There are many reasons why you would be willing to turn your smartphone into a PC — you know, like connecting a monitor/TV, a keyboard, and a mouse to the little gadget. Maybe you wish to enjoy Android games on a bigger display; you have a lot of important paperwork on your phone that needs more attention, and so on. Besides, smartphones nowadays are insanely powerful, and they’re far from being used at their maximum potential. That’s why we’re here to help!
Why would you possibly invest in a new desktop PC when you already have one in your own pocket? With just a few tweaks and a lot less money invested, you can perform a lot of useful and exciting tasks using the hardware of your phone just in the same way you were doing on a laptop or desktop PC!
Here are the components you need for transforming your smartphone into a desktop PC:
- Keyboard and mouse that can connect through Bluetooth
- Alternatively, you can have a USB keyboard and mouse, as well as a USB-OTG cable
- A display that supports wireless HDMI or screen mirroring
There are a few ways to do the job, so let’s see some of them:
Using DeX (Samsung users)
Samsung owners have the very comfortable option of activating the DeX feature right from the notifications tray of their phone. However, not all Samsung devices will qualify for the job, as you need a Galaxy S8, S8+, Note 8, or a later model. Once you have such a Samsung phone, you’ll just have to connect it to a nearby wireless HDMI-ready display, connect those input devices, and get the rig going!
Using Chromecast
Using Chromecast is also a very easy method. You need a USB-C or Bluetooth-connected keyboard and mouse, and a Chromecast or another mirroring solution connected to your TV. From there, it’s all extremely intuitive: just connect the keyboard and share your display over Chromecast by using the screen mirroring function.
Let us know if you’ve ever been using your smartphone as a desktop PC and if you were satisfied with the results!