Screen Mirroring your iPhone or iPad to your TV

Whether you’re sharing photos with family, streaming movies, or delivering a presentation, screen mirroring your iPhone or iPad to your TV can elevate your experience to the big screen. Thankfully, Apple has made this feature relatively simple and accessible to most users.

In this guide, we’ll explore how to screen mirror your iPhone or iPad to your TV using various methods, both wired and wireless.

Method 1: Use AirPlay with an Apple TV or AirPlay 2-Compatible Smart TV

AirPlay is Apple’s wireless streaming feature that makes it incredibly easy to mirror your device.

Steps:

1. Ensure your iPhone/iPad and Apple TV or AirPlay 2-compatible TV are connected to the same Wi-Fi network.
2. On your iPhone or iPad, swipe down from the top-right corner to access Control Center.
3. Tap Screen Mirroring.
4. Select your Apple TV or AirPlay 2-enabled TV from the list.
5. Enter the AirPlay code that appears on your TV screen, if prompted.

Your device’s screen should now appear on your TV.

Method 2: Use an HDMI Adapter and Cable

If you don’t have an Apple TV or AirPlay-compatible smart TV, you can use a wired connection.

What You Need:

• A Lightning Digital AV Adapter (for devices with Lightning ports) or USB-C Digital AV Multiport Adapter (for iPads with USB-C)
• An HDMI cable

Steps:

1. Connect the adapter to your iPhone or iPad.
2. Plug one end of the HDMI cable into the adapter and the other into your TV.
3. Set your TV to the correct HDMI input.

Your device’s screen should automatically be mirrored to the TV.

Method 3: Use Third-Party Streaming Devices (e.g., Roku, Amazon Fire TV)

Many third-party devices now support AirPlay 2, which makes them compatible with Apple devices.

Steps:

1. Make sure your streaming device supports AirPlay 2 and is updated.
2. Connect both the iOS device and streaming device to the same Wi-Fi network.
3. Follow the same steps as Method 1 to use the Screen Mirroring option from Control Center.

Method 4: Screen Mirroring to Chromecast

Google’s smart-TV dongle, the Chromecast, is another great option that will allow using screen mirroring to stream video content from your Apple device to a big-screen TV. Apple does not support the use of screen mirroring to a Chromecast device and limits the technology to its first-party products. However, many popular iOS apps like YouTube, Netflix, and Spotify include support for Chromecast directly from the App. 

How to stream videos from iPhone or iPad to a TV via Chromecast:

1. Make sure that your iOS device and Chromecast are connected to the same Wi-Fi network.
2. Open an app such as Netflix or Youtube, which supports Chromecast.
3. Load the video you want to cast.

4. Tap the Cast button, a square with three curved lines like the Wi-Fi symbol coming out of the corner.
5. If you only have a single Chromecast on the network, the video should start playing immediately. If not, you’ll see a list of available devices, and you’ll have to tap on the one you want to cast the video too.

Troubleshooting Tips

• Ensure both devices are connected to the same Wi-Fi network.
• Restart your iPhone/iPad and TV or streaming device.
• Update to the latest iOS/iPadOS version.
• Disable VPNs or firewalls that might interfere with local network connections.

Final Thoughts

Screen mirroring iPhone or iPad to your TV doesn’t require advanced tech skills or expensive equipment. Whether you go wireless with AirPlay or prefer the reliability of a wired connection, you can enjoy your favorite content on the big screen in just a few steps.

Try it out today and enjoy a more immersive media experience right from your Apple device!