How to Connect Any Phone or Tablet to Your TV Using USB

Yes and no. It depends entirely on what model of iPad and iPhone you have.

• The iPhone 3 to iPhone 14, as well as the iPad Mini and iPad Pro, will have a Lightning connector, so you’ll want a Lightning digital AV adapter for HDMI outputs or the Lightning to VGA adapter if you have an older VGA display.
• Starting with the iPhone 15 or newer and the M1 iPad Pro, it will be USB-C, so a USB-C to HDMI adapter is in order.
• Then there are the older iOS devices, like the iPad 3 and earlier, with 30-pin ports, which require a 30-pin VGA adapter to connect with a display.

Once you’ve plugged in your adapter, simply hook up the video output to your display. Then, your phone screen will mirror the TV. Apple’s official Lightning adapters contain an additional 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 way to connect a phone to a TV using USB is for screen mirroring, there’s another option. Instead of screen mirroring, you can connect it as a storage device for viewing pictures and videos on your TV. However, this will require a compatible monitor, TV, or projector. Most modern displays should accept USB storage.

Of the various USB-to-TV connection options, this is the easiest. Since it only requires a phone, USB cable, and TV with a USB input, it’s simple to set up. Which specific cable you need depends on your phone.

On an iPhone or iPad, use a Lightning cable (or 30-pin for older devices) or USB-C for newer models. Alternately, Android users need a micro-USB or USB-C cable. The USB cable that came with your phone or tablet should 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.

Simply connect your cable to your phone, then to the TV. With the standard USB end of the cable connected to your display, change the input on your TV to USB.

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

Be 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 TV With USB and DeX

Samsung’s flagship handsets are among the most popular Android devices, making connecting your Samsung television, monitor, and smartphone incredibly simple. For pure screen mirroring, you’ll need a USB-C to HDMI cable.

To connect a Samsung Galaxy S, Note, or Fold to your TV, hook up a USB-C to HDMI adapter. Plug the USB-C male into the USB-C charging port on your Samsung Galaxy device. Then run the HDMI cable into your TV.

However, most modern Samsung devices also support DeX, offering a desktop experience running on your handset to bridge the gap between mobile and desktop. You can run all the same Android apps; however, you can access your phone’s gallery and basically get everything on the big screen. You’re basically using your Samsung device as a PC with any compatible TV or monitor.

Since this is proprietary technology, the method for connecting a DeX-enabled Samsung phone to a TV differs from standard hookups. In some cases, you’ll need a dock to use DeX. In others (such as the recent Galaxy Note phones), you can use a USB-C to HDMI cable, which is more useful than a dedicated dock. However, note that if you’re using a dock, you will also need a power cable to power the dock and charge your device.

Knowing how to connect a mobile device to a TV via a USB cable is useful when no wireless connection is available. While a USB to TV connection varies by device, connection type, and display inputs, it’s thankfully simple to set up. However, don’t forget that wireless casting is usually more convenient.