How to Cast to a Roku From Your Phone

One of the main selling points of Roku streaming devices and televisions is that they support such a wide range of apps and services—but you're not limited to the apps you can install directly via the streamer. You can also beam content to your Roku directly from an iPhone or Android device.

As long as both your Roku and your phone are on the same Wi-Fi network, getting connected is pretty straightforward. It means you're able to show off photos and videos on a bigger screen, as well as stream audio and video from apps that aren't installed on your Roku (or that are signed in with a different user account).

How to cast from Android to Roku

Android being Android, the process of getting content up on a Roku can vary between devices and depending on which manufacturer made your phone. Roku devices do support the Chromecast standard to some extent, but compatibility can vary between smartphones and different streaming apps.

In a lot of popular Android apps—including Netflix, Prime Video, YouTube, and Spotify—you'll see a Chromecast button appear somewhere on the playback window (it looks like a square with concentric arcs inside it). Tap on this and select your Roku from the popup menu, and the audio or video should continue on the bigger display, while the playback controls remain on your phone.

However, this feature is not supported everywhere: You can't, for example, mirror the screen of a Pixel phone on a Roku at the moment. If you swipe down from the top of the Pixel display with two fingers and choose Cast, you will see regular Chromecasts and Google TV devices, but you won't see your Roku listed.

For whatever reason, Samsung has decided that its phones should be able to mirror their screens over to Roku devices. Swipe down from the top of the screen with two fingers, then tap Smart View, and your Roku should appear in the list of available devices. Tap it there to mirror the screen. The feature is not really fast to play video without some syncing problems, but it works okay for showing off photos or other apps.

While Android devices can be frustrating in their lack of consistency, the platform usually has a third-party app or two you can turn to in a pinch. If you're struggling to get what you want up on your Roku, give Castify (it's free, but you can pay to remove the ads). This should help you get content from most audio and video apps transferred to the big screen.

How to cast from iPhone to Roku

As with macOS, if you want to get an iPhone (or an iPad) connected to a Roku, then the Apple AirPlay standard is your best bet. Just about every streaming app supports the protocol, and you can also use it to mirror your iPhone's screen and show off images and videos from the Photo app.

You do need to do some prep, however. First of all, you need to set up your Roku to accept AirPlay connections. From the main Settings screen on your Roku, choose Apple AirPlay and HomeKit: The top option here simply lets you turn AirPlay on or off, but you can also choose how easy it is for other devices to connect.

Tap on Require Code, and you can choose whether a PIN code is required to connect on the First Time Only or Every Time (this code will pop up on your TV and need to be typed in on your iPhone). If you want even more protection against unauthorized iPhones getting linked up, choose Use Password Instead and set a custom password that will be required to use AirPlay on this Roku.

Once all that's done, and assuming your iPhone is on the same Wi-Fi network as your Roku, you can get connected. To mirror your iPhone screen on the larger display, open the phone's Control Center with a swipe down from the top right, then tap the Screen Mirroring button (the two rectangles): You should see your Roku listed, and you can tap on the device name to send your iPhone screen to your TV.

For casting audio and video, look for the AirPlay button inside most apps on iOS: It looks like an arrow pointing up into concentric rings (audio) or into a rectangle (video). Again, after your iPhone has scanned for compatible devices, you should see your Roku available as a selection. The playback stops on your iPhone and continues on the Roku.