Mastering Screen Mirroring: A Guide to Connecting Your Android Phone to Roku

Owning a Roku TV or streaming device comes with the fantastic advantage of seamless integration with your other technological gadgets. While the convenience of having streaming applications just a click away is beneficial, controlling your TV through a smart speaker or smartphone is equally impressive. One standout feature is the ability to mirror your smartphone’s screen onto your TV. This functionality is particularly useful for enjoying local media or sharing holiday photos on a larger display, as well as for professional use in presentations or video conferences.

Connecting your Android phone to a Roku device is quite straightforward, provided both devices are compatible with the Miracast protocol. This feature, along with the option to use personal headphones, makes Roku appealing amidst recent ownership transitions. Although most Roku devices support screen mirroring, some Android devices may not support Miracast directly. Notably, Google Pixel phones rely on Google Cast and DIAL protocols, excluding Miracast capabilities. However, you can still cast certain apps such as YouTube or Netflix that are compatible.

In the following sections, we’ll explain how to mirror your screen using popular Android devices, especially Samsung Galaxy smartphones and tablets. Different brands may label their mirroring features differently. For instance, LG has a feature called Screen Share, while OnePlus refers to it as Screen Projection. Unfortunately, if you own a Google Pixel phone, you will not be able to mirror to Roku due to the lack of Miracast support.

Additionally, we will provide solutions for minor issues that may arise during the casting process and explore features that enhance functionality, especially for devices that offer full desktop modes with an external display on Android.

To start, navigate to the settings menu on your Roku, found in the left-hand text menu from the home screen. Scroll to select System > Screen mirroring > Screen mirroring mode. You can choose to allow screen mirroring permanently or prompt each time—choose the first option only if your Wi-Fi is secure. Ensure that your smartphone is connected to the same network as your Roku device.

For Samsung Galaxy users, mirroring is a breeze with just a few gestures (for other brands, refer to their user manual). Swipe down from the top right of your phone’s display to access the quick settings menu, then choose Smart View. Alternatively, you can go to Settings > Connected Devices > Smart View. This will prompt the phone to search for nearby wireless displays. Once your Roku appears, select it and hit Start Now to confirm. Other brands should have comparable options in their quick settings as well.

While mirroring, a Smart View icon will appear on your phone’s screen, and tapping on it will show a context menu. If you wish to only mirror content from a specific app, like Netflix, and prefer not to display notifications, select “Cast Netflix Only.” This option allows you to browse your phone without interruptions while keeping the mirrored content confined to the selected app. If the video appears letterboxed on your TV, tap on the Smart View icon once again and select Change Aspect Ratio.

If audio from your selected video isn’t playing, and you’ve confirmed that the volumes on both devices are up, swipe into quick settings and tap Media Output from the media tile to ensure that your Roku is selected as the output device.

Samsung Galaxy smartphones feature a popular capability known as DeX, transforming the Android interface into a desktop-like experience. The phone serves as both a touchpad and keyboard within this environment (you will see an icon indicating DeX is active in the corner), or a Bluetooth mouse and keyboard can also be connected. Currently, DeX activates when the phone is attached to an external display, but it can also be initiated with a wireless display like Roku.

To engage DeX on Roku, swipe down from the top right to access quick settings, tapping the Wireless DeX toggle. Alternatively, navigate to Settings > Connected Devices > Samsung DeX > Connect Wirelessly. The phone will scan for available displays, which may take a moment. Once your Roku appears, select it and hit Start Now to initiate DeX wirelessly on the screen.

Based on our experience, there may be noticeable lag when using DeX wirelessly. If you encounter delays, switching your TV’s picture mode to gaming can enhance responsiveness.