There are lots of reasons you might want to know how to screen mirror on Android. You could be screen mirroring for live streaming purposes, recording tutorials, monitoring your phone while filming, gaming or watching movies.
No matter what your purpose for Android screen mirroring is, there are different tools and options that will suit your needs.
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In this complete guide to Android screen sharing, we’ll cover the best ways to screen mirror for each of the different screen sharing purposes.
Whether you want to know how to screen mirror Android to PC, TV or even to Mac – this guide is for you.
Make sure you hang around for all the options so you know for sure you’re going with the best tool for you and your use case!
Here’s a rundown of what this guide will teach you:
- How To Screen Mirror With Reflector
- How To Screen Mirror With Windows Connect
- How To Screen Mirror With Chromecast
- How To Screen Mirror With HDMI Connection
Let’s get started.
How To Screen Mirror With Reflector
Option number 1 is a software called Reflector. It wirelessly shares your Android (or iPhone!) screen directly to your computer. It can be downloaded and installed on your PC or Mac.
Reflector is an awesome screen mirroring app that facilitates Android screen mirroring to Mac, PC and TV
Once you’ve got the Reflector app installed on your phone, you need to enable screen sharing. This process can be different depending on which Android device you’re using.
On most new devices, you can swipe down from the top and there should be a quick access setting for screen casting or screen mirroring. When you select that, you’ll see your computer appear as an available device.
Swipe down on your Android device and select the screen mirroring option
You might be prompted to enter a four-digit number from your computer screen as a security measure.
Then your phone will begin sharing it’s screen on your computer.
Reflector supports both portrait and landscape modes so simply rotate your phone and the screen will automatically adjust.
If you need a tool that doubles as an Android screen recorder, Reflector will do the job!
You can hit Record to create recordings of your phone screen. This makes Reflector an awesome option if you want to create tutorials or how-to videos on your phone.
There are heaps of customizable options as well so you can change these to suit your needs. You can adjust settings like video quality, resolution and frame rate.
There are lots of customization options in here that allow you to dial in your preferences
You can even connect your phone screen to live streaming software like OBS and Ecamm Live. So it’s a great option for live streaming purposes as well.
If you want to bring in and record multiple phone screens at once for any reason – Reflector also supports this.
And the final feature that we love (the cherry on top!) is that you can add a phone border around the screen mirror image. This makes it look like an actual phone is on the screen. It gives you a professional and polished look which is an awesome bonus.
You can even add a phone border around your screen mirror to give you a really polished look
The only downside to Reflector is that if you have a slow internet connection, you’ll get low quality video and even dropouts during your screen mirror.
But so long as you have a solid Wi-Fi connection, Reflector is an incredible option.
Reflector allows you to screen mirror your Android for pretty much every use case
Overall, this is an amazing screen mirroring app. Whether it’s for recording purposes, for live streaming, playing games or just to have a bigger screen – Reflector ticks all the boxes.
Reflector Pricing
You can start with a 7 day free trial before committing to a purchase. But keep in mind that this free trial is watermarked.
The Reflector screen mirroring app is US$17.99 for a Windows only license
After the trial, Reflector costs $17.99 for a Mac or Windows license. If you want it on both platforms, you can purchase the universal license to use on Mac and Windows for $19.99.
How To Screen Mirror With Windows Connect
Option two is Windows Connect. This is a free Windows computer software. It used to come pre-installed on all Windows computers but now it’s an optional free download.
Windows Connect is a great option if you’re wondering how to mirror Android screen to PC
First of all, check if you already have it installed on your Windows computer. Simply search in the Search panel for Windows Connect.
Don’t worry if you don’t have it installed – it’s an easy process. Open Settings and go to Apps. Under Apps & Features click on Optional features. Go to Add a feature, type in Wireless Display and press Install.
Inside Settings, select Apps and then Apps & Features to install Windows Connect
After it’s installed you should be able to search for Windows Connect and open the software that way.
Once it’s up and running, Windows Connect works pretty much the same as Reflector.
Once it’s installed, this is a really easy solution for Android screen mirroring to PC
On your phone, swipe down from the top and select the screen sharing or screen casting button. Then select your Windows computer.
Then your phone screen will appear on your computer.
Windows Connect will automatically switch between portrait and landscape mode when you rotate your phone.
Swipe down on your Android device and select the screen sharing option
However, there are no recording capabilities. If you do want to record your screen mirror, you would need to use a live streaming software as well.
