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You can use your smartphone to stream on Roku in many ways. Whether you are screen mirroring or casting, streaming on Roku is a great way to watch what you want – whenever you want.
But how do you stream to Roku? Should you cast it or use screen mirroring? Maybe you are wondering about the differences between the two in the first place.
If you want to learn how to stream to a Roku TV with your iPhone or Android, we’ve got you covered. This article will provide descriptions and instructions for screen mirroring, casting and streaming Spectrum TV on Roku – plus plenty of other guidance to help you decide the best way to stream your favorite shows.
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One of the best ways to stream on Roku is through screen mirroring. Provided that your smartphone is recent enough to support screen mirroring and it’s connected to the same network, screen mirroring means your entire phone screen will be shown on your TV.
You can mirror your phone to Roku. Whether you have an Apple or Android phone, the first step is to make sure it’s enabled on your Roku. Here’s how you do it:
1. Press the Home button – Use your Roku remote to press the Home button.
2. Navigate to Settings – Select Settings from the menu.
3. Find Systems – then press OK on the remote.
4. Select Screen Mirroring – press OK once again.
5. Go to Screen Mirroring Mode – then press OK.
6. Choose Prompt or Always Allow – Prompt will give you an on-screen prompt asking for confirmation, whereas Always Allow means any device can connect automatically.
Mirroring your iPhone with certain Roku devices is possible with Apple AirPlay. Once you’ve enabled Screen Mirroring on your Roku TV, you’ll want to make sure your Roku is updated to OS 9.4 or later. Here’s how you can mirror your iPhone to a compatible Roku device with AirPlay:
1. Open the Control Center on your iPhone – If you have an iPhone X or later, swipe down from the top-right corner of your phone’s screen. With an iPhone 8 or earlier models, you’ll need to swipe up from the bottom of the screen.
2. Tap Screen Mirroring – Find a symbol with two rectangles (your device may or may not include the words, “Screen Mirroring,” next to the rectangles).
3. Go to the Roku device you’d like to use – If you can’t find your Roku device, make sure it’s turned on and connected to the same network as your iOS device.
4. After selecting your Roku device, a code will appear on your TV – enter the code from your TV on your iPhone.
5. Tap OK to mirror your iPhone to your Roku device.
6. To stop mirroring your iPhone with Roku, you can press the Home button on the Roku remote. You can also navigate back to the Control Center on your phone, select Screen Mirroring, then Stop Mirroring.
If you are having trouble mirroring your iPhone and Roku, your Roku device may not support AirPlay.
Here are the current Roku models that support AirPlay, which require Roku OS 9.4 or higher:
Roku TV models Axxxx, Cxxxx, CxxGB, 7xxxx (note that “x” is any model number)
- Roku Smart Soundbar models 9100, 9101
- Roku Streaming Stick+ models 3810, 3811
- Roku Streaming Stick 4K model 3820
- Roku Streaming Stick 4K+ model 3821
- Roku Streambar model 9102
- Roku Streambar Pro model 9101R2
The following Roku devices require Roku OS 10.0 or higher:
- Roku Express models 3900, 3930 and 3801
- Roku Express+ models 3910, 3931
- Roku TV model Dxxxx, 8xxxx (note that “x” is any model number)
- Roku Streaming Stick models 3600, 3800, 3801
- Roku HD model 3932
- Roku 2 models 4205, 4210
- Roku 3 models 4200, 4201, 4230
To use AirPlay on Roku, you will need an Apple device (iPhone, iTouch or iPad) running iOS 12.3 or later. You can also use a Mac computer running MacOS Mojave 10.14.5 or later.
If Roku Airplay isn’t possible for you, using your iPhone to cast media to your Roku TV is a great alternative. Keep reading to find step-by-step instructions for casting your iPhone to Roku.
Using Roku to screen mirror with your Android phone makes it easy to send media to your big-screen TV. You can stream your favorite shows, listen to music from your phone or show friends pictures from your latest vacation.
Most Android OS support mirroring, but not all do. Generally, versions 4.4.2 or later will be compatible.
You can check your OS on your Android phone by going to Settings > System (or About Phone) > Software Information.
Once you’ve checked your OS version, you can screen mirror with Roku and Android. Although each manufacturer has its own mirroring software, if you have an Android 4 or later, you can probably mirror without the Roku App.
However, if you need to use the Roku app to screen mirror, here’s how:
1. Install the Roku App on your Android phone, then sign into your Roku account.
2. Ensure your Android and Roku devices are connected to the same WiFi network.
3. Tap on Devices – then select the device where you’d like to mirror your phone.
4. Select Media – then select from Music, Photos or Videos.
Now you can quickly share files from your Android to your Roku. But if you want to share other content, from YouTube or elsewhere, you’ll need to cast it.
Using your Android or Apple phone to cast to Roku is a great alternative to screen mirroring. With casting, you’ll only see the “casted” app (like YouTube), instead of your device’s entire screen. In order to cast to Roku with a supported app, the app needs to be installed on your phone and the Roku TV.
Below you’ll find instructions for casting to your iPhone and Android to Roku.
To cast to Roku from an iOS device, the process will vary depending on the streaming app you are using. But you can still follow these general steps to cast your iPhone to Roku:
1. Make sure your iPhone and Roku are connected to the same WiFi network.
2. Find the casting icon – usually at the top of your screen.
3. Connect to your Roku device in the pop-up box.
4. Once connected, you will see the app and its content on your Roku. You can control the app with either your iPhone or the Roku remote.
To disconnect and stop casting, tap on the casting icon on your iPhone again. Then tap Disconnect.
Casting to Roku from an Android phone is also straightforward. Again, the specifics steps will depend on which app you want to cast, but you can still follow these steps for guidance:
1. Make sure your Android device and Roku are connected to the same WiFi network.
2. Find the casting icon – which should be visible on the homepage of the app.
3. Connect to your Roku device in the pop-up box.
4. Once connected, you will see the app and its content on your Roku. You can control the app with either your Android phone or the Roku remote.
5. To disconnect and stop casting, tap on the casting icon on your iPhone again. Then tap Disconnect.
As you can tell, there are plenty of great ways to stream your favorite shows and other content on Roku. If you want to enjoy live and on-demand content from Spectrum, you can also stream Spectrum TV® through your Roku device. All you need is a Spectrum Internet® subscription and a Spectrum TV plan to watch what you want – whenever you want. Then, simply download the Spectrum TV app through Roku’s Channel Store, and you are ready to Stream Spectrum on Roku.
With the Spectrum TV channel on Roku, you get access to:
- Live TV
- Guide Listings
- On Demand
Find the full list of Spectrum TV Channel Apps available. When you are ready, visit the Roku channel store to add the Spectrum TV channel, and start streaming the best in entertainment!