How to connect phone to Samsung television

How to connect phone to Samsung television

You would love to send videos from your smartphone to your Samsung TV but, being a TV without Smart features, you don't know if this is possible? Have you just bought a Samsung Smart TV and would like to find out how to use its features to connect it to your smartphone? No problem: you've come to the right place at the right time.

In today's tutorial, in fact, I will explain how to connect the phone to the Samsung TV regardless of the type and model of TV you have. First, we will see together how to connect a telephone to the Korean manufacturer's televisions via cable (procedure that can be carried out on all TV models, both Smart and traditional), then we will move on to wireless connection systems that, depending on the case, can be used on Smart and / or non-Smart TV models.

In short, you have so many solutions at your disposal, so ban the chatter and get to work immediately: identify the solution that seems best suited to your needs and use it by following my instructions. I assure you that you will be able to achieve your intent in such a simple way that you will be surprised. Happy reading and have fun!

How to connect phone to Samsung TV with USB cable

Let's start with the more traditional connection method, that is, the one that allows you to connect the phone to the Samsung TV via cable. Depending on the model of smartphone in your possession, you must purchase a cable / adapter that allows you to connect the HDMI input of the TV with the phone port (the one used for charging).

Once you have purchased the right cable / adapter for you, simply connect it to the HDMI port on your TV and to the USB / Lighting port on your smartphone. Then you simply need to select the correct HDMI input via your TV remote control and you will automatically see the exact replica of your phone screen appear on the TV.

The wired solution, although now progressively replaced by wireless solutions, in general guarantees an ideal data transmission speed , which means that the videos will not suffer slowdowns or interruptions that can instead occur when you rely on the Wi-Fi network. To know in detail which cable / adapter you need, read on.

Android

If you want to connect an Android smartphone to your TV , you need to purchase a USB to HDMI cable / adapter . But be careful: you have to check the type of USB port your phone is equipped with, which can be microUSB or USB-C .

Most Android smartphones are equipped with USB-C type ports (the flatter one whose connector can be inserted either way), while others have the older Micro-USB connector. If you are unsure about it, search the internet to avoid any nasty surprises!

You must also make sure that your mobile phone supports MHL (Mobile High-Definition Link) technology, through which the audio and video signal is converted to be transmitted on the USB port. That said, let me point you to a couple of cables / adapters that might be right for you.

iPhone

If you are using an iPhone and want to connect your smartphone to the TV, you need to get a Lightning to HDMI cable / adapter . There are cables of various prices on the market, produced by various companies, but to avoid compatibility problems I highly recommend you to opt for Apple's Lightning to Digital AV Adapter , which is not exactly cheap but ensures maximum quality and reliability.

SmartThings

The latest generation Samsung televisions can automatically manage communication with the mobile phone, as long as they are Smart TVs equipped with Wi-Fi connection and the Samsung Smart View interface . Here is a list of those that currently have both characteristics.

  • LED D7000 or higher
  • PDP D8000 or higher
  • ES7500 or higher LED
  • PDP E8000 or higher
  • F4500 or higher LED (except F9000 or higher)
  • PDP F5500 or higher
  • H4500, H5500 or higher (except H6003 / H6103 / H6153 / H6201 / H6203)
  • J4500
  • J5500 or higher (except J6203)

This feature allows you to use SmartThings , an app produced by Samsung that allows you to monitor and control smart devices and automate their operation. These actions also include the transmission of photos, videos, music and the smartphone screen to the TV. Use requires access to your Samsung account : I told you about how to create one in this dedicated tutorial .

SmartThings is available on the Play Store and on the App Store : start, therefore, by installing it on the device of your interest. If you need help, find all the information you need here .

After installing the app and making sure that the phone is connected to the same Wi-Fi network as the TV , launch it from the Home screen or from the list of installed applications by pressing on its icon, and tap the Continue button on the home screen twice to allow the location of nearby devices via Bluetooth Low Consumption ( BLE ); then click on Allow to confirm your choice.

Press, therefore, on the Login button located at the top right to log in to your Samsung account. Type your e-mail and password in the appropriate entry fields and tap the Login button ; alternatively, you can choose to log in with Google by tapping the appropriate key Log in with Google located a little further down the login form, locate the account you are interested in among those connected to your smartphone, and select it with a tap. You will then be redirected to the SmartThings main screen.

How to connect phone to Samsung TV without cable

To connect the phone to the Samsung TV wirelessly , you must first make sure that the latter can "reach" and communicate over a Wi-Fi network. To achieve this, depending on the TV model at your disposal, you can use the integrated functions of the TV or resort to the help of third-party devices capable of making Smart TVs that do not have integrated connectivity to the Internet (or that however, they do not support Wi-Fi). Here is all explained in detail.

If you have not previously paired the TV, proceed to configure the connection by pressing the Devices icon at the bottom of the screen, then on the + symbol located at the top right, then on the Add device item . On the subsequent screens, tap the Analyze and then Activate buttons to allow the app to turn on Bluetooth and Wi-Fi to locate the nearby Smart TV. When it appears in the list of detected devices, press the Add item in its correspondence.

You will be asked to indicate a Location and a Room ; select them by pressing on the respective drop-down menus, then tap on the Next item , and wait for the connection to be established. When prompted, type the PIN that appears on the TV screen and confirm it by touching the Done item , press the Continue button and finalize the operation with a last tap on the Done item .

