How to Stop Phone from Connecting to TV? iOS & Android

Have you ever experienced such an awkward moment: in a cozy evening, you're ready to dive into a movie. Suddenly, you're hit with an unexpected, heart-stopping surprise—your phone connects to the TV, but not yours. You glance up, and to your horror, the screen shows your phone's home screen on the big screen of the neighbors upstairs. Yes, you've accidentally connected to the wrong TV.

Not only is it awkward, but it could also be a serious privacy issue. Whether it's photos popping up when you didn’t intend to share them, or the wrong app being projected at the wrong time, it’s a real headache.

In this article, we'll walk you through how to stop your phone from connecting to the TV - auto-connection, especially. It's easier than you think.

Why Does Your Phone Keep Connecting to TV?

Smartphones today are designed to easily connect to TVs, projectors, sound systems, and even other devices, using technologies like Wi-Fi and Bluetooth.

The connection almost occurs during the casting process. That is to say, it is the screen mirroring apps on your phone, for example, the AirPlay, Chromecast, or Smart View, continuously auto-connect to the TV. When both devices are on the same network, the connection is done.

Bluetooth auto-pairing, another reason that cause unwanted connection, cannot ignore it either. It is a built-in feature in all phones and enables your phone to discover and pair with nearby.

Let's see how you can prevent that from happening.

How to Stop Your Phone from Connecting to TV?

For Android

1. Disable Screen Mirroring and Casting Apps on Android

Step 1: Open your Settings app on your Android phone.

Step 2: Scroll down and tap on Connected devices (or Connections depending on your device).

Step 3: Look for Screen mirroring, Smart View, or Cast. Tap on it to open the settings.

• Smart View is the default app for many Samsung phones.
• Google Home is commonly used to cast to Chromecast-enabled devices or TVs.

Step 4: Toggle off Screen Mirroring or Smart View to stop your phone from connecting automatically to any available TVs.

2. Unpair or Forget Bluetooth Connections on Android

Step 1: Open Settings on your Android phone.

Step 2: Scroll down and tap on Bluetooth or Connections.

Step 3: Find the TV in the list of paired devices (it might show up as something like “Living Room TV” or “Samsung TV”).

Step 4: Tap on the gear icon or the “i” next to the TV’s name and select Forget or Unpair.

3. Disable Wi-Fi Direct or Auto-Connect Features on Android

Many smart TVs (e.g., Samsung) allow connections over Wi-Fi Direct, which is a peer-to-peer connection between your phone and the TV. This could also be the source of unwanted connections.

Step 1: Open your Settings app.

Step 2: Scroll down to Wi-Fi or Connections.

Step 3: Look for Wi-Fi Direct and make sure it is disabled.

Step 4: In some cases, you may also have an Auto Connect setting that you need to toggle off for both Bluetooth and Wi-Fi.

For iOS

1. Disable AirPlay on iPhone

For iPhone users, AirPlay is the primary feature used to cast content from your phone to your TV. AirPlay works seamlessly with Apple TVs, as well as many smart TVs that support it.

Step 1: Open the Control Center on your iPhone. (Swipe down from the top-right corner for iPhone X or newer models, or swipe up for older models.)

Step 2: Look for the Screen Mirroring button, which shows an icon of two overlapping rectangles.

Step 3: Tap Screen Mirroring, and if you see any connected devices listed, tap on the Stop Mirroring option to disconnect.

Step 4: To prevent accidental connections in the future, go to Settings > AirPlay & Handoff and toggle off AirPlay.

2. Unpair or Forget Bluetooth Devices on iPhone

Step 1: Open Settings on your iPhone.

Step 2: Tap on Bluetooth.

Step 3: Under My Devices, find your TV.

Step 4: Tap the i icon next to the TV’s name and select Forget This Device.

This will stop your iPhone from automatically reconnecting to your TV over Bluetooth.

3. Use Screen Time to Block TV Connections on iPhone

Screen Time is a feature built into iOS that lets you manage and limit certain activities on your iPhone. One of the most useful things Screen Time can do is restrict access to casting features like AirPlay and Screen Mirroring.

Step 1: Open the Settings app on your iPhone.

Step 2: Scroll down and tap on Screen Time.

Step 3: If you haven’t already, turn on Screen Time and set a passcode.

Step 4: Tap on Content & Privacy Restrictions.

Step 5: Turn on Content & Privacy Restrictions, and then tap Allowed Apps.

Step 6: Toggle off AirPlay or Screen Mirroring, which will prevent any apps from casting to your TV.

FAQs

Q1: Will my phone automatically reconnect to the TV once I disconnect it?

It depends on your settings. If you've disabled features like Bluetooth or screen mirroring, your phone shouldn't reconnect automatically. However, if you've enabled Auto Connect on your TV, it may still try to connect to devices in range.

Q2: How can I block my phone from connecting to the TV if I'm using a shared network?

To prevent your phone from connecting to your TV on a shared network, disable Wi-Fi Direct or forget the TV from your Wi-Fi settings on your phone. You can also try disabling Network Discovery on your TV.