Would you like to project on the TV in the living room some photos you took with your smartphone but you don’t have the faintest idea how to connect the phone to the TV ? Would you like to watch a streaming video from YouTube or Netflix on your TV but don’t want to scatter cables around the living room? You can rest assured: there are several ways to overcome this type of problem.
Nowadays, transmitting photos, videos or even projecting the mobile phone screen on the TV is a breeze: just use one of the many wireless technologies supported by the devices we have at home or buy adapters that allow you to turn a TV into a Smart TV . . If you want to better understand what I mean, read on, so as to take a closer look at some of the best wireless systems for wireless audio / video transmission and, if you are a more “traditionalist” user, the cables to use for physically connect the smartphone to the TV.
So, what are you doing still standing there? Courage: make yourself comfortable, take all the time you need to concentrate on reading the next paragraphs and, more importantly, implement the “tips” that I will give you. I am sure that, if you strictly follow the instructions I am about to give you, you will not have the slightest problem getting your phone to communicate with your TV. I wish you good reading and, above all, have fun!
Index
- How to connect the phone to the Smart TV
- Google Cast (Android / iOS)
- Apple AirPlay (iOS)
- Miracast (Android)
- DLNA server
- Control app
- How to connect phone to TV without WiFi
- Chromecast
- Apple TV
- Amazon Fire TV
- How to connect the phone to the TV with WiFi Direct
- How to connect the phone to the TV with cable
How to connect the phone to the Smart TV
As a first solution, you can connect the phone to the TV without cables using the wireless cards present on the devices involved, together with some transmission technologies integrated in Android, iOS and in the television operating systems. Unless you choose to use Miracast (which, as you will discover, does not require a supporting Internet connection), it is imperative that your phone and TV are connected to the same Wi-Fi network .
If you have not yet connected your Smart TV to the Internet, try taking a look at this guide ; in particular, if you own an LG , Samsung or Philips Smart TV , you will find the specific tutorials available on my site very useful. But now let’s ban the chatter and let’s see the main options you have available to establish the link.
Google Cast (Android / iOS)
Among the most commonly used transmission protocols there is certainly Google Cast , Google’s proprietary system integrated in all Smart TVs equipped with the Google TV operating system (formerly Android TV). Google Cast, in particular, allows you to broadcast content from compatible apps for Android and iPhone (such as YouTube , Netflix , Amazon Prime Video , DAZN , Spotify , NOW , Mediaset Infinity and RaiPlay , to the TV), just to give you a few examples), as well as the entire phone screen. The reception of content via Google Cast does not require any type of configuration: it is sufficient to turn on and connect the Smart TV with Google TV to the Internet, so that it can be used by all devices connected to the same network.
Broadcasting content via Google Cast is very simple: just start the chosen app on your smartphone, press on the screen symbol with waves and select the name of the Smart TV from the list of detected devices. If, on the other hand, you intend to play the entire contents of the Android screen on the TV, open the Settings menu> Connected devices> Connection preferences> Cast (or similar) of the smartphone and tap on the name of the Smart TV, to start the transmission of the screen.
Alternatively, you can start the mirroring of the device by calling up the system notification area and pressing the button Cast screen, Projection, Project or Cast . For more information, you can read my guide to how Google Cast works .
If you have an iPhone , you cannot take advantage of native screen casting through Google Cast but if you wish, you can achieve a similar result using a third party app such as Replica , which uses the iOS screen recording feature to play. live images on the TV.
Apple AirPlay (iOS)
If you own an iPhone , on the other hand, you would do well to check if your Smart TV is compatible with AirPlay technology . If you had never heard of it, it is a transmission protocol developed by Apple, which allows you to quickly send content from iPhone (but also from iPad and Mac) to compatible Smart TVs.
In recent years, Apple’s AirPlay technology has been implemented in numerous Smart TVs: all compatible devices carry the wording Works with AirPlay 2 on their sales packages or on the user manual. In any case, if you have doubts about the compatibility of your television with the aforementioned technology, a dedicated web page is available on the Apple website , which lists all the televisions that natively integrate AirPlay.
To transmit content via AirPlay, you must first make sure that the latter system is active on the TV, by going to the settings menu of the latter and checking the dedicated item: for example, on LG branded devices, you must press the Home button on the TV. remote control, open the Home Dashboard and check that the word active is present in the AirPlay panel .
