How to Make a Projector with Your Phone?

Use a cardboard projector sold as a kit.

Many manufacturers now offer cardboard projectors. Sold as a kit, they must be assembled yourself. To assemble the different cardboard pieces, you don’t need to be an expert. Also, the assembly is quite fast. In just 15 to 20 minutes, it is possible to assemble the cardboard projector. It is not uncommon for some people to find themselves lost along the way. Do not panic! Just go to YouTube to find a  video tutorial on how to assemble the kit properly. Perhaps it will be of more help than the very brief instructions provided.

1. Start by placing the glass lens at the end of the tube. Also, in cardboard, this tube acts as a lens. For the result to be satisfactory, this lens must be positioned optimally;
2. Once the assembly is successful, all that remains is to slide the smartphone into the slot intended for it. Beforehand, it is necessary to make some mobile settings because it will take care of the video playback. You will have to push the brightness of your screen to the maximum. It is a mandatory step. It is also recommended to tilt the smartphone display to 180 degrees and thus enjoy a reverse landscape view. To make things easier, the use of free apps for IOS and Android is recommended;
3. For projection, choose a  dark room where the light does not pass. The image should be projected onto a white wall for better rendering.

The Phone Projector to transform your smartphone into a video projector

To watch videos and films on a projector, several means can be used, and this, without investing in a video projector. Indeed, many smartphone manufacturers today offer simple and practical devices such as the Phone Projector. Easy to use, it is a device made in a black cardboard box. It embeds a magnifying glass to reflect the images of the phone on a projector. Just place the mobile in the back and start the video. This will automatically be projected onto the wall or other preferably white surface. A straightforward and particularly effective process!  

Practical ways to connect a smartphone to a video projector

Today, a whole range of tools allows you to connect a smartphone to a video projector. They are practical and efficient. Just navigate on the phone to access this feature. However, most of the tools that send videos from the phone to the projector are not always easy to use. Some can be a real headache.

Here are some quick and easy tips for sending images from your smartphone to a projector:

A power Mirror

To stream videos or give a presentation on a projector, using ApowerMirror is one of the recommended options. This software offers essential functions, including screen recording, full-screen viewing, and screen printing, among others. Also, it includes a whiteboard function that allows you to draw lines and shapes on the projected screen. To use this application and broadcast the smartphone screen to a projector:

1. Prepare the video projector by connecting the VGA cable to the external video port of the PC;
2. Download and install the application on the mobile. Both devices must be connected to the same Wi-Fi environment;
3. Start the program on the PC and the smartphone. The “M” button at the bottom of the phone should be selected. When the PC is detected, click on “Mobile screen mirroring.” The smartphone screen is then displayed on the video projector.

Miracast

A streaming media device, Miracast, allows you to send the screen of a smartphone to a video projector. This is a convenient and efficient way with which it is possible to view phone content like tutorials, slideshow, or presentations on a larger screen. As long as the wireless phone and projector support Miracast, it is possible to connect them. If the mobile is the only one to support Miracast, you must purchase a Miracast video adapter to attach to the projector’s HDMI port.

To be able to send the screen of a Smartphone to a video projector:

1. Buy a Miracast Video Projector. It is possible to find it in a store or at an online store;
2. The projector must be turned on before connecting the Miracast on the HDMI port to the USB port as well as the power cord;
3. Connect the smartphone to Miracast by pressing the “Show” button displayed on the notification bar;
4. Once the name Miracast appears, you have to press it and wait for the smartphone to be connected to the video projector.

Chromecast

To display media content found in a smartphone on a projector, Chromecast is the tool you need. This is a streaming device that sends videos in HD or 4K resolution to a projector. Moreover, it can stream video content from different streaming services like YouTube, Netflix, and Hulu. To proceed with the Chromecast setup:

1. Connect this to the HDMI port on the back of the projector. Above all, do not forget to deactivate the battery saving mode on the phone;
2. Connect it to Chromecast on the same wireless network;
3. Using the phone, you have to download the Google Home app, touch “Menu,” then display the screen;
4. Several suggestions will appear, and just select the name of the Chromecast device.

These are all means that allow you to display the screen of a telephone on a video projector. Their efficiency is the same, and they have the same functions. However, to benefit from a powerful and easy to use the device, it is preferable to bet on the ApowerMirror. This is arguably the best option. It is especially appreciated for its practicality. You have to follow the user guide to the letter to assemble it correctly—also, there is no need to search for equipment to benefit from it. Just download the corresponding app, and you’re done. Moreover, the price of the device is affordable. Thus, it is possible to take advantage of all its features while making a good deal.

Make a DIY video projector with your smartphone.

Before looking at what is commercially available to have a video projector combined with a smartphone at home, it is quite possible to make one yourself! Simple, economical, and ecological, it is about reusing a shoebox and a little material:

• A shoebox
• A smartphone
• A magnifying glass
• Black paint
• Black electrician’s tape
• A large paperclip
• A cutter
• A pencil

Once you have gathered the material, the steps to follow are straightforward: 

1. Prepare the shoebox by painting it black, the inside and the cover;
2. Place the magnifying glass on one of the short sides of the box and trace the outline with the pencil;
3. Clearly cut the circle corresponding to the outline of the magnifying glass using the cutter;
4. At the back of the box, on the opposite side, drill a small hole to pass the phone charger cable;
5. Remove the handle of the magnifying glass or put it to the side so that it does not interfere, place the magnifying glass in the opening and fix it with the electrician’s tape;
6. Take the paperclip and twist it to form a support to be placed in the box, on which the smartphone should stand straight, parallel to the magnifying glass.

Once the DIY projector is finalized, it is now enough to optimize the smartphone:

1. To counter the optical effect of the magnifying glass, you have to invert the image from the phone settings;
2. For an iPhone, you have to go to Settings> Accessibility> Accessibility shortcut> Touch> Assistive Touch> A white button appears on which you must click to access “Device”> Select “Turn the screen”> Select “Right”;
3. For an Android, use the Ultimate Rotation Control application.

Finally, all you have to do is set up the best conditions for comfortable viewing:

1. In the absence of white walls on which to project the image, turn over a poster or stretch a white sheet as a screen;
2. Adjust the sharpness of the image by placing the phone inside the box on its holder and moving back and forth to find the ideal distance;
3. Set the smartphone’s brightness to the maximum;
4. Start the video and place the phone in the box, then close it.

Don’t forget to turn off the light before enjoying the projection!