How can I cast my phone to my TV without sound?

Phone casting allows you to display or “cast” the screen and audio from your mobile device like a smartphone or tablet to a compatible TV or streaming device. This lets you view photos, videos, websites, apps, and more from your smaller device up on the big screen. There are various situations where someone may want to cast their phone screen to a TV but without any audio, such as to silently display a recipe, presentation slides, or photos during a gathering. Turning off the audio when casting can also be useful if you only need the video and will be playing separate music, or want to avoid disturbing others with sound from your phone.

According to forecasts, the global casting devices market is expected to grow significantly in the coming years, indicating rising demand for phone casting capabilities and technology (https://www.mordorintelligence.com/industry-reports/casting-devices-market). With phone casting becoming more popular, it’s important to understand how to cast your phone’s screen while muting or turning off audio output when needed.

Check Audio Settings on Phone

One of the first things to check is your phone’s audio and media volume settings. On both Android and iPhone devices, you can find the volume controls in the Settings app:

On Android phones, open the Settings app and go to Sound & vibration (or Sound & notification on some devices). Here you can adjust the Media volume slider to increase the volume for music, videos, games, and other media played on your device. There is also a Ring & notification slider to adjust your ringer and alert volumes separately.

On iPhones, open Settings and tap Sounds & Haptics. Use the Ringer and Alerts slider to adjust your ringer volume, and use the Volume slider to change media playback volume. There is also a Change with Buttons option to control whether your iPhone’s physical volume buttons change ringtone or media volume.

Checking these volume controls and making sure they are set high enough is an important first step before casting your phone’s audio to the TV. If the volume is muted or set very low on your phone, the casted audio may not be audible even if the TV volume itself is turned up.

Sources: https://support.google.com/android/answer/9083864?hl=en, https://www.cellphonerepair.com/how-to-fix-phone-sound-issues

Check App Audio Settings

Many apps like YouTube, Netflix, Hulu, etc. have their own audio settings that can affect casting. Check inside the app’s settings or audio options to make sure the sound is not muted or turned off.

For example, in the YouTube app go to Settings > Audio quality and make sure “Disable audio playback” is turned off. Similarly, in Netflix, check the Audio & Subtitles section in app settings to ensure the sound is enabled.

Streaming apps may also have options to disable media audio or mute video sounds that could prevent audio from casting. Go through each app’s audio settings to confirm casting sound is not disabled.

Additionally, some apps allow adjusting audio balance controls specifically for casting. Experiment with left/right balance if sound only comes out on one side during casting.

Finally, if using a third-party casting app like LocalCast or AllCast, check in its settings for any audio options affecting casting volume or sound.

Use a 3.5mm Audio Cable

One way to play audio from your phone to the TV without hearing it out loud is to use a 3.5mm auxiliary cable. This is an analog connection that transmits the audio signal directly from your phone to the TV.

Most TVs have an auxiliary input, usually labeled “AUX”, that consists of two RCA style ports or a single 3.5mm jack. To connect:

• Plug one end of a 3.5mm audio cable into your phone’s headphone jack.
• Plug the other end into the TV’s aux input.

Once connected, you may need to change the TV input to the aux source. On your phone, make sure the media volume is turned up. Then on the TV, mute the volume completely so that no audio plays out loud (see your TV manual for instructions).

The video will now play on the TV screen while the audio transmits privately through the aux cable to your phone’s headphone jack. This avoids any sound broadcasting from the TV speakers.

While analog connections like aux cables have poorer audio quality than digital options like HDMI or optical, they provide a simple plug-and-play way to get audio from phone to TV silently.

Cast with Sound Off

One way to cast your phone to the TV without sound coming from the phone is to simply mute or turn off the volume on your phone before you start casting. This will prevent any audio from being transmitted from your phone to the TV.

To do this:

1. Before starting to cast, press the volume down button on your phone until it is muted.
2. Alternatively, go into the settings on your phone and turn the media volume all the way down.
3. Then start casting as normal from whatever app you want to send to your TV.
4. The video will display on your TV but without any sound.
5. You can then unmute or turn up the volume directly on your TV to get sound through your TV speakers.

This allows you to still get audio through your preferred speakers while casting a muted video from your phone. Just remember to unmute your phone again after you stop casting.

Use Closed Captions

Enabling closed captions on both your phone and TV is a simple way to get subtitles for your video content without any audio. Closed captions display text on your TV screen to represent the audio, dialogue, and sound effects for whatever you are watching.

