Ways to display media from your phone on your TV using a Roku® streaming device
When gathering with friends and family, you can use your Roku streaming device to wirelessly share content on a nearby TV screen rather than asking everyone to huddle around your phone. Use Play on Roku to display personal photos and videos, Photo Streams to share special moments with loved ones at home and in different locations, Apple AirPlay to stream movies and videos that you are watching on your Apple device, screen mirroring to project the entire screen of your phone, or casting to view movies and shows you may have already started watching on your phone.
What is Play on Roku?
Play on Roku is a feature of the Roku mobile app that allows you to share personal media files stored on your compatible mobile device.
- What can I share? Photos and videos taken with your mobile device, and songs from the music library stored on your phone or tablet.
- What devices are supported? Play on Roku is part of the Roku mobile app which is a free application for iOS® and Android™ devices.
To successfully share content using Play on Roku, you must connect your mobile device to the same wireless network as the Roku device. Learn more about sharing your personal media by reviewing details for the Play on Roku feature.
What is Photo Streams?
Photo Streams lets you create digital photo albums in your Roku account and share them with family and friends in different locations. You can upload your own photos and invite loved ones to contribute, creating a place for you to all stay connected. Whether it is your own Photo Stream or one shared with you by a family member or friend, you can view the photos on your TV from the Photo Streams channel, or set Photo Streams as your screensaver and enjoy a collection of everyone's special moments each time your Roku device is idle.
- What can I share? All your favorite photos from a phone, tablet, or computer
- What devices are supported? You can upload photos from any web browser or the free Roku mobile app
To learn more about viewing a collaborative collection of photos on your TV, read the detailed article about how you can use Photo Streams.
What is Apple AirPlay?
Apple AirPlay allows you to stream, control, and share content from your iPhone, iPad, or Mac to your compatible 4K Roku streaming device.
- What can I share? Movies, TV shows, music, personal photos and videos, and more. You can even mirror exactly what you see on your Apple device.
- What devices are supported? iPhones, iPads, and Macs that support AirPlay 2.
To successfully share content using AirPlay, you must connect your iOS device to the same wireless network as your Roku device. Learn more about sharing content from your iOS devices by reading the detailed article about AirPlay.
What is screen mirroring?
Screen mirroring allows you to replicate (or “mirror”) everything you see on your compatible mobile device on to your TV screen. Whatever you see on your mobile device is what appears on your TV – only larger.
- What can I share? Most anything you can view on your phone or tablet including web pages, videos, photos, music, and more.
- What devices are supported? Windows devices running Windows 8.1 or Windows 10, and most Android devices running version 4.2 or later (with the notable exception of Google branded devices running OS 6.0 or later like the Google Nexus or Pixel).
To learn more about getting your mobile device screen to show on your TV, review the detailed article about screen mirroring.
What is casting
Casting lets you direct, or cast, a video, movie or TV show you are watching on your mobile device to your TV using a Roku device. After the content starts playing on your Roku device, you can use your mobile device for something else, or switch it off and control playback with your Roku remote.
- What can I share? Videos, movies, and TV shows from a mobile app that supports casting like YouTube or Netflix.
- What devices are supported? Most phones and tablets. If you see a casting icon
in an app, you may be able to direct that content to your TV screen using a Roku device (but not in all cases).
To successfully share content using casting, you must connect your mobile device to the same wireless network as the Roku device. Learn more about directing the content from apps you watch on your mobile device to your TV by reading the detailed article about casting.