How do I cast apps like YouTube or Netflix from my phone to my TV?

Are casting and screen mirroring the same?

Even though the terms “casting” and “screen mirroring” are commonly interchanged in the industry, there are differences when using them with your Roku device.

• What content you can send. When casting, you can only watch content available from a mobile app that specifically supports casting. Screen mirroring allows you to view content from any app installed on your mobile device.
• What you see on your TV. With casting you only see playback of the selected piece of content, whereas with screen mirroring, you see the entire screen of your mobile device including buttons and menus – every action is mirrored on your TV.
• How you control playback. Casting gives you the option to use your mobile device for control or you can choose to use your Roku remote. During a screen mirroring session, all actions are controlled on your mobile device.
• Power state of your phone or tablet. Once playback begins, casting lets you use your mobile device to do something else or you can power it off entirely. Screen mirroring requires that your mobile device remain powered on for the duration of playback.
• Supported mobile devices. Casting is supported on most mobile devices – if you see a casting icon in the app, you can send content to your TV. Screen mirroring is limited to compatible Android™ and Windows^® devices.

To learn more about replicating the screen from your compatible mobile device on your TV, review the detailed article about screen mirroring.

Can I share my personal photos and videos on my TV?

If you want to specifically share your personal photos and videos, or songs from the music library stored on your mobile device, you can use the Play on Roku feature of the Roku mobile app. The Roku mobile app is a free application for iOS® and Android devices.

To learn more about sharing personal media files from your compatible mobile device, read the detailed article about Play on Roku.

How do I cast from a supported channel?

To begin casting, you need to install the channel and matching mobile app and start playback. Refer to the instructions below for help.

Note: You do not need to open the matching channel on your Roku device to begin casting.

Note: With some apps, the casting icon may not appear until you begin playback on your mobile device.

Note: When casting to channels that support profiles (e.g., Netflix) you may need to select your profile with your Roku remote before playback will begin.

During playback, you can use your mobile device to find and begin casting another program, do something entirely different, or turn it off completely – all without affecting playback on your Roku device.