On your phone, go into your accessibility settings to turn on closed captions. The exact steps vary by device, but you’ll typically find this under Settings > Accessibility > Captions. Make sure the closed captioning option is enabled.

Then on your TV, go into the settings menu and look for closed captioning options. Enable closed captions so they appear when you cast content from your phone. You’ll likely find these settings under Audio, Captions, or Accessibility.

Once enabled on both devices, start casting as normal but the video will display captions without playing any audio. Closed captions benefit many viewers even without hearing issues, with studies suggesting 80% of TV viewers use captions regularly.

Use a Wireless Display Adapter

One solution for casting your phone screen to your TV without audio is to use a wireless display adapter. Wireless display adapters, also known as wireless HDMI adapters, allow you to wirelessly stream content from your phone to your TV via an HDMI connection without needing cables. Popular options include the Microsoft Wireless Display Adapter, Google Chromecast, and Roku Streaming Stick.

Wireless display adapters plug into the HDMI port on your TV. You then connect the adapter to your phone, either directly via USB-C or wirelessly over WiFi. Once connected, the adapter will mirror your phone’s screen to your TV display. This allows you to view photos, videos, websites, apps, and more on your TV without any cables.

Most wireless display adapters support streaming up to 1080p resolution without audio. This makes them ideal for casting your phone’s screen to the TV if all you need is the visuals. The benefit over wired solutions is the ability to move around the room freely while still casting your phone screen.

According to research by Emergen Research, the global wireless display market size was USD 3.82 Billion in 2021 and is expected to grow at a CAGR of 11% from 2021 to 2030 (Emergen Research). Key factors driving growth include rising adoption of BYOD policies in corporate offices and increasing demand for digital signage. Wireless display adapters provide a convenient way to cast content wirelessly for digital signage applications.

Cast to a Smart TV

One of the easiest ways to cast your phone to a TV without sound is by using a smart TV. Most modern smart TVs have built-in screen mirroring capabilities that allow you to wirelessly display your phone’s screen on the bigger TV screen (Grand View Research). Smart TVs use various protocols like Miracast, Chromecast, and AirPlay to enable screen mirroring from compatible devices. Here’s how it works:

First, make sure your phone and smart TV are on the same wireless network. Then on your phone, find the screen mirroring option in your Quick Settings or Settings menu. On Samsung phones this is called Smart View, while on Pixel phones it’s Cast. Tap the option and select your TV from the list of available devices. Accept the connection prompt on your TV and your phone screen should now be mirrored to the TV. The mirroring will transmit the visuals but not the audio from your phone.

Most major smart TV brands like Samsung, LG, Sony, and VIZIO have built-in casting capabilities (Statista). So if your TV supports screen mirroring, you can easily cast your phone’s screen without any additional equipment. Just be sure to turn off media audio on your phone so that only the visuals are transmitted. With smart TVs becoming mainstream and their screen mirroring features, casting your phone to the TV without sound is quick and convenient.

Disable Media Audio

Some Android and iOS devices have the ability to cast your screen while muting only the audio from media that is playing. This allows you to hear audio coming through the mic on your phone for apps like video calling, while muting music or videos playing in the background.

On Android 8.0 and newer, go to Settings > Sound and disable “Media Audio.” This will mute things like music, videos, and games, while still allowing microphone audio to pass through.

On iOS, open the Control Center by swiping down from the top right corner. Long press on the audio card and tap on “Mirroring.” This enables screen mirroring while muting only the audio from media playing on your iPhone.

Enabling these settings prior to casting can let you mirror your phone’s screen to a TV without having background media audio also play through the TV speakers. You will maintain the ability to communicate through the phone mic. Consult your device’s support documentation for exact steps if needed.

Summary

There are several ways to cast your phone’s screen to your TV without sending audio. The simplest solutions are to adjust your phone’s audio settings, app settings, or TV settings to mute or disable media audio. You can also use cables, wireless adapters, or casting options built into smart TVs. Key methods covered include:

• Turning off media audio in your phone’s sound settings
• Disabling sound in casting apps like Chromecast or Miracast
• Using a 3.5mm audio cable to send video without audio
• Casting with your phone’s sound off
• Enabling closed captions on your TV
• Using a wireless display adapter to separate video and audio feeds
• Casting to a smart TV and disabling media audio

The ability to cast video content without sound gives you more flexibility in how and when you stream media from your phone. Muting audio can allow you to play videos publicly or listen on headphones while still taking advantage of large-screen TVs for video. With the various options covered, you should be able to cast your phone’s screen without sending audio in just about any situation.