How to Cast Your Android Screen to TV

It looks like viewing videos, photos, or even gaming on the larger screen is always better. When it comes to projecting or reflecting your screen onto your TV, Android phones are fortunately rather useful. In case you want to share a hilarious clip with friends, watch an online exercise on a larger screen, or even present something, casting your Android screen is a helpful trick.

If you’ve ever been curious about how individuals just so handily share their smartphone screen with their TV, worry not—actually, it’s quite not that hard. With a few speedy steps and proper setup, one can easily cast or mirror their Android screen to practically any new TV.

This tutorial will take you through all you need to know to cast the screen of your Android on your TV, from the fundamentals to some tricks to get the most out of it.

What Is “Casting”?

Before we proceed to the steps, it is helpful to understand what “casting” is. Casting your Android screen to the TV means you’re wireless projecting content from your phone onto the TV, so that whatever is on the screen of your phone will be displayed on the TV.

Casting can mirror your entire screen (screen mirroring), or it can be app-based—so you can stream a YouTube video onto your TV but continue to use your phone for other functions. Most smart TVs and streaming devices do allow casting, particularly if they are Google Cast or Chromecast enabled.

Let’s move on to how to project your Android screen onto your TV.

Method 1: Casting with Chromecast or Built-in TV Chromecast

One of the simplest and most used methods to cast an Android screen using a Chromecast device or even a TV with the Chromecast built directly into it is explained below. Most smart TVs that have Sony, Hisense, TCL, and others as their brand names already have this feature included in them.

Steps to Cast Using Chromecast

1. Connect Both Devices to the Same Wi-Fi: Your Android phone and Chromecast (or Chromecast-enabled TV) have to be connected to the same Wi-Fi network. If they are not, they will not be able to talk to one another.
2. Get the Quick Settings Menu open.: The Quick Settings panel is accessible by swiping down from the top of your Android screen. Search for an option named “Cast,” “Screen Cast,” or “Smart View” (the name may be different based on your phone model).
3. Choose Your TV or Chromecast Device: Your device will search for available devices. When you notice your TV or Chromecast, tap on it.
4. Begin Casting: Within seconds, your phone display will be on your TV display. Whatever you can do on your phone—scrolling, open an app, even game—will be displayed on the big screen.
5. Stop Casting When Done: When you are done, swipe down the Android notification shade, locate the casting notice, and tap Disconnect or Stop Casting.

Why Use Chromecast?

• It’s stable and smooth.
• Full-screen casting and mirroring from Spotify, Netflix, and YouTube apps are supported.
• Little setup if you already have Chromecast or a compatible TV.

Method 2: Casting using Built-In Smart TV Features (Chromecast-Free)

Most smart TVs these days have built-in screen mirroring capabilities. Based on the brand of TV you own, it may be referred to by other names:

1. Samsung: Smart View
2. LG: Screen Share
3. Sony/Android TV: Built-in Chromecast or Screen Mirroring

How to Cast

1. Turn on Screen Mirroring on Your TV: Find your TV’s settings or input menu and choose the screen mirroring or casting feature.
2. Begin Screen Cast on Your Phone: Similar to Chromecast, swipe down to bring up Quick Settings and select Cast or Smart View.
3. Select Your TV: Your TV should be listed as devices available. Tap to pair.
4. Begin playing content: Your phone screen will now be cast on your TV screen.

This is a great alternative if you don’t have Chromecast but do have a casting-capable smart TV.

Method 3: Casting Individual Content from Supported Apps

At other times, you may not want to mirror your entire phone screen—you only desire watching a movie or hearing music on your television. There are many popular apps, such as YouTube, Netflix, Spotify, etc., with their own built-in casting icon that will naturally work with Chromecast or supported smart TVs.

How to Use It:

1. Open the App: Open YouTube or Netflix, for instance, on your Android phone.
2. Tap the Cast Icon: Find the small rectangle of Wi-Fi waves icon, usually at the top right corner of the app screen.
3. Select Your Device: Select your Chromecast or TV device from the menu.
4. Use Your Phone to Watch Back: The movie will screen on your TV, but your phone is the remote—you can pause, rewind, adjust volume, or look for other content.

This is generally smoother than full-screen mirroring, particularly for movie streaming, because the video will play directly on the TV instead of streaming from your phone.

Method 4: Using an HDMI Cable and an Adapter

Even though wireless casting is convenient, at times a wired connection will be more reliable, especially if your Android phone’s Wi-Fi signal is weak. You can utilize an HDMI cable and a USB-C to HDMI adapter if your Android phone will be able to support it.

Wired Casting Steps:

1. Connect the Adapter to Your Phone: Use a USB-C to HDMI cable or adapter that your phone supports.
2. Connect the HDMI to Your TV: Insert the other end of the cable into an available HDMI port on your TV.
3. Switch TV Input to HDMI: Browse your TV remote to find the appropriate HDMI input source.
4. Enjoy Your Screen: Your Android screen will now appear on the TV, and the connection is normally fast and stable.

Wired casting is ideal for presentations, playing games, or viewing videos when you do not wish to use the Internet connection.

Tips to Ensure a Better Casting Experience

For a smooth and pleasant casting experience, the following are some tips that will help you:

1. Utilize Strong Wi-Fi: A weak Wi-Fi can result in lag, buffering, or disconnections. Sit your phone and TV close to the Wi-Fi router, or stream your TV through a wired Ethernet connection when it’s possible.
2. Keep Your Devices Updated: Ensure that your TV and phone firmware is on the latest version for better compatibility and performance.
3. Disable Battery Saver: Phones will shut down background usage to preserve the battery, and this can cause casting issues. If you’re having issues, disable battery saver mode for a while.
4. Screen Orientation Rotation: If you’re watching a TV show or showing pictures, rotating your phone to landscape orientation usually performs best on a wide-screen TV.
5. Prevent Notifications: When you screen mirror, notifications that will appear on your phone will also appear on your TV. If you do not want to be interrupted, turn on Do Not Disturb mode.

Problems and Solutions

While casting is usually easy, something sometimes goes wrong. Here are some common problems and solutions:

TV Not Showing Up: Double-check both devices are plugged into the same Wi-Fi.

No TV Sound: Phone and TV volume should be turned on.

Lag or Latency: Get closer to the router or use wired HDMI to resolve the issue.

App Not Showing Cast Icon: Not all apps can cast. Double-check the app can be casted.

Conclusion

Casting your Android screen onto your TV is perhaps the most convenient function of smartphones in the current era. If you’ve got Chromecast, a TV with in-built features, some apps that have cast capability, or even just an HDMI cable, there’s something for nearly every configuration.

Learning to use them opens a world of productivity and entertainment. Watching films on the larger screen, showing photos of the family, or making presentations without dealing with cables is a walk in the park. You will wonder how you ever managed without it once you become accustomed to casting.

So the next time you feel like converting your lounge into a mini

-theater or simply feel like surfing on a bigger screen, pick up your Android phone, connect it to your TV, and begin casting.