The Basic Steps to Cast YouTube to Your TV
To cast YouTube from your phone to your TV, open the YouTube app on your phone, tap the cast icon (it looks like a rectangle with curved lines in the corner), select your TV from the list, and tap play on a video. Your phone becomes the remote—you control volume, pause, and what plays next from the screen in your hand while the video appears on your TV.
The cast icon appears in the top right corner of the YouTube app on both Android and iPhone. If you don't see it, your phone and TV are not on the same WiFi network, or your TV doesn't support casting. The entire process takes about 10 seconds once your devices are set up.
Key Takeaways
- Your phone and TV must be connected to the same WiFi network before you can cast—they need to "see" each other on the same connection.
- Android phones have built-in casting through Google Cast; iPhones use AirPlay if you have an Apple TV, or third-party apps for other TV brands.
- The cast icon appears in the YouTube app itself, not in your phone's settings—look in the top right corner while the app is open.
- Once casting starts, your phone acts as a remote control, and you can lock your phone or switch to other apps without stopping the video.
- If your TV doesn't appear in the cast list, restart both devices and check that they're on the same WiFi band (2.4 GHz or 5 GHz).
What You Need Before You Start Casting
Your phone and TV must be on the same WiFi network. This is the single requirement—they need to be able to communicate through your home WiFi. Check your TV's WiFi settings and your phone's WiFi settings to confirm they're both connected to the same network name (SSID).
Your TV also needs to support casting. Most modern smart TVs made in the last five years do—Samsung, LG, Sony, TCL, and Roku TVs all support it. If you have an older TV without built-in WiFi, you can add casting through a device like a Google Chromecast, Roku Streaming Stick, or Amazon Fire Stick plugged into an HDMI port. Apple TVs work with iPhones through AirPlay instead of the standard cast method.
Make sure your YouTube app is up to date. Open your phone's app store (Google Play Store for Android, App Store for iPhone), search for YouTube, and install any pending updates. An outdated app sometimes hides the cast icon.
Finding and Tapping the Cast Icon
Open the YouTube app and start playing any video. Look at the top right corner of the screen—you'll see several icons lined up. The cast icon is the one that looks like a small rectangle with three curved lines coming from the bottom right corner, like a WiFi symbol rotated. Tap it.
A list of available devices appears below the icon. Your TV's name should be in that list. If it's not there, your devices aren't on the same WiFi network, or your TV's casting feature is turned off. Tap your TV's name to connect.
Once you tap your TV's name, the YouTube app will show a "Casting to [TV name]" message at the top. The video will appear on your TV within a few seconds. Your phone screen will dim slightly and show playback controls—this is normal and means casting is active.
Controlling Playback From Your Phone
While casting, your phone becomes the remote. The YouTube app shows a full set of controls: play, pause, skip forward and backward, volume, and a progress bar showing how far through the video you are. Tap any of these to control what's happening on your TV.
You can also lock your phone, switch to other apps, or even close the YouTube app entirely—the video will keep playing on your TV. To regain control, open YouTube again and the cast controls will reappear. This is useful if you want to check a text message or look something up without interrupting the video.
To stop casting, tap the cast icon again and select "Stop casting" from the menu. The video will stop on your TV, and playback will return to your phone if you want to continue watching there.
Troubleshooting When the Cast Icon Doesn't Appear
If you don't see the cast icon in the YouTube app, first check that your phone and TV are on the same WiFi network. Open your phone's WiFi settings and note the network name. Then check your TV's WiFi settings (usually found in the TV's main settings menu under Network or WiFi) and confirm it's connected to the same network.
If both devices are on the same network but the cast icon still doesn't show, restart both devices. Turn off your TV completely, wait 30 seconds, and turn it back on. Restart your phone the same way. Then open YouTube again and look for the cast icon.
Some older routers separate 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz WiFi into different network names. If your phone is on 5 GHz and your TV is on 2.4 GHz (or vice versa), they won't see each other. Check your router's settings or your TV's WiFi menu to see which band it's using, and connect your phone to the same one.
Casting on iPhone vs. Android
Android phones use Google Cast, which works with most smart TVs and streaming devices. The cast icon appears in the YouTube app, and the process described above applies directly to Android.
iPhones use AirPlay instead of Google Cast. If you have an Apple TV, open YouTube on your iPhone, tap the cast icon (which looks the same), and select your Apple TV. If you have a non-Apple TV, you'll need a third-party app—some TV manufacturers like Samsung and LG offer their own apps that let you cast from iPhone, or you can use apps like AirBeamTV or Replica. Check your TV brand's app store to see what's available.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I cast YouTube if my TV is older and doesn't have WiFi built in?
Yes. Plug a Google Chromecast, Roku Streaming Stick, Amazon Fire Stick, or similar device into an HDMI port on your TV. These devices add casting to any TV. Connect the device to your WiFi, and then cast from your phone to it the same way you would to a smart TV.
What if my phone and TV are on the same WiFi but the TV still doesn't show up in the cast list?
Restart both devices completely—power them all the way off, wait 30 seconds, and turn them back on. Also check that your TV's casting feature is enabled (look in the TV's settings under Network or Cast). If it still doesn't work, try connecting both devices to the 2.4 GHz band of your WiFi instead of 5 GHz, as some older devices have trouble with 5 GHz.
Can I cast YouTube while using my phone for something else?
Yes. Once casting starts, you can lock your phone, open other apps, or even close YouTube. The video keeps playing on your TV. To control it again, open YouTube and the cast controls reappear. You can also use your phone's volume buttons to adjust the TV's volume while casting.
Does casting use a lot of data?
Casting streams video from YouTube through your WiFi network, so it uses the same amount of data as watching on your TV directly. It doesn't use your phone's cellular data unless your WiFi is off. Your phone acts only as a remote once the video starts playing.
Why does the video sometimes stop when I close the YouTube app?
It shouldn't. If it does, your phone may have lost connection to your WiFi or to your TV. Check that WiFi is still on and that you're still on the same network. You can also try restarting the cast by opening YouTube again and tapping the cast icon to reconnect.