Samsung phones used to be able to connect to a TV using an MHL cable You would plug one end in to your phone and the other in to the TV. This allowed users to mirror content from their phone screens on the larger display. For example, you could screenshare photos, videos and more on the TV just by using this cable.

When Samsung released their Galaxy S4, they also dropped support for the MHL cable. Fortunately, most newer versions of Samsung phones include Miracast technology built right in to them. This allows users to wirelessly mirror their phone’s content on a TV.

The TV itself needs the capability of receiving the wireless signal from your phone. A handful of newer TVs have this capability built-in. However, for most TVs you simply need to get a wireless display adapter.

What is a Wireless Display Adapter?

A wireless display adapter is a device that allows you to display the content from your mobile device on a TV. Sometimes you’ll see this device called a “wireless display receiver.” It “receives” the data signal from your mobile device and displays it on the TV.

The adapter is typically a small device that connects to your TV through an available HDMI port. It “pairs” with your mobile device using a technology like Miracast to beam your phone screen content to the TV screen.

Miracast is the wireless display technology that is built in to most newer Samsung phones. One example of a wireless display adapter that works with Miracast technology is ScreenBeam Mini2.

How to Set Up a Wireless Display Adapter

Each wireless display adapter may have a slightly different setup. Below we’ll describe the steps required to connect newer Samsung phones to a TV using the ScreenBeam Mini2 wireless display adapter. This particular device comes with a Receiver, a USB power cord, and a Quick Start Guide. To use this device, your TV will need to have an available HDMI port and an available USB port*.

1. First, plug the small end of the USB cable into the wireless display adapter.
2. Plug the adapter into an HDMI port on your TV.
3. Next, connect the large end of the USB cable to a USB port* on your TV. This supplies power to the wireless display adapter.
4. Turn on the TV and select the input source until you see “Ready to Connect.”
5. On your Samsung phone, open the Wireless Display Application. This may be in your Settings. The name of this application may be different depending on which device you are using.
6. Select ScreenBeam from the list of available Receivers.
7. If prompted for a pin, enter the pin code that displays on your TV.

That’s it! You should be connected and ready to start mirroring your Samsung phone screen to your TV.

* If a USB port is not available on your TV, alternatively you can plug the power cord into an outlet using a spare power adapter.