In this new tutorial, we are going to show you different options so that you can see the content of your iPhone or iPad on your television.
When you’re trying to display videos, photos, and other visual content on your iPhone or iPad, often the device’s screen just isn’t enough. Fortunately, you can connect these devices to your big-screen TV in a variety of ways.
You don’t need to have a high-end smart TV for this. Here are several quick and easy ways to do this, from using a simple HDMI adapter to sophisticated wireless streaming.
If you want to watch streaming services like Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV+, Netflix or YouTube on your TV, mirroring the screen of your iPhone or iPad is neither necessary nor the most practical solution. This is because many of these apps will not work as they have their video output capped. There are many streaming video service apps that are not compatible and do not allow you to display the video on TV. Instead, you can buy a cheap streaming media player like Amazon FireTV Stick connect it to your television and operate it with a suitable remote control.
Still, mirroring can be useful if you want to play videos recorded on your device, show off your photo gallery, present a slideshow, browse social media, or show off your iOS gaming skills on the TV screen.
All this is what we are going to explain to you in this guide on how to connect an iPhone or an iPad to the television
Wireless screen mirroring with AirPlay
The easiest way to mirror your iPhone or iPad to the TV is to use Apple’s AirPlay wireless protocol. This allows you to stream all content from your device directly to the TV, or stream only video and audio content from supported apps.
While AirPlay used to require an Apple TV, it now works on most TVs. Samsung since 2018 and LG since 2019, as well as on televisions Sony with Android TV from 2018 onwards.
Here’s how to connect an iPhone to the TV by mirroring what’s shown on your iPhone or iPad:
Time needed: 10 minutes
How to mirror your iPhone screen wirelessly with AirPlay
- Make sure your TV and iOS device are connected to the same Wi-Fi network
For TVs with AirPlay, you’ll need to set up your Smart TV software.
- Open Control Center on your iPhone or iPad
If you have an iPhone X or later or an iPad with iOS 12 or later, swipe down from the top right corner to open Control Center. If not, swipe up to open Control Center.
- Activate the screen mirroring function
Tap the screen mirroring button, which looks like two overlapping boxes.
- Select your TV from the list
If you have multiple AirPlay-enabled devices, you’ll need to mark each device based on the room it’s in.
- Enter the code
On your iOS device, enter the four-digit code that appears on the TV screen (by default, you only have to do this once per device).
To disconnect from the TV, follow steps 1 to 3, and then select “Stop mirroring” from the list.
Please note that for many video and audio applications, mirroring is not necessary. Instead, you can tap the AirPlay icon (which looks like a TV with a triangle at the bottom) while playing audio or video, then select your Apple TV from the list of devices.
You can also open Control Center and tap the AirPlay icon (which looks like a concentric circle with a triangle at the bottom). Using AirPlay with these methods consumes less battery than mirroring and allows you to use your iOS device for other tasks while playing music and videos on your TV.
Most video apps allow you to press the AirPlay button to send videos to your TV instead of directly mirroring the screen.
With AirServer and AirScreen apps
Another way to connect an iPhone to the TV and duplicate the screen is with a computer, either PC or Mac. If we have the possibility of connecting our computer to the television, it is quite simple to duplicate the iPhone screen on the computer and Let him show it on TV.
What we have to do first is download a program called AirServer. It is a paid application, but it works very well. For 14 days you can try it for free and if you like it you can buy the full version.
The operation is identical to that of Apple TV, in this case our computer acts as Apple TV. We open AirServer on the PC or Mac, unlink the control center, click on Duplicate screen and our computer will appear.
The other application to be able to connect and mirror the iPhone screen on a television is AirScreen. If we have a television with Android TV as the operating system, you can download this app that simulates being a kind of Apple TV and thus you will be able to duplicate the iPhone or iPad screen and send music or photos or videos recorded on your device.
Connect your iPhone or iPad with an HDMI cable to the TV
Although a wired HDMI adapter isn’t as convenient as AirPlay for screen mirroring, it’s an easier way to connect, especially when Wi-Fi is unstable or unavailable.
For an iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch with a Lightning connector, you can use Apple’s Lightning Digital AV Adapter, which costs about $40. There are also cheaper third-party adapters, but note that they are not compatible with video streaming applications that use copy protection, such as Netflix. (You’ll also need to provide your own cable, so you’ll need to get an HDMI cable that’s at least 4 meters long if you want to sit a comfortable distance from the TV.)
Setup is easy: just connect the HDMI cable to your TV at one end and the adapter at the other, connect the Lightning cable to your iOS device, and set your TV to the appropriate input. You can also connect a charger to the adapter’s second Lightning port to prevent your iOS device’s battery from draining.
Most apps simply mirror your iOS device’s screen to your TV, but video apps like Amazon Prime and Netflix can offer continuous playback control while the video is playing on your TV.
Some video apps, like Netflix, offer convenient media controls when the adapter is connected to a TV.
For older iOS devices with 30-pin charging connectors, Apple no longer offers its own 30-pin HDMI adapters, but you can find third-party options on Amazon, like the JIMAT model below.
However, it is important to note that they may not work with video streaming applications due to copy protection. The same goes for Lightning adapters from other vendors.
Mirroring with a Fire TV or a Chromecast
Another way to connect your iPhone to your TV without having to buy an AirPlay-enabled device or HDMI adapter, you can use mirroring apps to share your iPhone or iPad screen on Fire TV and Chromecast devices.
Various apps offer this with varying degrees of success, but I’ve had good results with screen mirroring apps. These apps use the iOS screen recording feature to record video from your iOS device and send it to the streaming player (with the Fire TV app, you also have to download a separate app for the player, but the iOS app guides you in the process).
There are a few caveats: there are lags, video quality isn’t perfect, and you usually have to watch an ad before you can mirror, unless you buy an upgrade to the paid versions of these apps. However, these apps are good enough to mirror photos, websites, slideshows, and social media feeds.
The Chromecast also allows you to send video, audio, images and information to the TV from thousands of compatible applications. These applications allow you to play content directly on your television, without having to duplicate the screen of your iPhone or iPad.
To stream media directly through Chromecast instead of mirroring your screen, simply look for the Cast button in supported apps.
After connecting the Chromecast to the TV, connect the device to your Wi-Fi network through the Google Home companion app. The Chromecast icon should then appear in supported apps. Tap it and select your Chromecast from the list of devices. As soon as the media starts playing, it will appear on the TV and not on the iPhone or iPad.
So far our guide on how to connect your iPhone to the TV. We hope that this tutorial has been helpful to you and if you have any questions, write us below in the comment box.
Great article!