How to Mirror Your Phone Screen to a Smart TV

Published 2026-10-16 · Marion Phone Repair

Screen mirroring lets you display your phone screen on your TV in real time — everything you see on your phone appears on the TV. This works for showing photos and videos to a group, playing mobile games on a bigger screen, presenting slides, or streaming content that does not have a native TV app. The method depends on your phone type (iPhone or Android) and what your TV supports.

iPhone to TV — AirPlay

AirPlay is Apple's wireless screen mirroring protocol. It works with Apple TV, most smart TVs made after 2019 from Samsung, LG, Sony, Vizio, and TCL, and some Roku devices.

How to mirror

1. Make sure your iPhone and TV are on the same Wi-Fi network — AirPlay will not work if they are on different networks or if one is on a guest network
2. On your iPhone, open Control Center (swipe down from the top-right corner on iPhone X and later, or swipe up from the bottom on older iPhones)
3. Tap Screen Mirroring (the icon that looks like two overlapping rectangles)
4. Select your TV from the list. If prompted, enter the AirPlay code displayed on the TV screen
5. Your iPhone screen now appears on the TV. To stop mirroring, open Control Center and tap Screen Mirroring, then Stop Mirroring

AirPlay troubleshooting

• TV does not appear in the list: Both devices must be on the exact same Wi-Fi network. Check that your TV's Wi-Fi is connected and not on a different band (some routers have separate 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz networks with different names). Also check that AirPlay is enabled on the TV — go to the TV's settings, look for AirPlay or Apple AirPlay and HomeKit, and make sure it is turned on
• Audio but no video (or vice versa): Some apps restrict AirPlay to audio only due to content protection (DRM). Netflix, Disney+, and some other streaming apps block screen mirroring of their content. Use the app's native Chromecast or AirPlay casting feature instead, or install the app directly on the TV
• Lag or stuttering: AirPlay depends on Wi-Fi speed and reliability. If mirroring is laggy, move closer to the router, reduce the number of devices on the network, or use a 5 GHz Wi-Fi band instead of 2.4 GHz for better throughput

Android to TV — multiple methods

Android does not have a single universal mirroring protocol like AirPlay. The method depends on your phone brand and TV type.

Google Chromecast and built-in Chromecast

Many smart TVs (Sony, Vizio, TCL, Hisense, and TVs with Google TV built in) have Chromecast built in. You can also use a Chromecast dongle plugged into any TV's HDMI port.

1. Make sure your phone and TV/Chromecast are on the same Wi-Fi network
2. Open the Google Home app on your phone
3. Tap your TV or Chromecast device, then tap Cast my screen (or Mirror device)
4. Your phone screen appears on the TV

You can also cast from within many apps (YouTube, Netflix, Spotify, Chrome) by tapping the Cast icon — this sends the content directly to the TV rather than mirroring your entire screen, which is better quality and lets you use your phone for other things while casting.

Samsung Smart View (Samsung phones)

1. Swipe down from the top of the screen to open Quick Settings
2. Tap Smart View (the icon may also be labeled Screen Mirroring or Cast)
3. Select your TV from the list. Samsung TVs appear automatically. Non-Samsung smart TVs may also appear if they support Miracast

Miracast (Wi-Fi Direct)

Miracast is a wireless display standard that works without a Wi-Fi router — it creates a direct wireless connection between your phone and TV. Most Android phones support it, and many smart TVs and streaming sticks (Amazon Fire TV, Roku) support receiving Miracast connections.

1. On the TV, enable screen mirroring or wireless display mode (the setting name varies: Screen Mirroring, Miracast, Wireless Display, or Cast Screen)
2. On your Android phone, go to Settings, Connected devices (or Display), Cast (or Screen mirroring, Smart View, Wireless display). The name varies by manufacturer
3. Select the TV. The connection is established directly between the devices

Wired connection — HDMI adapter

If wireless mirroring is unreliable, laggy, or not supported, a wired HDMI connection gives the best quality with zero lag:

iPhone

Use Apple's Lightning Digital AV Adapter (for Lightning iPhones) or a USB-C to HDMI adapter (for iPhone 15 and later). Plug the adapter into your phone, connect an HDMI cable from the adapter to the TV, and select the correct HDMI input on the TV. The phone screen appears on the TV immediately with no configuration needed.

Android

Many Android phones with USB-C support video output over USB-C. Use a USB-C to HDMI adapter or cable. Connect it to the phone and TV, and the screen should appear on the TV. Some phones (Samsung Galaxy S and Note series) support Samsung DeX, which provides a desktop-like interface on the TV instead of just mirroring the phone screen.

Not all USB-C Android phones support video output — some only support charging and data over USB-C. Check your phone model's specifications to confirm it supports DisplayPort Alt Mode or MHL over USB-C.

Common mirroring problems and fixes

Black screen on TV

• Some streaming apps (Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime Video, Disney+) use DRM that blocks screen mirroring. The phone shows the content normally but the TV shows a black screen. This is intentional content protection. Use the app's built-in cast feature instead, or install the app directly on the TV
• On wired HDMI connections, try a different HDMI cable or port. HDCP handshake failures between the adapter and TV can cause a black screen

Audio plays on phone but not TV

• Check the TV volume and make sure the correct input is selected
• On the phone, make sure audio is not being routed to Bluetooth headphones or another audio device
• Some mirroring methods only cast video — the audio stays on the phone. Chromecast screen mirroring sends audio to the TV, but some Miracast implementations do not

Mirroring is delayed or laggy

• Wi-Fi quality is the main factor. Use 5 GHz Wi-Fi instead of 2.4 GHz for better bandwidth and less interference
• Close unnecessary apps on the phone to free up processing power
• Reduce the phone's screen resolution if your TV struggles to keep up — some phones mirror at their native resolution which may be higher than the TV can smoothly render
• For gaming, wired HDMI is the only way to get near-zero latency. Wireless mirroring always adds at least 50 to 200 milliseconds of delay

Screen mirroring help in Marion

If you cannot get screen mirroring to work between your phone and TV, Marion Phone Repair can check your phone's casting capabilities, verify network compatibility, and help you set up the connection that works for your specific devices.