As an owner of a smartphone and a TV, I’ve been frustrated at times when I’ve tried to connect the two. I’ve done some research and testing to try and find a solution, and I’m here to share what I’ve discovered and how I finally managed to connect my phone to my TV.
In this blog post, I’m going to explain how you can use your phone charger to connect to your TV, and what other solutions you can use if your charger doesn’t work.
The short answer is yes. You can connect your phone to your TV using your standard charging cable if your TV and your phone are compatible. Also, it’s entirely safe for you to try that if you can’t tell whether your devices are compatible.
| Solution | Compatibility Requirements | Steps |
|---|---|---|
| Phone Charger (USB) Connection | Compatible Android 4.1+ phone and compatible TV (e.g., Sony Bravia) | 1. Connect the phone to the TV using the USB port 2. Select “transfer files” on your phone 3. Browse files on your TV using the remote |
| HDMI Cable Connection (Android) | Android phone with USB-C charging port | 1. Connect USB-C to HDMI cable to the TV 2. Connect the other end to your phone 3. Select “transfer files” on your phone 4. Browse files on your TV using the remote |
| HDMI Cable Connection (iPhone) | iPhone and Apple USB-C adapter | 1. Connect HDMI cable to the TV 2. Connect the other end to the USB-C adapter 3. Connect the iPhone to the adapter using the standard charging cable 4. Select “transfer files” on your iPhone 5. Browse files on your TV using the remote |
Table of Contents
Connecting Your Phone to Your Smart TV
Connecting your phone to your smart TV is as simple as connecting it to your personal computer or laptop. However, there are a few conditions for that to happen.
- Your TV Must Be Compatible
At the time of writing this article, the only TV brand that reliably allows you to connect your phone to the TV is the Sony Bravia series.
With the constant advance in technology, you might just be able to do that with other TV brands. However, there’s no official list of smart TVs that can do that.
Keep in mind that it’s safe for you to attempt to connect your phone to the TV using the charging cable. Your phone may simply just charge or allow you to browse through your files.
- Your Phone Must Be Compatible
Once again, we’ve figured out that only Android phones are able to connect to the TV reliably. iOS and Windows phones aren’t able to connect to the TV using the charging cable.
However, you’ll need Android 4.1 or higher for your Android phone to connect to the TV. Luckily, this isn’t a hard requirement, but it’s worth mentioning nevertheless.
- Your Cable Should Be Working Fine
Charging cables sometimes get partially damaged. They still allow you to charge your phone without issues, but they won’t allow you to connect your phone to a PC or a laptop.
When you connect a faulty cable to a PC/laptop, it will show an error message that says: “USB device not recognized.”
So, before you assume that your phone and TV won’t connect, ensure there’s no problem with your cable by trying it on a computer.
How to Connect Your Phone to Your TV Using a Charger
We’ll assume that you checked all the boxes and that your TV and Android phone are compatible. Follow these steps to create the connection:
- Connect your phone to the TV using the USB port.
- Your phone will display a box that shows four different options.
- Among these options, select “transfer files.”
- Your phone should now display as icons or folders on your screen TV.
- Use your remote to navigate to the folders and the files you need.
Those were the simple steps, but what if your phone or TV don’t like each other? Don’t worry. There’s still a solution for that.
Connecting Your Phone To Your TV Using HDMI Cable
If your phone and TV aren’t compatible, you can use the HDMI port instead of the USB port since it’s much easier for the handshake to happen through the HDMI port.
If your phone is an android phone or any phone that uses a USB C to charge, then all you’ll need is a USB C to HDMI cable. Follow the exact same steps we mentioned earlier, but connect to your TV using an HDMI cable instead of the charging cable.
If you’re using an iPhone, then you’ll need an Apple USB-C adapter and an HDMI cable. The USB-C adapter could be a little confusing to some people, so we’ll walk you through it:
- Connect your HDMI cable to your TV using the proper port.
- Connect the other end of the HDMI cable to the USB-C adapter.
- Use your standard Apple charging cable to connect to the other end of the USB-C adapter.
- Select “transfer files” on your iPhone.
- Voila!
Final Words
So, can you use your phone charger to connect to TV? Yes, you can, but the devices need to be compatible. If so, then connect them normally as if you’re connecting your phone to a computer.
If your devices aren’t compatible, then you’ll need to use the HDMI cable and its port instead of the charging cable and its port.
If you own an iPhone, you’ll need an adapter to make this work. Either way, it’s possible to connect your phone to your TV at the end of the line.
Read more: Convert computer monitor to TV
