How to Connect an iPhone to a TV in 3 Different Ways

May 2024 · 4 minute read

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No matter what your reason, it's easy to connect your iPhone to a TV or computer monitor. Photos and videos display at full resolution — much better than the limited resolution of your iPhone — so connecting an iPhone to a larger screen can be a viable substitute for a smart TV.

There are three ways to connect your iPhone to a television or monitor: via an AV cable, using your iPhone's built-in screen mirroring feature, or using AirPlay from directly within third-party apps like Hulu.  

The process is essentially identical to connecting your iPad to a TV, and in fact, you can use the same adapter or Apple TV for both your iPhone and iPad.

Here's how to do it. 

Connect an iPhone to any TV with an AV cable

To connect your iPhone to a TV, you'll need an adapter cable that matches the style of input on your TV or monitor.

If possible, use an HDMI cable, as that will provide the highest quality. You'll want to get a Lightning to Digital AV Adapter from Apple. There are third-party options available as well, but they might lack High-bandwidth Digital Content Protection (HDCP) — without HDCP, streaming service apps won't pass video on to your television.

If you have an older monitor without an HDMI input, Apple also sells a Lightning to VGA Adapter. 

Once you have an adapter, here's what to do:

  • Connect the adapter to an HDMI (or VGA) cable.
  • Connect the cable to an input on your television or monitor.
  • Plug the adapter into the iPhone's Lightning port and turn on the phone.

    An adapter makes it possible to connect your iPhone to an AV cable. Dave Johnson/Business Insider

  • Use the TV's control panel or remote control to switch to the input you just attached the cable to.
  • You should now see the iPhone's display mirrored on the TV. The TV will duplicate the resolution of the iPhone, which will look a little dodgy on a large display. But when you show photos and video, the iPhone will send the full resolution to the TV, so it should look sharp and crisp.

    • Quick tip: You might notice that the adapter has an extra Lightning port. You can use this to plug it into an AC adapter to power your phone while it's connected to the TV. You'll need an extra AC adapter and Lightning cable for this since Apple doesn't include one with the adapter.

    Multi-port adapters let you charge your iPhone while it's still connected to the AV cable. Dave Johnson/Business Insider

    Use screen mirroring to connect an iPhone to an Apple TV-compatible device

    While it's simple enough to connect your iPhone via an AV adapter, you have a completely wireless option as well. If you have an Apple TV device connected to your television or an AirPlay 2-compatible smart TV, you can screen mirror from your iPhone's Control Center via Wi-Fi. 

    Here's how to do it: 

  • Ensure that the iPhone is connected to the same Wi-Fi network as your Apple TV or AirPlay 2-compatible smart TV.
  • Be sure your TV is on and displaying your Apple TV screen.
  • Open the iPhone's Control Center by swiping down from the top right side of the screen. Note: if you have an iPhone 8 or earlier, or iOS 11 or earlier, the Control Center can be accessed by swiping up from the bottom of the screen.

    Connect your iPhone to a nearby Apple TV using the Screen Mirroring button in the Control Center. Dave Johnson/Insider

  • In the Control Center, tap "Screen Mirroring" and then tap your device name from the list of available options. Your iPhone screen should now be mirrored onto your TV. 

    Your iPhone's home page will mirror onto your TV or monitor. Dave Johnson/Business Insider

    • Quick tip: When you begin playing a video on your phone, the sizing and orientation of the video should automatically adjust to fit the TV screen. If it doesn't, try using AirPlay instead, outlined below.

    Use AirPlay to stream directly from apps

  • Ensure that the iPhone is connected to the same Wi-Fi network as your Apple TV or AirPlay 2-compatible smart TV.
  • Be sure your TV is on and displaying your Apple TV screen.
  • Go to the video you want to stream from a third-party app, such as Hulu, Amazon Prime Video, HBO Max, and others. Unfortunately, AirPlay is no longer available on the Netflix app.
  • Begin playing the video on your iPhone, and in the upper-right corner of the video screen, tap the AirPlay icon, which looks like a rectangle with a triangle in it. 

    Tap the AirPlay icon once you've started playing a show or movie. Grace Eliza Goodwin/Insider

  • In the list of AirPlay options, select your device, and your video should begin streaming on that device.

    • Dave Johnson

    Freelance Writer

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