How to Mirror Screen with Bluetooth? 4 Tools & Guide

Bluetooth, as a wireless connection method that is built into most devices, is less mentioned in screen mirroring. That's true. Compared to mirroring via WiFi or WiFi Direct, Bluetooth seems invisible. Not many screen casting software support Bluetooth. There must be a reason for this. (Of course, this article will include the explanation.)  

What if, I mean, you would like to use non-WiFi screen mirroring for entertainment or work purposes? Will Bluetooth screen mirroring be a good solution to meet your needs? If yes, how can you screen mirror through Bluetooth?

I'll help you out with that. Read on.

Pros & Cons of Bluetooth Screen Mirroring

As just said, Bluetooth screen mirroring is used less. Speaking of reasons, it’s necessary to understand the pros and cons of Bluetooth technology.

Bluetooth screen mirroring is to share screen content from one device to another using Bluetooth. It’s important to note that using Bluetooth doesn’t mean relying on it alone, as other networks are typically involved. Bluetooth just plays the role of discovery and pairing in screen casting in almost all software.

Why say so? Bluetooth technology is a short-range wireless technology that with around 2-3 Mbps for maximum transfer rate. Such data rate is only sufficient for small file transfers (e.g., photos, documents, or contacts), audio streaming, and low-energy and low-bandwidth device connection. Since the tech released, the specification has come to version 6.0 in August 2024. And soon, this version will become the industry standard for device manufacturing.

The pros and cons are fairly clear at this point, but let's clarify them further.

Pros

• Wireless convenience
• Easy pairing
• Widely supported by a wide range of devices (whether the type, model, or OS)
• PANs (personal area networks)

Cons

• Low data transfer rate
• High latency
• Limited range
• Lack of authentication when pairing devices

Learn MoreBluetooth vs Wi-Fi vs Wi-Fi Direct in Screen Mirroring

	Bluetooth	Wi-Fi	Wi-Fi Direct
Connection Type	Wireless	Wireless (Requires Wi-Fi network)	Wireless (No router required)
Data Transfer Speed	Low (up to 3 Mbps)	High (up to 1 Gbps or more)	High (comparable to Wi-Fi speeds)
Range	30 feet/10 meters	100-300 feet/30-100 meters, depending on router	Similar to Wi-Fi, 100-200 feet
Data Encryption	AES-128 (Advanced Encryption Standard)	WPA2/WPA3 (Wi-Fi Protected Access)	WPA2/WPA3 & Encryption for Peer-to-Peer
Typical Applications	Peripheral devices, file transfers	Streaming, file sharing, internet browsing	Direct device-to-device file transfers, mirroring
How It Works	Bluetooth establishes a low-energy, short-range connection between devices. It’s ideal for low data transfer tasks like file transfers, but not for real-time video or high-bandwidth tasks.	Devices connect via a router or local Wi-Fi network. This allows high-speed data transmission.	It creates a peer-to-peer connection between two devices, bypassing the need for a router. Devices can directly communicate with each other without an intermediary.

How to Mirror Screen with Bluetooth?

Due to the technical characteristics, Bluetooth is difficult to use alone for screen mirroring. But you can still mirror the screen using Bluetooth. The casting process will be separated into - connecting devices via Bluetooth and transmitting data via WiFi. The following screen mirror tools are available to do it. See how to use them below.

1Use Google Home to Mirror Screen with Bluetooth

Note: To explore more devices that are supported by Google Home, you can visit here.

How to Use

Step 1: Enable Bluetooth settings on the display device (the one to receive content like TV and projector).

Step 2: Turn on Bluetooth on your Android phone in Settings.

Step 3: Pair and connect your phone and the display device by opening Bluetooth settings > Available devices on your phone and then tap the device name.

Step 4: Open Google Home on your phone. Then, go to Devices > Local Devices to find the connected display device.

Step 5: You will see Cast my screen after tapping the device name. Tap Cast my screen > Cast screen > START NOW.

Make sure that both devices are using the same network. Now you can play content on your phone and it will start casting automatically to the display device.

2Use Apple AirPlay to Screen Mirror over Bluetooth

How to Use

Step 1: Enable Airplay on your phone. Go to Settings > General > AirPlay & Handoff >  Automatically AirPlay to TVs > Automatic.

Step 2: Turn on Bluetooth on your iPhone. And WLAN should be activated too, but you don’t need a network.

Step 3: Open Control Center on your iPhone and tap the Screen Mirroring button.

Step 4: Select your Apple TV from the list. Then the content will start displaying on your TV.

Note: The devices need to be in close proximity, as the connection is based on Bluetooth range (around 30 feet or 10 meters). Since you are not using Wi-Fi for data transfer, you won’t be able to stream content. Instead, it will screen mirror files that already exist on the phone.

3Use Samsung Smart View/ Smart Flow to Mirror Screen with Bluetooth

1) Smart View

How to Use

To screen mirror from a phone to a stand-by-mode TV, you can first activate the Bluetooth setting on your phone.

Step 1: Tap Smart View by dropping down the Quick Panel from your phone screen.

Step 2: Select the TV in Phone - Other device.

Step 3: Choose a view mode in the pop-up. Then, tap Start Now.

Step 4: Your TV will show a 4-digit number PIN code in the right corner. Enter the number in your phone and tap Accept.

If you want to project Windows PC to Samsung Smart TV, you can:

Step 1: Click Start on the PC which is on the bottom left corner of the desktop.

Step 2: Go to Settings > Devices > Bluetooth & other devices.

Step 3: Click Add Bluetooth or other device > Wireless display or dock.

Step 4: Choose the TV name.

Step 5: Now select Allow on your TV when you see the prompt.

Note: Other similar screen casting software: SmartShare by LG, Screen Mirroring by Sony

2) Smart Flow

How to Use

Step 1: To cast Samsung phone to PC, you need to install Samsung Flow on both devices.

Step 2: Open Samsung Flow and the start connecting the phone and PC. You can connect them by using Bluetooth. Just turn on the Bluetooth settings for them.

Step 3: A passcode will show up. Enter it to pair your devices.

Step 4: Click the Smart View icon in the Smart Flow panel on your PC. Now, the screen mirror process is started.

FAQs

Q: Is Bluetooth a method for screen mirroring without relying on a network?

No. While Bluetooth is a wireless communication technology, it is not well-suited for the high data transfer rates, so it cannot efficiently handle the large amounts of data involved in transmitting a display signal.

Bluetooth, on the other hand, is generally used for tasks like connecting devices over short distances.

Q: What are alternatives to Bluetooth for screen mirroring?

Wi-Fi Direct, HDMI, USB-C.

Q: Does screen mirroring over Bluetooth work without Wi-Fi?

No, screen mirroring over Bluetooth doesn't work effectively without Wi-Fi because Bluetooth lacks the bandwidth needed for transmitting high-quality video and screen data.