How to project wirelessly to a TV using Windows 11

How do I project my computer screen to my TV Windows 11?

Do you own a television that runs the Android TV operating system? A Samsung Smart TV running Tizen TV, an LG Smart TV running WebOS, or both? It doesn’t matter what brand a Smart TV is; Miracast, a widely used industry standard for wireless projection, allows you to cast from a laptop, smartphone, or tablet to it. Fortunately, Windows 11 laptops, tablets, and other mobile devices also support Miracast, and by following the instructions in this article, you can effortlessly project to any TV:

Utilize the Windows 11 Cast option to establish a wireless connection to your TV.

Make sure the TV you wish to use for a wifi connection is turned on first. Access the Cast menu on your Windows 11 laptop, tablet, or hybrid device next. To achieve that, there are two options. The more time-consuming route is to go to System > Display in Settings (Windows + I).

In Windows 11 Settings, go to System > Display

When you reach the Scale & layout section, continue to scroll down on the right. Multiple displays can be expanded by clicking or tapping the arrow adjacent to it to reveal more options. When prompted to “Connect to a wireless display,” click the Connect button.

Expand Multiple displays and connect to a wireless display

It then displays the Cast menu. You can also access it via Quick Settings by pressing Windows + A on your keyboard (or by clicking or tapping the taskbar icons for Wi-Fi, Volume, or Battery), then selecting Cast.

Choose Cast in Windows 11’s Quick Settings

You can also use your keyboard’s Windows + K keys to go right to the Cast menu. Windows 11 displays every Miracast-capable wireless display that it finds nearby. Click or tap your TV’s name from the list to connect to it.

Click or tap on the name of your TV

Your TV may display a notification requesting your consent to the connection. You must first accept it before your Windows 11 desktop will appear on the TV. You can also see a connection toolbar at the top of your desktop on a laptop or tablet running Windows 11. It has the wording “Connected to…” followed by the name of your TV, a button that really disconnects you from the device, and a Pin/Unpin symbol. The toolbar is usually pinned to the top of the desktop. Click or press the Unpin icon to make it disappear.

You are wirelessly connected to the TV

How to modify your TV projection technique

Everything you do on your smartphone is displayed on the TV by default with Windows 11, which copies your desktop to the screen. From the Project menu, you can alter this behavior if you wish to. You may also access it by clicking or hitting the Wi-Fi, Volume, or Battery icons on the taskbar in the bottom-right corner of your screen, or by pressing Windows + A on your keyboard. Click or press Project in the Windows 11 Quick Settings window.

Access Quick Settings > Project

You may also use the keyboard shortcut Windows + P to get to the Project menu. After that, decide how you want to appear on the TV:

The image is solely displayed on your Windows 11 laptop or tablet and no longer appears on your TV.

Duplicate mirrors your Windows 11 device’s screen onto the TV. With Windows 11, this is how casting wirelessly operates by default.

Extend – makes the TV into a secondary display by extending the image there. After that, you can transfer windows from your Windows 11 laptop to your TV and vice versa.

Choose how you want to project

How to stop wirelessly projecting and unplug your TV

You can disconnect from your TV once you’ve finished watching. Utilizing the toolbar on your desktop’s upper side is the simplest method. If it is minimized, move the mouse to the upper side of the desktop to see it, and then click Disconnect.

Click or tap Disconnect in the connection toolbar

Utilizing the Cast menu is an additional choice. On your keyboard, press Windows + K. This shows the brand of your TV, the connection information, and the projection mode that was employed (in my case, Duplicate). Click or touch Disconnect to cease projecting to it, and you’re done.

Click or tap Disconnect in the Cast menu

Windows 11 doesn’t recognize my TV for wifi projection; troubleshooting

It is possible for your Windows 11 laptop or tablet to be unable to wirelessly project to your TV and “see” it. This occurs if you have an older TV, like mine does, because the Wireless Display capability needs to be manually enabled. To choose Wireless Display or a comparable input source, use the TV’s remote to navigate its settings.

Enable the Wireless Display input on your TV

Then try again after repeating the previous steps.

The majority of contemporary Smart TVs already have their wireless display capabilities turned on, thus this is not usually necessary.

Bonus: Instructions for converting your old TV into a wireless display

Additionally, if your TV has both an HDMI connector and a USB port but isn’t smart, you may purchase a Microsoft Wireless Display Adapter to convert it into a wireless display.

The Microsoft Wireless Display Adapter can turn any TV into a wireless display

Use the instructions in this guide to cast to your TV after plugging the adapter into the TV’s back.

Important: The majority of desktop PCs do not support Miracast.

Because most Windows 11 desktop PCs lack a Wi-Fi adaptor and hence do not support the Miracast wireless standard, wireless projection is not generally possible with these devices. It is, however, typically offered for laptops, tablets, and convertible gadgets. The notice “Connect a cable to cast” is therefore likely to appear when you enter the Cast menu on a PC. You must use a cable to connect an external display to your device since it does not support Miracast.

Miracast isn’t available on desktop PCs

If your computer has a high-end motherboard with Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and Miracast capabilities, you may be able to locate an exception to this rule.

Did you use Miracast to establish a wireless connection to your TV?

It’s fantastic that Miracast is now a widely used standard and that you can project from your Windows 11 laptop to any Smart TV, regardless of brand. In order to work more effectively, you can use your TV as a second monitor. You can even use it while traveling to display a terrific movie from your laptop onto the TV in your hotel room. There are several use cases, and fortunately, Windows 11 makes it simple to project wirelessly.