How to Cast PikaShow to Your TV from Android

Casting is the bridge between a phone and a television. Instead of installing an app on the television itself, you keep the app on your phone and send the picture and sound to the larger screen. For PikaShow, that bridge is not always a single button inside the app, so it helps to understand the options: casting the whole phone screen, using a Chromecast device, or using a television built-in casting feature. This guide explains each option, the setup each one needs, and how to get the best picture and sound without constant drop-outs.

First, be clear about what casting can and cannot do. When you cast your screen, the television shows a copy of what is on your phone, including notifications if they appear, and the phone must stay awake and nearby. When you cast a video stream to a Chromecast, the television can fetch the video itself in some setups, which frees the phone, but that depends on the app supporting that kind of casting. PikaShow does not promise a built-in cast button for every device, so the screen mirroring route is the one most Android users will use. Knowing that in advance stops you searching for a button that may not be there.

Start by checking your equipment. You need an Android phone with PikaShow installed from the PikaShow download page, a television or casting device that supports screen casting, and both devices on the same Wi-Fi network. The site states that v94 is its latest version, so check that you have the version you meant to install before you troubleshoot casting. A phone and a television on different networks, or one on a guest network, will not see each other, and that is the commonest reason casting fails at the first step.

Check your television and network first

Look at what your television supports. Many Android TV and Google TV sets have Chromecast built in, and many other smart televisions support Miracast or a maker own screen mirroring feature. A Chromecast dongle plugged into any television with an HDMI port adds the same ability. Open the television settings or home screen and look for Cast, Chromecast built-in, Screen Mirroring or Wireless Display. If you cannot find any of those, you may need a dongle or a different route, such as installing the app on the television itself, which is covered in the Android TV guide on this site.

Next, check the network. Both devices must be on the same Wi-Fi network name, and the signal must be strong where the phone and the television sit. A television tucked behind a thick wall or far from the router will drop the connection, even if the phone has full signal. Test the connection by casting something simple first, such as a photo or a short video from another app that you know supports casting. If that works, the network is probably fine, and any later fault is more likely to be with the app or the settings. If even a simple cast fails, fix the network before you blame PikaShow.

Update the software on both devices if updates are available. Phone, television and Chromecast firmware updates often fix casting faults that look like app problems. Restart the phone and the television before you start, because a fresh start clears temporary network state that can hide a device from discovery. Keep the phone charged or plugged in, because screen casting uses the battery quickly, and a phone that goes to sleep or runs out of power will stop the cast. Set the phone screen timeout to a longer period while you cast, so the screen does not lock halfway through a film.

Method 1: Cast your Android screen to the television

On most Android phones, swipe down from the top of the screen twice to open Quick Settings, and look for Cast, Screen Cast or Smart View. The name varies by phone maker: Samsung calls it Smart View, Pixel phones call it Cast, and other makers use similar names. Tap it, wait for your television or Chromecast to appear in the list, and select it. The phone may ask you to confirm the connection, and the television may show a code or a prompt to accept. Accept on both devices, and the phone screen should appear on the television within a few seconds.

Once the screen is mirrored, open PikaShow on the phone and start playback. Turn the phone sideways for a wider picture, and use the phone volume buttons to control sound, unless the television remote controls it. Keep the phone nearby and do not open other apps that need the screen, because the television will show whatever the phone shows. If a message or call appears, it will appear on the television too, so turn on Do Not Disturb while you watch. That small step protects your privacy and stops the cast from being interrupted by notifications.

If the picture is small, with black bars around it, that is because the phone screen shape does not match the television shape. Rotating the phone to landscape usually fills more of the screen, but some apps lock the video shape, and you may still see bars. Try the full-screen control inside the player, and check the television picture settings for a zoom or aspect option. Do not stretch the picture too far, because it will look soft. A small amount of black border is normal for screen mirroring, and it is not a fault with the app.

Method 2: Use Chromecast or a casting device

If you have a Chromecast dongle or a television with Chromecast built in, the steps are similar, but the connection is often steadier. Plug the Chromecast into power and into an HDMI port, set it up with the Google Home app, and put it on the same Wi-Fi network as the phone. Then use the Cast control in Android Quick Settings, as above, and select the Chromecast. The Google Home app can also start a screen cast. Open the app, choose the Chromecast device, and select Cast my screen. Once the screen is casting, open PikaShow and play a title.

Chromecast devices are good at keeping a steady connection, but they still depend on Wi-Fi. If the picture freezes, move the phone closer to the router, or check whether other devices are using a lot of bandwidth at the same time. A video call, a large download or a game update can starve the cast of bandwidth. Pause those activities while you watch, or use a Wi-Fi band with less congestion if your router offers one. Restarting the Chromecast by unplugging it for a short time can also clear a fault that has built up over days of being left on.

Sound, subtitles and picture quality while casting

Sound while casting usually comes from the television, but the phone volume can still affect it. Start with the television volume at a comfortable level, then use the phone volume to fine-tune. If sound is delayed behind the picture, restart the cast, because a fresh connection often fixes lip-sync drift. If sound keeps dropping, check Wi-Fi again, and move the phone closer to the router or the casting device. Subtitles should appear on the television as they do on the phone, because the television is showing a copy of the phone screen. Switch them on in the player before you start casting, and choose a size that is easy to read from your seat.

Picture quality while mirroring depends on the phone screen, the Wi-Fi and the television together. A high playback quality on the phone can look good on the television, but it asks more of the network. If the picture stutters, lower the playback quality in the app, close other apps on the phone, and pause other network activity in the house. Do not expect mirroring to look as sharp as a direct app on the television, because the picture is being copied over Wi-Fi in real time. For the sharpest picture, installing the app on the television itself, as covered in the Android TV guide, is usually better, but casting is quicker to set up and needs no installation on the television.

Stopping a cast safely and fixing common faults

To stop casting, open Quick Settings again, tap Cast or Smart View, and choose Disconnect, or use the Google Home app to stop casting to the device. Pause playback first, so the television does not keep showing a frozen frame. If the cast will not stop, restart the phone or turn the television off and on again. That sounds blunt, but it clears a connection that has become stuck. After you stop, check that the phone screen timeout returns to your normal setting, and turn Do Not Disturb off if you switched it on for the viewing.

If the television does not appear in the cast list, check the network name, restart both devices, and check that casting is switched on in the television settings. If the cast connects but drops after a few minutes, the Wi-Fi signal is the likely cause, or the phone is going to sleep. Keep the phone awake, keep it charged, and keep it within range. If the picture freezes but sound continues, restart the cast and lower the playback quality. Keep a note of what you tried, because a pattern, such as drops only in the evening when the network is busy, points to the network rather than to the app.

For device-specific help, see PikaShow for Android for phones, and the PikaShow for PC and PikaShow for iOS pages for other devices. The PikaShow homepage is the place to check the latest version stated by the site before you troubleshoot a cast that used to work and has now stopped.

Ready to watch on the television? Get the app from the Download PikaShow page, connect phone and television to the same Wi-Fi, and cast your screen.

Frequently asked questions