7 ways to connect your phone to your TV

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

USB, HDMI, Wi-Fi - choose what you like best and watch content on the big screen.

1. How to connect your phone to a TV via USB

• Suitable phone: Android smartphone, regular mobile phone.
• Which TV will work: Any with a USB port.
• What else is needed:.

The easiest way to connect, allowing you to use your mobile device as a flash drive. True, only media files stored in the phone's memory can be reproduced: photo, video and audio.

What to do

1. Connect your TV to your phone using a USB cable.

2. Select USB as the Source on the TV.

3. If necessary, confirm the connection mode on the phone.

4. A large screen will display the folder structure or list of files that the TV has scanned and recognized. Exactly what you see will depend on your device model.

5. Use the remote for navigation and viewing.

2. How to connect a phone to a TV via HDMI

• Suitable phone: Android smartphone, iPhone.
• Which TV is Right: Any with HDMI.
• What else you need: a compatible HDMI cable or adapter.

This option allows you to use the TV as an external display while playing games, watching movies and surfing the Internet. The picture from the mobile device is mirrored, that is, everything that happens on the smartphone screen is displayed on the TV.

Depending on the phone connector, you will need an appropriate adapter or cable to connect. On the one hand, it will have an HDMI connector, and on the other, or. In the mode of broadcasting the image, the device is quickly discharged, so usually the adapters have a connector for charging.

Before purchasing a USB-C adapter, please make sure your smartphone is capable of displaying images.

What to do

1. Connect your smartphone and TV with a compatible cable. If you are using an adapter, insert it into the gadget and connect a regular HDMI cable from the TV to it.
2. Select the appropriate HDMI port as the source for the TV signal.
3. The image will automatically appear on the TV. If it doesn't, open your smartphone settings and change the screen resolution.

3. How to connect phone to TV via Wi-Fi Direct

• Suitable phone: Android smartphone.
• Suitable TV: Wi-Fi Direct compatible.
• What else is needed: nothing.

A wireless connection, in which a mobile device and a compatible TV are connected directly via Wi-Fi, without the need for a router. In this case, the TV acts as an access point to which the smartphone is connected. And you can transfer media files to the big screen using the standard Send menu.

What to do

1. Open the network settings on the TV and turn on the Wi-Fi Direct function.
2. On your smartphone, go to Settings → Wireless & networks → Wi-Fi → Wi-Fi Direct.
3. After scanning for available devices, select your TV.
4. Use the Send menu on your smartphone to send photos, videos, and audio to your TV.

4. How to connect your phone to a TV via DLNA

• Suitable phone: Android smartphone.
• Which TV is Right: Any DLNA-enabled TV.
• What else is needed: nothing.

This time the connection goes through a router. In this case, the TV can connect to the home network with a cable, and the smartphone can be connected via Wi-Fi.

DLNA capabilities allow you to view media files from your mobile device on a large screen.

What to do

1. Make sure your TV and smartphone are connected to the same network.
2. Activate DLNA function in TV settings.
3. Launch the standard Android gallery and open the desired media file.
4. Go to "Menu" → "Select a player" and click on the name of your TV in the list.
5. For advanced settings and streaming files from other programs, install the media server application from Google Play. For example, the popular BubbleUPnP.

5. How to connect your phone to a TV via AirPlay

• Suitable phone: iPhone.
• Which TV is right: any.
• What you need: Apple TV.

This is the most convenient way to connect your iPhone to your Apple TV set-top box. The proprietary AirPlay function provides the transfer of content over the air. And you can give presentations, play, view photos and videos.

What to do

1. Make sure iPhone and Apple TV are connected to the same network.
2. Open Control Center on your smartphone and click the Screen Repeat button.
3. Select Apple TV from the list.

6. How to connect phone to TV via Miracast

• Suitable phone: Android smartphone.
• Which TV is Right: Any Miracast capable TV.
• What else is needed: nothing or a special adapter.

Miracast technology is also designed to mirror the screen of mobile devices to TV and works in a similar way to AirPlay. It is supported out of the box on Smart TVs. And with the help of a special adapter, it can be added to any TV with an HDMI port.

What to do if you have Smart TV

1. Open the network settings on your TV and turn on Miracast.
2. On your smartphone, go to Settings → Display → Wireless Monitor and enable the function.
3. Select your TV from the list of found Miracast devices.
4. The image from the smartphone will appear on the TV screen immediately after connection.

What to do if you need an adapter

1. Buy a compatible one. It is advisable to choose universal models with support for Miracast, Chromecast and AirPlay.
2. Insert the adapter into the HDMI port. If required, connect power to it using the USB cable.
3. Select the HDMI connector on the TV to which the adapter is connected.
4. Download the application using the QR code on the screen and connect through it.
5. Or use the standard Android function by activating it in the menu "Settings" → "Display" → "Wireless monitor".

7. How to connect phone to TV via Chromecast

• Suitable phone: Android smartphone, iPhone.
• Which TV is right: any.
• What else you need: a Chromecast set-top box.

And one more technology for wireless broadcasting of media content, but from Google. To use it, you need a proprietary set-top box that connects to any TV via an HDMI connector.

Then you can watch videos from the gallery and various applications, as well as play and give presentations by mirroring the screen of your mobile device. Available in Full HD and more expensive.

What to do

1. Buy Google Chromecast.
2. Insert the set-top box into the HDMI port of the TV and connect the USB cable for power.
3. Switch to the HDMI port of the set-top box and connect it to the Wi-Fi network.
4. Download the Google Home app for Android or iOS on your smartphone.
5. Open the application and perform the initial setup by logging in with your Google account.
6. Launch content in a compatible app, click the cast icon, and select your Chromecast device from the list.

Which connection method to choose

USB, DLNA and Wi-Fi Direct are outdated, but they can be used as fallbacks. Nowadays, connection via HDMI cable or wirelessly via Miracast, Chromecast or AirPlay are relevant. Which one to choose depends on your smartphone and TV.

If you have an Android smartphone and Smart TV, just connect via Miracast. If your TV is a normal TV, buy a Miracast adapter, Google Chromecast box, or a compatible HDMI cable. Fallback options are USB cable, DLNA, or Wi-Fi Direct.

If you have an iPhone, buy an Apple TV, a Miracast-AirPlay-enabled universal adapter, or a Lightning to HDMI digital adapter.