What Is Screen Mirroring? GA S REGULAR Menu Lifewire Tech for Humans Newsletter! Search Close GO Home Theater & Entertainment > TV & Displays 533 533 people found this article helpful
What Is Screen Mirroring?
Share media from a smart device to a TV for better viewing
By Joli Ballew Joli Ballew Writer University of Texas Joli Ballew is a former freelance contributor to Lifewire and Microsoft MVP, Lynda.com trainer, Microsoft Press author, and college professor. lifewire's editorial guidelines Updated on January 22, 2021 Reviewed by Jerrick Leger Reviewed by Jerrick Leger Jerrick Leger is a CompTIA-certified IT Specialist with more than 10 years' experience in technical support and IT fields. He is also a systems administrator for an IT firm in Texas serving small businesses. lifewire's editorial guidelines Tweet Share Email Tweet Share Email TV & Displays Samsung Projectors Antennas HDMI & Connections Remote Controls Screen mirroring technology lets you send the media that’s playing on your smaller Android, Windows, or Apple device to a larger one, such as a television or media projector, wirelessly. You can mirror personal photos, music, videos, games, and more, including content from the internet or an app like Netflix or YouTube. The protocol used to wirelessly mirror one screen to another is called Miracast, a word you might encounter as you learn more about the technology. 1:49 What is Screen Mirroring?
Connect Your Phone or Other Device to a TV
To use screen mirroring, both devices have to meet a few minimum requirements. Your phone or tablet must support mirroring and be able to send out data. The TV or projector must also support screen mirroring and be able to capture and play that data. To find out if your phone or tablet supports mirroring, refer to the documentation or perform an internet search. Note that you might also have to enable the Miracast or Screen Mirroring feature in Settings, so keep an eye out for that too. You may even be able to show your phone screen on your computer. As for a television, there are two broad technologies. You can mirror to either a newer, smart TV or projector that has screen mirroring built-in or you can purchase a media streaming device and connect it to an available HDMI port on an older TV. Because the data arrives wirelessly and over your home network, you must configure that TV or the media stick to connect to that network as well.. Compatibility Issues When You Mirror a Screen
Not all devices play well together. You can’t just mirror any phone to any TV screen or somehow connect a phone to a TV using a magic app and force it to work. Just because both devices support screen mirroring doesn’t mean anything either; the devices also have to be compatible with each other. This compatibility is where problems often arise. As you might suspect, devices from the same manufacturer generally are compatible with each other. For instance, you can share media from a newer Kindle Fire tablet to Amazon’s Fire TV easily. They’re both made by Amazon and designed to work together. And, since Fire devices use the Android operating system, many Android-based phones and tablets are compatible as well. Likewise, you can mirror media from your iPhone to an Apple TV. Apple made both, and they are compatible with each other. The Apple TV works with iPads too. However, you can’t stream media from an Android or Windows device to an Apple TV. Other devices like Google’s Chromecast and Roku’s media devices also have limitations, as do smart TVs in general, so if you’re in the market for a mirroring solution, take into consideration what you’ll be streaming from before you purchase something to stream to. Explore Mirroring Apps
When you play media on your smartphone or tablet, you use an app. Perhaps you watch cable-based movies using SHO Anytime and live TV using Sling TV. Maybe you listen to music with Spotify or watch how-to videos with YouTube. These apps support screen mirroring. Take a minute to test it out. Here’s how to explore your media apps in very general terms: Open an app on your device that lets you view media. Play any available media in that app. Tap the screen and tap the mirroring icon that appears there. If you have a device available to mirror to (and it’s turned on and ready to use), you’ll see it listed there. The Screen Mirroring Experience
Once you’re watching your media via screen mirroring, you’ll use the controls on your phone or tablet to control it. You can fast forward and rewind, pause, and restart, provided the app and the media allow for it. It’s unlikely you’ll be able to control the television itself, though; keep the remote handy that works the volume. Was this page helpful? Thanks for letting us know! Get the Latest Tech News Delivered Every Day Subscribe Tell us why! Other Not enough details Hard to understand Submit More from Lifewire How to Mirror Android to TV (Connect Your Phone Wirelessly) How to Connect a Phone to a TV Wirelessly How to Download a Different Samsung TV Internet Browser How to Connect an iPad to a TV How to Use AirPlay to Stream Videos to a TV How to Cast to Roku TV From Android How to Do Screen Mirroring on LG Smart TVs How to Connect Your Phone to Your TV With USB How to AirPlay From a Mac to a TV How to Connect Your iPhone to a Samsung TV 6 Ways to Connect Your Computer to Your TV How to Cast a Zoom Meeting to Your TV How to Connect an Android Phone to a Roku TV How to Mirror Your iPhone to Roku How to Stream Shows and Movies on Your Dorm Room TV How to Connect Netflix to TV Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. Cookies Settings Accept All Cookies