Cannot connect Samsung A35 phone from it's USB port to an HDMI monitor

[JeffS954]

I have a Samsung A35 phone (S/N RFCX403MPGV).   I have never been able to figure out why i cannot connect it to an HDMI input port on a computer monitor, via a cable.   I have had other Samsung phones (Note 9 and S21 for example) that right out of the box I could connect a USB to HDMI cable to the phone and a computer monitor and it would instantly mirror the phone's display on the monitor, no intervention required.   When I try to do that with my S35 phone, nothing happens at all when I plug the USB to HDMI cable into the phone, except that it says it is charging the device that I just plugged in, which is stupid, because the monitor needs not be charged by the phone.  I have looked and looked for a setting to enable the ability to see the phone's screeen on the monitor, but never found anything even close to that sort of setting.  On my Note9 for example, there is an option in settings where I can choose what I want to have happen when plugged into HDMI:  do I want to mirror the screen or do I want to run Samsung Dex.       Does anyone have any advice for me?   Yes, I can use link to windows and connect it wirelessly through a network, but that uses up too much of my data allowance, just to project the phone screen to a monitor.  Why does Samsung make the simpliest things so difficult?

Jeff Spotts

[meself]

computer using an HDMI cable, you'll need a Samsung USB-C to HDMI adapter and an HDMI cable. First, connect the USB-C end of the adapter to your phone and the other end of the adapter to an HDMI cable. Then, connect the other end of the HDMI cable to your computer's HDMI port. You may also need to enable DeX mode on your phone to display a desktop-like interface on the connected monitor. 

Detailed Steps:

Gather your materials: You'll need a Samsung USB-C to HDMI adapter, an HDMI cable, and your Samsung Galaxy A35. 

Connect the adapter: Plug the USB-C end of the adapter into your phone. 

Connect the HDMI cable: Connect the other end of the adapter to an HDMI cable. 

Connect to the computer: Plug the other end of the HDMI cable into your computer's HDMI port. 

Enable DeX (if needed): Depending on your phone's settings, you may need to enable DeX mode to access a desktop-like interface on the connected monitor. 

Mirror or Extend Display: You can either mirror your phone's screen or extend your phone's display onto your computer monitor. 

Connect Keyboard and Mouse (optional): If you want to use a keyboard and mouse with DeX, you can connect them to the USB-C adapter. 

[JeffS954]

thank-you for responding so quickly, but everything you have told me are things I know how to do and have tried many times, and it doesn't work.  I've got several Samsung USB-C to HDMI adapters and several HDMI cables, and all of them work just fine  with my two other phones (the Note9 and the S21), so I have already eliminated the cables and adapters as the possible problem.  And as stated previoiusly, there is no setting in the A35 anywhere for DeX and there is no setting for Mirroring displays.   When I plug said adapter and cable into the phone and into a monitor, nothing happens at all.  the monitor goes to sleep because it doesn't detect any input signal and the phone doesn't respond at all, other than that I get a pop-up notification telling me that the USB device I just connected is being charged by the phone (as previously stated).   When I tap on that notification to get the screen that allows me to change from Charging only, to one other the other options (USB Tethering, MIDI, transferring photos, etc), i have tried choosing ALL of those options, but they are either dithered-out, or when I choose one of them, the phone errors out and goes back to charging only.    It has behaved this way since Day 1 of purchasing the phone last summer.   I just assumed that maybe this model phone was not compatible with connecting HDMI devices to it.  

    And as for the specifics on where to find settings for HDMI and mirroring and DeX, on my Note9 (yes I know that is a Very old phone, but it's what I have to compare with).   i open up settings and do a search for various key words.  For example, if I do a search for "HDMI" on my Not9, it will take me to "Connections>More Connection settings> HDMI Mode" and I can choose between Samsung DeX and Screen Mirroring."      HOWEVER, on my A35, if I do the same exact thing, I go to Settings and type HDMI in the search, it finds NOTHING.  Nothing at all. 

