Your Android phone — or Android tablet – can have a decent sized screen. But if you use it to watch videos, play games, or work with other applications, you may wish you had a much larger screen to enhance the experience.
Also: The best Android phones: Tested by experts
One way to achieve that is to mirror your device to your TV. This way, you can control the action from your phone but still enjoy the full effect on your device. wide screen TV.
There are several ways to mirror your device to your TV depending on the features and capabilities of your phone and TV.
Let’s look at three different options so you can choose which one is best for you.
How to mirror your Android phone to your TV — your three options
Many TVs have a built-in screen mirroring feature. To do this, you’ll want to look for settings on your TV for connecting to external devices, usually using Bluetooth.
On the other end, your Android phone may have specific settings for connecting to supported TVs. ABOVE Samsung phones, this is called Smart View. In this case, mirroring Samsung phone to Samsung TV is the most compatible option.
Also: The best Samsung TVs you can buy: 8K, OLED, etc
On other Android phones, this setting has a different name. The best way to find this is to swipe down from the top of the screen to reveal the Quick Settings menu and find the appropriate screen casting or sharing option.
Place your Android device near the TV then tap the Smart View setting on samsung phone or similar settings above another phone. You’ll go through some setup screens and then see a list of nearby TVs that support screen mirroring. Tap the TV you want to connect to then select the Start button to connect and mirror your screen.
Mirror your Samsung phone with Smart View.
Screenshot by Lance Whitney/ZDNET
Depending on the phone, mirroring controls will appear on the screen. For example, on Samsung phones, Smart View shows a control that you press to bring up a menu.
Also: How to mirror iPhone screen to Samsung TV
From this menu, you can cast a specific app full screen, pause Smart View, darken the screen, record a selfie video, or disconnect your device.
Open the app you want to watch and use on your TV. Set your phone in portrait or landscape mode.
Open the app you want to mirror.
Screenshot by Lance Whitney/ZDNET
Your TV displays the screen from your Android device. When done, tap the mirroring control to activate the menu and then disconnect your device.
View your phone screen on TV.
Screenshot by Lance Whitney/ZDNET
Use a Chromecast device or TV
If you have a Google TV with Chromecast built in, you can mirror your Android device directly. If you have another TV, you can still use Chromecast, but you’ll have to buy a TV Chromecast devicecosts $30 for the 1080p HD version and $50 for the 4K version.
Also: The best smart TVs (and why the Sony A95L OLED is my top smart choice)
If you’re not using Google TV, connect your Chromecast device to your TV via an HDMI connection. On your Android phone, swipe down from the top of the screen and find the Cast or Screen Cast button in Quick Settings. Click that button. The name of your Google TV or TV with a Chromecast device will appear on the screen. Tap that name and then tap the Start button when asked if you want to start recording or streaming.
Also: OLED and QLED: How to choose
Navigate to the app or screen on your phone that you want to mirror.
Open the app you want to mirror.
Screenshot by Lance Whitney/ZDNET
The screen will then appear on your TV. You can now position your phone in portrait or landscape mode depending on the app or game you want to use.
View your phone screen on TV.
Screenshot by Lance Whitney/ZDNET
When done, return to the Quick Settings area of your phone, tap the Cast button, and then disconnect.
Use adapter and cable
If you can’t successfully mirror your phone to your TV via the wireless option, there’s always the wired method. To do this, you will need an HDMI cable and a USB-C to HDMI adapter, which you can find on Amazon. Plug the USB-C end into your phone and then connect the HDMI cable between the adapter and the TV. After connecting the adapter and cable, the screen on your Android phone will automatically appear on your TV.
