How to connect your phone to TV via HDMI

High Definition Multimedia Interface or HDMI is an interface that transmits high definition and quality video and audio. What does it mean? This means that you, for example, can display an image from a laptop to a TV. In this case, on the TV screen you will see everything that happens on the laptop screen. Of course, this is only possible if your TV, like your laptop, supports HDMI technology. Is it possible to connect a smartphone to a TV using HDMI? It is possible, but there are some nuances.

When to connect your phone to your TV via HDMI

By connecting your smartphone to a TV, what happens on the phone screen is transferred to the TV screen. At first glance, the idea of connecting a smartphone to a TV may seem strange to someone, but in fact there may be several reasons for this:

If the TV does not have the ability to connect to Wi-Fi, then connecting a smartphone will fix this problem - you can play the same videos on YouTube on your phone, but watch them on a large TV screen;
When the smartphone screen is not enough to enjoy the beauty of the photos, you can view them in detail by connecting the phone to the TV;
Telephone games will look more colorful and comfortable in scale;
Movies on the small screen are almost always awkward to watch. Displaying a movie on a TV screen will correct this problem and at the same time improve the image and sound quality;
It will be more convenient to browse sites for which there are no mobile versions;
When showing a presentation to other people, it will be much clearer if you transfer it to a large screen.

Possible problems

Let's consider possible difficulties that may arise when connecting an old TV to a phone:

Using an HDMI to RCA cable . This is a cable, at the end of which there is an HDMI plug, and at the other end there are “tulip tails”. As a rule, such a connection does not produce results. This is due to the fact that the digital signal must be converted to one of the analog formats, such as PAL, PALsecam or NTSC. An HDMI-RCA cable does not perform this function, so purchasing it does not make sense.
No signal after connection . If nothing happens after connecting, check the analog signal format switch. Most often this switch is located on the side of the converter.
The picture is of poor quality . You need to understand that old TVs had a much lower screen resolution than modern 4K or ultraHD models. Don't expect high-resolution images from them.

Connecting your smartphone to your TV is easy. Considering today's selection of accessories and additional devices. The main thing is to know for sure what outputs and inputs are on your smartphone.

Connection instructions

In fact, displaying a smartphone screen on a TV screen is quite easy and does not require any effort, you just need to prepare the necessary things and follow the instructions. You can manage content on your phone through your TV in different ways, depending on your phone model and operating system.

What you will need

Phone with Android or iOS operating system;
HDMI cable;

HDMI adapter for phone;

TV with HDMI connector.

What to do to connect

First of all, you need to decide whether the phone supports connection to the TV. On the Internet you can easily find a list of models that can be connected. Previously, major smartphone manufacturers equipped their devices with a special HDMI-mini connector. But since the price of such gadgets increased sharply, this port was later abandoned, so most likely you will need to buy an adapter for connection.

Any HDMI cable is suitable for connection, but it is recommended to buy a high-quality, more expensive one, because a cheap cable will degrade the image quality and cause various freezes when transmitting information.

So, if the phone is equipped with an HDMI connector, the connection is made according to the following scheme:

First, on the TV itself, you need to go to the settings section. Select the signal source in the menu and find the desired item - “HDMI”.
Then take the HDMI cable and connect your smartphone to the TV - all inputs are on the back panel of the TV.
The signal will automatically adjust and view images for some time, you should wait. If the setup was successful, you can use the phone via TV. If not, then you need to configure it manually - to do this, go to the settings on your phone and specify the required resolution frequency.

It is important to pay attention to the fact that when connecting an HDMI cable, the phone will not charge, and such a connection greatly drains the charge. Therefore, if you plan to connect for a long time, it is better to additionally connect the phone to a charger.

When the phone does not have a special connector, the connection is made through an adapter - an MHL adapter, which combines the functionality of both HDMI and USB. There are two types of HDMI cords: active and passive. The difference is that the active cord has an additional input for a micro USB charger in case the phone needs to be charged during operation. The passive one has only two ports – micro USB and HDMI.

