Connecting a telephone to your Television receiver isn't equally simple every bit you might retrieve. Whether you lot desire to bask Netflix, share photos, or utilise information technology for dwelling working, hooking up a cablevision between your phone and Television receiver can exist tricky.

But it's not impossible---it's all a matter of selecting the correct cablevision.

Hither's what you need to know almost how to connect an Android or iOS phone or tablet to a Tv set using a USB cable.

Why Utilise USB to Connect Phones, Tablets, and TVs?

With the ease and prevalence of casting to mirror a phone screen wirelessly, you might be curious why y'all should use a USB to TV connectedness for your phone.

If you claw a phone to your TV with a hardwired connection, you benefit from a depression-latency indicate.

For example, if you plan to mirror your phone to a idiot box for gaming, you'll want a USB connection rather than a wireless configuration. This vastly reduces lag. The same goes for watching movies on a Television set over a USB cablevision from the phone.

Plus, for situations where you lack Wi-Fi or have a weak wireless signal, you'll need a wired connection instead.

To connect your phone or tablet to a Telly, you can employ one of the following methods:

  • Android:
    • USB-C cable with DisplayPort
    • USB cable with MHL (Mobile Loftier-Definition Link)
    • USB cable with SlimPort
  • iPhone/iPad
    • Lightning cablevision (iPhone and iPad)

How you connect your phone to the Television receiver depends on your specific device and operating arrangement. Although all methods are like, the process differs for connecting an iPhone versus an Android device.

Similarly, your connection method varies depending on your needs. But viewing photos on a compatible television requires your charging cablevision and mobile device. But for screen mirroring, you'll need a USB adapter.

Notation that for USB connections between a telephone and Television, the model of TV shouldn't matter, nonetheless. The steps below outlining how to connect your phone to a TV apply to Samsung, LG, and many other manufacturers. Better notwithstanding, the same steps tin exist used to connect a phone to non-smart TV. (What is a dumb Tv set?)

How to Connect Android Phones and Tablets to TVs With USB

You lot take 2 options for connecting Android phones and tablets to your Telly:

  1. USB-C cable with DisplayPort support
  2. USB cable with MHL
  3. USB cable with Slimport

We'll look at each below.

1. Connect Your Phone to an HDMI Idiot box Using USB Type-C

The virtually recent Android smartphones feature a USB Type-C port. Also known as USB-C, this is a cylinder-shaped input that replaces micro-USB and is used for charging and data transfer.

Including support for the DisplayPort standard, it enables USB-C to HDMI screen mirroring of your phone or tablet's brandish to a Television receiver.

Simply connect the USB-C cable to Android, and so connect this to a suitable docking station with HDMI out or a USB-C to HDMI adaptor.

ii. Connecting Phone to TV Using USB With MHL

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

Y'all tin scan a list of MHL-enabled devices on the official MHL website.

To use Mobile High-Definition Link, you will need

  • MHL-enabled telephone
  • USB to HDMI MHL adapter or cable
  • HDMI cablevision
  • Power cablevision

Although this is the general setup, the specific cable you'll demand varies. Google MHL cable [your device name] to discover a listing of compatible cables.

To connect your phone to a Television using a USB cablevision and MHL, first hook upwards your phone via an MHL adapter. The adapter will require power either from a USB port on the cable or an external source.

Although MHL initially required a power connection, MHL two.0 makes this not-essential. Still, since MHL does draw power from the mobile device, information technology'southward wise to connect a power cable.

Side by side, connect your phone to your television with the MHL cablevision. After that, yous should see your phone screen on your TV; it's plug-and-play.

Overall, Mobile High-Definition Link is 1 of the best solutions for connecting an Android telephone to a Idiot box using a USB cablevision.

iii. Connecting a Phone to Television receiver Using USB SlimPort

If y'all take an older telephone, you might connect your phone to a Television with a SlimPort cable. While similar to MHL, SlimPort offers different outputs, merely uses the micro-USB connection.

Whereas MHL is limited to HDMI, SlimPort outputs to HDMI, DVI, DisplayPort, and VGA. This makes information technology better suited to a multifariousness of displays, including older monitors and TVs with no digital inputs.

Dissimilar MHL, SlimPort does not draw power from mobile devices.

You'll need the following to connect a phone to your Television set using a SlimPort adapter:

  • SlimPort-compatible phone (SlimPort's list of supported devices)
  • A micro-USB SlimPort cable or adapter
  • Appropriate video cable for your display (HDMI, DVI, DisplayPort, or VGA)

Begin by plugging the SlimPort adapter into your phone. Then, attach the SlimPort adapter to your display using the proper cablevision. You should then be able to view your phone'due south screen on a Boob tube. Like MHL, information technology'southward plug-and-play.

4. How to Connect Your Phone to the Television receiver with USB But Without HDMI

What if the Telly you want to connect your phone to doesn't take HDMI? It is still possible to connect an Android phone to an old display, but you lot'll need dedicated adapters to switch formats and perhaps concatenation them together.

