How to Show Your iPhone Screen on Your TV

You can mirror your iPhone's screen on your TV to share photos, watch videos, or make video calls on a bigger screen — here's how.

In this guide (4 steps):

1.Use AirPlay with an Apple TV or AirPlay-compatible smart TV (wireless)
2.Use an HDMI adapter cable (wired)
3.Share photos and videos to a smart TV without full screen mirroring
4.What to do if AirPlay doesn't show your TV

Use AirPlay with an Apple TV or AirPlay-compatible smart TV (wireless)

~34s

This is the most convenient method if you have an Apple TV or a smart TV made after 2019 that supports AirPlay 2 (most Samsung, LG, Sony, and Vizio TVs do). Make sure your iPhone and TV are connected to the same WiFi network. On your iPhone, swipe down from the top right corner to open Control Center. Tap "Screen Mirroring" (the icon with two overlapping rectangles). Your TV should appear in the list — tap it. Your iPhone screen will appear on your TV.

Quick Tip

To stop mirroring, open Control Center again, tap Screen Mirroring, and tap "Stop Mirroring."

Use an HDMI adapter cable (wired)

~26s

If you don't have AirPlay, you can connect with a cable. You'll need a Lightning to HDMI adapter (for older iPhones with a Lightning port) or a USB-C to HDMI adapter (for iPhone 15 and newer). These cost $15-$30 at Amazon, Apple, or electronics stores. Plug the adapter into your iPhone, connect an HDMI cable to the adapter and then to your TV, and switch your TV to the correct HDMI input — your iPhone screen will appear instantly.

Share photos and videos to a smart TV without full screen mirroring

~29s

If you just want to watch a specific video or show a photo rather than mirror your whole screen, open the Photos app, select the photo or video, tap the Share button, and look for your TV's name in the sharing options (it may show as "Play on TV" or your TV's name). For videos, many smart TVs support "casting" from the YouTube or Netflix app directly — tap the cast icon (a rectangle with a WiFi symbol) in the app.

What to do if AirPlay doesn't show your TV

~23s

If your TV doesn't appear in the AirPlay list, check that both your iPhone and TV are on the same WiFi network (not one on 2.4GHz and the other on 5GHz). Restart both your TV and iPhone. On some TVs, you need to enable AirPlay in the TV's settings — look in the TV's settings for "Apple AirPlay" and make sure it's turned on.

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Connecting your iPhone to your TV lets you show photos and videos on a big screen — great for sharing vacation pictures with family, watching movies, or doing a FaceTime video call so everyone can see. There are three main ways to do this depending on what equipment you have.

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