Every Android smartphone can be connected to any TV, even old models, in order to see its contents, such as applications, games, photos and videos, on the big screen. There are several ways to see the screen of an Android phone on the TV, making connections via cable and via adapters or even in wifi, if there are conditions.
1) Connecting Android smartphone to cable TV
The easiest and cheapest way to connect an Android device to the TV is through a special cable that goes from the USB port of the smartphone or tablet to the HDMI port of the TV .
HDMI is now a universal interface that transmits uncompressed video and audio in a single cable, greatly simplifying the configuration and compatible with practically every existing screen.
You can then view everything that appears on the screen on TV, without lag and without delay, in real time.
It therefore becomes possible to watch a movie on Netflix on TV using the app on the Android smartphone or play games like PUBG in large quantities.
READ ALSO: Connect the smartphone to the PC monitor
Ideally, to connect the smartphone to the TV it would be necessary that there is a Micro-HDMI or Mini HDMI port on the mobile phone, so you can use a direct and very cheap cable from HDMI to Mini-HDMI or from HDMI to Micro-HDMI (such as this)
The micro-HDMI port, however, is present only the few models and is certainly not something that is easily found.
Fortunately, it is possible to make a USB-to-HDMI connection, if the device supports it.
If your smartphone has a microUSB port, you can buy a USB to HDMI converter to convert the signals from the phone into video signals that the TV can display.
The USB to HDMI converters are available in two versions: Mobile High-Definition Link (MHL) and Slimport .
Depending on the compatibility of the TV and smartphone, one or the other type of connection can be made.
For example, Samsung smartphones are compatible with MHL, while other models from other brands may have Slimport compatibility.
In addition, MHL adapters and cables are available in two types: passive and active .
Passive cables do not convert the signal by themselves because they are meant to be used with MHL-enabled televisions.
To see if our TV is MHL enabled, you have to look for this abbreviation next to one of its HDMI ports.
On this page you can find a list of televisions compatible with MHL .
If the TV is not MHL enabled, an active cable will be needed, which does the actual conversion and can be used with any modern TV.
Active cables, however, require separate power supply, with an extra USB power adapter.
In a typical scenario, therefore, the adapter connects to the device's microUSB port, to the TV's HDMI port and to a USB cable connected to a wall outlet.
After finding the necessary information on which cable to buy, you can go to Amazon to look for a Slimport cable or a USB-HDMI MHL cable for Samsung, for Huawei or for other brands.
Also pay attention to the socket on the phone, if it is microUSB or USB-C.
Unfortunately, support varies considerably between manufacturers, so you need to research your information on the internet or in specialized forums before purchasing the right adapter.
On Android phones with a USB-C port, you must buy the USB-C HDMI adapter instead
2) Wireless connection (wireless) between phone and TV
While using the cable may be a simpler solution, it still remains impractical and limited by the same, cumbersome presence of the cable.
Much more convenient is to use the phone as a remote control and to project the images of the phone remotely on the TV screen via wifi.
The number one solution for connecting an Android phone to a TV via wifi is, of course, the Chromecast .
As already explained several times, with a Google Chromecast device it is possible to transmit multimedia content from services such as Netflix from the smartphone to the TV and use the phone as a remote control.
The Chromecast costs around 40 Euros and is very easy to use, thanks to the Google Home app for Android.
The configuration is very simple, you connect the Chromecast to one of the HDMI ports of the TV and its USB cable to a power source (also of the TV itself).
With the Google Home app on your phone you scan your devices and connect the Chromecast to the home Wi-Fi to which your smartphone is also connected.
At that point, practically every application can broadcast content on TV by pressing the "Cast" button which is usually found in the top right corner of the applications.
With the Chromecast it is also possible to find in the phone settings the button to transmit the Android screen to TV.
The multimedia content will be played on your TV and you can continue to use your device and its apps.
Other ways of connecting wirelessly between TV and Android have been explained in the guide to using an Android smartphone as a media player for TV .
READ ALSO: Connect mobile phone or tablet to TV (Android, iPhone or iPad)
