How to share media files from a PC to an Android device with VLC

Did you know that you can stream media content from a Windows computer to an Android device you use?

This is a useful skill to learn. There are lots of reasons for wanting to access video and music files on a Windows PC on your Android device. Perhaps you want to watch a movie on your tablet while you lie down in bed or enjoy a list of your favorite songs in another room.

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You can do that in a variety of ways, but one of them is to use specific applications like Chrome Remote Desktop . However, this article will show you how to use VLC Media Player to access Windows-based media on Android devices regardless of which browser you are using.

Note: Using this method will only work when you use your phone and computer on the same network.

1. Download VLC Media Player

You will need to download two versions of VLC, one for your computer and one for your Android device. For the Android version you can find it on Play Store.

2. Allow VLC to work in the background

If you regularly use your phone to listen to music on YouTube (and don't sign up for YouTube Red), you'll be frustrated that you can't listen to music in the background. If you exit the application, the sound will stop.

Using this VLC trick can solve that problem. Music still plays even if you use another application on your device. To do that, you will need to change the mobile application settings.

Start the VLC application and touch the three line icons in the upper left corner of the screen to open the application's main menu. Next, click on Preferences and finally put a checkmark in Play videos in background.

3. Share files

Currently, you need to set up file sharing on your computer. The easiest way to share files is to use the HomeGroup feature . If you haven't used HomeGroups before, you need to create one before taking any other steps.

Create a HomeGroup

You can find HomeGroup settings in Control Panel or the Windows 10 Settings app .

To access the settings, open the Start Menu and enter HomeGroup or go to Control Panel> HomeGroup . Click Create a homegroup at the bottom of the window.

Windows will ask you which files and folders you want to share, select the appropriate content. If you just want to access videos and music on your Android device, just turn those two options on. Make sure you select Shared from the menu next to it.

When ready, click Next and wait a moment for Windows to create HomeGroup. Once completed, it will give you a HomeGroup password, click on Finish to complete the setup process.

Give access to the phone

Once you've created the HomeGroup, you need to make sure your phone can access it. After clicking Finish in the step above, the HomeGroup settings page will be displayed.

In the upper part of the window, under Libraries and devices that you're sharing from this computer , click Allow all devices on this network such as TVs and games consoles to play my shared content.

In the next window, click Allow all in the upper right corner. You can also name a HomeGroup. Click Next when done.

Windows asks you about the file you want to share again. You will see a warning message saying that sharing is in progress, wait for it to disappear before continuing.

4. Play content on mobile

Once it's set up in Windows, open the VLC app on your phone and click the three-line icon in the upper left corner. Select Local Network from the pop-up menu.

You should see your HomeGroup listed as one of the options and may see other devices depending on what is connected to your network.

Click on the name of HomeGroup and you will see all the shared folders. Clicking on a folder will take you to the same directory diagram as on a Windows computer. Just navigate through those folders until you find the music and videos you want to play.

Because VLC is very powerful, it also supports M3U playlist format. That means you can create multiple playlists using your favorite music player software, then play them directly on your device. You will not have to navigate to each individual song.

5. Access to remote computers

If you need access to more data than just music and video files, the best solution is to use Chrome Remote Desktop.

You need to use Chrome browser for this. Setting up the application is easy. Under My Computers , click Get started , then click Enable remote connections . When requested, create a PIN.

Finally, open the application on your phone, touch your computer name and enter the PIN just created. Using Chrome Remote Desktop is not effective for videos and music. You will not have the mobile central controls that VLC provides. However, it gives you an easy way to access documents and software on your computer if you're away from home.

The article has shown you how to transfer media files from a Windows computer to an Android device. With just a few taps, you can access any music or video files stored on your computer on your Android device using the software to watch videos and listen to music VLC Media Player.