on “Cast my screen” at the bottom.

4. Tap on Cast screen > Start now.

5. To stop mirroring your Android to your Smart TV, retrace the steps and select “Stop mirroring.”

How to Mirror an iPhone to a Smart TV?

iPhones and iPads also support screen mirroring but you will need an Apple TV or AirPlay 2-compatible smart TV. To connect your iOS mobile to your TV wirelessly, here’s what you need to do.

1. Connect your iPhone/iPad and the smart TV to the same WiFi network.
2. Swipe down from the upper right corner to get to the Control Center.
3. Tap on Screen Mirroring and select the smart TV from the list.

If you don’t have an Apple TV or AirPlay 2-compatible smart TV, you can still stream content from Chromecast-enabled apps on your iOS device. Simply open the app (eg. YouTube),  tap on the Cast button and select your TV from the list.  This feature only works for iOS devices running iOS 13 and above.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

How can I connect my Android phone to my non-Smart TV?

The traditional TVs do not come with any facility for screen mirroring or screencasting primarily because there is no Wi-Fi integrated. However, one can use Google Chromecast, Apple Fire TV Stick or any other Android-based dongle to mirror your smartphone or table to your non-smart TV. One can connect the dongle to the HDMI port in the non-smart TV and then simply cast it using the above-mentioned methods.

Why can’t I get my phone to mirror my TV?

If you are facing an issue with screen mirroring your smartphone to your TV, then you can try this quick fix. First of all, restart both your TV and smartphone. Ensure your phone and Smart TV are connected to the same Wi-Fi network. Once done, try again to connect your phone to your TV. IF you still face this problem, then you can also try to reboot your Wi-Fi router.