A wall-mounted TV is one of the most satisfying home upgrades you can make — until you notice it's tilted two degrees to one side and you can't un-see it. Getting the mount level before you commit the bolts to the wall is the most important step most people skip.
This guide covers the full process: finding studs, leveling the wall mount bracket, hanging the TV, and doing a final check — all using your phone as a precision spirit level.
Safety first. TV wall mounts must be anchored into wall studs or solid masonry, not just drywall. A TV mounted only into drywall anchors can pull free under the weight. Use a stud finder before marking your drill positions.
What you'll need
A stud finder, pencil, tape measure, drill, appropriate wall plugs or bolts, your TV wall mount kit, and your phone with Spirit Level Online open in Wall Mode.
Step-by-step instructions
Find and mark the studs. Run a stud finder horizontally across the wall at your intended mounting height. Mark each stud edge clearly with a pencil. Most wall mount brackets span two studs, typically 400mm or 600mm apart.
Hold the bracket against the wall and level it before drilling. This is the critical step. Hold the wall plate up at the desired height. Open Spirit Level Online on your phone and switch to Wall Mode. Lay the phone along the top edge of the bracket. The bubble should centre at 0.0° before you mark a single hole. Adjust until it does, then mark through the bracket's mounting holes with a pencil.
Drill and mount the wall plate. Drill pilot holes at your marks, insert wall plugs if needed, and bolt the bracket firmly to the wall. Give it a firm pull to confirm it's solid before putting a TV on it.
Check the mounted bracket again. Even if your marks were perfect, slight variations during drilling can shift the bracket. Place your phone along the top rail of the mounted bracket in Wall Mode and confirm it still reads 0.0°. If it's off by more than 0.5°, now is the time to correct it — before the TV goes on.
Attach the TV arm brackets. Follow your mount kit instructions to attach the TV-side arms to the back of the TV. Make sure they're at the same height on both sides.
Hang the TV and do a final level check. With help from a second person, hook the TV onto the wall plate. Once it's seated, hold your phone against the bottom bezel of the TV in Wall Mode. Fine-tune by adjusting the tilt or shift mechanism on your mount until the reading is 0.0°. Enable the audio toggle on the spirit level app — you'll hear a continuous beep when perfectly centred, so you don't need to watch the screen while adjusting.
Tip: Use audio mode for hands-free leveling. When adjusting a mounted TV you often need both hands. Enable the audio toggle in Spirit Level Online — the beep frequency increases as the bubble approaches centre and becomes a continuous tone at exactly 0.0°. You can adjust the TV while listening instead of watching the screen.
Dealing with articulating mounts
Full-motion (articulating) mounts let you pull the TV away from the wall and angle it. Check the level both when the TV is flat against the wall and when it's pulled out to your typical viewing angle — some articulating arms introduce a slight tilt when extended. Most have a leveling bolt under the arm that you can adjust with an Allen key.
When the TV still looks crooked after leveling
If the spirit level confirms the TV is at 0.0° but it still looks tilted, the issue is usually the room itself — a sloped floor or ceiling creates a visual reference that tricks the eye. A TV that is truly horizontal will always look correct from a seated viewing position. Trust the measurement over the visual impression.
Spirit Level Online is a free browser-based tool that works on any smartphone — no app download needed. Use it for TV mounts, picture frames, shelves, and any other leveling task around the home.