Are casting and screen mirroring the same?
Even though the terms “casting” and “screen mirroring” are commonly interchanged in the industry, there are differences when using them with your Roku device.
- What content you can send. When casting, you can only watch content available from a mobile app that specifically supports casting. Screen mirroring allows you to view content from any app installed on your mobile device.
- What you see on your TV. With casting you only see playback of the selected piece of content, whereas with screen mirroring, you see the entire screen of your mobile device including buttons and menus – every action is mirrored on your TV.
- How you control playback. Casting gives you the option to use your mobile device for control or you can choose to use your Roku remote. During a screen mirroring session, all actions are controlled on your mobile device.
- Power state of your phone or tablet. Once playback begins, casting lets you use your mobile device to do something else or you can power it off entirely. Screen mirroring requires that your mobile device remain powered on for the duration of playback.
- Supported mobile devices. Casting is supported on most mobile devices – if you see a casting icon in an app, you may be able to send content to your TV (but not in all cases). Screen mirroring is limited to compatible Android™ and Windows® devices.