  • USB to VGA Adapter: To connect your phone to a VGA TV or display, you'll need just a USB to VGA adapter.
  • Telephone to RCA AV: For RCA connections (red, white, and yellowish) you'll demand a HDMI to RCA adapter along with the USB to HDMI converter mentioned in #i to a higher place. The connection should be chained: phone > USB Port to HDMI adapter > HDMI to RCA adapter > RCA to Television set.
  • Phone to SCART: Connecting your phone to a SCART TV also requires a dedicated HDMI to SCART adapter along with a USB to HDMI adapter. Concatenation the connection as follows: telephone > USB to HDMI adapter > HDMI to SCART adapter > SCART to Television set.

Tin can You Connect an iPhone or iPad to TV With USB?

Wondering how to connect an iPhone to your tv set with USB? Sadly, this isn't possible. Equally iPhones and iPads don't have USB, y'all can't use this as a connexion method. But yous tin connect iOS devices to a TV using a cable.

If you lot ain an iPhone v or newer, information technology will have a Lightning connector. To connect your iPhone to a TV y'all'll demand the Lightning digital AV adapter for HDMI outputs, or the Lightning to VGA adapter if you accept an older VGA display. Buy the cable that fits your TV and phone. Older iOS devices with the old 30-pin port instead use the xxx-pin VGA adapter.

You tin can connect an iPad to your Tv through the same means. Over again, yous'll most likely demand a Lightning cablevision for this. Merely the iPad 3 and before apply a 30-pivot cable. All other iPads, including every iPad Mini and iPad Pro, use a Lightning cablevision.

Once you've plugged in your adapter, only hook up the video output to your brandish. Then, your phone screen will mirror to the Goggle box. Apple's official Lightning adapters contain an boosted Lightning port for charging while viewing content on a second screen.

How to Transfer Files From Phone to TV Using USB

While the most common use example for connecting a phone to a Tv set using USB is for screen mirroring, at that place'southward some other option. Instead of screen mirroring, you tin can connect it as a storage device for viewing pictures and videos on your TV.

However, this volition require a compatible monitor, TV, or projector. Nearly mod displays should take USB storage.

Of the various USB to Goggle box connexion options, this is the easiest. Since it simply requires a telephone, USB cable, and Television receiver with a USB input, information technology's simple to set up. Which specific cable you lot need depends on your phone.

On an iPhone or iPad, use a Lightning cable (or xxx-pin for older devices). Alternately, Android users need a micro-USB or USB-C cable. The USB cablevision that came with your phone or tablet should piece of work fine.

USB to TV: Connecting to View Photos

Modern Android devices don't support USB Mass Storage, so your TV won't view your device as a true external drive.

This assumes that your TV or monitor features a USB input capable of displaying files from a connected storage device.

Merely connect your cable to your telephone, then to the Boob tube. With the standard USB stop of the cablevision connected to your display, change the input on your Television set to USB.

On Android, it's likely you'll need to change your USB settings to Transfer files or Transfer photos (PTP). To do this, drag down your notifications from the pinnacle of the screen when connected. In the menu, tap the USB is charging this device notification to change it.

Exist aware that this doesn't work with all TVs. In some cases, the USB ports are purely for firmware updates.

How to Connect a Samsung Phone to a Television receiver With USB and DeX

Among the well-nigh popular Android devices available, you'll notice Samsung flagship handsets. These feature connectivity with televisions and monitors. For pure screen mirroring, you'll need a USB-C to HDMI cablevision.

To connect a Samsung Galaxy S8/S8+/Note 8 and later (including the Samsung Galaxy S21 range) to your Idiot box, merely hook up a USB-C to HDMI adapter. Plug the USB-C male into the USB-C charging port on your Samsung Milky way device. Then run the HDMI cable into your Boob tube.

Even so, Samsung Galaxy S8, S9, and Note 8/9 devices also include DeX. Bridging the gap between mobile and desktop, DeX offers a desktop experience run from your handset. You tin run all the aforementioned Android apps, however, admission your phone's gallery, and basically get everything on the big screen.

Samsung DeX advanced settings

Since this is proprietary technology, the method for connecting a DeX-enabled Samsung phone to a TV differs from standard hook-ups. In some cases, yous'll need a dock to utilize DeX. In others (such every bit the recent Galaxy Notation phones) you lot tin use a USB-C to HDMI cable, which is more useful than a defended dock.

If using a dock, yous volition also need a power cable for powering the dock and charging your device. Learn more than in our guide to using your phone as a PC with Samsung DeX.

Connect Phones, Tablets, and TVs With USB: Success!

Knowing how to connect a mobile to a TV via the USB cablevision is useful when in that location is no wireless connection available. While a USB to TV connection varies by device, connection type, and brandish inputs, it's thankfully simple to prepare upwards. Even so, don't forget that wireless casting is commonly more user-friendly.

Regardless of whether yous're using an Android, iPhone, or a Samsung device running DeX, there's a way to connect your telephone or tablet to a Telly for viewing on a larger screen.