Once the TV has been set up to receive content, take the iPhone and, to start the transmission of content from a specific app, start the latter and touch the AirPlay icon on its screen (usually depicting a triangle with waves ). Finally, wait a few seconds for the name of the Smart TV to appear in the list of nearby devices and press on it. If prompted, enter the code that appears on the TV screen in the appropriate field to authorize the communication.
To cast the entire iPhone screen on the TV, instead, open the Control Center of the latter, tap the Duplicate Screen button and tap the name of the Smart TV in the list that is proposed to you; if necessary, it authorizes communication between the devices by answering affirmatively to the warning that appears on the TV screen. In case of doubts or problems, I refer you to reading my guide on how to activate and use AirPlay , in which I have explained everything to you in great detail.
Android does not have native support for AirPlay but, using applications such as Cast TV , it is still possible to send multimedia content saved in memory, in the local network or online, to Smart TV AirPlay 2.
Miracast (Android)
Miracast is a communication protocol integrated in most modern Smart TVs and is based on Wi-Fi Direct technology : this means, in practice, that the aforementioned transmission mode can also be used without a router or other network devices. support , as the connection is established directly between the devices involved. It is possible to transmit, via Miracast, the entire Android screen or the contents coming from the installed apps, provided that the version of the operating system is equal to or higher than 4.4 ; iPhone, alas, is not compatible with the aforementioned technology. The maximum resolution supported by the technology in question is 4K.
In any case, the reception of contents via Miracast must be activated from the settings menu of the Smart TV, or by starting a dedicated app. Each manufacturer identifies this feature with a different name: Screen Share on LG (the dedicated app must be started, Screen Mirroring or AllShare on Samsung (the dedicated menu item must be activated); Screen Mirroring on Sony, Wireless Screencast on Philips, and so on Street.
Once the TV is set up properly, take your smartphone, turn on Wi-Fi (if necessary) and go to the Settings menu> Connected devices> Connection preferences> Cast (or similar) of Android; alternatively, call up the notification area of the operating system and press the button for the transmission / projection of the screen, visible inside it. Finally, wait a few moments for the name of the Smart TV to appear in the list of detected devices and tap on it to start broadcasting the contents.
I would also like to point out that numerous applications for Android allow direct streaming of videos: all you have to do, in this case, is to start the desired content within the app itself, press the transmission icon (the screen with waves ) and finally select the name of the Smart TV from the proposed list. For more information about Miracast and Wi-Fi Direct, I invite you to read the specific guide , available on my website.
DLNA server
Another widely used transmission protocol (albeit not very recent) is DLNA : it is, in practice, a technology supported by numerous Smart TVs and by most Android and iOS devices, capable of starting the playback and transmission of video content on a personal DLNA server or on a NAS with DLNA / Media Server option enabled.
If your smartphone is not able to natively send the contents on the server to the TV, you can cope with this by installing one of the many third-party apps designed for the purpose, such as iMediaShare (available on the Play Store , on alternative markets for Android and on the App Store ).
In order to access a DLNA server from the TV, it is essential that all the devices involved are connected to the same network; the transmission of the contents can be started through the appropriate application on the TV which, generally, responds to the name of Videos , Photos and Videos , Access to the server or the like.
If you don’t need to stream content from your mobile phone to the Smart TV but would like to control the latter using an app instead of its remote, you’ll be happy to know that this is absolutely feasible: many manufacturers, in fact, they release applications that can control their Smart TVs directly from the phone , with the addition of extra functions (such as direct keyboard entry, cursor and voice entry, just to name a few).
Just to name you a few, the official application for controlling LG televisions is called LG ThinQ ( Android / iOS ), while the one intended for Samsung-branded devices is called SmartThings ( Android / iOS ); There are also other equally valid remote control apps , designed by third-party developers, which I told you about in my specific guide on the subject. Such applications work with the help of the Wi-Fi network: therefore, even in this case, it is essential that the telephone and the TV are connected to the same network .
How to connect the phone to TV without WiFi
If you have a TV that does not have Smart functions or an Internet connection and you want to connect it to the phone without using any cables, you will be pleased to know that it is possible to take advantage of most of the communication protocols seen in the previous chapter, with the help of a external device that can be connected to the Internet: just buy the one that best suits your needs and connect it to one of the free HDMI ports of the TV, to transform the latter, in fact, into a Smart TV .
