How to Use Screen Mirroring on Roku with Your Android Phone

One of the benefits of owning a Roku TV or streaming box is the ability to easily integrate it with the rest of your technology setup. While it’s convenient to have streaming apps just a click away, it’s also possible to control the TV from a smart speaker or smartphone. Better yet, you can quickly mirror your phone screen to the TV. Mirroring your Android phone screen to a Roku device can be a convenient way to enjoy your local media or show your friends your vacation photos on the big screen. It can also help you make slide presentations or even participate in a video conference.

Roku makes the process of connecting your Android phone easy, assuming both devices support the Miracast protocol. Besides the ability to use your own headphones, this is one of the features that makes Roku attractive to those who haven’t yet abandoned it due to an impending acquisition by Fox. Although very few Roku devices seem to not support screen mirroring, some Android devices may not support Miracast natively. The most notable exceptions are the Google Pixel, which uses the Google Cast and DIAL protocols but does not support Miracast. You may still be able to stream individual apps, such as YouTube or Netflix, that support DIAL.

Below we’ll explain how to mirror your screen to a Roku from the most popular Android devices that support casting, namely Samsung Galaxy phones and tablets. But if you own a different brand, you’ll find similar features under different names if you dig into your settings. For example, LG phones have screen sharing and on OnePlus devices you will find screen casting. However, if you own a Pixel, you’re out of luck. Google phones do not support the Miracast protocol needed for mirroring to Roku.

We’ll also look at how to troubleshoot minor issues that may arise when establishing a streaming connection and how to expand functionality even further for devices that support a full desktop mode with an external display on Android.

Head to your Roku’s settings menu, accessible from the text menu on the left side of the home screen. Scroll down and select System > Screen Mirroring > Screen Mirroring Mode. Choose either Always Allow or Invite, but choose the former only if your Wi-Fi network is private and secure. Finally, make sure your phone is on the same network as the Roku you’re mirroring to.

If you’re using a Samsung Galaxy device, you can now mirror your screen with just a few swipes (for other brands, check your device’s documentation). Swipe from the upper right corner of your phone screen to open the quick settings panel, then select Smart View. You can also press Settings > Connected devices > Smart View. Once you are in the Smart View interface, it will start searching for nearby wireless displays. Select your Roku device when its name appears on the screen, then tap Start Now if asked to confirm. Other brands should have a similar mirroring option in their drop-down menus.

While mirroring, a Smart View pill will hover over your phone screen and tapping on it will bring up a pop-up menu. If you’re only mirroring media from one app, such as Netflix, and don’t want other apps or notifications to appear on the big screen, tap Cast Netflix Only. This allows you to browse your phone and receive notifications as usual while only mirroring the app of your choice. If the video is letterboxed on your TV screen, tap the Smart View pill again, then tap Change Aspect Ratio.

If you don’t hear sound from a video or other source and you’ve made sure the volume is turned up on both devices, swipe into Quick Settings and tap Media Out inside the currently playing media tablet, then make sure your Roku is selected.

Samsung Galaxy smartphones have access to a user-favorite feature called DeX, which transforms Android into a Windows-like desktop experience. The phone becomes a touchpad and keyboard for the interface (look for a square icon in one corner that appears when DeX is active), or you can connect a Bluetooth mouse and keyboard. (Something similar could happen to Google’s Android skins in the nebulous future.) Normally, DeX activates when you plug the phone into an external display, but it can also be triggered by connecting to a wireless display, including a Roku.

To cast your screen to a Roku in DeX mode, open Quick Settings by swiping down from the upper right corner of your screen and tapping the Wireless DeX toggle. Alternatively, go to Settings > Connected devices > Samsung DeX > Connect wirelessly. The phone will search for nearby screens, which may take a few moments. Once your Roku device shows up, tap it, then tap Start Now and DeX will launch wirelessly on the TV.

In our testing, we found that there can be considerable lag when using DeX wirelessly. If you’re experiencing slowness, setting your TV’s picture mode to game can sometimes make things a little more responsive.