Apart from entertainment, there are many professional apps like Microsoft office and photoshop that have been ported to smartphones with successful results. Due to the ARM chips used on smartphones, most of these apps perform better on a premium smartphone compared to an old gen laptop. Therefore, there is a majority of professional users who carry out their productivity-based tasks on the smartphone while they are working on the go.
Although, the only major issue for these applications is the limited screen size of a smartphone. Even if you decide to spend a fortune to get your hands on the flagship device from a premium smartphone brand, you will have an average screen of 6.5 inches which is certainly not enough. Hence, connecting your mobile to a TV is a smart option as you can get all of the things done but with the advantage of a larger screen.
How To Connect Mobile To TV? (Wireless Connection)
The best way to connect your mobile to your TV is via using wireless connectivity options available in both smartphones and smart TVs. Almost every single smartphone in the world supports WiFi connectivity and the same goes for the smart TVs released in the last decade. Thus, you can simply test the following methods with your smartphone and connect your mobile to your TV with ease.
1. Chromecast
Chromecast is one of the most popular methods of transferring the display to a TV. Although, it requires a Chromecast unit that needs to be plugged into the smart TV to connect your device. Here’s how you can use the Chromecast to use your TV as a display for your mobile:
Step #1. Plug your Chromecast device into your TV and make sure that it is properly set up.
Step #2. The next important thing is to make sure that your Chromecast device and your mobile are connected to the same network in your home.
Step #3. On the quick settings panel available on your mobile, you will find the “cast” option on your smartphone.
Step #4. Now, select the option and wait until it detects your Chromecast device.
Step #5. Once it does simply select the Chromecast device. Your mobile screen should now be visible on your TV.
2. Screen Mirroring
Screen mirroring is quite similar to casting your mobile’s screen on your TV. Although, it is now a default feature in most TVs and does not require support from any particular application on your mobile. As it mirrors your entire screen on your TV, you can use almost any application by using this feature. Follow the steps given below to use your mobile’s screen mirroring feature.
Step #1. Make sure your smart TV supports a screen mirroring feature.
Step #2. Connect your smartphone to the same WiFi network as your TV.
Step #3. Select the same “Cast” option that we mentioned earlier.
Step #4. Now, it should display your TV if your TV supports screen mirroring.
Step #5. Now, click on your TV from the list.
3. Samsung Galaxy Smart View
Samsung is one of the most premium smartphone companies on the globe. Thus, Samsung always implements their own solutions for stable and reliable performance. In case of connecting your Samsung device to your TV, you can use the built-in Samsung Galaxy Smart View feature which is available on most Samsung devices.
Step #1. Samsung’s Galaxy Smart View feature only works with Firestick, Chromecast, and Samsung smart TVs. So, make sure you have one of these devices at your home.
Step #2. Select the “smart view” option from the drop-down settings on your mobile.
Step #3. Here, you will find the list of all compatible devices available on your home network. Select your TV from the list.
Step #4. Once you select the TV, you will get a prompt on the TV where you will have to allow the device to connect to the TV.
Step #5. You can also use the Samsung Galaxy Smart View to mirror your TV display on your mobile.
4. Apple AirPlay
Similar to Samsung, Apple has its own feature called Apple Airplay that gets the job done for all Apple devices. The best part about this feature is that it is not limited to Apple TVs only. Instead, you can use this feature to seamlessly connect your Apple device to any Android TV or Android streaming box without any problem.
Step #1. If your TV supports Apple Airplay, you can configure this feature from the input options. Head over to the input options and select Airplay. Then, go to the Airplay and Homekit settings and enable Airplay.
Step #2. Similar to all wireless connections, you also have to connect your iPhone to the same network as your TV.
Step #3. Now, go to the control center of your iPhone and select the “screen mirroring” option.
Step #4. Here, you will find your TV listed as an external device. Click on it to start streaming. If you see a passcode on your TV, simply put it on your phone.
5. Android TV Box
In most cases, the smart TVs are powered by a certain proprietary OS of the brand. Here, you will not find basic Android features that can be found on pure Android TVs. But, you can always use an Android box to get all of these features on your TV. You can also connect your Apple device to an Android TV box via third-party apps like Kodi.
The procedure for connecting your mobile to an Android TV box is similar to any Android TV as the user interface in both cases is identical. You can either use basic built-in features like casting or screen mirroring. Or, you can select a common third-party app that is supported by your mobile and TV.
How To Connect Mobile To TV? (Wired Connection)
While wireless connectivity is easier and faster to connect, you cannot always rely on the local network for stable connectivity. If you face frequent problems with your local network, it will be beneficial for you to use one of the wired connectivity solutions to connect your mobile to TV.
1. HDMI Connection
The HDMI cables are the most widely used solution for connecting display peripherals to sources. You can also use HDMI cables to connect your mobile to your TV for a reliable connection. On most TVs, you will find one or more HDMI ports that are used to connect the HDMI input cables.
But, finding an HDMI port on a smartphone is comparatively difficult. Even if the manufacturer provides an HDMI output, it will be a micro HDMI port. Thus, you will have to buy certain converters to connect your smartphone via an HDMI port. The most common converter that can be used here is the HDMI to Type C converter as type C ports are common on mobiles now.
Here’s how you can connect your mobile to your TV via an HDMI cable:
Step #1. First of all, you will have to get a Type C to HDMI adapter. (Alternatively, you can also buy a ling HDMI to Type C cable specifically for this purpose.)
Step #2. Now, plug the Type C end cable of the cable into your smartphone. If you are using an adapter, simply plug the HDMI cable in the HDMI port of the adapter and to the TV.
Step #3. Now, turn on your TV and head over to the inputs section.
Step #4. Select the HDMI where you have connected the cable.
Step #5. As soon as you press Ok, your smartphone’s display will be visible on your TV.
2. USB Connection
Instead of streaming your screen on your TV, you can use the USB connection on your smartphone and simply transfer the files to your TV that you want to watch. While this does limit the applications, it will allow you to quickly transfer files to your TV and watch them independently on the TV.
The majority of smart TVs today offer USB connectivity.
Step #1. Use the charging cord provided with your smartphone to connect your mobile to the TV via the USB port.
Step #2. Simply select the “transfer files over USB” option on your mobile.
Step #3. You will find all of your files on the file manager app of the smart TV.
Step #4. Now, you can easily copy the files to the internal storage of your TV to watch.
3. Digital Living Network Alliance (DLNA) Applications
DLNA 9Digital Living Network Alliance) is an app-specific service that allows direct streaming between the same app on different platforms. If your TV has a popular OS like Android, WebOS, or Patchwall OS, you will probably find a lot of applications like VLC media player or PLEX that supports DLNA connectivity.
The best part of DLNA is that you do not have to worry about pairing your device or setting up the connection to start streaming your favorite content.
Step #1. Download the app that supports DLNA on both platforms.
Step #2. Open the application on your mobile.
Step #3. You can find the “local network” option in the menu, open it.
Step #4. Here, you can find the target platform (i.e, your TV).
Step #5. Once you select that, the app will launch on your TV and you can stream the content.
Conclusion
Connecting your mobile to a TV is a relatively easy process and you can get used to it within the first few times. Although, while many common methods are suitable for multiple devices, there is not a single universal method that is perfect for all variants.
For that reason, we have covered multiple different methods to connect your mobile to your TV so that you have an option available irrespective of the mobile or TV you own. Make sure you read the article completely so that you don’t miss any important information regarding your devices.
