While smartphone screens are now larger than they were a few years ago, they’re not big enough to perform certain tasks or enjoy movies. With Screen Mirroring, iOS users can wirelessly (and conveniently) mirror the screen of an iPhone and iPad to a TV, PC, and other devices. If you are curious about how it works and the technology behind it, in this post we will talk about the Screen Mirroring feature on your iPhone.
If you’ve had a flashy and expensive iPhone for years but have never used Screen Mirroring, consider this an introductory guide. And for experienced users, you’ll also find answers to some (if any) questions about iPhone Screen Mirroring in this guide. Let’s start.
iPhone Screen Mirroring: Basic Overview
From the name, you might think that Screen Mirroring only lets you mirror the contents of your iPhone screen to other devices. Well, the feature does more than that. With Screen Mirroring, you can also wirelessly send and play audio from your iPhone to your TV, smart speakers, and other compatible devices. So, it’s more like a 2-in-1 feature – visual + audio.
For example, you are playing your favorite game on your iPhone. You can use your device’s Screen Mirroring feature to wirelessly mirror the game to your TV for a bigger (and better) picture. And if you’re watching a movie, you can mirror it to your TV or enjoy the movie on a much larger screen so others can join in.
Screen Mirroring on your iPhone is powered by a basic connection technology known as AirPlay. Developed by Apple, AirPlay is similar to Google Cast (or Chromecast), Google’s native screen mirroring protocol.
Therefore, both devices must be AirPlay compatible to mirror and send content wirelessly to your TV (or other devices). You should not confuse AirPlay for AirDrop; these are two completely different data transfer protocols.
Supported Devices and Platforms
Screen Mirroring works on iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, Mac and Apple TV (4K and HD). Almost all Apple devices that support AirPlay by default.
Note: You can only AirPlay/stream audio from Apple TV to other devices.
Back to iPhone, you can use screen mirroring to stream video and audio to Apple TV, HomePod and smart TVs/speakers that support AirPlay; Look for ‘Works with Apple Airplay’ on their packaging or user manuals.
How to Use Screen Mirroring on iPhone
The Airplay protocol that powers the screen mirroring feature requires Wi-Fi to work. And to mirror your screen, you need to connect your iPhone to the same Wi-Fi network as Apple TV, Smart TV or AirPlay compatible devices you mirror.
Do that and follow the steps below to use screen mirroring on your iPhone.
Stage 1: Swipe down from the top-right corner of your phone’s screen.
This will reveal the iOS Control Center for iPhone X or newer.
Note: For iPhone 8 or older users, swipe up from the bottom of your phone’s screen to open Control Center. This also applies to iPhones running iOS 11 or earlier.
Step 2: Tap Screen Mirroring.
Stage 3: Select the device you want to mirror your phone’s screen to.
This should immediately initiate a connection between your iPhone and the device. You should now be able to see the content on your iPhone’s screen on your TV screen.
If your iPhone is not detecting your TV/device, check and confirm if it is turned on. Some devices may also require you to enable AirPlay functions before they become visible/available for pairing.
To stop screen mirroring, open Control Center, tap the name of the device you’re mirroring, and tap Stop Mirroring.
Mirroring iPhone Without Apple TV
If your TV does not support native AirPlay, some workarounds can help you use Screen Mirroring to wirelessly stream content from iPhone without having to buy an Apple TV box.
You may need to (buy) other devices to do this, but hey, they’re a lot cheaper than the Apple TV box.
Using some apps in Google Chromecast, you can wirelessly stream content to your TV via the Screen Mirroring feature. Likewise, wireless mirroring from your iPhone to your TV is also possible with an Amazon Fire TV Stick (or Fire TV Stick 4K). Screen Mirroring from iPhone to TV can also be performed with an Android TV box or streaming device.
For Windows PC and laptop users, you also don’t need to buy a Mac to use Screen Mirroring on your iPhone. There are tons of software that allows you to mirror your iPhone to Windows PC for free.
Use Mirror
Now that you know what the feature does and connect your iPhone to your TV, computer, streaming device, and many compatible devices, you can take the plunge. If you still have unanswered questions, please leave a comment below and we’ll be happy to answer them.
Next: Wondering what the Offload Unused Apps option does in your iPhone or iPad’s Settings app? Find out what it is and whether you should turn it off.
