Smartphone screens have become bigger as compared to the ones available a few years back. But even those big screens cannot offer the same experience that is provided by TVs. Be it viewing photos or playing a video, all is possible by connecting the phone to a TV. If you have been wondering how to cast photos from your phone to Samsung smart TV, we are here to help. Let’s learn how to view photos from Android and iPhone on Samsung smart TV. You can use these methods to cast Google Photos, Apple Photos, or photos in any app to Samsung TV.
Note: Please make sure to connect your phone and TV to the same Wi-Fi network for all these methods.
How to View Photos on Samsung TV from iPhone and iPad
There are four ways to cast photos from your iPhone or iPad on Samsung smart TV.
1. Using AirPlay
Both iPhone and iPad offer a native way to cast pictures on Samsung smart TV using AirPlay. The only requirement is that you must have an AirPlay 2-enabled Samsung smart TV. You may check the list of compatible Samsung TVs on the Apple website.
If you have a compatible TV, follow these steps to view iPhone and iPad photos on Samsung TV:
1. Launch the Apple Photos app on your iPhone or iPad.
2. Open one of the photos that you want to view on Samsung TV.
3. Tap on the Share icon and select AirPlay from the Share sheet.
4. Your Samsung TV will show up. Tap on it to select.
5. The photo will appear on the Samsung TV. Now, swipe left or right on the photos on your iPhone to view them on the TV.
Pro Tip: To disconnect from the TV, tap on the AirPlay icon at the top and select Turn off AirPlay.
2. Play Slideshow of iPhone Photos on Samsung Smart TV
In the above method, you need to manually change the photos on your iPhone. If you want to play an automatic slideshow from iPhone on Samsung Smart TV, follow these steps:
1. Follow steps 1-4 of the above method to cast photos from iPhone to Samsung smart TV.
2. Then, tap on the Kebab menu (three-dot icon) at the top of any photo on your iPhone and select Slideshow from the menu.
3. The slideshow will start playing on the TV. Tap on the Options button on the screen that shows up on your iPhone to customize the theme, music, or slideshow speed.
4. Tap on Done to close the slideshow.
Tip: Learn how to send files between iPhone and Android TV.
3. View Google Photos from iPhone on Samsung Smart TV
If you enjoy using Google Photos app on your iPhone, you can cast photos directly from it to your Samsung smart TV.
1. Launch the Google Photos app on your iPhone.
2. Open one of the photos that you want to play on the TV. Tap on the Cast icon at the top of the photo.
3. Select your Samsung smart TV and the photo will show up on the TV.
Note: If you are unable to view Google Photos on TV, make sure the local network access is granted in settings. Go to iPhone Settings > Google Photos. Enable the toggle next to the Local network.
4. Using Screen Mirroring
If the above methods do not work, you can use the iPhone’s screen mirror technology to show iPhone photos on Samsung smart TV. The only difference is that it will mirror your entire phone’s screen to the TV. So if you switch between apps or do anything else, all that will show on the TV.
To screen mirror iPhone photos to Samsung TV, follow these steps:
1. Open Control Center on your iPhone.
2. Tap on the Screen Mirror icon (two rectangular boxes).
3. Select your Samsung TV from the list.
4. Your phone’s screen will show up on the TV. Now, go to the Photos app on your iPhone, open any photo, and swipe left or right on it to see other photos on the big screen.
Tip: Learn how to screen mirror iPhone to Amazon Fire TV stick.
How to Cast Photos from Android Phone on Samsung Smart TV
You can view pictures from both Samsung and non-Samsung phones on your TV. We have covered them separately as the methods differ for Samsung and non-Samsung Android phones.
1. View Photos from Samsung Gallery on TV (Samsung Phones)
1. Launch the Samsung Gallery app on your phone.
2. Open any photo that you want to view on the Samsung TV.
3. Tap on the Smart View (Play) icon at the top and select your Samsung smart TV.
4. A confirmation pop-up will show up. Tap on Start Now. You might need to select the Allow option on the pop-up that shows on the TV as well.
5. After the devices are connected, the selected photo will show up on the TV. Go through your photos on the phone and the same will show up on the TV.
