Use Google Chromecast Ultra
If cords arent your thing, try a gadget that plugs into your TV, connects to Wi-Fi and communicates between your phone and the big screen. Googles Chromecast Ultra lets you play video in breathtaking 4k resolution. It plugs into a TVs HDMI port and connects via your existing Wi-Fi, so you can stream movies, music and games from your smartphone, tablet and other connected devices.
Chromecast Ultra works with iOS and Android phones, including the Pixel 4 XL, iPhone 11 Pro Max and Samsung Galaxy S10+. Use your phone like a remote control to skip content, pause or rewind your favorite scene. Or go completely hands-free by issuing commands over your , or . This simple, compact attachment gives you access to over 1,000 Cast-enabled apps, including streaming services like Spotify, Netflix and YouTube.
Connect To The TV With Hdmi
The most reliable way to connect your phone to the TV is with an HDMI cable. Practically every TV will have an HDMI port of some sort, which is used to transfer both audio and video from the same source.
Your phone wont have an HDMI port, but there are handy adaptors that will bolt HDMI ports onto your phones USB Type-C, micro USB, or lightning ports.
Some Android tablets will have mini HDMI or micro HDMI ports, which can connect directly to HDMI over a single cable. Whatever port youre hoping to connect from, make sure your cable is compatible with that connection.
Wireless Options: Miracast And Google Cast
Lets be honest here: its 2017, and no one likes to deal with wires or cablesespecially for transient connections. If you can connect your smartphone to your TV without even getting up off the couch, why would you not want to?
The good news here is that there a couple of different types of connections that allow just this: Google Cast and Miracast. Like MHL and Slimport, these are two means to the same end.
The primary difference between these wireless technologies and their wired counterpartsaside from the wiresis that instead of mirroring your phones entire display on the TV , you can pick and choose what is shown. For example, you can play Netflix or YouTube on the TV and still use your smartphone for other thingsit effectively just becomes a really expensive remote control.
The biggest downside is latency. If you plan on trying to play your phones games on the big screen, there will definitely be some lag between whats happening on the phone and what you see on the TV. Because of that, we dont really recommending using wireless connections for gaming. Go wired, instead.
Of the two technologies, Miracast is older. It was developed by the Wi-Fi Alliance as a way of replicating HDMI over Wi-Fi. While Miracast initially required the TV to have built-in Miracast support, many dongles are now available for you to add to any TV. Miracast is also the standard used in devices like , which we highly recommend if youre looking for a Miracast device.
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Why Use Usb To Connect Phones Tablets And TVs
With the ease and prevalence of casting to mirror a phone screen wirelessly, you might be curious why you should use a USB to TV connection for your phone.
If you hook a phone to your TV with a hardwired connection, you benefit from a low-latency signal.
For instance, if you plan to mirror your phone to a television for gaming, you’ll want a USB connection rather than a wireless configuration. This vastly reduces lag. The same goes for watching movies on a TV over a USB cable from the phone.
Plus, for situations where you lack Wi-Fi or have a weak wireless signal, you’ll need a wired connection instead.
To connect your phone or tablet to a TV, you can use one of the following methods:
- Android:
How you connect your phone to the TV depends on your specific device and operating system. Although all methods are similar, the process differs for connecting an iPhone versus an Android device.
Similarly, your connection method varies depending on your needs. Simply viewing photos on a compatible television requires your charging cable and mobile device. But for screen mirroring, you’ll need a USB adapter.
Note that for USB connections between a phone and TV, the model of TV shouldn’t matter, however. The steps below outlining how to connect your phone to a TV apply to Samsung, LG, and many other manufacturers. Better still, the same steps can be used to connect a phone to non-smart TV.
Can You Connect An iPhone Or iPad To TV With Usb
Wondering how to connect an iPhone to your tv with USB? Sadly, this isn’t possible. As iPhones and iPads don’t have USB, you can’t use this as a connection method. But you can connect iOS devices to a TV using a cable.
If you own an iPhone 5 or newer, it will have a Lightning connector. To connect your iPhone to a TV you’ll need the Lightning digital AV adapter for HDMI outputs, or the Lightning to VGA adapter if you have an older VGA display. Buy the cable that fits your TV and phone. Older iOS devices with the old 30-pin port instead use the 30-pin VGA adapter.
You can connect an iPad to your TV through the same means. Again, you’ll most likely need a Lightning cable for this. Only the iPad 3 and earlier use a 30-pin cable. All other iPads, including every iPad Mini and iPad Pro, use a Lightning cable.
