How to Connect Your Phone to a BenQ Projector (iPhone, Android)

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I don’t know about you, but after hanging out with friends for a few hours, the evenings always seem to transition to us showing each other our favorite YouTube videos. We pass one of our phones around and select videos to play, chuckling in amusement. 

However, one of my friends recently got a BenQ projector and has been struggling to connect their smartphone to it for our weekly YouTube sessions. To make matters worse, they’re looking for a way to connect their smartphone both wired and wirelessly, depending on their desired setup. 

Connecting your iPhone or Android smartphone is so easy that there are several ways of doing so!

In this article, I’ll teach you how to connect your smartphone to a BenQ projector using both wired and wireless methods. 

Let’s get started!

Wired Solutions

Wired connections are typically more stable than wireless ones since they’re reliant on a cable rather than Bluetooth or Wi-Fi. They can also be used without an internet connection to display your phone’s offline content on a big screen. 

However, since BenQ’s primary AV port is HDMI (which is unavailable on iOS and Android phones), you must use an adapter to make this connection instead. 

This type of connection can be limiting since, depending on the adapter/cable length, you won’t be able to move your phone freely about the room while connected to the projector. So, if you want to scroll and display videos freely from the comfort of your couch, I recommend using one of our wireless solutions instead. 

For iPhones

You can connect your iPhone to your BenQ projector’s HDMI port using the Apple Lightning to HDMI adapter. The adapter doesn’t include an HDMI cable, so you’ll have to buy one separately if you don’t already have one at home. 

Step 1: Plug in and turn on your BenQ projector.

Step 2: Plug the Lightning to HDMI adapter’s Lightning connector into your iPhone’s Lightning (i.e. charging) port. 

Step 3: Plug one end of a separate HDMI cable into the adapter’s HDMI OUT port before plugging the other end into the projector’s HDMI IN port. 

Step 4: If needed, adjust your BenQ projector’s Input settings to HDMI. If everything has been connected correctly, you should now see your iPhone’s screen on your projector. 

For Android Phones

If you’re an Android user, you can easily connect your phone to a BenQ projector using a USB-C to HDMI cable or a USB-C to HDMI adapter. If you do choose to use the adapter (shown below), bear in mind that you must purchase an HDMI cable separately. 

Note: To use this connection method, your smartphone must have a USB-C port with HDMI Alt Mode. To learn what HDMI Alt Mode is and which phones have it, check out our article Which Phones Have HDMI Outputs to Connect to a TV (or Projector)?

For the purpose of this article, I’ll demonstrate how I connect my Samsung Note 8 phone to my BenQ projector using a USB-C to HDMI adapter. 

Step 1: Plug your BenQ projector into power and turn it on. 

Step 2: Plug the USB-C to HDMI adapter’s USB-C connector to your smartphone’s USB-C port. 

Step 3: Plug one side of an HDMI cable into the adapter’s HDMI OUT port and then plug the other side into the BenQ projector’s HDMI IN port.

Step 4: If you don’t immediately see your Android phone screen on your projector, change the projector’s Input settings to HDMI. Now, your phone screen should be mirrored on your projector. 

Wireless Solutions

If you want to be able to freely move around the room with your phone in hand while it’s connected to your projector, then these wireless solutions are for you. These methods use Wi-Fi to wirelessly connect your smartphone to your projector. 

You can choose which one is best for your setup depending on whether or not your BenQ projector is smart. 

Remember, these methods require a stable Wi-Fi connection. So, if your home’s Wi-Fi is extremely slow or spotty, your phone’s video feed may be unstable. 

For BenQ Projectors (Smart & Non-Smart)

Your BenQ projector may be too dumb to natively support an internet connection, but that doesn’t mean you can’t wirelessly connect your phone to it. Instead, you can connect a streaming device to your projector via HDMI and then connect your phone to the device. 

There are several streaming devices on the market, varying widely in price and functionality. Roku, Fire TV Stick, Chromecast with Google TV, and Apple TV are the most popular streaming devices, and all support screen mirroring/casting. 

To help get you started, I’ll demonstrate how to connect an iPhone to a non-smart BenQ projector using an Apple TV device. These steps can also be applied to other streaming device brands. 

Step 1: Connect your Apple TV to the BenQ projector using an HDMI cable. If necessary, adjust your projector’s Input Settings to HDMI. Make sure your Apple TV and BenQ projector are connected to power.

Step 2: Ensure your Apple TV and iPhone are connected to the same Wi-Fi network. 

Step 3: Now, turn your attention to your iPhone. Swipe up (or down on some older models) to reveal the Control Center. Then, go to the Screen Mirroring icon. 

Step 4: Choose your Apple TV name from the list of devices to start mirroring your screen to it. 

For Smart BenQ Projectors

If your BenQ projector is smart, you’re in luck! Several smart BenQ projector models, such as the EH600 model, feature built-in AirPlay and Google Cast functions. This means you can wirelessly mirror your phone’s screen or cast content directly to your projector. No streaming devices or cables are required! 

Airplay (iPhone)

To mirror your iPhone’s screen to your BenQ projector, follow the steps below. 

Step 1: Connect your iPhone and BenQ smart projector to the same Wi-Fi network. 

Step 2: Open your iPhone’s Control Center by swiping down (or swiping up on some models) before tapping the Screen Mirroring icon. 

Step 3: Choose your projector’s name from the list of devices to start the casting process. 

Watch the video below demonstrating how to cast your iPhone’s screen to your BenQ projector using AirPlay. 

Google Cast

If your BenQ natively supports Google Cast, you can cast your iOS or Android phone’s screen to it by following the steps below. 

Step 1: Connect your smartphone and BenQ projector to the same Wi-Fi network. 

Step 2: Install the Google Home app on your phone. 

• Download Google Home for Android
• Download Google Home for iPhone

Step 3: Once installed, launch the Google Home app and go to Mirror device. From here, tap your projector’s name from the device list to start casting to it. 

Watch the video below demonstrating how to cast your phone’s screen to a BenQ projector using Google Cast. 

Wrapping Things Up

You can connect your smartphone to your BenQ projector regardless of its native abilities. If your BenQ projector is non-smart, you can either connect your phone via a wired connection or connect it wirelessly using a streaming device. 

Linking your phone to a BenQ smart projector is even easier since several BenQ models support AirPlay or Google Cast, allowing you to wirelessly connect your phone to them in a matter of seconds. 

While wired connections are usually more stable, wireless connections tend to be more convenient as your movement isn’t restricted by a cable. 

Remember, only Android phones with a USB-C port that supports HDMI Alt Mode can be connected to projectors via a cable or adapter. So, don’t forget to verify your phone’s compatibility before investing in the necessary materials. 

What’s your experience connecting your phone to a BenQ projector? 

Let us know in the comments below!

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