Caster Plus

Help

Everything you need to get your phone on your TV, and what to do when something isn’t right. Still stuck? Email support@casterplus.com.

Getting started

What you need

  • An Android phone with Android 10 or later.
  • A TV that Caster Plus supports: an Apple TV, an AirPlay 2 smart TV (many Samsung, LG, Vizio and Sony TVs, and 4K Rokus with AirPlay), a Chromecast or a Google TV. Send to TV also works with Roku.
  • Your phone and TV on the same Wi-Fi. If the phone can’t find your TV by itself, you can add it by its IP address with Add by IP.

Permissions

Caster Plus asks for a few permissions so casting works smoothly:

  • Nearby devices to find the TVs on your network.
  • Record audio to capture the sound your apps are playing, so the TV can play it. The microphone is never used.
  • Notifications (optional) to show media controls while you cast.

Mirror your screen

  1. Open Caster Plus. Your TVs appear under TVs on your network.
  2. Tap your TV. The first time you use an Apple TV or AirPlay TV, the TV shows a 4-digit code. Enter it on your phone. You only do this once for each TV. Chromecast and Google TV are verified automatically, with no code.
  3. Android asks what to share: your entire screen or a single app. Choose, and confirm.
  4. You’re on the TV. To stop, tap Stop mirroring.

Android asks you to share your screen each time you start mirroring. It’s an Android safeguard, and no app can pre-approve it.

Portrait and landscape

Phones are tall and most TVs are wide. When you hold your phone upright, it appears on a 16:9 TV with black bars on each side. Turn your phone sideways to fill the screen.

Notes for your TV

Apple TV

  • Screen mirroring with sound and Send to TV both work.
  • The first time, the Apple TV shows a 4-digit code. Enter it once and Caster Plus remembers the pairing.

AirPlay 2 smart TVs

  • Many Samsung, LG, Vizio and Sony TVs have AirPlay 2 built in. Screen mirroring with sound and Send to TV both work.
  • Make sure AirPlay is turned on in the TV’s settings.
  • Like an Apple TV, the TV shows a 4-digit code the first time. Enter it once.

Chromecast and Google TV

  • Screen mirroring with sound and Send to TV both work.
  • There’s no code to enter: Caster Plus verifies these devices automatically.
  • Make sure casting is turned on for the TV.

Roku

  • Screen mirroring works on 4K Rokus with AirPlay. It connects over AirPlay, so it works like an AirPlay TV.
  • Rokus without AirPlay can’t mirror, but Send to TV works with Roku, so you can still play your videos on it at full quality.

Send to TV

Send to TV plays a video or audio file from your phone on the TV. Instead of mirroring your screen, the TV plays the original file at full quality, and it keeps playing even with your phone locked.

How to send

  1. Share a video, an audio file or a direct video link from another app, and choose Send to TV in the share sheet. Or, in Caster Plus, tap Play a video from this phone on the TV.
  2. Pick a TV. It starts playing.

What you can send

  • Video and audio files from your phone.
  • Direct links to a video file.
  • Not web pages: a link to a YouTube or Netflix page is a web page, not a video file, so it can’t be sent.

Controls

While it plays, media controls appear on your lock screen, in the notification shade and in the Quick Settings media panel.

Works with

Apple TV and AirPlay TVs, Chromecast and Google TV, and Roku.

The file’s name is shown on the TV as its title. For a link, the TV downloads the video from that website. The transfer isn’t encrypted on your Wi-Fi, like any media server on a home network, so use it on networks you trust. More in our privacy policy.

Quick Settings tile

Start casting in one tap, wherever you are, without opening Caster Plus.

Add the tile

Pull down twice from the top of the screen to open Quick Settings, then edit your tiles and add Caster Plus.

Use the tile

The Caster Plus tile shows when you’re casting. Tap it to open the Cast to picker and choose a TV. To see everything, tap Open Caster Plus.

Settings explained

You’ll find these on the main screen of Caster Plus. You can change them while you’re mirroring: changes apply right away, and sound and delay changes reconnect to the TV for a second.

Setting Choices What it does
Picture quality Balanced (8 Mbps), High (14 Mbps), Max (24 Mbps) How much picture data goes to the TV each second. Higher is sharper. If the picture is choppy, go lower.
Video format HEVC (sharpest, up to 4K), H.264 (most compatible) How the picture is encoded. If the picture is choppy, try H.264.
Frame rate 30 fps, 60 fps How many frames per second go to the TV. 60 fps makes motion smoother.
Delay Low (150 ms), Normal (250 ms), Smooth (400 ms) Lower feels snappier. Higher is smoother on busy Wi-Fi.
Send sound to the TV On or off Plays the sound from your apps on the TV. Apps that block capture (most paid video apps) stay silent.
Mute the phone while mirroring On or off Sound plays only on the TV. Your volume comes back when you stop.

Troubleshooting

My TV isn’t listed

  • Check that your phone and TV are on the same Wi-Fi.
  • Guest networks, VPNs and networks with client isolation stop devices from seeing each other. Use your main network, and turn off the VPN on your phone.
  • Make sure the TV is awake.
  • Make sure AirPlay or casting is turned on in the TV’s settings.
  • Still missing? Tap Add by IP and enter the TV’s IP address.

The pairing code doesn’t work

  • Enter the newest code the TV shows.
  • To get a new code, tap the TV again in Caster Plus.

The picture is choppy

  • Increase Delay (Normal or Smooth).
  • Lower Picture quality.
  • Try H.264 under Video format.
  • Move closer to your Wi-Fi router.

There’s no sound on the TV

  • Check that Send sound to the TV is on.
  • Some apps block sound capture, so they stay silent on the TV.
  • Make sure Caster Plus is allowed to Record audio in your phone’s app permissions. The microphone is never used.

Netflix or another app shows a black screen

Paid streaming apps block screen capture, so their video stays black. That’s the app’s choice, and Caster Plus doesn’t get around it. Use that service’s own app on your TV instead.

There are black bars on the sides

That’s your phone’s upright shape on a wide TV. Turn your phone sideways to fill the screen.

FAQ

Do I need an account?

No. There’s no account, no ads and no subscription. You pay once on Google Play.

Do you collect my data?

Nothing is sent to us. The app sends things only to the TV you pick. Read the details in our privacy policy.

Does Caster Plus use my microphone?

No. The Record audio permission lets it capture the sound your apps are playing. The microphone is never used.

Why do I have to approve screen sharing every time?

Android asks each time you start, and it can’t be pre-approved. It keeps you in control of what’s shared.

Can I mirror just one app?

Yes. When Android asks what to share, pick a single app instead of the entire screen. Anyone who can see the TV sees what you share, including notifications that pop up, so sharing one app shows less.

Can I watch Netflix or other paid streaming apps?

Not by mirroring: those apps block capture, so their video stays black. Use their own app on your TV.

Does it work with Roku?

4K Rokus with AirPlay can mirror your screen. Send to TV works with Roku.

Do my phone and TV need the same Wi-Fi?

Yes. If your TV doesn’t show up by itself, try Add by IP.

Which phones does it work on?

Android phones with Android 10 or later.

Can I get a refund?

Within 2 hours of buying, you can get an automatic refund from Google Play. After that, email us at support@casterplus.com.

Contact us

Email support@casterplus.com. Tell us your phone model, your TV model and what you see, and we’ll take it from there.