Wired or Wireless? You decide!
Whether you are sharing a viral TikTok or the photos from your latest vacation, showing the screen of your iPhone or iPad on your TV is a useful thing to do.
There are two main ways to connect an iOS device to a TV: wired and wireless. Here are the options you could explore for both of those methods.
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1. Wired Connection
To connect an iPhone or iPad to a TV, you can need an HDMI cable and an adapter like the Apple Lightning Digital AV Adapter or the Apple USB-C Digital AV Multiport Adapter, depending on what device you have.
Connect one end of the HDMI cable to a spare HDMI port on your TV and the other end to the Digital AV Adapter. Then, plug the adapter into your iOS device. When you are ready, change the input on your TV to match the HDMI port that you plugged the cable into, (E.g. HDMI 1).
Your iPhone or iPad should now show up on your TV. Anything you do on your iOS device will be mirrored to the TV.
To stop showing your iPhone or iPad on the TV, simply unplug the adapter that is plugged into your device and store that cable for another day.
2. Wireless Connection
A more popular option is to ditch the wires. Thankfully, this is easier than you might think. Most modern TVs now come with built-in support for AirPlay. This allows you to connect to your TV without any wires at all.
If your TV does not support AirPlay, you can use an Apple TV instead. If you don’t have an Apple TV, most Roku devices allow you to do the very same thing. Here’s how to connect wirelessly to your TV or streaming box.
1. Make sure that your TV and your iOS device are connected to the same Wi-Fi network.
2. Open Control Center on your iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch by swiping down from the top right corner of the screen.
3. Tap the Screen Mirroring button (it looks like two rectangles, one on top of the other).
4. Choose the device you would like to connect to (e.g. the name of your TV) and enter any on-screen code that is required.
You should now be connected to your TV. Anything you do on your iOS device will also be mirrored to the TV. You can show photos, videos, websites and more!
To stop sharing your screen, return to the Control Center, tap the Screen Mirroring button, and tap Stop Mirroring.
Wired vs. Wireless
Using AirPlay is the epitome of convenience. You don’t have to mess around with cables and adapters. You don’t even need to get out of the seat you are sitting in. All you need is a few quick taps, you are up and running.
In comparison, a wired solution might seem like an onerous choice, but it does have its advantages. It does not require Wi-Fi, so your connection will always be solid. No dropped connections here.
Wired or wireless? Which will you choose?
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