Same Wi-Fi network. That’s the whole game.
Casting fails for one reason more than all others combined: the phone and the TV are not on the same network. The phone drifted onto cellular, or onto the guest network, or one device is on the 5 GHz band of a router that keeps its bands separate. Before touching any other setting, open the phone’s Wi-Fi and confirm it shows the same network name the TV uses.
Three more quiet killers, straight from Google’s own troubleshooting: VPNs block casting entirely (disconnect first), AP/client isolation on the router silently walls devices off from each other, and mobile hotspots usually refuse device-to-device traffic altogether.
Your phone’s path
Every ecosystem calls it something different, but each is three taps once you know where.
iPhone → Screen Mirroring (AirPlay)
Swipe down from the top-right corner for Control Center → tap Screen Mirroring (two overlapping rectangles) → pick the TV → type the passcode the TV shows. Works with Apple TV boxes and most 2018-and-newer smart TVs (Samsung, LG, Sony, Roku, some Fire TVs). To stop: same button → Stop Mirroring.
Android → Cast
Quick Settings usually has a Screen cast tile; otherwise the Google Home app → press and hold the TV’s tile → Cast my screen. Needs a Chromecast, Google TV, or a set with Chromecast built-in.
Samsung Galaxy → Smart View
Swipe down Quick Settings → Smart View → pick the TV → Start now. It is built into the phone — no app download, despite what the pop-up ads say.
In-app casting beats mirroring
For YouTube, Netflix and most video apps, tap the cast icon inside the app instead of mirroring the whole screen: the TV pulls the stream itself at full quality, your phone becomes a remote, and calls/notifications never interrupt the movie.
When the TV never shows up in the list
Roku: Settings → Apple AirPlay and HomeKit → AirPlay On (and enable Fast TV Start so the TV is reachable while “off”); Android mirroring on Rokus lives under Settings → System → Screen mirroring. Samsung: Settings → General (or Connection) → Apple AirPlay Settings. Fire TV mirrors Android via Settings → Display & Sounds → Enable Display Mirroring — but note iPhones don’t mirror to most Fire TVs natively. If the TV still never appears: restart TV, router and phone once each — the discovery protocols genuinely do get stuck, and the triple restart clears them more often than any setting.
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More guides: TV won’t connect to Wi-Fi · Fix a Fire TV Stick remote · Fix an Apple TV remote
Quick answers
The TV shows up but casting fails to connect.
Router features are usually to blame: AP/client isolation on, a VPN running on the phone, or the guest network. Google's own fix list says disconnect the VPN and make sure AP isolation is off.
Casting works but stops when my phone sleeps.
Screen mirroring dies with the screen; in-app casting survives it. Use the cast button inside the app whenever it exists — the TV streams independently and your phone can even leave the house.
Do I need Wi-Fi if the TV is right next to me?
For AirPlay and Google Cast, yes — the network is the bridge. No Wi-Fi at all? A $10 HDMI adapter cable for your phone is the honest offline answer.
Why does my hotel/apartment-complex Wi-Fi refuse to cast?
Shared networks run client isolation on purpose, so devices cannot see each other. Workarounds exist (travel routers), but on a network you don't control it is a policy, not a malfunction.