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How to Play Phone Videos on a TV: Casting, Screen Mirroring and Cables

How to play Android phone videos on a TV: Google Cast, screen mirroring, Miracast and USB-C cables, what each needs, and fixing lag and sound problems.

By Published 4 min read

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AI-assisted article. Drafted with AI tools from the sources cited below and checked by automated tests and an AI editorial review. No person has reviewed it yet. How we write and check articles.

Key takeaways

  • This guide covers three routes from phone to TV: Google Cast, Miracast screen mirroring and a USB-C cable.
  • Google's Pixel help puts screen casting under Settings, Connected devices, Connection preferences, Google Cast, where you can cast one app or the whole screen.
  • Miracast, a Wi-Fi Alliance standard, uses Wi-Fi Direct and can carry up to 1080p video, where a TV and phone both support it.
  • Pixel 8 and later can mirror over a USB-C cable to a display that accepts DisplayPort or HDMI; USB-C's alternate modes make this possible on supported phones.
  • If sound and picture drift apart on a TV, check its audio-delay setting: Wikipedia notes flat-panel TVs can delay video more than audio.

Phone screens are great for watching alone and poor for watching together. Getting a video from an Android phone onto a TV takes one of three routes: casting, screen mirroring or a cable. Each needs different hardware, and each has its own way of going wrong. This guide explains them, using Google's Pixel help and Wikipedia's articles on Miracast and USB-C.

Three routes compared

Route What it needs Strengths Weak points
Google Cast A Google Cast device, such as a Chromecast set up on your Wi-Fi network Wireless, simple, can send one app Depends on Wi-Fi quality
Miracast screen mirroring A TV that supports Miracast, and a phone that does too Wireless, no extra device on supporting TVs Support varies; quality limits
Cable (USB-C to HDMI or DisplayPort) A phone that supports video output over USB-C, and the right cable No network involved, stable picture Not all phones support it; you are tethered

Casting with Google Cast

Google's Pixel help describes projecting your screen through casting:

  1. Open Settings.
  2. Tap Connected devices, then Connection preferences, then Google Cast.
  3. Choose to cast a single app or your entire screen.
  4. Tap the device you want to show it on.

Google suggests adding Cast to Quick Settings for one-tap access, and to stop, swipe down and tap Disconnect on the Cast notification. These steps are for Pixel phones. Other Android phones may put casting in a different menu or give it another name, so check your phone maker's help if you cannot find it. Google's Chromecast setup help adds that a Chromecast is set up through the Google Home app on a secure wireless network.

Screen mirroring with Miracast

Some TVs mirror phones without a separate streaming device. Wikipedia describes Miracast as a wireless standard created by the Wi-Fi Alliance to send video and sound from devices such as smartphones to TVs, monitors or projectors. It uses Wi-Fi Direct to make a direct connection, and can carry up to 1080p video using the H.264 codec, with stereo sound and optional 5.1 surround. Whether it works depends on both the TV and the phone supporting it, so check your TV's manual for "screen mirroring" or Miracast.

Connecting with a cable

A cable takes Wi-Fi out of the picture. Wikipedia explains that USB-C is a connector, not a protocol, designed to replace separate cables for technologies such as HDMI and DisplayPort, and that video can travel over it through alternate modes. It adds that USB-C-to-HDMI adapters which use DisplayPort Alternate Mode need active conversion circuitry, so the cable itself matters. Not every phone supports this. Google's Pixel help says Pixel 8 and later can connect to a display to mirror the screen, using a display that supports a DisplayPort or HDMI to USB-C cable: plug the cable into the display, plug the USB-C end into the phone, then confirm the mirror dialog on the phone.

A worked example: a family video night

You have a two-hour film saved on your phone and a TV with Google Cast. Casting works, but the picture stutters whenever someone in the house starts a download. Moving the phone closer to the router may help; a USB-C to HDMI cable, if your phone supports video output, removes the network from the equation entirely. If the sound runs ahead of or behind the picture, check the TV: Wikipedia notes flat-panel TVs can delay video more than audio, and that consumer TVs, soundbars and receivers now offer audio-delay adjustments; audio out of sync on Android covers the causes.

Quality, HDR and data

  • Resolution: mirroring shows your phone's screen, so the TV picture can only be as good as what the phone sends.
  • HDR: HDR needs every link in the chain to support it; HDR video on Android explains why.
  • Privacy: mirroring shows everything on the phone's screen, including notifications, so turn on Do Not Disturb before showing the screen to a room.
  • Battery: mirroring keeps the phone's screen and radio busy for the whole film; plug the phone in for anything long.
  • Data: local files cast over home Wi-Fi do not use mobile data, but streaming apps on mobile data can; stopping apps using mobile data covers the settings.

Playing local files

For videos saved on the phone, a local player plus screen casting or a cable is one straightforward route. Video Player All Formats PRO, one of our video and utility apps, plays files stored on your device, such as downloaded movies, saved clips, lessons and your own recordings, in MP4, MKV, MOV and other containers; its app page is clear that it is not a streaming service. The Android video player guide covers formats and playback problems.

Good to know

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between casting and screen mirroring?
Screen mirroring sends whatever is on your phone's screen to the TV, while casting a single app sends only that app. Google's Pixel help lets you choose to cast a single app or your entire screen through Google Cast, and Wikipedia describes Miracast as copying everything from one screen to another.
How do you mirror an Android screen to a TV?
On a Pixel, Google's help says to open Settings, tap Connected devices, then Connection preferences, then Google Cast, choose to cast a single app or the whole screen, and pick the TV or streaming device from the list. Other phones label this differently.
Can you connect an Android phone to a TV with a cable?
On supported phones, yes. Google's Pixel help says Pixel 8 and later can mirror the screen to a display through a USB-C to DisplayPort or HDMI cable. Support varies by phone, so check yours before buying a cable.
Why does casting lag or stutter?
Two places to look are the wireless link and the TV. Casting goes over a wireless connection, so a cable takes the network out of the test where your phone supports one. Wikipedia notes flat-panel TVs can delay video more than audio, and that TVs, soundbars and receivers now offer audio-delay adjustments.

Sources

  1. Project your Pixel phone's screen (opens in a new tab)Google Pixel Phone Help — accessed
  2. Set up your Chromecast device (3rd gen or older) (opens in a new tab)Google Chromecast Help — accessed
  3. Miracast (opens in a new tab)Wikipedia — accessed
  4. USB-C (opens in a new tab)Wikipedia — accessed
  5. Audio-to-video synchronization (opens in a new tab)Wikipedia — accessed

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