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A few months ago, I decided to invest in a Samsung smart TV. I was really looking forward to this purchase, however, I only had one concern.
That was whether I will be able to mirror media on the TV using my iPhone or not.
I know Samsung TVs are compatible with Android phones but was not sure about the Android compatibility.
That is when I started doing some research online.
After going through a few blogs and videos, I realized that technology today is improving at a much faster rate than ever before, and the same can be said about televisions.
What was once considered devices that could capture radio waves and display content for you to watch, can now do so much more.
Keeping the innovation and the need of the era in mind, Samsung does offer features compatible with iPhone.
I was surprised to know that you can even use iPhone as a remote for Samsung TV.
Connecting your smartphone to your television lets you do a lot of things including mirror your smartphone screen, view multimedia files such as pictures and videos stored on your smartphone, or simply just charge your smartphone.
To connect your iPhone to your Samsung TV via USB, all you have to do is find the USB port located on the back panel of your television and connect your phone to the port using a USB to Lightning cable.
In this article we will not only look at how to connect your iPhone to your Samsung TV via USB but also how to connect the devices using other techniques and what this connection can be used for.
Locate the USB Port on Your Samsung TV
The first thing you need to do to connect your iPhone to your Samsung TV is to locate the (Universal Serial Bus) USB port.
The USB port can be found on the back panel of your television.
USB ports are easy to identify, they are just plain rectangular ports, similar to the ones on the back of your iPhone charger.
Make sure you don’t confuse the HDMI port for the USB port, as trying to forcefully connect the cable to the HDMI port will cause irreparable damage to the port.
USB to Lightning Cables
iPhones use lightning cables for charging that are proprietary to Apple.
These cables come with your smartphone’s box (in the case of newer models, they have to be purchased separately).
Once you connect the lightning side to your iPhone and the USB side to your television, your iPhone will successfully connect to the television.
After completing this step, you will be able to stream media from your iPhone to your TV.
Does Samsung TV Support USB to Lightning?
Since Samsung TVs come with USB ports, they do support any kinds of conversion to USB such as lightning to USB, micro USB to USB, USB to USB, and so on.
The only requirement is to have a suitable cable that can perform the required conversion.
Use Samsung’s TV File Explorer to View Files on Your iPhone
Most of the Samsung TVs that come with a USB port also accept USB storage and come with their own, albeit minimal, storage capacity.
Once you have connected your iPhone to your Samsung TV, a notification pops up on the screen telling you that you have successfully connected your iPhone.
If you click on the notification, it opens up your Samsung TV’s File Explorer.
You can use this file explorer to either look for a specific picture or video that you want to view on your television, or you can even transfer some small files to your television (if the option is available to you).
The file explorer helps you easily navigate between the files on your phone and can help you find exactly what you are looking for very easily.
Alternate Ways to Connect an iPhone to Samsung TV
While using the USB port may seem like the easiest way to connect your iPhone to your Samsung TV, there are other methods you can use to connect your iPhone to your Samsung TV that are just as simple.
If your Samsung TV is compatible with AirPlay 2, you can use it to connect your iPhone to your TV.
To connect your iPhone to your Samsung TV via AirPlay 2, follow these steps:
- Open the Control Center on your iPhone by swiping down from the top-right corner of your mobile phone’s display.
- Tap the Screen Mirroring button.
- Once the screen mirroring menu opens, find your TV listed to establish the connection.
- If prompted, enter the code displayed on your Samsung TV into your iPhone.
You can even fine-tune your AirPlay 2 experience on your Samsung TV but opening the Settings menu on your TV, selecting General, and then selecting Apple AirPlay Settings.
Fine-tuning your AirPlay experience can include things such as requiring a code for certain connections, adding assistive services such as subtitling or captioning, or even adjusting the overall appearance.
Other ways to connect your iPhone to your Samsung TVs include connecting via the HDMI port, or by using a Plug and Play cable to connect your phone to your TV.
Connect iPhone to Samsung TV using HDMI
If your Samsung TV does not have a USB port and is not compatible with AirPlay 2, there is no reason to worry.
Every Samsung TV comes with one or more HDMI ports and you can use these ports to connect your iPhone to your TV.
To do this, you need an HDMI cable as well as a Lightning to HDMI adapter.
Both these peripherals can be found on Apple’s official store, however, there are other less expensive options available on Amazon that work just as well as the official ones.
Once you use the HDMI cable and the adapter to connect your iPhone to your Samsung TV, you can mirror your iPhone’s screen onto your Samsung TV.
All you need to view the mirrored image is to use the source button on your Samsung TV remote to navigate to the port that your iPhone is connected to.
Use a Plug and Play Cable to Connect iPhone to Samsung TV
Another way you can connect your iPhone to your Samsung TV is by using a Plug and Play cable.
Plug and Play cables are special types of cables that come with a lightning connection on one side and a branch on the other side with two types of connections, HDMI and USB.
Similar to the HDMI cable and adapter, you can either buy a Plug and Play cable from Apple’s official store or a less expensive option from Amazon.
Similar to the USB and HDMI, all you need to do with this cable, all you have to do is connect the lightning part of the cable to your iPhone and the other side (either HDMI or USB) to the corresponding port on your Samsung TV.
Once you have connected your iPhone, you can view the mirrored screen by navigating to the correct source that the iPhone is connected to.
Contact Support
If for some reason, you are unable to connect your iPhone to your Samsung TV despite trying all the different options mentioned in the article, there may be an issue with your Samsung TV.
Because of this, the only option available to you is to contact Samsung’s customer support team.
Make sure you explain your problem to them as well as all the different things you tried as this will help them diagnose your issue easily and thus solve your problem quickly.
If your warranty is still active, you can get a replacement TV or a free repair option.
Conclusion
So there you have it, there are multiple ways to connect your iPhone to your Samsung TV quite easily.
While the primary use of connecting your iPhone to your TV is to mirror your phone’s screen and view content from your phone on a bigger screen, you can even use it to transfer files onto your TV if your TV has a storage option.
In the case of certain smart Samsung TVs, you can even install third-party apps on your TV that can help you mirror your iPhone’s screen onto your television.
Another reason for connecting your iPhone to your Samsung TV is to charge your iPhone, although this is not recommended as the voltage is not very high and will charge your phone very slowly.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Can I connect my iPhone to my Samsung TV without WiFi?
Yes, it is possible to connect your iPhone to your Samsung TV without a working WiFi connection.
All you need is a lightning-to USB cable or an HDMI cable as well as an HDMI adapter to connect the iPhone to the corresponding port on the TV.
Can I connect my iPhone to a non-smart TV?
Yes, it is possible to connect your iPhone to a non-smart TV if it has HDMI or USB ports.
How do I mirror my iPhone to my Samsung TV?
You can mirror your iPhone to your Samsung TV either over a wired connection via USB or HDMI, or wirelessly by using Apple’s AirPlay2 technology.