To do this you could bring your phone into the live stream using Windows Connect as a video source and then use the live streaming software to record. But unfortunately you can’t do this using just Windows Connect.
If you want to screen record, you’ll need an additional tool such as live streaming software
There are no advanced settings you can customize. This tool simply displays your phone screen onto your computer screen.
One thing we noticed was that Windows Connect wouldn’t work with a Google Pixel running on the latest Android 12 operating system. Everything ran smoothly using Samsung devices though.
This is a great tool for Android screen mirroring to PC but make sure your device is compatible
This might have something to do with the latest version of Android. So it might be worth checking if your specific Android device is compatible with Windows Connect.
To sum up, if you simply want to share Android screen to PC (Windows), this could be a great free & easy option.
How To Screen Mirror With Chromecast Or Smart TV
Option three is a Chromecast or Smart TV.
Chromecast is an awesome option for Android screen mirroring to TV or monitor
A Chromecast is a HDMI dongle that you plug into the HDMI port on a TV or computer screen. It essentially gives you a lot of Smart TV capabilities.
Or if you have access to a Smart TV, most new ones already have this feature built in.
You can purchase a Chromecast on Amazon for around $20
Depending on your TV make and model, you may need to set up screen mirroring in the settings. But for the majority of TVs, this will already be enabled by default.
Make sure your phone and TV are connected to the same Wi-Fi network. Then swipe down on your Android device and select your screen mirroring or screen casting option. Choose your TV and then your phone screen will be displayed on the TV.
If you’re wondering how to mirror Android to TV – simply swipe down, tap screen share and then select your TV
This is a great option for screen mirroring Android to TV if you want to watch videos, share photos or play games on a bigger screen. If you’ve got a TV or computer monitor nearby when you’re filming with your smartphone, you can use this method to view your camera.
Because there’s no computer involved, this isn’t an option for live streaming or screen recording purposes.
This is a super easy solution if you want to share Android screen on TV
And like with the previous wireless options, if you have a bad Wi-Fi connection this will result in a low quality video.
Overall, this is great way to share your Android phone screen to a TV for purposes like watching movies or playing games but not for recording or live streaming.
How To Screen Mirror With HDMI Connection
Option four is to use a HDMI adaptor to directly connect your phone into a TV or computer screen.
This is another great option for screen mirroring Android to TV but this method isn’t wireless
In terms of an adapter, there are two options. You can purchase a USB C to HDMI adaptor. Or you can get a USB C hub which has a HDMI port and also a bunch of other ports that make it more useful.
Connect the HDMI adapter to your phone and then run a HDMI cable from the adapter to your TV or monitor. Then your phone will appear full screen on the bigger screen.
If you purchase a USB C hub, you’ll get a bunch of other useful ports as well
You can easily switch between portrait and landscape mode.
Because it’s directly connected, there won’t be any Wi-Fi interference or drop outs. You should have a really good quality image with next to no delays in the picture.
Because this option requires a cable connection, there’s no risk of drop outs or bad connection
A lot of Android devices will support HDMI capability but it may not work on older devices. So once again, make sure that your phone is compatible before going forward with this option.
Also be aware that this method will chew through your battery really quickly! So if you can, try and pick up an adapter that charges your phone at the same time.
It’s a great idea to get a HDMI adapter that charges your phone while screen mirroring
So this is a great option for playing games, watching movies and sharing photos. But if you want to screen mirror for live streaming or recording purposes, one of the other options would suit your needs better.
Now You Know How To Screen Mirror Android
There you have it – our complete guide to Android screen mirroring. Now you know all of the best tools and options that will allow you to Android screen share.
As we mentioned earlier, there are lots of different reasons you might want to know how to screen mirror Android devices. Depending on your specific use case, there are different options and tools that will suit your needs.
So now that you know the best ways to screen mirror, you can pick the method that’s right for you.
If you found our Android screen mirroring guide helpful, please share it on social media or with others who might like to learn more about how to screen share Android devices.
Links
When available, we use affiliate links and may earn a commission!
Software:
- Reflector
- Windows Connect (Find it on Windows search)
Hardware:
- Google Chromecast
- USB-C to HDMI adapter
- USB-C Hub
Recommended Gear & Resources
Check out an up-to-date list of all the gear, software & tools we use and recommend right now at Primal Video on our resources page here!