Chromecast
The first device I want to talk to you about is Chromecast : it is an HDMI “key” produced by Google, which allows you to enable the reception of content via the aforementioned Google Cast protocol.
At the time of writing, Chromecast is available in two versions: a basic one , which costs € 39 and allows you to play content with a maximum resolution of Full HD ; and a more advanced one, called Chromecast with Google TV , which costs € 69.99 , is equipped with a remote control, has an operating system with an app store and offers support for maximum resolution 4K HDR .
The device must be connected to one of the free HDMI ports on the TV and to an external power source (including USB) and can be configured using the Google Home application , available for Android and iOS . The transmission methods are the same as previously seen for Google Cast.
If you are interested in taking this path, I advise you to carefully read my guide to Chromecast operation , in which you will find everything explained in detail.
Apple TV
If you have an iPhone and are interested in taking advantage of the AirPlay protocol , you can buy the Apple HDMI multimedia box, called Apple TV : in addition to activating the transmission of contents and the entire screen, it also allows you to use the apps downloaded from the App Internal store, in a completely independent way.
Apple TV is available in two versions: Apple TV HD , with support for streaming content up to Full HD resolution and 32 GB internal memory; and Apple TV 4K , which supports a maximum resolution of 4K / Ultra HD and is available in 32 or 64 GB memory sizes.
Once the device has been connected to a free HDMI port on the TV and to the mains power supply, simply follow the first configuration wizard to connect it to the Internet and prepare it to receive content. The transmission modes are the same as already seen for the AirPlay 2 Smart TVs . For more information about the operation of Apple TV , please read the in-depth analysis I dedicated to the aforementioned multimedia box.
Amazon Fire TV
Other valid devices that can be used to connect the phone to a TV not equipped with Smart functions are those of the Amazon Fire TV Stick family. There are different models and features: with or without controls for the TV, with or without support for 4K resolution and with or without support for Wi-Fi 6. Then there is the Fire TV Cube , a particular multimedia box that combines the functionality of Fire TV devices with the characteristics of the smart speakers of the Amazon Echo line .
These devices, which must be connected to a free HDMI port on the TV, are equipped with an operating system and internal app store, but not only: they allow you to play content from most of the streaming apps available for Android and iOS, including Netflix , YouTube and, of course, Amazon Prime Video and Amazon Music . Also, by activating a specific Fire TV option (found in Settings> Sound & Screen> Enable Screen Mirroring ), you can turn your TV into a Miracast receiver .
To learn more about the operation and possibilities offered by Amazon’s Fire TV Stick devices (and the Fire TV Cube), I invite you to carefully read the tutorial I dedicated to the subject.
How to connect the phone to the TV with WiFi Direct
Finally, if you do not have the possibility to use a “home” Wi-Fi connection and you have a smartphone animated by Android , you can rely on the transmission via the aforementioned Miracast system : since, as previously mentioned, this technology is based on the Wi -Fi Direct, you don’t need to use network devices to connect your phone and TV together.
If your TV is not equipped with Smart functions and, consequently, does not have support for Miracast, you can cope with this by purchasing a special adapter , to be connected to a free HDMI port on the TV: there are different types and prices. but, personally, I advise you to buy a good quality one, in order to avoid transmission problems or malfunctions of various kinds.
Once you have purchased the adapter that best suits your needs, simply connect it to the TV via HDMI, power it via USB or mains and, after setting the TV to the right video source, start broadcasting the content (or the entire Android screen) in the same way as previously seen .
Related: How to mirror iphone to roku tv without wifi
How to connect the phone to the TV with cable
Contrary to what one might think, connecting the phone to the TV with an HDMI cable is possible and far from difficult: just get a cable or an adapter through which you can use the charging port of the smartphone as an output HDMI.
There are different types of cables and adapters that can be used for the purpose: for example, those from USB-C to HDMI can be used on all smartphones equipped with a USB-C port and support resolutions up to 3850 x 2160 pixels, at 60 Hz.
Then there are the microUSB to HDMI adapters , which are used on phones with a microUSB charging port. To be precise, there are two categories of devices of this type: SlimPort , with support for resolutions up to 4K and MHL , active or passive, capable of reaching resolutions up to 8K (in the case of superMHL) and with support for content transmission. encrypted.
For further information, you can read my tutorial on how to connect the phone to the TV with cable , in which I have given you further details on the subject.