How to View Photos on Samsung TV From Android and iPhone

This guide shows you how to display photos from your Android phone or iPhone directly on your Samsung TV. You’ll learn the built-in methods that require no extra apps, plus a couple of reliable alternatives. Before starting, make sure your phone and TV are connected to the same Wi-Fi network, and that your Samsung TV is powered on.

What You’ll Need

• A Samsung Smart TV (2016 model or newer works best)
• An Android phone (with the SmartThings app installed) or an iPhone (with the SmartThings app from the App Store)
• Both devices connected to the same Wi-Fi network
• Your photos stored locally on the phone (not just in cloud storage)

Step-by-Step

Method 1: Using the SmartThings App (Both Android and iPhone)

1. Install and open SmartThings – Download the SmartThings app from the Google Play Store (Android) or the App Store (iPhone). Open it and sign in with your Samsung account. If you don’t have one, create it for free.
2. Add your TV – Tap the “Devices” tab at the bottom, then tap the “+” icon (Add Device). Choose “TV” from the list. The app will scan for nearby Samsung TVs. Select your TV when it appears. If it doesn’t show up, tap “Scan for nearby devices” and make sure your TV is on the same network.
3. Connect to the TV – Follow the on-screen prompts. You may need to enter a PIN shown on the TV screen into the app. Once paired, your TV will appear in the Devices list.
4. Open the TV dashboard – Tap on your TV’s name in the Devices list. This opens a remote-control-like dashboard.
5. Choose “View Photos” or “Send Content” – Look for an option like “View Photos,” “Send Content,” or a photo icon. On some versions, tap the three-dot menu (⋮) in the top-right corner and select “Send Photos.”
6. Select photos – Your phone’s photo gallery will open. Tap to select one or multiple photos. You can usually select up to 10 at a time.
7. Send them to the TV – Tap “Send” or “Done.” The photos will appear on your TV screen, one at a time. Use your phone as a remote to swipe through them, or press the arrow buttons on the TV remote.

Method 2: Using Screen Mirroring (Android Only)

1. Open the TV’s source menu – Press the “Source” button on your Samsung TV remote. Select “Screen Mirroring” (sometimes labeled “Smart View” or “Phone Mirroring”).
2. Enable screen mirroring on your Android phone – Swipe down from the top of your phone screen to open the quick settings panel. Look for “Smart View,” “Screen Cast,” or “Wireless Display.” The exact name varies by phone brand (Samsung phones use “Smart View,” Google Pixel uses “Cast Screen,” others may say “Screen Mirroring”).
3. Select your TV – Tap the option, then choose your Samsung TV from the list of available devices. Your phone’s screen will appear on the TV.
4. Open your photo gallery – Navigate to the photo you want to show. The TV will display exactly what’s on your phone screen.
5. Stop mirroring – When done, swipe down and tap “Disconnect” or press the “Source” button on the TV remote and select a different input.

Method 3: Using AirPlay (iPhone and iPad Only)

1. Check AirPlay support – Samsung TVs from 2018 and newer support Apple AirPlay 2. To confirm, press the “Home” button on your TV remote, go to Settings, then General, then Apple AirPlay Settings. If you see this menu, your TV supports it.
2. Enable AirPlay on the TV – In the AirPlay Settings menu, make sure AirPlay is set to “On.”
3. Open your photo on iPhone – Go to the Photos app and open the photo you want to display.
4. Tap the Share button – This is the square with an upward arrow icon at the bottom-left of the screen.
5. Select AirPlay – Scroll through the share options and tap “AirPlay.” A list of available AirPlay devices appears.
6. Choose your Samsung TV – Tap your TV’s name. The photo will appear on the TV screen. To show other photos, simply swipe through your gallery on the phone—each new photo will replace the one on the TV.
7. End the session – Tap the AirPlay icon again and select “iPhone” to disconnect, or just turn off the TV.

Method 4: Using a USB Drive (Both Android and iPhone)

1. Transfer photos to a USB drive – Connect a USB flash drive to your computer, copy the photos you want, then safely eject the drive. If you don’t have a computer, you can use an OTG (On-The-Go) adapter to connect the USB drive directly to your Android phone and copy photos from the gallery.
2. Plug the USB drive into the TV – Insert the USB drive into the USB port on the back or side of your Samsung TV.
3. Open the USB source – Press the “Source” button on the TV remote. Select the USB drive from the list.
4. Browse and view photos – Use the TV remote to navigate to the folder containing your photos. Press the center button to open a photo. Use the left/right arrows to move between photos.