Once back to the main screen, press on the TV name to view the section dedicated to the available remote control actions. Press on the ⋮ symbol located at the top right and select the item Shared. screen (Smart View) and start streaming the contents of the smartphone to the TV.

Furthermore, for completeness of information, I would like to point out that the Smart View application for PC is also available: if you are interested in this topic, you can take a few minutes to read my dedicated guide . If, on the other hand, you want to land the operation of Samsung Smart TVs , consult my tutorial dedicated to the latter.

Chromecast

If your TV is not Smart or, in any case, it is not one of the models compatible with Samsung Smart View, you can connect it to your smartphone with the help of some third-party devices .

Among the devices you can use is Google's Chromecast : a dongle, that is a "key" to be connected to the HDMI port of the TV and which requires power supply via a socket or USB. This unit is not dedicated to Samsung TVs specifically, but can be connected to any TV.

Chromecast is available in two versions: a basic , which supports Full HD resolution and costs 39 euros, and one called Chromecast with Google TV , which instead costs 69.99 euros, supports 4K resolution and is also equipped with a remote control and direct support. to the app. Both models can be purchased directly on the Google store or in the main electronics stores.

To use Chromecast, after connecting it to the TV and to the power supply, you need to set it up via the Google Home app for Android or iOS . With the app started, then press the Start button , log in to your Google account and then allow access to the location by first tapping the Next button and then Allow .

At this point, you can access your “ home ” (or create one) and add your Chromecast device in an appropriate environment using the Add button , which leads to the Add and manage menu .

Then select the Configure device option , press on New devices and wait for the confirmation message relating to the detection of Chromecast. Press, once again, on the Yes button and you can indicate the name of the device by choosing from some types of rooms in the house (predefined by Google to help memory), which from now on represents the dongle and which you can select to send multimedia content to the latter.

To continue, press the Yes button that appears on the smartphone and check the PIN that will be displayed both on the phone screen and on the TV: if the latter coincide, press Next and select the Wi-Fi network to which Chromecast must connect, indicating, if necessary, also the access key to the latter. Finally, hit OK again .

Now that the Chromecast is configured, you can send content to it and view it on the TV simply by starting an app that supports the Google dongle and pressing the transmission icon (the one with the screen and the Wi-Fi waves ).

Among the many apps that support Chromecast, there is YouTube : play a video and check that the mirroring icon for compatible screens is highlighted in the menu at the top of the screen. By tapping on this icon, the list of devices in range should appear, including your Chromecast device named as chosen in the initial configuration procedure. At this point, select your device from the list and the video in progress will be launched via YouTube on the TV.

If, on the other hand, you want to cast the entire screen of the phone to the TV, go to the Settings> Android Display menu and select the option Cast screen from this latter. Unfortunately, on iOS it is not possible to take advantage of this function. If you need more information on how Chromecast works , consult the guide I dedicated to this device.

AirPlay / Apple TV

If you have an iPhone and a TV compatible with AirPlay ( here the complete list), you can take advantage of this technology to send multimedia content or the screen of your device to the TV. Alternatively, you can use the same technology by purchasing an Apple TV .

Apple TV is a multimedia box available in two variants: a 32GB HD with support for Full HD resolution and a 4K 32 or 64 GB and support for UltraHD / 4K resolution. It can be purchased in all major electronics stores, both physical and online.

Once the Apple TV is connected to the TV (via HDMI cable) and to the power supply, to take advantage of AirPlay , check that the mobile phone and TV / Apple TV are connected to the same Wi-Fi network , then access the iOS Control Center by scrolling your finger from the top right corner of the screen to the bottom (or from the bottom of the screen to the top, if you're using an iPhone model with a Home button) and press the Mirror Screen button .

At this point, locate the name of your TV / Apple TV from the list that will appear on the screen and press on it. Perfect: your mobile screen should now be broadcast in real time to your TV!

If you want to cast a single video or photo to Apple TV, start playing it on the iPhone, then press the AirPlay icon (a screen with a triangle at the base) and select the Apple TV name from the menu that opens.

Please note that Apple TV offers support for numerous apps. If you want to learn more about how it works, you may find it interesting to read my guide dedicated to the device.

Samsung All Share Cast Dongle

Finally, I want to talk to you about All Share Cast Dongle : this tool, made by Samsung, is the Korean giant's answer to the most famous Chromecast and is explicitly dedicated to connecting with Samsung mobile phones that have the All Share Cast function , present for example on various Galaxy Note , Galaxy Tab or Galaxy S.

The accessory has an HDMI port to which you can connect the cable that will go into the HDMI port of the TV, and a microUSB port that is used for power. Once the device is connected and powered, simply locate the All Share Cast item on the Samsung mobile phone and select it: the phone will automatically mirror and allow you to view videos, games and apps on the TV.

It should be noted that the video quality does not match that achievable with a USB / HDMI cable or with Chromecast or Apple TV, because the transmitted resolution is 720p and not 1080p. This dongle is dedicated to Samsung mobile phones but you can use it with a generic Full HD TV, therefore also from other brands.

How to connect phone to Samsung TV with Bluetooth

If, on the other hand, you would like to know how to connect the phone to the Samsung smart TV via Bluetooth, as I have already mentioned in the specific chapter , the SmartThings app uses this type of connectivity for the transmission of contents from smartphones; however, to learn more about the subject, I invite you to read the tutorial that I dedicated entirely to the procedure for connecting the phone to the TV with Bluetooth with all the details of the case.