How to Use Smart View on an iPhone to Control a Samsung TV

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The complete guide to using Smart View on iOS in the SmartThings app

Written by Nicole Levine, MFA

Last Updated: March 17, 2025 Fact Checked

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• Setting Up Smart View
|
• Using Smart View
|
• Casting Apps
|
• Video
|
• Q&A

|Show more |Show less

This wikiHow guide teaches you how to use Samsung Smart View on your iPhone or iPad with a Samsung smart TV. To use Smart View, you just need to install the SmartThings app from the App Store and add your Samsung TV. Once you're all set up, you can use your iPhone or iPad as a remote control for your Samsung TV, mirror your screen, launch apps, browse for movies, and much more.

Quick Steps

1. Connect your phone and Samsung TV to the same Wi-Fi network.
2. Install the SmartThings app from the App Store.
3. Tap Devices.
4. Tap + next to "Add device".
5. Select your TV to add it.
6. Tap your TV on the Favorites tab any time to use Smart View.

Steps

Section 1 of 3:

Setting Up Smart View (SmartThings)

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1. 
   1
   Install the Samsung SmartThings app on your iPhone or iPad. While there used to be a Smart View app, you'll now need the SmartThings app to use Smart View on iOS. Here's how:

   • Open the App Store.
   • Tap the Search tab.
   • Type smartthings into the search bar.
   • Tap the SmartThings app (the blue icon with a white snowflake-like design).
   • Tap GET or the cloud icon to install it.
2. 
   2
   Connect your iPhone or iPad to the same Wi-Fi network as your Samsung TV. To cast or mirror your iPhone or iPad to your Samsung TV with Smart View, you'll need to make sure the devices are connected to the same Wi-Fi network.

   • If you haven't connected your Samsung TV to Wi-Fi yet, check out our guide to getting your Samsung TV online.
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3. 
   3
   Open the SmartThings app and grant all permissions. You can open the app on your iPhone or iPad by tapping the SmartThings icon on your home screen or by tapping Open on the SmartThings App Store page. The first time you open the app, you will be prompted to give it permission to access devices on your network–grant all requested permissions.
4. 
   4
   Tap Start SmartThings to get started. It's at the bottom of the screen. At this point, you'll be prompted to sign in with your Samsung account.
5. 
   5
   Log in to (or create) your Samsung Account. If you don't have an account yet, follow the on-screen instructions to create one now.
6. 
   6
   Tap Devices to view and add devices. Depending on your TV, you may be prompted automatically to add it to the app–if so, tap Add Now when prompted. If not, just tap Devices at the bottom.
7. 
   7
   Tap + next to Add Device. If you're not signed in to your Samsung account, you will be prompted to do so before you can continue. Once signed in, you should see your Smart View-capable Samsung TV in the device list.

   • If your Samsung TV is not turned on, turn it on now.
8. 
   8
   Select your Samsung TV. The SmartThings app will then attempt to connect to the TV. You'll see "Connecting to device" as it attempts to do so.

   • If your TV doesn't show up in the list of devices, tap Scan for Nearby Devices, and grant any additional permissions requested–for some reason, it asked for access to the microphone in our testing.
   • If the app finds your TV, tap to select it.
   • If the TV is not found in the scan, tap Add next to "Samsung devices," select TV, and then choose your TV from the list.
9. 
   9
   Take ownership of the device. Once connected, if someone else has already added the TV to their SmartThings app, you'll be asked if you want to make yourself the owner. If so, tap Make me the owner and follow the on-screen instructions. Once you're all set up, you can tap your TV on the SmartThings app to start using Smart View on your iPhone.

   • If the TV is not yours but you want to use your phone to control it, you can request an invitation from the owner instead. The owner will need to follow these steps to invite you:
     • In their SmartThings app, they'll need to go to Favorites and select the device's location.
     • Then, they should tap More options and select Manage location/members.
     • Tap Invite member and select Send invitation.
     • Now they'll need to enter the email address associated with your Samsung account and tap Send.
     • Once you receive the invitation via email, open the message and follow the on-screen instructions to accept.
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Section 2 of 3:

Using Smart View

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1. 
   1
   Tap your Samsung TV in the SmartThings app. Once you've added your Samsung TV to the SmartThings app, you can use your iPhone to control your TV. The TV will appear in the Favorites tab, which you'll see when you first launch the app.

   • You can also quickly turn the TV on and off from the Favorites tab by tapping the power icon on its tile.
2. 
   2
   Use your iPhone as a remote for your Samsung TV. If you don't want to use your Samsung remote to control your TV, tap the Remote icon at the bottom-right corner of the screen to open a fully functional Samsung TV remote. Here, you can navigate menus using a similar interface as your physical Samsung TV remote.

   • You can swipe down on the remote if you want to minimize it.
3. 
   3
   Launch apps and media from your iPhone. In addition to using the Smart View remote, you can tap the Sources & Apps option to launch your favorite TV apps like Netflix and Hulu from the Smart View screen. If you have any other devices connected to your TV, like gaming consoles and VR headsets, you can select those here.
4. 
   4
   Mirror your screen. If your Samsung smart TV was released after 2019, you can use AirPlay to mirror your iPhone or iPad to your screen. For Samsung TVs made between 2016 and 2019, you'll want to use Smart View in the SmartThings app instead. Here's how:

   • Select your TV in the SmartThings app.
   • Tap the three dots at the top-right corner.
   • Tap Mirror screen (Smart View) to start mirroring your screen.
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Section 3 of 3:

Casting to a Samsung Smart TV

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1. 
   1
   Open the app you want to cast on your iPhone or iPad. SmartView isn't the only way to use your iPhone or iPad with your Samsung TV–you can also cast movies and TV shows directly from streaming apps like Hulu, YouTube, and Netflix.

   • Like with Smart View/Smart Things, your iPhone or iPad must be connected to the same network as your Samsung TV.
2. 
   2
   Tap the casting icon. It's the icon that looks like a TV screen with a Wi-Fi signal on the bottom-left corner of the icon. It's typically located in the top-right corner of apps that support casting.

   • On some media apps, you may not see the casting icon until you start playing a show or movie and pause it to bring up the controls.
3. 
   3
   Select your Samsung Smart TV from the list. As long as you're connected to the same network, you should see your Samsung TV in the list. This will connect your iPhone to the TV.
4. 
   4
   Start watching. In the app, select a video or song to start streaming it on your TV. When you start the video, you'll see it on your TV screen and hear the audio from your TV's default audio device.

   • Use the playback controls in the app directly to control the video on the TV.
   • You can open other apps and use your phone normally while the video is streaming on the TV.
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Community Q&A

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• Question

  No pin shows up for my smart view. What can I do?

  

  Community Answer

  Locate the Menu button on your remote control and press it to view the settings menu. Choose the General option. Turn off the Samsung Instant-On feature. Restart, then turn on the Instant-On feature.

  Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
  Thank you for your feedback.
  If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow

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  Not Helpful 5 Helpful 8
• Question

  I have a smart view app on my iPhone and Samsung smart TV. When I try and look at my pictures on the TV, it says media format not supported. What is wrong?

  

  Community Answer

  You might not have the right equipment to handle the job, or a wire is messed up, or it's not connected.

  Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
  Thank you for your feedback.
  If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow

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  Not Helpful 24 Helpful 5
• Question

  Can I use Smartview on a non-Samsung TV?

  

  Community Answer

  If your non-Samsung TV is Wi-Fi enabled, you may be able to connect using the screen mirroring feature on your Samsung device, or Quick Connect if the TV supports it.

  Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
  Thank you for your feedback.
  If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow

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