There are three routes, and you pick based on what your TV has. If it is a Google TV or has Chromecast built in, use the cast button inside the app or the Cast screen shortcut in quick settings (Solutions 1 and 2). If it does not talk to Google but supports the maker's own mirroring, the route is Miracast, which shows up under names like Smart View or Screen Mirroring (Solution 3). If none of that works, or you need a stable picture for a presentation, use an HDMI cable with a USB-C adapter (Solution 4). For the wireless routes, phone and TV must be on the same Wi-Fi network, and that is the number one reason the TV never appears in the list (Solution 5). If the picture goes black only inside a streaming app, nothing is broken: it is protected-content blocking (Solution 8).
What causes this problem
- Phone and TV on different Wi-Fi networks, so neither can see the other. This happens a lot with routers that split the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz networks.
- The TV has no built-in Chromecast and the user is hunting for a cast button in an app that only talks to Chromecast.
- The TV's mirroring feature is switched off, or the TV is not on the right input to receive the connection.
- The streaming app blocks mirroring for content protection, leaving a black picture with the sound still playing.
- A Wi-Fi network with client isolation turned on, common on guest, hotel and office networks, preventing devices from talking to each other.
- A USB-C to HDMI adapter without video output support, or a phone USB-C port that does not send video at all.
- Work out what your TV is: a Google TV or Android TV, a TV with the maker's own system, or a plain TV with a streaming device on HDMI. That decides which of the three routes will work.
- Confirm the phone and the TV are on the same Wi-Fi network, with the same network name. If the router shows two networks (2.4 GHz and 5 GHz), put both on the same one.
- Keep the TV remote nearby: on almost every route you have to accept the connection on the TV screen or switch the video input.
- If you are going with a cable, have a USB-C to HDMI adapter that states video output support, plus an HDMI cable.
- Charge the phone or keep it plugged in. Wireless mirroring drains the battery fast, especially with video.
Solutions, in the order to try them
1Cast with the button inside the app (the route that fails least)
When the app has a cast button, that is always the best route. It does not mirror the screen: it tells the TV to fetch the video straight from the internet, and the phone becomes a remote control. The picture is better, it does not stutter when a notification arrives, and the battery lasts far longer.
- Turn the TV on and keep phone and TV on the same Wi-Fi network.
- Open the app on your phone and look for the cast icon: a rectangle with waves in the bottom-left corner, usually at the top or in the video player.
- Tap the icon and pick your TV from the list.
- Start the video. You can lock the phone and use other apps: the TV keeps playing.
- To stop, tap the icon again and choose to stop casting.
- If the icon does not appear in the app, it probably does not talk to Chromecast. Use screen mirroring instead (Solution 2 or 3).
2Mirror the whole screen to a Chromecast or Google TV
This is the route for showing anything from the phone on the TV: photos, an app with no cast button, a game, a presentation. It duplicates what is on the screen, so everything that appears on the phone appears on the TV, notifications included.
- Swipe down from the top twice to open quick settings.
- Look for the cast screen shortcut. Depending on the brand, it is called Cast, Screen cast or Smart View.
- If the shortcut is not visible, tap the pencil or edit icon in quick settings and drag the shortcut into the active area.
- Tap the shortcut and pick your TV or Chromecast from the list.
- Accept the message about capturing screen content and wait a few seconds for the picture to appear.
- Turn the phone sideways so video fills the whole TV screen. In mirroring, the TV follows the phone's orientation.
3Use the TV's own mirroring (Miracast)
Many TVs mirror without any Chromecast, using a direct connection between the two devices. Each maker gives the same feature a different name, and that is what confuses most people. This route is the only one available when the TV has nothing from Google.
- On the TV, look for the mirroring feature in the input, network or connection menus. It usually appears under names like Screen Mirroring, Smart View, Screen Share or Miracast.
- Turn the feature on and leave the TV on the mirroring standby screen.
- On the phone, open quick settings and tap the cast or mirroring shortcut. On some phones it sits under Settings > Connected devices or Settings > Connections.
- Pick the TV from the list and confirm the request that appears on the TV screen, using the remote.
- If the TV does not show up, check that it is on the same Wi-Fi network and that the mirroring feature is still active: many TVs switch it off by themselves after a few minutes of waiting.
- Warning: not every Android phone has Miracast. Some makers dropped the feature and left only Chromecast casting. If the shortcut does not exist on your phone, go to Solution 4.
4Connect with an HDMI cable when the picture must be stable
A cable solves what wireless cannot: no stutter, no audio lag and no dependence on the network. It is the right route for presentations, for gaming and for places with bad Wi-Fi. It is also the only one that works when the TV has no mirroring feature at all.