To display a telephone image on the big screen, you should follow the steps:

Connect your phone to the HDMI adapter.
Connect the HDMI cable to the adapter, and then connect the entire structure to the TV.
Next, automatic adjustment also occurs, and an image appears on the screen. Setup processes may vary slightly between different TV models. If the image is not automatically adjusted, you should press the “Source” button on the remote control, and then select the “HDMI” item on the screen.

You should also disable your phone's feature to automatically darken the screen when inactive, otherwise when the phone screen darkens, the image on the TV will also disappear.

Another reason may be that the TV does not read the phone connected via the HDMI-RCA cable. This wire looks like this: on one side it has the usual plug, and on the other - a set of “tails” of different colors. This wire was used in already outdated models, so there is no point in connecting a smartphone through it now. The signal received by the TV will not be converted to digital, so the picture will not appear on the screen.

What is a high-definition multimedia interface on a TV?

The abbreviation "HDMI" is an abbreviation for "High Definition Multimedia Interface", which translates as "high-definition multimedia interface". This is a compact audio and video interface system that allows you to transfer data in digital format. Using an HDMI cable, you can send image, sound, video and other types of files from various sources (Blu-ray, audio box, DVD, game console, phone and others) to your TV.

An HDMI cable allows you to transfer picture and sound to another device. Currently, the format is implemented in the form of a high-bandwidth cable for high-speed data transfer.

HDMI greatly simplifies cable management by combining red, blue, green, yellow and white cables into one seamless analog cable. The high capacitance of such a cable allows you to send command codes along with image and sound.

HDMI cable and connector on laptop.

What to do if it doesn't work out

Sometimes it happens that you cannot connect - the TV does not see the smartphone. This can happen for various reasons.

First of all, you need to pay attention to the connection type marked on the phone. On Android phones, you need to swipe down the top panel and change the connection type. If this doesn’t help, you can try connecting the gadget to your computer, changing the connection type, and then connecting it to the TV again.

If this is still not the case, you need to check whether the TV model supports the format of what is displayed on the screen. In the operating instructions you can find a list of all approved formats. To solve the problem, you can convert phone files to the desired format.

Also, the TV may not support some applications from the Play Market, which is why the picture displayed on the screen will not be shown.

If the connection is established, but the picture is not displayed, it may be a problem with the phone model. Older models have lower image quality and slower data transfer, which is why the picture may be slow or not displayed at all.

Features of USB connection via full-size HDMI connector

In a much larger number of cases, your phone is equipped only with a micro-USB port, which we use as an output. Therefore, you will need to purchase a special microUSB - HDMI converter, which converts the signal from your phone into a signal type supported by your TV.

Converters are available in two versions:

Types of adapters:	Explanation:
Mobile High-Definition Link (abbreviated as MHL)	They are an earlier standard, usually found in older TV models.
Slimport	A modern analogue, available in almost all modern TVs.

Other ways to connect your smartphone to your TV

In addition to connecting via HDMI wire, there are other ways to transfer images from your phone to the big screen.

Via USB cable. This is the fastest and most affordable method, but is only suitable for cases when the phone is used as a flash drive, that is, only files located in the smartphone’s memory can be played - photos, videos, etc.
Via Wi-Fi Direct. This connection is wireless, when the smartphone and TV are connected via Wi-Fi without the use of conductors and routers. The TV becomes the access point to which the phone connects. It will be possible to send a picture to its screen using the “send” button from the standard menu.
Via DLNA. This is already a connection that uses a router. The TV can be connected using a cable, and the phone can be connected via Wi-Fi. When connecting via DLNA, you can display all files stored in the phone's memory on the big screen.
Via AitPlay. This option is suitable for phones with the iOS operating system. This is the easiest and most convenient way to connect iPhones to a TV with an Apple set-top box. Content streams to Apple TV in seconds, so you can view presentations, play games, watch movies, and more.
Via Miracast. This method will work for all TVs that support Miracast. This technology works on the principle of AirPlay, but is intended for androids. The advantage is that with the help of a special adapter it can be connected to any TV that supports HDMI. If a particular user has a Smart TV installed, then the connection will be made right out of the box, so an adapter will not be required.
Via Chromecast. This is a technology for mirroring your phone screen onto a TV from Google Chrome. To use it, you need to purchase a branded set-top box, and the TV must support an HDMI connection. There are two versions - one is normal, the other has improved display quality. Using Chromecast, you can also view files from your phone's internal storage, show presentations, view gallery photos, and run various applications and games.

