How to Cast Your Android Screen to a TV

To cast your Android screen to a TV, connect both the phone and the TV to the same Wi-Fi network, then either tap the Cast icon inside an app or open Quick Settings and tap the Cast (Smart View on Samsung) tile, and choose your TV. There are two things people mean by “casting” — sending a single app to the TV, or mirroring your entire screen — and each is done a little differently. Here is how to do both, plus what to do if you own an older TV.

First, check what you need

Wireless casting needs three things: a TV that can receive it (a smart TV with Chromecast built in or Miracast, or a TV with a Chromecast/Google TV dongle plugged into HDMI), your phone and TV on the same Wi-Fi network, and the TV switched to the correct HDMI input if you are using a dongle. Get those right and the rest is easy. It helps to know which system your TV uses: Android TV and Google TV sets, plus most recent LG, Sony and TCL models, support Google Cast, while many others support Miracast screen mirroring, which Samsung phones reach through Smart View.

Cast a single app (YouTube, Netflix, Hotstar)

This is the best-quality method and lets you keep using your phone for other things. Open the streaming app, start playing something, and tap the Cast icon — a small rectangle with curved Wi-Fi lines, usually top-right. Pick your TV from the list. The TV streams the video directly from the internet, so playback stays smooth, quality is full resolution, and your phone becomes a remote you can use for other tasks or even lock. YouTube, Netflix, Prime Video, JioHotstar/Disney+ Hotstar and Spotify all support this. Because the phone is not doing the heavy lifting, this method drains far less battery than mirroring and is what you should use whenever the app you want offers a Cast button.

Mirror your whole screen with Quick Settings

To show everything on your phone — photos, a game, a website — use screen mirroring:

1. Swipe down from the top to open Quick Settings (swipe down twice to see all tiles).
2. Tap Cast (on stock Android) or Smart View (on Samsung). If you do not see it, tap the pencil/edit icon to add the tile.
3. Choose your TV or streaming device from the list.
4. Approve the connection on the TV if it asks. Your screen now appears on the TV.

To stop, reopen the tile or notification and tap Disconnect.

Samsung Smart View

On Galaxy phones the feature is called Smart View. Swipe down to Quick Settings, tap Smart View, and select your TV — it works with Samsung TVs and most Chromecast/Miracast-capable displays. You can adjust the aspect ratio and lock the phone while it keeps casting.

Cast from the Chrome browser

You can also cast a website or a browser tab from your phone’s Chrome app: tap the three-dot menu and choose Cast, then pick your TV. This is handy for sites that lack their own Cast button. On a laptop, Chrome offers the same option under its menu, so casting is not limited to phones — useful when you want to show a webpage or presentation on the big screen.

Cast to an older, non-smart TV

If your TV is not smart, you can still cast. Plug a Chromecast or Google TV dongle into a spare HDMI port, power it via USB, and set it up with the Google Home app on your phone. Once it is on your Wi-Fi, it appears in the Cast list exactly like a smart TV. This is the cheapest way to add casting to any TV with an HDMI port, and Google TV dongles also add proper apps and a remote of their own. If you would rather avoid Wi-Fi altogether, a wired USB-C to HDMI adapter or cable mirrors your screen with no network needed — reliable for presentations, though you are tethered to the TV by a cable.

Fixing common casting problems

If nothing shows up, the usual fix is the network: make sure the phone and TV are on the exact same Wi-Fi (not a guest network, and ideally the same 2.4GHz/5GHz band). Restart both devices, keep the phone close to the router, and update the TV or dongle firmware. Choppy mirroring is often a weak Wi-Fi signal — casting a single app instead of mirroring usually helps. If an app refuses to cast (some banking and OTT apps block mirroring for copy protection), use that app’s own Cast button rather than full-screen mirroring.

Big video files can also fill your phone fast; if storage is tight, see how to free up storage on your phone. And if a streaming app is glitching before it will cast, try clearing its cache on Android first. Moving to a new phone? Here is how to transfer data from Android to Android.