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Connect your iPhone / iPad to your TV

By Official SIM Unlock  •  14 April, 2020

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There are several ways to connect the small screen on your iPhone or iPad to your larger TV screen and you don’t necessarily need any high tech equipment.  

This article will outline how to use a number of simple methods to display whatever images or videos you see on your iPhone or iPad onto the larger screen.  We’ll help you understand when it is best to use a streaming device or wireless streaming and how you can mirror your iPhone or iPad with a simple HDMI cable. 

When your intention is to simply watch a movie from Netflix or Hulu, mirroring from your device is probably not the best solution. There are often glitches with this method and you won’t have a remote control to use. It doesn’t cost much to purchase a media player, such as a Roku Streaming Stick+ or Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K. It is hassle-free to simply plug them into your TV, and easy to operate them with an actual remote control. Check out this link to our guide to the best streaming devices.

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There are times when mirroring is the best or most practical choice. If you just want to show off your photo library or videos, if you want to present a slideshow or display your gaming skills on a bigger screen, mirroring can be very useful. The following information will explain how to do this:  

 

How to Connect an iPhone or iPad using an HDMI cable

It is simple to use an  HDMI cable that’s at least 15 feet long to connect your iOS device to your television. You will want it to be a long cable so you don’t have to sit close to your TV screen. There are several inexpensive third party adapters available for purchase but they may not work with streaming video apps that have copy protection such as Netflix. You can spend about £49 and get the easy to use Apple’s Lightning Digital AV adapter, which will support mirroring from your iPhone, iPad and iPod. 

It is easy to connect an iPhone or an iPad to your TV with an adapter and a HDMI cable. The cable will need to be plugged into your TV on one end while the adapter is plugged into the other end. Next, plug the Lightning cable into your iPhone or iPad. Finally, set your TV to the correct input. If you want to ensure your iPhone or iPad battery does not run out plug a charger into the adapter’s second Lightning port.  

You can expect the majority of  apps to function as a mirror and show you your iPhone or iPad’s display exactly as it is on your TV screen. On some video apps, however (such as Amazon Prime and Netflix) you may see playback controls on your TV screen as your movie plays.

If your iOS device is older and it requires a 30-pin charging port you may have to look somewhere other than Apple as they are no longer selling their own 30-pin-to-HDMI adapters. Try this model from JIMAT, on Amazon. Remember, video apps with streaming protection may not be compatible. 

For about £35 you can still get a Composite A/V cable from Apple. This will allow you to connect your iPhone or iPad to one of those old tube TVs. But, be aware you may only get the audio support which means you won’t be able to see your images and videos on the bigger screen. 

 

Connect your iPhone to Apple TV via AirPlay

There is a way to stream video and audio to any Apple TV without the hassle of using wires. To buy an Apple TV you are looking at £149 for the 32GB 2015 model, or £179 for the 4K model. Using AirPlay allows you to mirror your iPhone or iPad display onto your TV screen without any wires. 

Here’s how to use AirPlay to mirror what’s on your iPhone or iPad display:

1.     First, your Apple TV and iOS device need to be on the same WIFI network.

2.     Newer iOS devices (iPhone X or newer or an iPad running iOS 12 or later) require you to swipe down from the upper right corner. This will show you the Control Centre. On other devices swipe up to reveal the Control Centre. 

3.     Click  the “Screen Mirroring” button.

4.     Choose your Apple TV from the list. (It may be a good idea to label each of your Apple TVs dependent on the room it is in).

5.     You will be shown a four-digit code on your TV screen. Enter this code into your iOS device (you won’t need to enter this code every time, just the first time you use that device to mirror). 

6.     When you are finished and would like to disconnect your device from the TV just swipe again to show the Control Centre and choose “Stop Mirroring” from the list.

The AirPlay icon looks like a TV with a triangle at the bottom and if you click on it during audio or video playback and select your Apple TV from the list you will see your iOS device’s display on your TV screen. You can also swipe up (or down on newer devices) and reveal your Control Centre. Click on the concentric circle with the triangle at the bottom. This will bring up AirPlay for you. Now you can use your device for anything you want while your video, images or music plays on the TV screen. 

 

How to Mirror to Roku, Fire TV, and Chromecast

There are several mirroring apps you can use if you don’t own an Apple TV or an adapter cable. There are dependable and easy to use apps for Roku, Fire TV, and Chromecast.  

Not all of the apps out there are successful in providing a quality mirroring experience but there are good reviews for  2kit Consulting’s Screen Mirroring apps for Roku, Fire TV, and Chromecast. Generally, these apps are able to send video from your device to your streaming player using a Screen Recording feature. Your Roku or Fire TV app will provide instructions on how to download a separate app on the player and successfully mirror from your iOS device.   

In order to avoid frustration it is important to know that you will usually have to endure some ads (unless you pay to upgrade). You may find that the video quality is not flawless and there may be some delays. It may be annoying to try to mirror an entire movie this way but you won’t have a problem mirroring photos, websites, presentations, and social media feeds.

With Chromecast, there is no need to mirror from your iOS device as it is possible to send video, audio, pictures, and anything else from your device to your TV from thousands of supported apps. These apps make it easy to play content directly on the TV, so you don’t need to mirror your iPhone or iPad display.

Here is how to play media on your TV using Chromecast: 

1.     Plug the Chromecast into your TV 

2.     Make sure you have the Google Home companion app on your device

3.     Find the Chromecast icon in your supported apps list. Click on it.

4.     Choose your Chromecast from the device list

5.     Begin media playback - your display will appear on your TV screen, not your iOS device

6.     If you have a Roku player use the Roku mobile app to display your photos, videos, music and information onto your TV screen. Clicking on the media tab in the app will get you started. 

 

Read our iPhone backup article here.