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How to Link an Android Phone to a TV, Cast Away

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On smart TVs and those without Wi-Fi, you can stream your Android phone or tablet screen to the TV through screen mirroring, Google Cast, a third-party app, or by linking it with a cable.

You can use a cable connection, a third-party app, or the built-in Cast capability to connect your Android phone to the TV. Let’s examine your options in order of complexity, starting with the easiest.

Use Chromecast to cast

You can still cast apps and Chrome web pages from your phone to the big screen with just a few touches if you have a Chromecast dongle or a smart TV with built-in Chromecast capability. 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 simply need to hit the square-shaped cast icon and select the suitable device to which you’d like to cast from an app with built-in compatibility, such as Max or Spotify. For apps (and websites) that include copyrighted content, such as Netflix, casting is the best alternative because screen mirroring causes the program to black out the video.

Mirroring on Android

You must link your device to the Google Home app in order to use this feature. Once finished, launch the app and choose the desired device. To display your phone’s screen on the TV, tap the Cast my screen button. 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. Many phones have a Cast button that can be found in the pull-down settings menu or in the settings menu itself. Samsung’s phones have something called Smart View to connect and share to and from your mobile device. Google Home shortcut is available on Pixel phones.

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 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 display you’re connecting to, how long you’ll be using it, and—most importantly—whether you’ll need to charge your phone while doing so.

A USB-C to HDMI adapter is the simplest solution. You can attach this adapter to your phone if it has a USB-C connection, then attach an HDMI cable to the adapter and the TV using the HDMI cable. In order for mobile devices to output video, your phone must have HDMI Alt Mode.

Remember that using this approach will occupy your phone’s charging connector, so if you frequently plan to mirror material to your TV, your battery life will be reduced. In this situation, a USB-C to HDMI adapter with a charging connector could be preferable. The phone can then be charged while screen mirroring.

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