Once you’ve plugged in your adapter, simply hook up the video output to your display. Then, your phone screen will mirror to the TV. Apple’s official Lightning adapters contain an additional Lightning port for charging while viewing content on a second screen.
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How To Connect With An Adapter Or Cable
In case you don’t have a Chromecast-compatible device, then you can connect your TV with your smartphone by using an HDMI adapter or cable to connect your phone to your TV and mirror your screen.
It is one of the most reliable methods to connect your smartphone with your TV. Most TVs come with an HDMI port which can be used to transfer audio and video files from a single source. Since your phone doesnt have an HDMI port you will need an adapter that can connect your phone with your TV.
USB connector
Most smartphones come with a USB connector and charging cables, which easily let you connect your laptop and power adapters. Smart TVs also have a USB port, through which you can connect your smartphone and easily transfer all your files, data, videos, etc.
DLNA applications
DLNA applications are an excellent way to connect your Smart TV to a mobile phone connection. You will need to connect your phone to your TV through an internet connection. In case you have a smart TV, it will mostly support DLNA. This is a form of streaming media and allows you to stream all kinds of files from your smartphone to your TV. The method also allows you to stream data from other devices like a tablet or a laptop. You can also stream your TV and any gaming console with DLNA. LocalCasts and AllCast are some Android apps that allow you to connect your TV with other devices.
What Is Screen Mirroring Technology
Smartphones and other mobile devices often come with technology built in to them that allow you to display the content of your mobile device screen on a larger screen like a TV. Miracast is one such technology. Miracast is found in most Android devices and devices that have Windows 8.1+ or Windows 10.
Miracast creates its own direct wireless connection between a smartphone and a wireless display adapter. This is a device that plugs in to a TV or projector and receives the signal from a mobile device.
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How To Connect Your iPhone To Your TV
The easiest way to connect your iPhone to your TV is to do it wirelessly. To do that, you’ll need a TV that supports the most recent version of AirPlay, AirPlay 2. Most TV manufacturers started building AirPlay 2 into their products in 2018 or 2019. You can check for your model on Apple’s list of AirPlay 2-enabled TVs and streaming devices.
To use AirPlay:
If you have an older TV that doesn’t support AirPlay or need to plug your iPhone directly into a TV, you can purchase a Lightning to HDMI adapter. Once you connect your iPhone using the adapter to your TVs HDMI port, you’ll be able to see whatever is on your iPhone’s screen on your TV. Some apps will only display vertically. However, apps like Netflix support screen rotation so you can fill the screen.
I’ve been using and recommend Apple’s Lightning to HDMI adapter, which has a power passthrough port to keep your iPhone charged. You’ll find it for under $50 on Amazon.
How To Connect Your Android Phone To A TV Wirelessly
There are different methods you can use to connect your Android phone to a TV wirelessly. These include using Google Chromecast, Android Screen Mirroring, Smart View, and Roku.
Google Chromecast
You can use a to mirror the content from your Android phone to your TV. If you dont have a Micro HDMI port on your device, Google Chromecast is an affordable alternative that allows you to wirelessly connect your Android phone to a TV.
There are so many cool things you can do with Chromecast besides casting video from YouTube, Netflix, or casting your entire desktop. Chromecast relies on your Android device for it to cast your phones screen to your TV.
Once you plug the Chromecast dongle into your TV, app to detect Chromecast and establish a connection to help you set it up. The Google Home app helps you mirror your Android phones display to your TV, but for apps like YouTube or Netflix, you can tap the cast icon or logo on your phones screen to cast.
Our step-by-step guide on explains everything you need to know about setting up the Chromecast and casting content from your device.
Android Screen Mirroring
Android also supports the screen mirroring function, which works for apps that dont have the Cast button. You can use the screen mirroring feature from the or check for a Cast button by pulling down the settings shade on your Android phone.
Smart View
Roku
DLNA App
You can also use the Plex app to select the media youd like to stream and send it to your TV via DLNA.
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Connect Wirelessly With The Help Of Chromecast
While an HDMI adapter is the easiest way to connect an Android phone with a TV, it does require some wires. Sometimes, these wires can be unnecessarily long, and could even present a trip hazard if they stretch across the living room floor. There are plenty of other options for those who do not want to use a wire. A Google Chromecast dongle, for instance, allows for video to be wirelessly “cast” from a mobile device to a television. It is relatively easy to set up and, once it is in place, streaming on-screen content is as easy as tapping an icon on the phone’s screen.
