Fix the Project My Screen app not working on Lumia 950 or Windows 10 Mobile

Fix the Project My Screen app not working on Lumia 950 or Windows 10 Mobile

Do you have a Windows 10 Mobile smartphone, with a USB-Type C connection, like the Lumia 950 or the Lumia 950 XL and the Project My Screen app for Windows doesn't seem to work? It starts and it just shows a black screen, without projecting the image from the smartphone. If that happens and you don't know what to do, then read this guide to learn what you have to do in order to fix things:

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The problem: Project My Screen doesn't project the image from your smartphone

The problem with the Project My Screen app for Windows is that it has been designed to work only with USB 2.0 connections. Modern smartphones with Windows 10 Mobile and USB-Type C connections use the USB 3.0 standard. Therefore, if you plug in the USB 3.0 connection cable from your smartphone into a USB 3.0 on your Windows computer and start the Project My Screen app, all you get is a black screen, like the one below.

Project My Screen, Windows, Lumia 950, USB-Type C, Windows 10 Mobile
Project My Screen, Windows, Lumia 950, USB-Type C, Windows 10 Mobile

The solution: Use a USB 2.0 port or a USB 2.0 extension cable

The beauty of the USB 3.0 standard is that it is backwards compatible. Therefore, you plug the connection cable from your Windows 10 Mobile smartphone into a USB 2.0 port on your Windows computer, then it will work and so will the Project My Screen app.

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However, it may happen that you don't have a USB 2.0 port on your Windows computer or device. This happens especially on hybrid devices like the Surface Pro, where you have only USB 3.0 port s available. If that is the case for you, then your only solution is to purchase a USB 2.0 extension cable. You can see such a cable in the picture below.

Project My Screen, Windows, Lumia 950, USB-Type C, Windows 10 Mobile
Project My Screen, Windows, Lumia 950, USB-Type C, Windows 10 Mobile

Here's one you can find on Amazon.com and another you can find on Amazon.co.uk. Once you have the USB 2.0 extension cable, plug the cable from your smartphone into this cable and then the other end of the extension cable into the USB 3.0 port of your Windows computer. Since the extension cable works using USB 2.0, the USB 3.0 port on your Windows computer will also work using USB 2.0.

Project My Screen, Windows, Lumia 950, USB-Type C, Windows 10 Mobile
Project My Screen, Windows, Lumia 950, USB-Type C, Windows 10 Mobile

Then, when you start the Project My Screen app, you will be asked to allow the screen projection. Make the necessary confirmations and the Project My Screen app will display what is on the screen of your smartphone with Windows 10 Mobile.

Project My Screen, Windows, Lumia 950, USB-Type C, Windows 10 Mobile
Project My Screen, Windows, Lumia 950, USB-Type C, Windows 10 Mobile

Did it work for you?

Did you try this fix at home? Did it work for you? Do you know other solutions to this problem? Unfortunately, Microsoft needs to fix the Project My Screen app so that it works with USB 3.0 connections, not only USB 2.0. Smartphones like Lumia 950 or Lumia 950 XL are most likely to be used by business customers who deliver presentations and such people may need to use this app to deliver presentations using their smartphones. It's also useful to software developers who work on creating apps for Windows 10 Mobile.

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