Pro Tip: To disconnect from the TV, tap on the floating Smart View icon and select Disconnect.
2. View Photos from Google Photos or Other Gallery Apps on Samsung TV (Samsung Phones)
If you want to cast photos from Google Photos or any other gallery app, you might not see the Smart View icon on the photo. In such situations, you will need to mirror your Samsung Galaxy phone to the TV as shown below:
1. Swipe down twice from any screen on your Samsung Galaxy phone to open Quick Settings.
2. Look for the Smart View icon. Tap on it. In case you don’t find it, go to the right-most screen of the Quick settings, tap on the (+) add icon and select Smart View.
3. Select your Samsung TV from the list of available devices on the Smart View screen.
4. Tap on Start now in the pop-up box.
5. Your Samsung phone’s screen will show on the TV. Open Google Photos or any other gallery app on your phone and swipe through the photos to view them on the TV.
Pro Tip: If the above steps do not work, install the Samsung SmartThings app. Open the app, and add your TV under Devices. Then, tap on the TV and press the three-dot icon and select Smart View. You can also use Samsung DeX functionality to view photos on Samsung TV.
3. Using Screencast (Non-Samsung Phones)
On non-Samsung Android phones, you will have to use the screen-mirror technology to view photos on your Samsung TV.
1. Swipe down twice from the top of your Android phone to open Quick Settings.
2. Look for the Cast button. This feature goes by different names on different phones like a screencast, cast, mirror, screen mirror, etc. Tap on the available button. Alternatively, you may also go to Settings > Connections > Cast and enable it.
3. Enable the cast feature on the screen that shows up and select your Samsung smart TV.
4. Your Android phone’s screen will appear on the Samsung TV. Now, open any gallery app on the phone and go through the photos to see them on the TV.
Pro Tip: You can also use third-party apps like Cast to TV, Miracast, etc., to view photos on TV. Also, know how to cast Android screen to PC using Wi-Fi or USB.
4. View Photos from Google Pixel Phones on Samsung Smart TV
While you can cast apps like YouTube from a Google Pixel phone to Samsung smart TV, unfortunately, Google Pixel phones do not offer a native way to view photos on the Samsung Smart TV.
That’s because Samsung TV supports Miracast technology, which most phones support other than Google Pixel phones. Google dropped the Miracast support with Android 6.0. You, therefore, need to have a Chromecast-enabled device to screen mirror or cast photos from a Pixel device to your Samsung smart TV.
However, if you don’t have a Chromecast-enabled device, you can still view photos from Pixel devices on your Samsung TV using a third-party app as shown below.
1. Install the Web Video Cast app on your Google Pixel or any other phone that doesn’t support Miracast.
2. Open the Web Video cast app on your phone and tap on the three-bar icon at the top. Select Phone files.
3. Select a folder or go to the Images tab and tap on a picture that you want to show on your Samsung TV.
4. Tap on Connect in the pop-up menu and select your Samsung TV.
As usual, make sure your phone and TV are connected to the same Wi-Fi network. In case you are asked to select the type of devices you want to scan, select all devices, especially DLNA, and press the Done button. If you still don’t see this pop-up, tap on the Settings icon and enable DLNA.
5. A pop-up will show up asking if you want to try the new Samsung TV app. Select Yes.
6. Typically, at this point, you will see the Setup screen on your phone and the Web Video cast app screen will show up automatically on your TV screen. Select the install button to download the app on your TV. In case the app doesn’t show up on the TV, open the App Store on your Samsung TV and install the Web Video cast app. Learn how to install and manage apps on Samsung TV.
7. Once installed, tap on a photo on your phone in the Web Video cast app to show it on the Samsung TV.
Pro Tip: Another similar app that you can use to view photos or videos from Google Pixel on Samsung TV is Castify.
Fix Your Samsung TV
That’s how you can view photos from your Android or iPhone on Samsung smart TV. In case you are unable to cast photos, learn how to fix screen mirror or cast not working on Samsung TV. Also, know how to fix Samsung TV not connecting to Wi-Fi.
