This is where screen mirroring comes in. The screen mirroring or casting options on Android phones and tablets let you enjoy movies, TV shows, pictures or slideshows on the larger, more enhanced displays of our televisions. So, how can you mirror the screen from your Android device to a TV? The process is actually more simple than you might think. We’ll show you how. (Psst! Want the Apple version of this tip? Tap or click here to read it and share it with the Apple users in your life.)
What is screen mirroring?
Screen mirroring allows you to the media that’s playing on one device, like a smartphone or tablet, to a larger screen for a better overall viewing experience. The big screen is usually a projector or television that you have set up in the man cave or living room. You can cast photos, slideshows, music, videos, movies and more. Content can also originate from a separate video player app like Netflix, Hulu or YouTube. Screen mirroring is useful for office meetings as well. In a business setting, it’s frequently used during meetings, presentations, and lectures to easily display relevant content to others in the conference room. It’s also used in K-12 and higher education to promote collaboration, display student work and add mobility/accessibility to instructional delivery. All in all, screen mirroring is a useful and convenient option for personal, professional and educational purposes. Mostly due to the fact that it’s a “localized” action, which means the screen-sending device (phone/tablet) and screen-receiving device (TV/projector) need to be on the same network.
How does screen mirroring work?
First things first, you’ll need to find your preferred method for mirroring. Most smart TVs come equipped with Miracast, meaning you can cast without any extra gadgets. To mirror your screen with Chromecast, make sure it’s connected to the same Wi-Fi network as your Android device. Open the Google Home app and access the Account tab. Or you can go to your phone’s ‘Quick Settings‘ menu as well and choose the ‘Connected Devices‘ option. Once you’ve arrived, you should see a button labeled ‘Cast Screen/Audio‘ or just ‘Cast‘. Tap it and proceed to select your desired Chromecast device. All of your Chromecast devices will be listed here. Select your TV, and wait a few moments until the screen on your phone shows up on the TV. From here, anything you do on your phone will be mirrored on the TV until you choose to stop Casting via a notification button that’s displayed for the duration of your usage. Once you’re watching media through screen mirroring, you can use the controls on your phone/tablet to control the various functions. Just like any video player, you have the option to fast forward, rewind, pause, and restart, as long as the device(s) and media are compatible and allow you to do so. Although your actual television remote won’t be able to control anything once your screen is mirrored, you should keep it close in order to work the volume. Other than that, everything you’ll need is displayed on your device. Your phone becomes the primary remote for your TV’s functions at this point. It’s that simple. Happy casting!
