How to mirror your iPhone to your TV

Throw it on the big screen!
By Shannon Connellan  on 
A mockup of an iPhone screen's Control Centre on an iPhone held by a person.
Find your way to the Control Centre. Credit: Mashable composite / iPhone screenshot

Everything's better on a big screen. That highly detailed sci-fi TV series you've been phone-watching on your commute. Your parents'/roommate's/colleague's holiday snaps you'd better strap in for. That TikTok with the insistent Australian Shepherd demanding its human pay the damn cheese tax. It's just all better when thrown from your phone.

You can share exactly what's showing on your iPhone screen to a TV pretty easily by "mirroring" it. It's a simple process that's kind of similar to using Apple AirPlay, Google Chromecast or Amazon Fire TV Stick — we've actually got a whole guide to connecting your iPhone to your TV four different ways — but this method specifically lets you cast whatever screen your iPhone is currently landed on — or iPad, this all works with iPad too.

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You can mirror your iPhone either on an Apple TV device (Apple's version of a set top box), an AirPlay-compatible smart TV, or a desktop Mac. Here's how to do it.

How to mirror your iPhone to a TV

Total Time
  • 2 min
What You Need
  • iPhone
  • AirPlay-compatible smart TV or Apple TV device or desktop Mac

Step 1: Make sure your iPhone is connected to the same Wi-Fi network as your Apple TV, smart TV, or Mac.

Step 2: Swipe down from the top right corner of your iPhone screen to open the Control Center.

Note: If you're using an iPhone 8 or earlier, you'll be swiping up from the bottom of the screen.

Step 3: Tap the icon showing two rectangles, one overlapping the other — this is the "Screen Mirroring" button.

A screenshot showing the iPhone Control Centre with a purple arrow pointing to the Screen Mirroring icon.
Credit: Shannon Connellan

Step 4: Select the device you would like to mirror your iPhone screen.

Step 5: You might need to punch in a passcode to mirror to a TV or Mac, which will appear on your iPhone.

Step 6: To stop mirroring, repeat the process above, tap the "Screen Mirroring" icon and select "Stop Mirroring".

Looking for something to mirror to your TV from your iPhone? Try one of the 10 of the best places on the internet.

Topics iPhone

A black and white image of a person with a long braid and thick framed glasses.
Shannon Connellan

Shannon Connellan is Mashable's UK Editor based in London, formerly Mashable's Australia Editor, but emotionally, she lives in the Creel House. A Tomatometer-approved critic, Shannon writes about everything (but not anything) across entertainment, tech, social good, science, and culture.


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