USB-C to HDMI No Sound on Android: How to Fix TV Audio

When USB-C to HDMI shows a picture but no sound on Android, the audio is almost always going somewhere else: to Bluetooth headphones, to the phone speaker, or into an adapter that does not carry audio. HDMI sends audio and video down the same cable, so if the picture works, the fix is usually a routing or settings change rather than a new cable. Work through these checks in order.

How audio is supposed to work over USB-C to HDMI

When your phone outputs video through DisplayPort Alt Mode, the audio travels inside the same DisplayPort stream. The chip in your USB-C to HDMI cable or adapter converts both to HDMI, and the TV decodes the audio. Android treats the HDMI connection as a new audio output and switches to it automatically, the same way it would switch to a Bluetooth speaker.

That automatic switch is where most problems start.

1. Disconnect Bluetooth headphones and speakers

This is the number one cause. If earbuds, a speaker, or a car stereo are connected over Bluetooth, Android keeps sending audio there even after the HDMI display appears. Your earbuds can be sitting in their case and still be connected.

1. Swipe down and long-press the Bluetooth icon.
2. Disconnect every audio device in the list, or turn Bluetooth off entirely.
3. Unplug the USB-C to HDMI cable and plug it back in.
4. Play a video.

On Samsung phones you can also open the media output picker: play something, swipe down, and tap the output button on the media panel. Pick the HDMI or TV entry if it is listed.

2. Check the volume on both ends

Android has separate volume levels for ringtone, notifications, and media. Pressing the volume button on the home screen often adjusts ringtone volume, not media. Start a video, then press volume up so the media slider is the one that moves.

Then check the TV. It is easy to have the TV muted or set to a soundbar that is switched off. Press volume up on the TV remote and look for a mute icon.

3. Check the TV's audio settings for that input

TVs have audio settings that can silence a specific input.

• Sound output: look for a setting called Sound Output, Speakers, or Audio Out. If it is set to Optical, ARC, or an external receiver that is not on, the TV's own speakers stay silent. Set it to TV Speaker to test.
• HDMI audio format: some TVs have a per-input option for Bitstream, Dolby Digital, or PCM. Phones output plain stereo PCM. Set the input to PCM or Auto.
• Input labels: on some TVs, labelling an input as "PC" changes audio handling. Set it to a generic label.

The paths differ by brand. On Samsung TVs it is Settings, Sound, Sound Output. On LG it is Settings, Sound, Sound Out. On Sony it is Settings, Display and Sound, Audio Output.

4. Check the HDMI audio toggle in the app

If you are casting through the app, it has its own HDMI audio toggle. When it is on, video and music audio go to the TV. When it is off, audio stays on the phone, which is useful if you want to show a slideshow on the TV while listening on headphones. If the picture is on the TV but sound is coming out of the phone speaker, open the app's settings and make sure HDMI audio is switched on. Details are on the app page.

5. Check that the adapter carries audio

Nearly every standard USB-C to HDMI cable and adapter passes audio, because it is part of the DisplayPort signal. Exceptions exist:

• A few cheap adapters are marked "video only" in the small print.
• Some adapter chains, for example USB-C to DisplayPort and then a passive DisplayPort to HDMI plug, can lose audio.
• DisplayLink adapters handle audio separately and often do not work on Android at all.

Here is a quick test. Plug in the adapter, start playing a video on the phone, then open the media output picker described in step 1. If the TV or HDMI output is not listed at all, the phone is not seeing an audio path through the adapter. Test with a different adapter. The cable guide lists what to look for on the box.

6. Hubs with a headphone jack

USB-C hubs that include a 3.5mm headphone socket present that socket as an audio output. Some phones prefer it over HDMI, so the sound goes to an empty headphone jack. If your hub has one, plug in any headphones to confirm, then either use a hub without a jack or switch the output in the media picker.

7. Copy-protected apps

If the problem is specifically Netflix, Disney+, Prime Video, or another streaming app, and the screen is black as well as silent, you are not looking at an audio bug. Those apps refuse to play on outputs that fail the HDCP copy-protection check, and on many phones that blocks the whole stream. Photos, home videos, and local music are unaffected. The Netflix black screen guide explains what does and does not work.

8. Reconnect in the right order

Android sometimes gets stuck on the wrong output after a device is added or removed. A clean reconnection fixes it:

1. Stop playback and close the video app.
2. Disconnect all Bluetooth audio devices.
3. Unplug the USB-C to HDMI cable from the phone.
4. Wait five seconds, then plug it back in.
5. Unlock the phone and play a local video from the gallery, not a streaming app.

If a local video from the gallery plays with sound through the TV, the connection is fine and the earlier problem was app-specific.

Samsung DeX audio

In DeX mode, audio goes to the TV by default. If it is coming out of the phone instead, open the quick panel at the bottom-right of the DeX screen, tap the sound icon, and pick the HDMI or TV output. Samsung also has a setting called Separate app sound, under Settings, Sounds and vibration, which can pin one app's audio to a particular device. If it is on, turn it off while casting.

What to do next

Most no-sound cases are solved by step 1 alone. If Bluetooth is off, media volume is up, the TV speaker is selected, and a gallery video still plays silently, swap the adapter. If a second adapter also fails on a phone that shows video, check the not working guide for port and cable checks, because a partially seated plug can carry video and drop audio.