If you are those who own a Motorola Moto G, you may have already realized that after the update to KitKat that this terminal obtained, the option cast screen in the Android display settings menu. Mysteriously, this alternative seemed to be enabled, but when entering it it is clearly seen that nothing can be done with it. Cast screen, is the Android function that in most high-end terminals allows you to mirror your screen on a smartTV wirelessly, and in this way see exactly what you do on your cell phone on your television, and for example playing with your favorite app on the big screen.
Miracast with a Samsung Galaxy S5
In this article we are going to explore 2 ways that in theory enable your Moto G to be able to do Screen Mirronring but in the end they are not what you expect.
Alternative 1: Miracast on your Moto G via ChromeCast
Dec 2014 Update: The latest updates of Moto G to android 4.4.4 and the latest update of ChromeCast makes it possible to do Screen Mirroring without the need to do hacks or be ROOT, in this way, this becomes the most stable way to do Screen Mirroring for the Moto G; However, even this function presents some delay (like 1/4 of a second) which does not make it suitable for video games yet (below is explained how to hack the ChromeCast app if you do not have the latest updates).
Those who have the small Google device that enables any television that has an HDMI port to have SmartTV-type functions, will have noticed that a while ago Google released an update that allowed many terminals to do screen mirroring through the app. ChromeCast. However, again the Moto G was not found on the list of devices that support this functionality, so the only way to make your Moto G transmit its screen to ChromeCast is to apply a small hack that only works if you previously ROOT it. to the computer and install an app called #mirrorEnabler which passes the validation of unsupported devices to mirror in ChromeCast and allows your Moto G to use the famous “cast screen” function.
ChromeCast the Google Device to make any TV a smartTV
I was able to personally test this function on my Moto G, and I must clarify that although it obviously works as expected, its performance leaves much to be desired. In my hands at that time I had a Samsung Galaxy S5, which transmitted its screen in a natural and fluid way to the ChromeCast without doing any type of hack, allowing to do all kinds of operations without problem such as putting a set of 3D graphics and seeing it in real time no delays. Then I went to Moto G, and through the #mirrorEnabler App hack I finally managed to have the screen of my Moto G on the TV. However, and much to my regret, the lag or delay between what happens on the cell phone screen and what you see on TV is very large. Large enough to make gameplay impossible or very difficult. the smooth transmission of any animation is eventually interrupted for a few thousandths of a second and then returns causing a loss of image during the time it takes to update it. I compare it to watching a Skype video conference with a bad signal at some times and a good signal at others.
The picture is good but there are delays in transmission
However, for simpler uses such as viewing your social networks, emails and other apps that do not use animations or video, it works decently, so you are advised that this is a half functionality.
Steps to follow:
- Be ROOT
- Install #MirrorEnabler
- Open the Chromecast APP (the “cast screen” option is not visible in the menu)
- Jump to #MirrorEnabler and press the enable button
- Return to the Chromecast APP (the “cast screen” menu appears allowing you to start the transmission).
After applying #MirrorEnabler the “cast screen” menu appears
Alternative 2: Miracast on your Moto G by editing a system file
The second alternative that I explore is to edit one of the system files, in which you must change a small line of code that makes the “cast screen” menu in your configuration menu functional. Again in order to do this little hack, you must have ROOT access enabled on your Moto G.
The file to edit in question is the build.prop which is located in the folder system of Android, which you can only access with a file explorer that has ROOT Explorer-like functionalities. I used the ES File Explorer and edit the file as seen in the attached image. After restarting the terminal, indeed the “cast screen” menu had changed allowing me to search for devices within my reach. However, and much to my regret, I was unable to connect my Moto G to the TV with either a Samsung SmartTV or a SONY Bravia SmartTV. There are reports on the internet that ensure that this alternative works, but that it is very random and you must try multiple times until the TV connects you. Unfortunately I have not had any luck, but I am convinced that if I do, the results will be very similar to those I experience with the ChromeCast.
Steps to follow
- Be ROOT.
- Open the build.por file from the system folder with a ROOT file explorer.
- Edit it by adding the following lines. in some cases one of them will be 2 o’clock in other cases, but in the end they should be like this. The idea is that the second with a “1” at the end and not with a “0”.
Persist.sys.wfd.virtual = 0persist.debug.wfd.enable = 1
Edit the file “build.prop”
- Return to Android’s “cast screen” menu and enable wireless screen
- Cross your fingers and fight with your TV so that your Moto G is recognized (I was not lucky) Keep in mind that this connection will be made through the WIFI-DIRECT protocol so during the transmission it will not be possible to use the WIFI connection of the cell phone to navigate.
Before editing the file
after editing the file
Conclusion: The Moto G is a device that was clearly not designed or optimized by Motorola to perform Screen Mirroring, and although its hardware clearly supports this functionality, a software support was not developed for it, most likely because it would not behave optimally. . In this way, even if it is possible to make it work in one way or another, its performance is not going to be decent as long as the manufacturer does not make an official improvement for it. Hence, I placed in the title of this article that actually YES it is possible to miracast with your Moto G, but the reality is that NO it will be a very satisfying experience in most games or video APPs.
Do you know any other method to do screen mirroring on the Moto G? share your experiences and let’s complete this guide together.
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