In general, connections via USB, DLNA and Wi-Fi Direct are already outdated and not popular, but they are suitable as backup options in case of connection problems. Today, wireless connections via HDMI are also relevant. Which method to choose will depend on the brand of phone and model of TV. For example, for Android phones and a Smart TV, the best option would be to connect via Miracast.

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We use Wi-Fi Direct

The advantage of this technology is that setting up a home Wi-Fi network and registering both devices in it is not required - the gadget connects to the TV via Wi-Fi directly. The important thing is that both devices must support this feature. “Connect” happens like this:

Wi-Fi Direct runs on the gadget. The user needs to follow the path “Settings” “Wireless networks and connections” “Wi-Fi Direct”. You should click “Activate” or “Ok” (depending on the model).
The function starts on TV. You need to go to the menu, select “Network” and find Wi-Fi Direct in the list of options. After activating the function, a list of devices available for connection appears - from the list you should select the smartphone that was configured earlier.
The smartphone receives a request to confirm the connection. Just click “Yes” and use Wi-Fi Direct for your pleasure.

DLNA

DLNA (Digital Living Network Alliance) is a technology for transferring files (photos, videos, music) within the same Wi-Fi network, but strictly from the smartphone’s memory. In addition, not all video formats are transmitted, since not all codecs are supported. Many of today's smartphones, such as the Samsung Galaxy S10 and HTC U12+, can easily connect to a DLNA-certified TV, set-top box, Xbox One, or projector.

To use DLNA:

In the TV settings, activate DLNA functions (not all models support this);
Open a media file to play on your smartphone,
Select the desired TV device.

AppleTV

The AppleTV set-top box connects to the TV using HDMI. iOS gadgets are already hooked up to it and duplicate the screen on the TV. In order to do this, you need:

Connect both devices to the same Wi-Fi network;
Go to “Control Center” and select “Screen repeat”;
Select Apple TV from the list.

Connecting Android using USB

Modern TVs have many interfaces, including USB. Often this interface is located on the back panel of the TV.

To connect an Android tablet or smartphone to a TV, you must use an adapter for the micro-USB to USB interface. This cable is usually supplied with the gadget.

To connect an Android device to a TV using a USB cable, follow these steps:

From the micro-USB side, we connect the cable to the gadget, and the other end to the TV.
The “Connection Options” menu will appear on your mobile device. There we select the “USB storage” section.

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A menu will now be available in the TV settings that displays a list of connected devices. In some models, this window opens automatically when a flash drive or other device is connected.
Select your Android gadget from the list and open the necessary files.

Now, using your TV, you can view files and folders on your Android device. If the gadget is not found in the list of available devices, you need to reconnect it, and then select a different mode, for example, “PTP Camera” or “MTP Media Device”.

Read Android Phone as Webcam over WiFi or USB

Problem situations

The main problem when connecting is outdated television equipment. It has only a few connectors, and connection requires the purchase of additional adapters and modules. The most inexpensive connection is the USB cable included with the phone. But limited functionality depreciates the method. And set-top boxes from Apple or Google are expensive.

In this case, you should think about purchasing a new TV. For example, models with Smart TV allow you to view video content directly on the Internet.

A wireless connection in the absence of Wi-Fi Direct and DLAN requires the purchase of auxiliary devices. Therefore, HDMI pairing for phone and TV remains the most reasonable and cost-effective. If you use Miracast technology, the socket for connecting the charger will remain free.