Not all computers sound the same. I realized that while watching a movie on my laptop and the speakers didn’t give any joy. Besides being sub-par in sound quality, they crack at high volume. While I enjoy music on my Samsung Galaxy phone, I only wished to use its speaker all the time. Turns out, I can with the help of third-party apps for Android. After testing a bunch of apps with pairing issues and audio lag, here are the best ones to turn your Android phone into a PC speaker.
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Why Use Your Android as a PC Speaker?
You’d be surprised how amazing the speakers on modern Android phones sounds, especially the flagship-grade to top-tier models. Even if it sounds odd, you might want to use your Android phone as a speaker for your computer because:
- No built-in speakers: If you’ve just built a new PC and the speakers are croaky or barely make it, your phone can be a temporary solution.
- Malfunctioning speakers: If your PC’s speakers crackle and don’t work, your phone can step in.
- Better audio quality: Your laptop’s built-in speakers might be underwhelming. Many phones offer significantly better sound than basic PC speakers.
- Portability: Enjoy your PC’s audio anywhere at home with Wi-Fi or Bluetooth streaming – perfect when you want to move around without interrupting your music, podcast, or other audio.
For the very purpose, I found three suitable apps – Audio Relay, Phone As Speaker, and SoundWire app.
Before we dive into these apps and how to use them, here’s a quick overview of what each app offers and what you might want to use it for:
| Audio Relay app | Phone As Speaker app | SoundWire app | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Connection | Wi-Fi, USB Tethering | USB Debugging Enabled | Wi-Fi , Bluetooth, USB Tethering |
| Latency | Very Low (1-2ms on Wi-Fi, 0.1ms on USB) | Low | Varies (lower on USB, higher on Wi-Fi) |
| Audio Quality | Good | Good | Excellent |
| Extra Features | Stream your Android mic/speaker to other devices, different audio outputs, and tweak audio quality (paid) | Adjust audio buffer count | Change buffer size, auto-reconnect, equalizer, and audio compression (paid) |
| Price | Free (with ads and a soft limit of 1 hour), Paid (no ads or limits and more features) | Free | Free (with ads), Paid (no ads and more features) |
| Ideal for | Watching videos, gaming, general audio streaming | Simple audio playback, older devices with low power | Advanced audio control, need for various connections, music enthusiasts |
1. Audio Relay (Wi-Fi, USB Tethering)
Audio Relay lets you stream your PC audio to your Android phone over Wi-Fi or USB tethering. The app is free to use, and the pairing process is seamless.
Download: Audio Relay for Android
Download: Audio Relay for PC (Windows, macOS, Linux)
It also has good audio quality with consistently low latency—1-2ms on Wi-Fi and 0.1ms on USB—so you can easily watch movies and TV shows on your PC while using your phone as the speaker.
Stream Audio via Wi-Fi:
- Install and open the app on your phone and PC.
- Ensure both devices are connected to the same Wi-Fi network.
- Your PC will automatically appear in the Player tab on the mobile app. Tap on it to connect instantly.
- To test, try playing something on your PC.
By default, audio plays on both devices. To fix this, mute your PC in the app or change the output to Virtual Speakers for Audio Relay in your PC’s settings. When watching fast-paced movies or playing games, you can further control latency by adjusting audio quality, output, and buffer amount in the mobile app.
Stream Audio via USB Tethering:
- Connect your phone and PC with a compatible USB cable (supports data transfer).
- In the Audio Relay mobile app, tap Settings under USB Tethering. Toggle on USB tethering.
- On Audio Relay for mobile, tap Settings under USB Tethering. Toggle on USB tethering in your phone settings.
- Your PC should configure the connection in a few seconds.
- Go back to the app and click the new server entry to connect.
Streaming audio via USB is even better—there’s barely any latency or hiccups. The only drawback is that you’ll need to keep your phone connected to the PC.
Pro Tip: Stream audio to multiple Android phones simultaneously via USB or Wi-Fi for a louder, stereo experience. Wi-Fi might cause slight delays, but USB tethering offers perfect sync. Streaming to multiple devices is marketed as a paid feature, but it seems to work on the free app too.
2. Phone as Speaker (USB Debugging)
Phone as Speaker is a simple app that lets you play audio from your Windows or Linux computer on your Android phone using USB debugging. That means you’ll need to enable the Developer Options on your Android phone and enable USB Debugging from that menu.
Download: USB Speaker for Android
Download: Android Phone as Speaker (Windows, Linux)
It’s free with no ads and just works without any fancy features or customization options. However, the audio bitrate isn’t the highest compared to the other apps on this list.
How to Use it:
- Install and open the app on both your phone and PC.
- Connect them with a USB cable.
- On your Android phone, go to Settings > Developer Options and turn on USB Debugging.
- Accept the debugging prompt on your phone.
- Wait for the devices to connect, then tap Play.
Play music or a video file on your PC. If the audio is low quality, increase the audio buffer count in the app’s settings.
3. Soundwire (Wi-Fi, USB Tethering)
SoundWire is a popular app to use your Android phone as a speaker for your PC, supporting Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and USB streaming. While it delivers excellent audio quality, you might notice slightly higher latency when streaming wirelessly. To minimize this, you can adjust settings within the app like reducing audio buffer size and enabling audio compression.
Though the initial setup can be a bit tricky, once configured, the app works flawlessly.
Stream Audio Over Wi-Fi:
- Ensure phone and PC are on the same Wi-Fi network.
- Install and open Soundwire on both devices.
- Press and hold the Soundwire logo in the app to auto-connect.
- Once your PC shows Connected, you’re ready to stream.
Stream Audio Using USB Tethering:
- Connect your phone to PC with a USB cable.
- On your phone, go to Settings > Connections > Mobile Hotspot and Tethering and toggle on USB Tethering.
- Note the server address in the Soundwire PC app and enter it in the Soundwire app on your phone.
- The status will change to Connected.
The app also supports sharing audio via Bluetooth tethering but it didn’t work even after multiple tries.
Download: Soundwire for Android
Download: Soundwire for PC (Windows, Linux)
Your Pocket Speaker!
These are the three handy apps to turn your Android phone into a speaker for your PC. If you’re looking for the simplest and hassle-free option, USB Speaker might be your best bet. For the lowest latency and best audio quality, AudioRelay can be your go-to option. And if you crave advanced features and connection flexibility, SoundWire is a worthy option.
Apart from the apps mentioned above, you can also use VLC Media Player to stream audio and video from your PC to your phone. It’s a bit more technically involved and requires some setup. You can check Android Authority’s detailed guide for instructions.
