Screen mirroring is one of the most useful advancements in mobile phone technology. Unfortunately, though, your Samsung phone may sometimes struggle to screen mirror.
Not all Samsung phones can screen mirror, but if you have a newer model, check your device’s settings as well as the settings on your television. If your phone hasn’t downloaded the latest update, this can also prevent it from screen mirroring. If none of these solutions work, you may have to factory reset your device and soft reset your TV.
In this guide, we’ll quickly explain some common reasons why this problem happens and what to do when your Samsung phone won’t screen mirror with the TV.
Why Won’t Your Samsung Phone Mirror with the TV?
There are a handful of reasons why your Samsung phone won’t screen mirror with your television. Most of these problems can be easily fixed and won’t require much effort. If you’re struggling to connect, consider these possible issues:
- Your TV isn’t set up for screen mirroring.
- Your Samsung device doesn’t have screen mirroring capabilities.
- The phone needs to update.
- Your phone’s screen mirroring settings are turned off.
Keep in mind that not all Samsung devices can project to a separate screen. If you’re trying to connect through your television but cannot find your mobile phone, be sure that your device even has the capability.
Previously, older models could use the Samsung Smart View app to screen mirror, but the app was discontinued in 2020 in favor of built-in screen mirroring functions.
Additionally, if your television isn’t a Samsung or smart TV, it likely won’t have built-in screen mirroring features.
If not, you will have to invest in additional hardware, such as a Google Chromecast or Amazon Firestick to project onto your television.
What to Do if Your Samsung Phone Won’t Screen Mirror
If you’re certain that both your phone and television have screen mirroring features, but your phone refuses to connect, we recommend following these steps.
With a little patience, you’ll be screen mirroring in no time. If none of these solutions work, we recommend contacting Samsung’s customer support team for more help.
1. Check Your Phone’s Screen Mirroring Settings
If you’ve never screen mirrored before, there’s a chance that the settings are turned off. You can check and active that screen mirroring features by following these steps:
- Drag your finger down from the top of the screen to access the notifications bar.
- Tap “Screen Mirroring”. This feature may also appear as “Quick Connect” or “Smart View” depending on the model of your phone.
- Wait for your mobile device to scan for local receivers (Smart TVs, Chromecast, Firesticks, etc.). Once your phone registers a receiver, select it and wait for the devices to link.
- If your TV displays a PIN code, enter it into your Samsung device and click connect.
- Once the connection is established, your phone’s screen should appear on the TV.
If your phone does not pick up the receiver or the connection fails, you may have to update your device.
2. Check for Updates
If it’s been a while since you last updated your Samsung phone, you may need to download the latest software to initiate screen mirroring.
If your phone is out of date, the connection will likely fail, and you’ll receive an error screen. We recommend checking for updates using these steps:
- Navigate to the Settings tab on your mobile device.
- Scroll down and find the “Software Update” option.
- If your device is out of date, it will show the latest software updates. Click “Download and install” to initiate the download.
- We recommend activating automatic downloads, so your phone is always up-to-date. You can find this option in the same Settings tab.
If you are using a Samsung smart TV, you may also have to update its software. Follow the same steps to check for possible updates and proceed with the download before trying to screen mirror your phone.
3. Soft Reset your TV
Your phone might not be the issue in some cases. Since screen mirroring is the communication between your phone and the TV, let’s try to do a soft reset and see if it fixes the issue with the screen mirroring.
- Disconnect your TV from the power source.
- Wait for about 1 minute.
- Plug the TV back in.
After you have done that, allow your TV a few minutes to reset itself, then turn it on and see if your phone will connect to your TV.
4. Turn your Phone Off/On
Before we get to a more drastic measure, which is factory resetting your phone, let’s first try to simply power it off, wait for a few minutes, and then power it back on.
If there were some software misconfigurations which were preventing your phone from screen mirroring, they should be now gone.
5. Factory Reset Your Phone
If your phone still won’t screen mirror after updating both devices, you may have to factory reset your phone. This will restore it to its original settings and remove any possible bugs. To perform a factory reset, follow these steps:
- From the Settings tab, scroll down to the “Factory data reset” option.
- You may want to back up your device before completing the reset, or you may lose data.
- Once you’re ready to complete the reset, click and confirm the option and wait for your device to reload.
- From the settings menu, double-check that you’ve initiated screen mirroring, and then connect to your television.
If your phone and television still refuse to pair, contact Samsung’s customer support team for further assistance.
Concluding Advice
If you’re struggling to screen mirror your Samsung phone and TV, be sure that both devices can pair, update your software, and then try again. At worst, you may have to reset your phone.
For more assistance, contact Samsung directly to speak with customer support.
I’ve been working with technology in one way or the other all my life. After graduating from university, I worked as a sales consultant for Verizon for a few years. Now I am a technical support engineer by day and write articles on my own blog here in my spare time to help others if they have any issues with their devices.
