Here’s the deal: If you don’t have a Samsung phone, the best thing to do is go into screen mirroring options for other Androids later. Screen mirroring, or screencasting is pretty much exactly what it sounds like; it turns your TV into a second screen for your Android phone. Nifty, right? This kind of feature lets users see what’s on the screen of their Android devices on a much bigger screen. So, if you want to watch a YouTube video, a Netflix series, or a Hulu film on your Vizio TV via your Android device, then this is the way to go. Still… There are no perfect features. And this Vizio TV feature can still use some improvement, but the problems you might experience with this TV can be solved with simple solutions. If the screen mirroring doesn’t work exactly as planned, you have some troubleshooting options. Now, we know that you might not know exactly how to proceed, so to help you with troubleshooting the Vizio screen mirroring on your TV, we have created a step by step tutorial. So, let’s get to it. See also: How will YouTube TV Work on Android
Checking if Your Vizio TV has Vizio Screen Mirroring
Unless your Vizio TV is described as a “Smart TV,” there’s a good chance it doesn’t have full screen mirroring. Some Vizio models have limited screencasting with video services like YouTube and Netflix, and you aren’t going to get the full screen mirroring experience. It’s still possible to use additional methods to get full screen mirroring on almost any modern TV, but this isn’t because the TV has the features installed. If your Vizio has Smart TV features, it’s almost guaranteed that screen mirroring, or some form of screencasting, is included in the package.
Troubleshooting Vizio TV Screen Mirroring
Once you know that your TV supports screen mirroring, and you’re finding that it isn’t working, there’s a problem there to troubleshoot. The first step is figuring out if mirroring is possible with your TV, which makes the next step figuring out if it’s possible with your phone.
1. Enable all Necessary Settings
Before you can start screen mirroring there are a few settings that need to be enabled; otherwise, you can’t connect to your TV wirelessly. Wi-fi needs to be turned on, and both your phone and your TV need to be connected to the same network. Wireless functions need to be enabled on both devices, but these will most likely be on by default.
2. Testing Your Phone
If you’re using a Samsung phone above Android 4.4 then screen mirroring is already built into your device. On other Android phones, there’s a limited screencasting system that I mentioned earlier. To test Samsung phones first, open your Settings. Now from the Connections menu, go down to Connect and Share. Under that, you’ll see Screen Mirroring as an option. Give it a tap so you can start looking for your TV type. If your TV isn’t listed under the option, make sure your TV is turned on and you’ve hit the source button to put it in a state where you’re ready to connect. If you haven’t, you still can now in this step. If you don’t see a TV to connect to there are a few things to do with your phone before you move onto the next step:
Try a soft reset. Turn your phone off, and then on again after a minute of waiting with it off.Disable, and then enable wi-fi and mobile data.Make sure both your phone and TV are connected to the same wi-fi network.Access screen mirroring from the quick menu instead of settings by using two fingers pulled slightly apart from the top of the screen.Update your phone to its latest firmware version.
After following these steps if you still can’t connect to your TV, it’s time to test your TV to get to the bottom of the problem.
3. Testing Your TV
Now that you’re this far along with troubleshooting, let’s separate this step into two different sections. First, if your TV doesn’t show up as an option for connection. (Normally, when you try to use screen mirroring on a phone like the galaxy S6, your TV will show up when you pick the option on your phone.) If it doesn’t:
Make sure your TV is connected over the same wi-fi network as your phone.If your remote has a source button, use it and navigate to screen mirroring.Reset your TV by turning it off and on again.Switch the network so that both your TV and phone are on to a different one.Reset the router for your wi-fi network.
If the option to connect to your TV does show up, but it doesn’t work because either the connection itself won’t start, or nothing but a black screen shows up, then this isn’t a problem you can easily troubleshoot. In cases like this, it’s easier to invest in a secondary screen mirroring or screencasting method I’ll mention below.
Alternative Screen Mirroring and Screencasting Methods
If you can’t use screen mirroring or screencasting with your current setup either because of your phone or your TV, you can still use similar features. If you’ve never heard of Chromecast before, now’s the time to learn and start taking advantage of it. All you need is an extra device, and a good wi-fi network to start casting/mirroring your screen just as easily as you can on a Samsung device with a smart TV. The best part here is that you don’t need a smart TV to use Chromecast, just a TV compatible with the device, which most modern TV’s are. While Chromecast is a great option for phones that can’t normally use screen mirroring, it doubles as a great solution to screen mirroring problems. Chromecast isn’t just a one-trick pony either, take a look at some of the best apps for it out there. I highly recommend Chromecast to anyone having trouble with screen mirroring, or if you just want less hassle with the process in general. Chromecast is essentially plug and play, and inexpensive, so there’s no reason not to try it.
Final Thoughts
Screen mirroring is a great way to see anything you’re doing on your phone spotlighted bigger and better up on your TV. Thankfully, it is available on most Android phones with almost any TV brand, sometimes with the addition of Chromecast or another device. If you need any additional help with screen mirroring on Vizio TV’s or any TV, please ask any questions down below.
