How To Connect Mobile to TV via USB Cable?

Do you want to connect your mobile to a TV via a USB cable? You are in the perfect place to learn how. Screen mirroring via USB to TV can be useful for you to show different content, such as photos, videos, and music, from your mobile to TV. For instance, if you want to see pictures with your entire family, you might want to connect your mobile to the TV.

The good thing is that there are some reliable ways of connecting your Android or iOS device to your TV. This article discusses these methods in detail, so keep reading!

1. Preparations before Connecting Phone to TV with USB

Many people may be wondering: can I connect my mobile phone to TV with a USB cable? The answer is YES. You can definitely connect your mobile to the TV through the USB cable. However, there are certain prerequisites that you must consider in advance before learning how to connect phone to TV via USB.

1. Determine the Type of USB Port on the Phone

You must determine the type of USB port on your mobile phone to get the right type of cable. Your phone will either have a Micro-USB or USB-C port. The type of USB port is mentioned in the specifications of the device.

Moreover, the USB cable that comes with the mobile device will help you determine the type of USB port you have. Generally, if you have a USB-C port, its shape will be oval or rounded, while the shape of a micro-USB port can be compared to teeth.

2. Determine the Type of USB Port on the TV

Different TVs have varying types of the USB port. Sony Bravia TV, for instance, supports data transfer through a traditional micro-USB port. Most TVs have a traditional USB port, but there are some newer models that are also coming with USB-C for a faster connection, so you must determine the exact type of USB port to choose the best cable.

3. Determine If Your TV Needs a Special Adapter

In some cases, you might have to use a special adapter to connect the phone to the TV via USB. For instance, if the TV does not have an HDMI port, you can use the USB-to-VGA adapter. Some of the older TVs have only RCA connections (red, white, and yellow). In such a situation, you will need an HDMI to RCA adapter to connect your phone to the TV.

4. Configure Settings on Android Phone:

1. Go to Settings on your Android phone or tablet, and tap About phone.
2. Tap Build number for seven times, and you will see the ‘Developer options’ setting.
3. Tap ‘Developer options’ to find ‘USB configuration’. Under this, you will see the options for using USB: Charging, Power supply, MTP or File transfer, PTP, etc.
4. Choose MTP or File transfer if you would like to connect your phone to TV for file sharing or mirroring.

2. How to Connect Phone to TV via USB Cable?

The methods to connect the phone to the TV via USB cable vary on the basis of their types. Let's discuss the various ways of connecting Android phones and iOS devices to TV one by one:

How to Connect Android Devices to TV via USB?

You can try these ones to connect Android devices to TV via USB:

Use MHL

Mobile High-Definition Link (MHL) is a common way of connecting an Android phone to an HDMI TV with a micro-USB cable. It is possible to use this method for all MHL-compatible devices.

MHL is one of the most common solutions for connecting a phone to an HDMI TV with a micro-USB cable. This technology allows MHL-compatible devices, such as smartphones and tablets, to connect to televisions and projectors.

You can find the complete list of MHL-enabled devices in this link.

In order to use the MHL method to mirror an Android phone to a TV via USB, you will need the following things:

Simply connect your phone through the MHL adapter and connect your phone to the TV through the MHL cable. It will start showing your phone's screen on the TV.

Use SlimPort

Using a SlimPort cable is useful when you have an older Android phone. It is similar to MHL, but SlimPort has varying outputs with the micro-USB connection. On the other hand, MHL is limited to HDMI only.

You can use SlimPort to mirror your phone to a TV via HDMI, DVI, DisplayPort, and VGA. As a result, it is suitable for different types of displays, including older TVs. Moreover, SlimPort does not draw power from mobile devices.

All you have to do is connect the SlimPort adapter to your phone and attach the SlimPort adapter to your display with a cable as per your ports. Hence, it is a simple plug-and-play method to connect your phone to your TV.

USB-C cable with DisplayPort support

Most modern Android smartphones have a USB Type-C port. It is also known as USB-C simply. It is a cylinder-shaped input that is used in place of micro-USB for faster charging and data transfer.

You can rely on the support for DisplayPort to enable USB-C to HDMI screen mirroring of your mobile to TV. Connect the USB-C cable to your Android phone and connect it to a docking station with an HDMI port or USB-C to HDMI adapter.

Using Samsung DeX

Samsung DeX features are available in some the Samsung devices, such as the Galaxy series and Note series. It is a useful way of connecting your phone to a TV as well as a PC. DeX is the proprietary technology of Samsung, so it is limited to Samsung devices. You can use a USB-C to HDMI cable adapter to use this feature.

It is also possible to rely on Samsung DeX to make a wireless connection to your TV by following these steps:

How to Connect iOS Devices to TV via USB?

You can try these ones to connect iOS devices to TV via USB:

Using a Lightning Cable

It is not possible to connect iOS devices to TV via USB directly. However, you can use adapters and converters, such as lightning cables to connect your iOS device to the TV.

A Lightning connection can be used if you have iPhone 5 or newer to mirror your iPhone to a TV. You will need a Lightning Digital AV Adapter for HDMI outputs or a Lighting to VGA Adapter if you have an older TV. Determine the specific ports of your TV and iOS device first to buy the suitable adapter and cable.

Once you have plugged in the adapter, connect the video output to your TV. It will start mirroring your iPhone or iPad to your TV. If you buy the official Lightning adapters from Apple, it will have an additional Lighting port for charging while you view the content on your TV.

