Android smartphones and tablets are often preferred for watching videos due to their portability and ease of use. However, most Android devices do not have enough storage capacity to store multiple movies or an extensive music gallery. But do not worry. There are several easy and hassle-free ways to access video files on your PC from your phone. All you need is a stable Wi-Fi network.
Do you want to stream music and movies from your computer to your mobile phone? Instead of hogging your phone or tablet storage with music and movies, you can stream your favorite videos and music from your PC to your Android phone. All you need to do is change a few settings on Windows PC.
Then use a compatible media player with network streaming support, then you are ready to stream music and videos to your Android phone via WiFi connection.
You are probably looking for a way to stream movies or music from your computer to an Android phone or tablet. Due to their mobility and ease of use, Android smartphones and tablets are frequently used to watch videos. Most Android smartphones, on the other hand, don’t have enough storage space to accommodate a lot of movies or a large music collection.
But do not worry. There are several easy and hassle-free methods to access video files on your PC from your phone. Here are some examples. All you want is a reliable Wi-Fi connection.
How to Stream Video from PC to Android over WiFi
This article will provide you with step-by-step instructions on how to do it correctly. But first, let’s take a look at the incredible technology that makes this type of streaming possible.
Setting up your Windows DLNA Server
If you’re using Windows 10, you don’t have to worry about installing DLNA-compliant software. All Windows 10 PCs have a built-in DLNA server. Many older versions of Windows also have this feature.
Follow these steps to enable DLNA for your Windows 10
Step 1:
First, open Control Panel on your PC. You can do this by typing “Control Panel” in the search bar on your PC.
Step 2:
Once you have opened the Control Panel app, type “media” in the search bar.
Under “Network and Sharing Center”, click “Streaming Media Options”.
Step 3 :
On the next page, you will notice an option called Enable Media Streaming. Click the option to enable streaming media.
Step 4:
The next window will ask you for permission to allow or block streaming media. Check the boxes to give your PC access to streaming media files.
That is all. You have now enabled media sharing via DLNA on your PC. The next phase is to configure the DLNA client, that is, your Android device on which the media files will be streamed. You need to download any DLNA-compatible media player app from Google Play Store for this step.
Here we will give you a list of some of the most popular and easy-to-use applications. They are all completely free to install! We’ll also include a step-by-step guide explaining how to set up and connect applications to your server PC.
Best Apps to Stream Media to Your Android Mobile from PC
VLC app is one of the most popular DLNA client apps. This application can access and play different types of media files on your computer. Let’s see how to use this app.
Step 1:
Install the VLC app on your Android phone from the Google Play Store.
Step 2:
Open the app on your mobile. So it would help if you tap on the menu panel on the left. Next, click on the Local Network option.
Step 3:
You should now see a list of all available DLNA servers. Again, if you were successful in setting up your computer following our guidelines above, you will see your PC listed.
Step 4 :
Tap on your PC server; you will find a list of media files on this server. The files will be categorized into groups like Music, Pictures, Playlists, Videos, etc.
Step 5:
Select the desired folder, click on the required file and stream it smoothly.
The VLC media player is mainly known for streaming music and videos; there may be problems navigating through the photos. Nevertheless, it is a great option. In fact, with the VLC Media Player app, you can even turn your Android mobile device into a DLNA server and watch files from phone to PC! The best part is that it works great with Mac too.
MediaMonkeand is another fantastic and popular DLNA client media player
Step 1:
Install and open the MediaMonkey app from the Google store.
Step 2:
Open the app and tap on the UPnP option from the menu. You will see a list of local DLNA servers.
Step 3:
Just like the previous app, you will find your computer listed in the app. Select it.
Step 4:
Choose a folder and select the media file you want to view. Enjoy!
Is so easy. VLC and Mediamonkey are arguably the best apps to stream music and videos or any other files from your Windows PC to your Android phone or tablet. Other apps that can be mentioned include Emit Free, 2Playuh, MXPlayer, and SMPlayer.
The setup process for each of them is similar to the two mentioned here. Although there may be purchase options, all of these apps are completely free if you can tolerate a bit of advertising.