How to Cast Phone to TV Without Wi-Fi

I don’t have a WiFi router at home as I’ve got an unlimited internet plan on my android smartphone. I usually download movies, and shows, and stream videos on the YouTube app on my phone. However, I wasn’t able to cast my phone and enjoy watching my favorite content on the big screen of my old Samsung HD Ready LED TV.

Unsure if there is a way to cast my phone to TV without WiFi, I decided to hit Google and clicked on the first few websites that popped up. After an hour of reading through websites, community forums, and watching videos, I came across relevant discussion threads where folks suggested getting a cheap router.

I finally cast my phone to TV without getting a router and also found the best way to cast the phone wirelessly without WiFi in no time. Here’s how:

To cast the phone to your TV without WiFi, connect both devices via an HDMI cable. Use Lightning to HDMI Digital AV Adapter for iPhone and USB Type-C to HDMI Adapter for Android smartphones. Switch to the correct HDMI input to start casting.

Cast Your iPhone To The TV Without WiFi

Major streaming devices such as Roku, Fire TV Stick, and gaming consoles including PlayStation and Xbox are connected to Smart TVs through an HDMI cable.

Though you can’t directly connect your iPhone to the TV, it can still be done via Lightning to HDMI Digital AV Adapter. The adapter is available at a reasonable price on Amazon. Ensure that you get an Apple-Certified adapter to avoid compatibility issues while casting.

Follow this guide to cast your iPhone to the TV:

Connect one side of the lightning to HDMI Digital AV Adapter to your iPhone and another side to the HDMI cable
Plug the other side of the HDMI cable into the HDMI port of your TV. Most modern Smart TVs from popular brands including Samsung, LG, Roku, Toshiba, and Vizio have multiple HDMI ports installed
Check the HDMI port you’re using to connect the cable whether it’s HDMI 1, HDMI 2, or any other
Once the connection is set up, you can turn on the TV if it’s off and switch the input source to the specific HDMI input that you just selected
You should be able to see the casted iPhone screen on your TV

Cast Your Android Phone To The TV Without WiFi

Similar to the Lightning to HDMI Adapter, the USB Type-C to HDMI Adapter is compatible with Android smartphones. The adapter allows you to connect and cast your Android device to the Smart TV without a WiFi connection.

Here’s how to connect your Android phone to the Smart TV via HDMI cable:

Connect one side of the USB Type-C to HDMI Adapter to your Android smartphone and the other end to the HDMI port of your TV
Note that to cast your Android phone to the TV, you need to enable the USB debugging feature. If USB debugging isn’t turned on, your phone might only get charged through the HDMI connection without casting anything
Check for connection settings in the notification bar of your smartphone after connecting it to the TV and make sure that you turn on USB debugging
On most Smart TVs you should be able to directly see the casted phone screen on the TV. However, if it’s not visible, just select the correct HDMI input and the casting should start on your TV screen

Note that an HDMI adapter is usually compatible with all your phone’s photos, videos, YouTube, and other content available offline on your phone. However, it does not support apps that have content with HDCP copyright protection including Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime Video, etc.

Use Miracast To Cast Your Phone To TV Without WiFi

Most modern Smart TVs have a built-in screen mirroring feature with different names such as SmartShare, Screen Mirroring, Miracast, etc. This feature is based on WiFi direct technology that doesn’t require an external WiFi network to pair your phone and TV.

If your TV has a screen mirroring feature, you can easily cast your phone to it. Here’s how:

Check your TV’s list of apps to locate the screen mirroring feature
Launch the screen mirroring app based on your TV model
Now open the default screen mirroring feature on your phone such as Smart View for Samsung smartphones
Wait for it to search and show your TV’s name in the available device list
As the name appears, tap on it and wait for your phone to connect to your TV
Once the connection is successful, your phone’s screen should directly start coming up on your TV

Bonus Tip: Use An External Wireless Display Adapter To Cast Your Phone To TV Without WiFi

In case you’re using an old HDTV or your Smart TV doesn’t have a pre-installed Miracast feature, you can buy a Wireless Display Adapter to cast your Phone to TV without WiFi. The adapter enables your TV with Miracast technology and allows you to cast your phone/tablet directly to the TV.

A wireless screen mirroring adapter is most useful for older TVs that don’t support the WiFi direct technology allowing users to connect the phone directly without requiring an external WiFi connection.

Here’s how to connect your phone to TV via an External Display Adapter:

Plug the adapter into an HDMI port of your TV
Now simply open the default screen mirroring feature of your smartphone. Note that the name of this feature may vary based on your smartphone manufacturer. Some examples are Smart View, Screencast, SmartShare, etc.
Find the wireless display name in the list of available devices and tap on it
Once the connection is successful, your phone screen should start coming up on the TV

Start Casting, Right Away

Most screen mirroring or casting applications or features may require you to connect both the TV and smartphone to the same WiFi network.

In case you don’t have a WiFi network connection available and still want to cast your smartphone to the TV, the best way is to opt for a wired connection.

Using a Lightning to HDMI or Type-C to HDMI adapter can help connect your phone to the TV via an HDMI connection. When switched to the correct input, your TV should start showing the casted screen.

To eliminate wired connection, most Smart TVs nowadays are equipped with a built-in screen mirroring feature. This feature allows a direct connection with phones without requiring an external WiFi connection.

Simply launch the mirroring feature on your TV and the default screen sharing feature on your smartphone. Once your device finds your TV, it can directly be cast on the TV screen.

The best way to wirelessly cast your phone screen to an HDTV or a TV that doesn’t have a built-in screen mirroring feature is by using a Wireless Display Adapter. The device enables screen mirroring on a TV and allows connecting to the phone via WiFi direct.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it possible to cast my phone to TV without WiFi?

There are several ways in which you can cast your phone to TV without WiFi. The easiest way is to use a Lightning to HDMI adapter for iPhone or a USB Type-C to HDMI Adapter for android smartphones. Simply connect the HDMI cable to the adapter and plug the other side into the HDMI port of your TV. A wireless alternative is to use the default screen mirroring feature on your TV and connect it via SmartView or Screencast feature available on your smartphone. If your TV doesn’t have a screen mirroring feature, use a wireless display adapter to easily cast your phone.

How does Miracast work on TV?

Miracast is based on WiFi direct technology that allows direct connection between your phone and TV without requiring an external WiFi connection. Miracast allows users to easily and wirelessly stream multimedia including high resolution photos and high definition videos from their phone to TV. Most modern Smart TVs are equipped with a default screen mirroring feature that doesn’t require you to connect to an external WiFI network for screen sharing.

Does my Roku device support screen mirroring?

Most current generation Roku streaming players and Roku TVs support screen mirroring with the exceptions listed below. To find the model of your Roku device, navigate to Settings > System > About section of the Roku.

To help you confirm, here’s a list of Roku devices that allow screen mirroring:

Roku Express: Screen mirroring is only supported on model 3900 (introduced in 2017), and not on model 3700
Roku Express+: Screen mirroring is only supported on model 3910 (introduced in 2017), and not on model 3710. With model 3910, screen mirroring is only supported on HDMI, and not on the composite, or A/V output

If my TV doesn’t have a screen mirroring feature, can I still cast my phone to it wirelessly?

It’s possible to enable screen mirroring on your TV by using a wireless display adapter available on Amazon. This adapter can be plugged into the HDMI port of your TV. Switch to the correct HDMI cable and simply turn on the screen sharing feature of your smartphone. In the list of available devices, the adapter name should appear. Tap on it and wait for your phone screen to appear on the TV.