3. How to Connect Phone to TV with USB but without HDMI?

Chances are some old TV models don’t have HDMI. But fret not! There are workarounds to connect Android phone to these TVs without HDMI. Down below are some of the workarounds:

USB to VGA Adapter:

The VGA port is one of the common display ports for TVs, so if your TV comes with a VGA port, you can connect your phone to the TV using a USB to VGA adapter.

Simply connect the USB cable to your phone, and then the other side of your USB cable to the adapter. Next, connect the connector of the adapter to your TV. Now turn on your TV and select the VGA as the source. Your phone screen should be displayed on TV.

USB to RCA AV:

It may be a little bit complicated if your TV supports RCA, because you will need a USB to HDMI adapter and an HDMI to RCA adapter. And the connection would be Android phone > USB to HDMI adapter > HDMI to RCA adapter > TV.

USB to SCART:

A SCART connector is another type of cable used to connect audio visual equipment, including TVs and DVD players. Don’t worry if your TV has a SCART input port and your phone has a USB port. You can connect your phone to TV via a USB to HDMI adapter and an HDMI to SCART adapter.

4. How to Connect Your Mobile to Your TV Wirelessly?

The availability of different wired methods to connect a smartphone or tablet to your TV makes it easier to find a suitable solution. However, this entire process of finding suitable wires, ports, and adapters can be tiresome for you. If you don’t like wired connections and want to benefit from wireless connectivity, you should consider relying on a modern screen mirroring app like AirDroid Cast.

AirDroid Cast allows you to screen different mirror types of devices, such as tablets, to a web browser-enabled smart TV. You can simply install the AirDroid Cast app on your phone and follow these steps to screen mirror a tablet to your TV wirelessly:

1. Using your smart TV’s web browser, head on over to webcast.airdroid.com to get a 9 digit code that will be used for pairing, as well as a QR code that also can be used for pairing.



2. Download the free AirDroid Cast application onto your mobile.

Tips: There are Android and iOS mobile versions of the program on offer, meaning both iPhone, iPad and Android devices are supported.



Try It Free
3. Upon installing the application onto your mobile, you’ll be presented with a prompt to enter a code to start casting – along with an option to scan a QR code. Simply enter the code you got from your TV, or scan the QR code on your TV.
4. You’ll then have to enable casting permission and click start now if you’re on an android device. If you’re on an IOS device simply click start broadcast. You should then be good to go!

For Android:



For iOS device:



5. Now, you should cast your phone to TV wirelessly and you can enjoy your phone screen on your TV innmidiately.

Hence, the entire process of screen mirroring with AirDroid Cast is quite simple. In this way, you don’t have to worry about buying any kind of wires or adapters.

Here's a video tutorial to mirror Android to TV via AirDroid Cast:

5. Why you Might Need to Use AirDroid Cast?

Screencasting with AirDroid Cast is much easier compared to the wired methods of connecting a phone to the TV. You can use AirDroid Cast to enjoy the following benefits:

6. What If TV Is Not Detecting Your Phone as Source?

It would be very frustrating to find your TV fails to detect your phone as a source, which means that you can’t mirror your phone to your TV. But don’t worry. Try troubleshooting the problem by following the guide below:

Step 1. Sometimes your USB ports and other display ports stop working because of dust and debris. So try to clean these ports and connectors using tweezers, toothpick, or compresses air. After cleaning, try to connect again and see if it works.

Step 2. Power cycle your devices by powering off your phone and TV, and unplug the charger. Wait for a few minutes. Now plug in the charger again, and power on both devices, and try to connect phone to TV via USB again.

Step 3. If the problem still persists, it is likely you are using the wrong cable or adapter. Try another adapter or try to connect phone to TV wirelessly.

7. Conclusion: Benefits of Screen Mirroring via USB to TV

Screen mirroring phones via USB to TV can be highly effective and beneficial. You can enjoy lag-free gaming on your TV by mirroring your phone to the TV. Otherwise, in wireless connections, there is a chance of facing lag and latency issues in screen mirroring.

Moreover, knowing how to connect the phone to the TV via USB comes in handy when you don't have a stable internet connection or your Wi-Fi modem is acting up. A well-established wired connection will ensure maximum quality while gaming, watching movies, and sharing photos from your mobile to TV.

8. You May Also Want to Know: Connect Mobile to TV

How to connect mobile to normal TV via USB cable?

Elsa

If you have an older TV model that does not come with an HDMI port or only has RCA connections, you will have to get the USB-to-VGA Adapter or HDMI-to-RCA Adapter to connect your mobile to the TV via USB cable.

How do you connect the phone to a tv without an HDMI cord?

Elsa

Having an HDMI cord is not always essential to connect your phone to a TV. You can still mirror your mobile to a TV using a USB cable and a suitable adapter. You can also use some other methods such as AirPlay (iOS devices), Google Chromecast, or a reliable third-party screen mirroring tool like AirDroid Cast that works for every smart device.

How to connect mobile to Sony Bravia TV Wirelessly?

Elsa

Sony Bravia TV has the in-built feature of Wi-Fi Direct to allow some devices, like Sony Xperia mobile phones, to connect to Smart TV wirelessly. However, this feature has highly limited support. To enjoy maximum compatibility, you should use AirDroid Cast.

How to connect the phone to Samsung TV with USB?

Elsa

Most Samsung TVs have HDMI ports as well as a USB cable. Therefore, you can connect your phone to Samsung TV using the micro-USB cable or a suitable adapter such as a USB-to-HDMI adapter.

Why can't I cast my phone to my TV?

Elsa

There are many different issues that can occur due to which you might not be able to cast your phone to TV. If you are using a wired connection, make sure the wires and adapters are in the best possible condition. If you are using a wireless connection, make sure you have a stable internet connection.