    Another example:  on my NOTE9  if I search on the word "MIRROR" within Settings, it takes me to "Connections>More Connection Settings".   On my Note9, within the "More Connection Settings" page, I will list here the line items:

Nearby Device scanning: toggle on or off

Printing

HDMI Mode

Download booster

VPN

Private DNS 

Wireless Emerency Alerts

Ethernet

--------------------------------------------

  On my A35, when I search on the word MIRROR, it provides a link to go to the section of the phone's settings for "More Connection Settings"  but when I tap on that to go there, there is NO such setting within the "More Connection Settings" section,.  I will list for you the line items within More Connection Settings:

Nearby Device Scanning: toggle on or off

Printing 

After "Printing" it jumps right to VPN, Private DNS and on down the list, but I think it is important to note that the line for "HDMI Mode" is not there at all.  It just doesn't exist on the A35 at all.  The phone's search tool THINKS it is going to lead you to the place in Settings where the word "Mirror" exists, but when you follow the breadcrumbs to get to that section, it's just not there at all.  

Jeff Spotts

[kimberleigh]

I dont believe the A series supports this feature

[realaud]

The A series does not support Dex, but that model should support the USB/HDMI adapter.

[realaud]

Turn off auto blocker, which your other phone probably did not have. If auto blocker is on, it disables any action other than charging through the usb cable. Settings/security and privacy/Auto Blocker. Also make sure to turn off block USB connections while locked in more security settings. BTW, screen mirroring, if available, is called Smart View.

[JeffS954]

I was sure that this advice was going to be the magic bullet that would miraculously fix this issue that has been plaguing me since I bought the phone last year. But alas, when I turned off auto-blocker (which I did hae turned on), and turned off "Block USB Connevtions while locked (which I also had turned on), still did not fix the problem.
if i may editorialize for a moment: this is my first time ever seeking assistance via this venue, and I have found it To be more than a little frustrating. I understand that people are just trying to help, and that is MUCH appreciated, but the responses I received back are at times contradictory to others'. One person tells me to perform steps X, Y, and Z, but the next person says, "but his model phone isn't compatible with X and Y. "
In conclusion, I very much appreciate the attempts at helping me, but so far nothing worked, and at this point am not even clear if my phone is even designed for this feature to work in the first place.
Jeff

[realaud]

I understand your frustration. Sometimes advice seems contradictory, but usually if one thing doesn't work, one or some of the others might. The fact of the matter is not everyone is familiar with the capabilities and specs of each phone model. The A series is obviously not as advanced as the S series phones and not every feature would be available. Your phone may need an additional adapter, called an OTG adapter, which is a USB-C adapter with certain capabilities that the port does not have. They are relatively inexpensive. It's just a dongle that you would plug into the phone and then plug the USB end of the HDMI adapter into. Even if you have this dongle already, it might not be OTG capable.

[JeffS954]

I was not aware that the A series is less advanced than the S series, but that is becoming painfully clear now. It seems next-to impossible to be able to know those kinds of things when one is standing in the store trying to decide. I never heard of an OTG adapter. I find it very frustrating that these sorts of incredibly important details are somehow left out of the documentation provided to the customer. if I need an additional adapter, that's fine, but it would be nice to know if this truly is the problem or will i be spending money on a part that isn't going to fix it anyhow?
Please don't take my responses as throwing anyone under the bus, or an attempt to insult anyone. It seems to me there should be a published list of accessories for use with this model phone, and what each of them will do for you, such as this OTG adapter thingy.

[realaud]

Most of those adapters can be obtained for less than $10. Yes, the A series is the bread and butter line for Samsung. They are budget phones that are meant to function well enough for people who don't need all the bells and whistles of the S line and don't want to pay for them. There are usually 3 in model year: 1x, 3x, and 5x. The 1s having the most basic features and the 3s and 5s each having more, but still less than the S.