Common Mistakes

• Not being on the same Wi-Fi network – If your phone is on the 5GHz band and your TV is on the 2.4GHz band (or vice versa), they may not see each other. Connect both to the same band or use the “Any network” setting on the TV if available.
• Forgetting to enable screen mirroring on the TV – On some Samsung TVs, screen mirroring is not automatically enabled. Go to Settings > General > External Device Manager > Device Connection Manager and make sure “Access Notification” is turned on.
• Using cloud-only photos – If your photos are only in Google Photos or iCloud and not downloaded to the phone, the SmartThings app may not see them. Download them to your device first.
• Selecting too many photos at once – The SmartThings app may fail or lag if you select dozens of photos. Stick to batches of 10 or fewer.
• TV software is outdated – Older firmware may lack AirPlay or have bugs with SmartThings. Check for TV updates in Settings > Support > Software Update.

Tips

• Use a slideshow – In the SmartThings app, after sending photos, look for a “Slideshow” button on the TV screen. This automatically cycles through all sent photos at a set interval.
• Adjust picture quality – For best results, use photos with a resolution of at least 1920×1080 pixels. Lower-resolution images will look blurry on a large screen.
• Keep your TV firmware updated – Samsung regularly improves casting and AirPlay performance. Enable automatic updates in TV settings.
• Use the TV remote for navigation – When viewing photos via USB or SmartThings, the TV remote’s directional pad works better than swiping on your phone.
• Turn off the TV’s screen saver – If the TV goes into screen saver mode during a slideshow, go to Settings > General > System Manager > Screen Saver and set it to “Off.”

Troubleshooting

• SmartThings can’t find the TV – Restart both devices. On the TV, unplug it from power for 30 seconds, then plug it back in. On your phone, close the SmartThings app completely and reopen it. If that fails, check that your router isn’t isolating devices (a feature called “AP isolation” or “client isolation” in router settings).
• AirPlay doesn’t show the TV – Make sure your iPhone’s Wi-Fi is on and both devices are on the same network. Also verify AirPlay is enabled on the TV (Settings > General > Apple AirPlay Settings). If it still doesn’t work, restart both devices.
• Screen mirroring connects but shows a black screen – This often happens with DRM-protected content, but for photos it usually means the phone’s screen turned off. Keep your phone awake during mirroring. Also, disable “Smart Stay” or auto-screen-off temporarily.
• Photos appear stretched or cropped – The TV may be applying a zoom or fit setting. Press the “Tools” or “Menu” button on the TV remote while viewing a photo and look for “Picture Size” or “Aspect Ratio.” Select “Fit to Screen” or “Original.”
• USB drive not recognized – The TV supports FAT32 and NTFS formats. If your drive is exFAT, reformat it to FAT32 (note: FAT32 has a 4GB file size limit, but photos are usually much smaller). Also try a different USB port—some TVs have only one port that supports data, others are for service only.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need a Samsung phone to use SmartThings with my Samsung TV?
No. The SmartThings app works on any Android phone and iPhone. You only need a Samsung account to sign in.

Can I view photos from Google Photos or iCloud directly?
Not directly through the methods above. You’ll need to download the photos to your phone first. Alternatively, you can open the cloud app on your phone and use screen mirroring (Android) or AirPlay (iPhone) to show them.

Why can’t I find “Screen Mirroring” on my TV’s Source menu?
On newer Samsung TVs (2020+), the option is called “Smart View” or may appear under “Device Connection Manager.” Press the Home button, go to Settings > General > External Device Manager, and enable “Device Connection Manager” and “Access Notification.”

Is there a limit to how many photos I can send via SmartThings?
You can select up to 10 photos per send in most versions of the app. You can send multiple batches, but the TV may only keep the latest batch in its slideshow.

Will AirPlay work on older Samsung TVs (2017 or earlier)?
No. AirPlay 2 support began with 2018 models. For older TVs, use SmartThings, screen mirroring (Android only), or a USB drive.

Does viewing photos this way degrade their quality?
No. The TV displays the original resolution of the photo. If the photo is lower resolution than the TV’s native resolution, it will be upscaled, which may look slightly soft.

Related

• Snapchat Error Code SS07: Fixes That Work
• Google Pixel Pro Camera Controls for Sharper Photos
• Configure NTP for the NTP Pool Project on Linux