To set up a Chromecast, first you plug it into the TV and then connect the USB cable that comes with the device to a power source. That can be a spare USB port on the TV itself, if it has one, or a separate USB power adapter. After that, you’ll need the free , which is available on the Google Play Store. Once the application is downloaded to your smartphone, the “add device” option shown as + at the top left corner of the interface allows you to go through the ‘Set up device’ process. Select ‘New device’ from the options on the screen, follow the simple prompts, and you should end up with your phone linked to the Chromecast as long as they’re on the same WiFi network. Compatible apps will show a cast button it looks like a rectangle with a WiFi logo in the lower left corner or you can cast direct from Google’s Chrome browser instead.
Connect To The TV With Airplay
On Apple devices, youll be able to use AirPlay: Apples proprietary technology for casting audio and video wirelessly.
Naturally, AirPlay is designed to work between Apple devices only, but if youre sending content from the best iPhone or the best iPad to your Apple TV, AirPlay will have you sorted. If both devices are connected to the same WiFi network, theyll automatically detect each other, and youll be able to select the AirPlay connection in your phones settings, the same way you would with Bluetooth for connecting to the best wireless headphones.
Henry is a freelance technology journalist. Before going freelance, he spent more than three years at TechRadar reporting on TVs, projectors and smart speakers as the website’s Home Cinema Editor and has been interviewed live on both BBC World News and Channel News Asia, discussing the future of transport and 4K resolution televisions respectively. As a graduate of English Literature and persistent theatre enthusiast, he’ll usually be found forcing Shakespeare puns into his technology articles, which he thinks is what the Bard would have wanted. Bylines also include Edge, T3, and Little White Lies.
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Hdmi Connector On Older Phones
A few years ago, several Android phones and tablets shipped with a physical HDMI-out port. These devices included the Sony Xperia S, LG Optimus 2x, LG Optimus 3D P920 , Acer Iconia A1, and others.
Should you have one of these old devices, you’ll need a special HDMI cable. These have a standard Type-A connector at one end and a suitable connector at the other. This might be Type D , Type-C , or the standard Type-A.
The problem with these phones, however, is their age. You won’t be able to enjoy the latest versions of Android with older hardware, and by extension, the safety and stability of security updates.
How To Connect An Android Phone To TV Wirelessly
Connecting an Android phone to a TV is pretty simple these days. Current smartphones and TVs feature easy to use technologies that make sharing content a breeze. Here are some of the ways you can connect an Android phone to a TV wirelessly.
Connect using Screencast
Some Android smartphones offer a Screencast feature that allows you to cast the entire phone screen to the TV. You can connect to the TV by enabling screen mirroring on both devices. Heres how to enable Screencast.
- Launch the Settings app or swipe down to the Notification menu.
- Look for a Screencast or Cast toggle.
- You can also find the Cast feature in the Settings app. Simply search for the option in Settings.
- Once enabled, you can select the TV that you want to connect to and start casting your phone.
If it doesnt work check whether your TV and phone are on the same network or not. If they arent, put both devices on the same network and then try again. Screencast or Screen mirroring lets you share all your smartphone content on the big screen. Its ideal when you want to share something on your phone with several other people. You can view photos, apps, and even play games by mirroring the phone to the TV.
Use Miracast
Cast using Chromecast
With Chromecast, you can turn any old TV with an HDMI port into a smart TV. However, you do need an active internet connection for this to work. You can then simply connect your phone wirelessly to the Chromecast and stream content to the big screen.
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The Advantages Of Connecting Your Phone To A TV
There are certainly several advantages to connecting an Android smartphone to a television. Given that millions of users stream content via an OTT platform on their smartphones, projecting them onto a device with a larger screen undoubtedly enhances the experience, not to mention is easier on the eyes. Similarly, one can use the larger screen estate to browse through webpages and watch videos on YouTube, and even TikTok.
In addition, users who cast their smartphones to their television can use them to enjoy video games. While those who have a dedicated games console are already aware, smartphone users are probably yet to explore the joy of playing their favorite mobile game on a large screen. It can make recognizing in-game items on the screen easier, and help you react faster. More passively, it’s great to use a larger TV screen to viewing images or videos shot on a family vacation.
Casting From Specific Apps
‘Casting’ is a general term that means sending content from one device to another, in this case from your mobile device to your TV.
It’s easy to spot when you can cast something because you’ll see a specific icon.
You’ll usually see the icon on video apps such as YouTube and Netflix. If you select the icon, it will then bring up a list of devices that content can be cast to. Simply select your TV and the image will be displayed.
If you can’t see your chosen video on the TV, then try returning to your TV’s home menu and cast again.
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