Why is Screen Mirroring Not Working on Streaming Devices [Fixes]

Screen mirroring is a unique feature that allows users to share the screen from one device to another. You may face certain issues while mirroring the smartphone’s screen to a TV. The main reason for screen mirroring not working is that the devices are not connected to the same WiFi.

Apart from that, other factors may affect the reliability of screen mirroring. However, scrolling through our troubleshooting guide lets you know all the causes and fixes for screen mirroring not working on your streaming device.

Causes for Screen Mirroring Not Woking

If you can’t screen mirror the content from your smartphone or PC, here are the general issues that may disturb the connection.

• Unstable internet connection
• Device incompatibility
• Enabling the Bluetooth feature while mirroring
• Mirroring while the energy saver is turned on
• Temporary bugs and glitches on streaming devices
• Outdated app or firmware

Specific Fixes for Screen Mirroring Not Working

You can proceed with the below specific fixes to eradicate the screen mirroring not working issue.

Turn on the Screen Mirroring Feature

Initially, enable the screen mirroring feature on the receiver’s end. Smart TVs with Chromecast built-in don’t need to enable the option for screen mirroring, as it is turned on automatically. However, you must manually enable the screen mirroring option on devices like Roku, Firestick, Samsung Smart TV, and AirPlay-supported devices.

• Enabling screen mirroring on Roku – Press the Home button and navigate to Settings → System → Screen Mirroring → Screen Mirroring Mode → Prompt.
• Enable Mirroring on Firestick – Go to the home page and choose Settings → Display & Sounds → Enable Display Mirroring.
• Turning on AirPlay – Navigate to the home page on your streaming device and select Settings → AirPlay and HomeKit → AirPlay → Turn On.

NOTE: The option to enable the AirPlay feature will vary according to the devices that you’re using.

If necessary, you can turn off the screen mirroring option on streaming devices and enable it again to solve the issue.

Check the Device Compatibility

Before screen mirroring or casting content, check the compatibility of your receiver and the transceiver part and ensure it supports the screen mirroring feature. Meanwhile, if your TV is not compatible with Mircast, connect a Chromecast device to the HDMI port of your TV to perform screen mirroring hassle-free.

Disable Bluetooth

As you know, only a strong WiFi connection is required to screen mirror the content to Smart TVs. However, enabling the Bluetooth feature on your TV and phone may interrupt screen mirroring. So, disable the feature and try mirroring again to fix the screen mirroring not working issue.

• Disabling Bluetooth on Android – Pull down the notification panel and click the Bluetooth icon if enabled.
• Turning off Bluetooth on iPhone – Open the Control Center and disable the Bluetooth option.
• Disabling Bluetooth on PC – Navigate and select Start → Settings → Bluetooth & devices → turn Off.

Disable Screen Time

Due to privacy concerns, the iPhone restricts some features from sharing with third-party devices, including screen mirroring. This can be why AirPlay is not working on an iPhone, iPad, and iPod. So, disable the Screen Time option on your iPhone, iPod, or iPad, preventing you from sharing the screen.

1. Unlock your iPhone and open the Settings option.

2. Select Screen Time.

3. Scroll the options and hit the Turn Off Screen Time option.

4. Finally, from the popup, click Turn Off Screen Time.

After that, try mirroring your iPhone screen to your TV.

Turn Off Power Saving Mode

Remember, the power-saving mode limits the background activities, which may interrupt while you screen mirror the content. So, you must disable the power-saving or energy-saving mode on your device. As a result, you can screen mirror Android to TV without interruptions.

• Disabling power saving mode on Android – Go to Settings → Battery and device care → Battery → Power Saving → Turn Off.
• Turn off power saving mode on iPhone – Go to Settings → Battery → Low Power Mode → Turn Off.

Disable Firewall

If the firewall is enabled on your Windows or Mac PC, you may face issues while screen mirroring the content to smart TVs. So, disabling the firewall settings on your PCs while mirroring is recommended.

• Disable Firewall on Mac – Click the Apple logo → Choose System Preferences → Click Security & Privacy → Click the Padlock → Enter password → Firewall → Disable Block all incoming connections → Turn on Automatically allow built-in software to receive incoming connections → OK.
• Disabling Firewall on Windows – Open the Control Panel → Choose System and Security → Windows Defender Firewall → Turn Windows Defender Firewall on or off → Click Turn off Windows Defender Firewall (not recommended) → OK.

Check the Input

Basically, you can only mirror with one device at a time while screen mirroring without WiFi. An error may occur if you’re trying to connect more than one device while screen mirroring with an HDMI cable. So, while screen mirroring, ensure that only one device is connected to your TV’s HDMI port.

Also, it is essential to remove the extra devices connected to the input from smart TVs like LG TVs, Samsung TV, Vizio, Philips, and others to fix the screen mirroring issue.

Try a Different Mirroring App

In most cases, users prefer the built-in screen mirroring option on an Android or iPhone to mirror the screen to TV. However, if you do not opt for the feature, you can also use the best screen mirroring apps for Android and iPhone and see if it works reliably.

General Troubleshooting for Screen Mirroring Not Working

You can check out the general fixes if you can’t resolve the screen mirroring issue even after initiating the specific troubleshooting techniques.

Check the WiFi Connectivity

If you’re using a wireless connection to screen mirror the content, connecting both devices with a strong WiFi network is necessary. In case the WiFi network is unstable, you can restart the WiFi router to fix the issue.

1. Turn off your WiFi router and remove the power cable from the wall outlet.

2. Wait for 3-5 minutes.

3. Then, connect the power source to the wall outlet and turn on the router.

4. After turning it on, connect both devices to the same WiFi network to fix the screen mirroring not working issue.

Restart the Device

Sometimes, temporary bugs and glitches may slow down the performance of your device, which may result in issues with screen mirroring. In such cases, you can proceed with a simple restart on your smart TVs like Samsung TV, LG TV, Roku TV, and others to fix the screen mirroring not working issue.

1. Turn off your smart TV and disconnect all cables from the HDMI port.

2. After that, unplug the power cable from the power socket.

3. Now, wait for a few minutes to give the device some rest.

4. Then, back up the cables and power cable and turn on the device.

5. Finally, you can connect the device to a WiFi network to establish the connection.

However, you can also restart your iPhone or Android smartphone by long pressing the Power button and proceeding with the restart accordingly.

Reset Network Settings

If restarting the device can’t resolve the issue, you can reset the network settings on smartphones or TVs to fix the error. Remember that resetting your network settings will erase all the saved WiFi passwords and connections on your device.

• Reset Network settings on Android – Open the Settings app → select General → click Reset → choose Reset Network Settings → confirm → done.
• Reset Network Settings on iPhone – Launch the Settings app → click General → select Transfer or Reset iPhone → Reset → Reset Network Settings → enter Password → done.

Update the Mirroring App

If you’re using a third-party application for screen mirroring, ensure it’s running on the latest version.

• Update iOS – To update the app on iPhone, navigate to App Store → Search for the app → Select the app → click Update.
• Update Android – For Android devices, you can select Play Store → Profile icon → Manage Apps & Device → Update Available → Choose the app → Update.

Update the Firmware

You can’t see the option for screen mirroring if you’re using the oldest firmware version on any streaming device. So, you can update the firmware to its latest version according to the device to solve the screen mirroring not working issue.

Reset the Device to Factory Defaults

If none of these troubleshooting methods helps to solve the issue, you can opt for a factory reset. It will erase all the installed applications and files on your device. Therefore, you can back up the important files and data stored on your device before proceeding with a factory reset to solve the screen mirroring issue.

FAQ