- Check whether your phone's USB-C port sends video. Not every phone does, and there is no way to switch it on in software: either the phone has it or it does not.
- Use a USB-C to HDMI adapter that states video output. A charge-only or data-only adapter will not work.
- Connect the adapter to the phone, the HDMI cable to the adapter and the other end to an HDMI input on the TV.
- Switch the TV to the HDMI input you used, with the source or input button on the remote.
- The picture usually appears by itself within a few seconds. Turn the phone sideways to fill the screen.
- If nothing appears, try another HDMI input and another cable before blaming the adapter. A faulty HDMI input is more common than people expect.
5Fix the TV that never appears in the list
This is the most common wireless mirroring problem, and it is almost always the network, not the devices. Both have to be on the same Wi-Fi network and able to talk to each other, which not every network allows.
- Confirm the network name on both: on the phone under Settings > Wi-Fi, on the TV in the network settings. It has to be exactly the same name.
- If your router shows two networks with different names for 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz, put phone and TV on the same one. The TV is usually on the 2.4 GHz one.
- Turn mobile data off on the phone during the test. Some phones try to go out over the mobile network and stop seeing what is on Wi-Fi.
- Restart the TV by unplugging it for 30 seconds, and restart the router. That clears most cases of a device vanishing from the list.
- Confirm Bluetooth is on for the phone: some devices use Bluetooth to find the TV before connecting over Wi-Fi.
- On a hotel, office or university network, mirroring may be blocked by the network itself, which stops devices talking to each other. In that case, use a cable (Solution 4).
6Fix stuttering, lag or audio out of sync
Wireless mirroring sends the whole screen over the network in real time, and that demands a lot from Wi-Fi. Stuttering and lag are almost always symptoms of a congested or weak network, not a fault in the TV or the phone.
- Move the phone closer to the router and reduce obstacles between router, phone and TV. Thick walls and metal cabinets kill the signal.
- If your network has 5 GHz, put both devices on it. It is far better for mirroring than 2.4 GHz.
- Pause downloads, updates and other video playing around the house while mirroring.
- Close heavy apps on the phone and keep the screen on, so the system does not throttle performance.
- If the content is video and the app has a cast button, use Solution 1 instead of mirroring. The result is much better because the TV fetches the video itself.
- For gaming or a presentation where lag gets in the way, an HDMI cable is the only reliable answer (Solution 4).
7Sort out black bars, a cropped picture or no sound
Once the connection works, the picture and sound adjustments are what is left. These are different from connection problems and nearly all of them are fixed on the TV itself or by turning the phone.
- Black bars around the picture are normal in mirroring: the phone screen has a different shape from the TV. Turn the phone sideways and put the video full screen inside the app.
- If the picture is cropped at the sides, look in the TV's picture settings for the size or aspect option and switch to the one that shows the whole screen, usually called original, fit to screen or 16:9.
- No sound on the TV: check the TV volume, the phone volume and whether the phone's audio is going to a connected headset or Bluetooth speaker.
- In mirroring, audio usually follows to the TV automatically. If it stays on the phone, disconnect and connect again.
- Text too small in a presentation: increase the system font size on the phone before mirroring, under Settings > Display.
8Understand why some streaming apps go black
If everything works but the screen goes black as soon as you open a film or series app (sometimes with the sound still playing), nothing is broken. Those services apply content protection to the video, and that protection blocks screen capture and mirroring. It is a decision by the service, not a fault in the phone or the TV.
- Confirm the symptom: a black screen only inside that app, while the rest of the phone mirrors normally. That pattern is the signature of the block.
- The way out is the cast button inside the app itself (Solution 1): that route is allowed, because the TV receives the protected video straight from the internet.
- If the TV is a Google TV, Android TV or has a streaming device attached, install the service's app on the TV and sign in. That is the most stable route and the best quality.
- The same block usually applies to screen recording, and to cable output on some services. It is not a problem with your adapter.
- Do not go looking for an app or trick to get around the block: beyond not working reliably, it goes against the service's terms.
Applies to
| System | Status |
|---|---|
| Android 12 to 15 | Confirmed |
| Android 9 to 11 | Confirmed |
| Google TV, Android TV and Chromecast | Confirmed |
| TVs with the maker's own system | Most have mirroring under different names; the app's cast button may not work with them |
Menu names can change slightly between versions. If a step above does not match what you see on screen, the official support page from the manufacturer has the most current wording for your version.
Frequently asked questions
Last checked: Aug 7, 2026 · We review this guide whenever the manufacturer changes the process.