Sometimes, you might be watching something on your phone despite wanting to enjoy the content on your large TV screen. Many of us have several smart devices in our homes than ever before, but we may not be aware of how easy it is to share content between them. The primary reason for this is because we assume the process will be a lot more hectic than it actually is.
However, connecting your TV with either your smartphone or tablet means that you will have a range of ways to stream content at your fingertips. For example, you might want to stream a YouTube clip or video file in higher resolution than your phone can handle, show some old holiday photos to your friends and family, cast a workout tutorial to your TV so that it becomes easier to follow, or continue to play the Netflix show you were watching while commuting, but on the big screen. Here is a guide on how you can connect your devices to your TV.
Connecting your phone to the TV by using HDMI
This is the most reliable way to connect the two devices since almost every TV has an HDMI port. This is used to transfer both video and audio content from the same source.
Your phone will most likely not have an HDMI port, but there do exist useful adaptors that will bolt HDMI ports onto your phone’s micro USB, USB Type-C, or lightning ports, depending on what your phone has.
Some models of Android tablets will have mini or micro HDMI, which can connect directly to HDMI over nothing more than a single cable. Whatever port you are hoping to connect from, make sure that your cable is completely compatible with that connection.
Connecting your phone to the TV by using a USB
This process is straightforward enough because the majority of smartphone charging cables end with a USB connector which serves the purpose of easily linking up with laptops or power adaptors. But, if your TV happens to have a USB port, this is a very simple way of getting your files onscreen.
- Navigate to ‘Source’ on your smart TV platform, and choose USB as the source.
- You should be able to see a prompt on your smartphone screen that will enable you to transfer files, as opposed to simply charging the device through your TV.
