There are still times when you want to show whatever you’re watching on your phone to the entire room or just to a larger screen. This is how to connect an Android phone to a smart TV.
Nowadays, most people own a smart TV, which comes with a number of apps. However, if you want anything you’re watching on your phone displayed on a larger screen, you might need a way to connect your Android phone to a Smart TV.
You can use a cable connection, a third-party app, or the built-in Cast capability to connect your Android phone to a Smart TV. Let’s examine the options below:-
Stream DLNA Content
The majority of internet-connected TVs support the DLNA streaming protocol, which enables you to stream your own music and films to your TV. Be aware that Netflix and other DRM-protected content won’t be supported here.
You may broadcast your own music, images, or videos to a DLNA device like a smart TV using straightforward and cost-free tools like LocalCast and AllCast.
If you wish to share your own files on a TV without mirroring your full screen, they also offer to stream to Chromecast targets. Even online pages, Dropbox, and Google Drive can be streamed.
Though less directly, the well-known media management programme Plex can also function as a DLNA streamer. Your computer’s Plex server may store music, pictures, or videos and broadcast them to your TV.
You can explore your collection using the Plex mobile app, choose which media to stream, then transfer it to the TV using Chromecast or DLNA.
Use a cable or adapter to connect
Use an HDMI cable and adapter to connect your phone to your TV and mirror what is on your phone screen if you don’t have a Chromecast-compatible device.
There are a few options available to you here, and which one you pick will depend on the kind of TV you’re connecting to, how long you’ll be using it, and—most importantly—whether you’ll need to charge your phone while doing it.
You can attach this adapter to your phone, an HDMI cable to the adapter, and then connect the HDMI cable to the TV if your phone has a USB-C port. In order for mobile devices to output video, your phone must support HDMI Alt Mode.
Remember that using this method will occupy your phone’s charging port, so if you frequently plan to mirror content to your TV, your battery life will be reduced.
In this situation, you might find it preferable to use a USB-C to HDMI adapter with a charging port. The phone can then be charged while screen mirroring.
You will require a micro USB to HDMI adapter if your device has an older Micro USB port. Your phone must be able to support the MHL protocol in order to use this method. If your phone is compatible, connect it to the adapter, then connect an HDMI cable to a TV.
Screen Mirroring on Android
Screen mirroring works well for watching your own videos directly from your phone to your smart TV. It is also useful for sharing apps that don’t have official casting capability or don’t include any password-protected material.
A Chromecast, compatible smart TV, or other streaming devices that support this capability are still required.
You need to link your device to the Google Home app to use this feature. Once finished, launch the app and choose the desired device. To mirror your phone’s screen on the TV, tap the Cast my screen button at the bottom. When finished, select Stop mirroring from the app’s menu.
Since Android 5.0 Lollipop introduced the feature, manufacturers’ support for screen mirroring has varied. A Cast button is frequently included in the settings of a phone or in the pull-down settings shade.
The Smart View feature on Samsung phones allows you to connect to and exchange content to and from your mobile device.
Use Chromecast
Many compatible apps, like Netflix, Hulu, HBO Max, and Google Photos, are now available on your Android TV thanks to Chromecast with Google TV.
However, you can cast applications and Chrome web pages from your phone to the large screen with only a few taps if you have a Chromecast dongle or a smart TV with built-in Chromecast support.
Your phone must be connected to the same Wi-Fi network as your streaming device or smart TV in order to accomplish this.
You should press the square cast icon and select the appropriate device to cast when using an app with built-in compatibilities, such as HBO Max.
For apps (and websites) that contain copyrighted content, such as Netflix, casting is the best option because screen mirroring causes the app to black out the video.
You should be able to cast using Connected. Devices/Connections setting on your phone after you are connected to the streaming device.
