*This post may contain affiliate links and we may earn a small commission if you click on them.
Yes! No computer needed! You can pattern project directly to your projector from your phone! There are many good reasons to use a phone or tablet when pattern projecting.
Using a phone for pattern projecting is a convenient way to have a wireless display. It is highly mobile and can be taken anywhere! And it doesn’t require a computer to sew!
Let’s get started learning how to use a phone or tablet to sew!
You need to do three things to use a phone for pattern projecting.
- Screen mirror from your phone to your projector
- Access sewing patterns on your phone.
- Calibrate your device and project patterns.
1. Screen Mirror to Your Projector
One of the things that makes a phone or tablet useful is that you do not need to connect using a cable. Most phones and tablets can connect wirelessly using screen mirror, Miracast, or Chrome Cast. If you are unfamiliar with these then read on to see what would work best for you and your sewing setup!
Most phones can share their screen or cast to a projector. The screen sharing options are usually accessed through the quick menu by swiping down.
Screen mirror can be found on the iPhone by swiping down from the top right corner to reveal the control panel screen. Select the button with the two rectangles on top of each other. This will open the available screens to mirror to. The projector may be named something odd. If nothing else is available, that is probably it. Click it and it should connect. When it is connected a check mark should appear. You can now navigate on your phone and it will show on the screen.
Since projectors use different methods for connecting to phones, you will need to check your projector manual for connecting wirelessly to a projector. Some projectors are not Wi-Fi enabled or unable to connect wirelessly to phones. In these cases, you will need to connect using a USB-C to HDMI cable.
Optional Connect with HDMI
You can connect a phone or tablet to a projector using an HDMI cable. Most phones and tablets will not have an HDMI port, so you will need an adapter.
| Preview | Product | Rating | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| | MHL Micro USB to HDMI Cable Adapter, MHL 5pin… | $8.99 | Buy on Amazon |
Last update on 2025-04-16 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Casting Devices on a Projector
Casting devices can turn any device into a wireless display. If your projector doesn’t have WiFi or casting abilities (i.e. older Epson ultra-short-throw projectors), you can add a casting device. Google Chromecast, Apple TV, Fire TV, AnyCast, and Roku are a few streaming devices that can turn your projector into a wireless display
Be aware that not all casting devices work well for iPhones. Chromecast can work on Android phones and tablets. It can also connect to Windows and Mac computers through the Chrome internet browser. IPhones will not cast to a Google Chromecast without a third-party paid app. Although, Chromecast will cast from the YouTube and Netflix without a paid app.
If you own an Apple phone, it is best to use an Apple compatible streaming device. Apple TV and AnyCast are two products that are compatible to Apple Devices.
| Preview | Product | Rating | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| | Tsemy Anycast HDTV Wireless Display Adapter… | $19.99 $18.99 | Buy on Amazon | |
| | NAMCIM Wireless HDMI Display Dongle Adapter,… | Buy on Amazon | ||
| | Wireless Display Dongle Adapter, 5GHz+2.4GHz… | Buy on Amazon |
Last update on 2025-04-16 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
The Onn streaming device is a budget solution with Google Chromecast built in. This means you can cast your computer, Android phone, or tablet directly to this streaming device to mirror your screen. Bonus, you can also watch TV and Movies on your projector with the build-in Netflix, YouTube, and Disney plus apps.
2. How to Access Pattern Files from Your Phone
Google drive, iCloud and Dropbox are handy, cloud-based storage tools. They allow you to save your PDF pattern files (including projector files) online in the “cloud”. These documents then can be accessed wirelessly on your tablet, phone, or computer.
Once you purchase a pattern, just add it to your cloud storage. I like to organize my patterns into Adult, Kid, Baby, and Craft categories. Then, by pattern designer and pattern name. When your files are saved in the cloud you can access them from all of your devices. When using Google Drive or Dropbox, you do need to add these apps to your device to gain access to the files for seiwng.
The best thing about storing you patterns in the cloud is that even if your computer crashes, you will still have all of your patterns. Whew! Life saver! (This actually happened to me!) Make sure to save any drafted and pattern adjustments to the cloud as well!
3. How to Calibrate and Cast Sewing Patterns to Your Projector
Now that you can screen mirror from your phone to your projector and you can access your sewing patterns on your phone, you need a program that can read PDFs!
The days of manually calibrating a projector for sewing are over! We now use Pattern Projector to calibrate and project patterns from phones and tablets. Computers can use Project & Cut or Pattern Projector.
You can see the full instructions on calibrating your projector with Pattern Projector in the video below. Make sure to rotate your phone into landscape position when using it for sewing.
Once the rectangle is accurate in your projected image, you can push the “Project” button and continue with the instructions under “Projecting patterns in Pattern Projector”. Read the next section to download PP (pattern projector) directly to your home screen!
Download the PWA (Pattern Projector)
Did you know that you can download PatternProjector.com as a progressive web app or PWA? Basically it bookmarks the website and puts a link to it on your home screen. You will have the same functionality as if you were on the website without opening the internet.
On your phone internet browser, go to patternprojector.com. If you push the button at the top of the webpage that says “install app” it will give you instructions on installing the app to your phone.
Push the share button at the bottom of your screen. This will open the share menu. Choose “Add to Home screen”. You can name it anything you’d like, but I usually just leave it as PatternProjector.
Now, you can access it directly from your home screen!
Projecting Patterns in Pattern Projector
Once you have calibrated your projector using your phone and the Pattern Projector app, you are ready to project your first pattern!
In pattern projector, click on the “Project” button if you are still on the calibration screen. Now, click “open PDF”. This will open the file browser on your device.
At first it may only show files that are on your phone or on your iCloud. If you cannot see you Google Drive, then click on “Browse”. Look under “locations”. If Google Drive is installed on your phone, but is not showing up click on the three dots in the circle at the top right. This will allow you to “Edit”. Now under “Locations”, you should be able to toggle Google drive on.
Now you will be able to access patterns from your Google Drive on your phone from Pattern Projector!
File the PDF pattern file you want to use and click on it. The pattern will be loaded and scaled in Pattern Projector.
The top menu will disappear after a few seconds of not touching the screen.
Conclusion
Pattern projecting from a phone is very doable. With these tips and tricks you are sure to be up and running using a projector to project patterns from your phone in no time. If not being able to connect a laptop or computer has been holding you back from this amazing movement in sewing, then its time to move forward!
A phone is not my top choice when projecting patterns, but it is an option. Don’t let the lack of a computer stop you from projecting and cutting out your sewing patterns! Yes! You can use a phone to project sewing patterns.
Thanks for reading! If you found this helpful, share with a friend!