Your Android phone is capable in many different ways. While it was originally designed for communication, it now doubles as a portable camera, gaming hub, and even a lightweight alternative for a computer. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg. When paired with other devices, your Android becomes a much more powerful tool.
But beyond the typical Android accessories like headphones, gaming controllers, and external SSDs, one device you probably didn’t think about pairing with your Android phone is your TV. Yes, your smart TV works just as fine on its own, but it can significantly enhance how you use your phone. When you connect your phone to your TV, you generally get two experiences: extending your phone screen to the TV and using your phone as the TV remote control.
Extending your phone screen means you now have more screen real estate to display your apps and media. Meanwhile, controlling the TV from your phone means you can ditch the real remote that always gets lost anyway. We’ll walk you through the specific ways you can connect your Android phone to your TV to make the most out of it.
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Use an HDMI cable
Hand connecting USB-C cable to phone – ArtVibe1/Shutterstock
The easiest and generally most reliable way to connect your Android phone to a TV is with an HDMI-to-USB-C cable. Yes, you can actually use your Android device’s USB-C port to watch Netflix on your TV. All you need to do is get an HDMI-to-USB-C cable, plug the USB-C end into your phone, and connect the HDMI end to any HDMI port on your TV. Then, go to your TV settings and change the HDMI input to the source your Android is attached to. Your entire phone screen should then be displayed on the TV. If you only have an HDMI-to-HDMI cable, you can still connect your phone to a TV with an HDMI adapter like the Anker PowerExpand+.ย
On some devices, you won’t automatically see anything when you finish setting up. Instead,…