How to Connect an iPad to a Monitor or TV (USB-C, HDMI, or AirPlay)

First, check your iPad's port

This guide covers iPads with a USB-C port, which is every current model and most recent ones:

• iPad Pro — 2018 and later
• iPad Air — 4th generation (2020) and later
• iPad mini — 6th generation (2021) and later
• iPad — 10th generation (2022) and later

If your iPad has the older, flat oval Lightning port instead, the steps below won't apply — Lightning iPads connect through Apple's Lightning Digital AV Adapter, a different accessory with its own limits.

Option 1: Direct USB-C cable (simplest, if your monitor supports it)

Many recent monitors accept video straight over USB-C — no adapter needed. Look for a USB-C input labeled with a DisplayPort (DP) logo or a laptop icon, or check the monitor's spec sheet for “DisplayPort Alt Mode” or “USB-C video input.”

1. Connect a video-capable USB-C cable from the iPad to the monitor's USB-C port. A full-featured USB-C or Thunderbolt cable works; a charge-only cable will not.
2. Switch the monitor's input source to USB-C (sometimes labeled DP or Type-C).
3. Your iPad's picture appears on the monitor — by default as a mirror of the iPad's screen.

Bonus: most USB-C monitors charge the iPad through the same cable, so one cord handles video and power.

Option 2: USB-C-to-HDMI adapter (works with any HDMI monitor or TV)

If your screen only has HDMI — which is nearly every TV and most older monitors — you'll need a small USB-C-to-HDMI adapter plus a standard HDMI cable.

1. Plug the USB-C-to-HDMI adapter into the iPad's USB-C port.
2. Run an HDMI cable from the adapter to a free HDMI port on the monitor or TV.
3. Switch the TV or monitor to that HDMI input with its remote or input button.
4. Optional: if the adapter has a passthrough charging port, plug your iPad charger into it to keep the battery topped up.

The same steps apply to USB-C-to-DisplayPort adapters if your monitor has DisplayPort instead of HDMI.

Option 3: AirPlay to an Apple TV (wireless)

No cables at all — if the TV has an Apple TV box connected, you can send the iPad's picture over Wi-Fi.

1. Make sure the iPad and the Apple TV are on the same Wi-Fi network.
2. Swipe down from the top-right corner of the iPad to open Control Center, tap Screen Mirroring, and choose your Apple TV.
3. If a passcode appears on the TV, enter it on the iPad. The iPad's picture shows up on the TV.

AirPlay adds a touch of latency compared to a cable. For casual viewing it's barely noticeable; for cursor-driven apps like ScreenCommand, a wired connection is recommended for the lowest cursor latency, though AirPlay works too.

Which cable or adapter should you buy?

No affiliate links here — just what to check on the box before you buy:

• For a direct USB-C connection:the cable must carry video, not just power. Look for “full-featured,” “USB-C video,” “DisplayPort Alt Mode,” or any Thunderbolt cable. The charge cables bundled with many chargers are power-only — the single most common reason a monitor shows nothing.
• For HDMI:any USB-C-to-HDMI adapter that supports DisplayPort Alt Mode video output works with an iPad. Apple's USB-C Digital AV Multiport Adapter is the reference option, but well-reviewed third-party adapters do the same job.
• Match your display:check the adapter's rated resolution and refresh rate against your monitor or TV — older HDMI 1.4 adapters can cap the refresh rate on high-resolution displays.
• Passthrough charging is worth it: an adapter with an extra USB-C power port keeps the iPad charging during long sessions on the big screen.
• The HDMI cable itself: any modern High Speed HDMI cable is fine — no need for exotic ones.

Monitor says “No Signal”? Run this checklist

Work through these in order — the first two catch the vast majority of cases:

1. Swap in a video-capable cable.Charge-only USB-C cables carry power and data but no video, and they look identical to full-featured ones. If you grabbed the cable that came with a charger, that's the prime suspect.
2. Check the input source. Make sure the monitor or TV is switched to the exact port you plugged into — HDMI 2 is not HDMI 1.
3. Confirm the monitor's USB-C port accepts video. On a direct USB-C connection, some monitor USB-C ports are for data or charging only. Look for DisplayPort Alt Mode in the specs, or fall back to an HDMI adapter.
4. Reseat everything. Unplug both ends of every cable and the adapter, then reconnect firmly. Try a different HDMI port on the TV.
5. Restart the iPadwith the adapter unplugged, then reconnect once it's back up.
6. Isolate the faulty link. If you can, test the adapter or cable with another device — a laptop, a different iPad — to find out which piece is the problem.
7. Double-check the port.A Lightning iPad in a USB-C adapter (or vice versa) won't connect — see the model list at the top of this guide.

One case that is nota connection problem: the monitor shows your iPad fine, but the moment you play a video in a streaming app the picture goes black. That's DRM copy protection, not your cable — see the FAQfor what plays and what doesn't. And if you're setting up ScreenCommand specifically, the support page has app-specific troubleshooting.

What your iPad can show once connected

Getting a picture is step one. What that picture can be depends on your iPad.

The default: mirroring

Out of the box, iPadOS mirrors — the monitor shows an exact copy of the iPad's screen, locked to the iPad's squarer, roughly 4:3 aspect ratio. On a widescreen monitor or TV that means black bars on both sides, with the iPad's touch-first layout scaled up in the middle.

M-series iPads: Stage Manager's extended display

iPads with an M-series chip can use Stage Manager to treat the monitor as a second display with separate app windows. That capability is exclusive to M-series models: iPadOS 26 brings Mac-like windowing to all compatible iPads, but the extended external display stays M-series-only. If you have an M-series iPad and need multi-window native apps on the monitor, free built-in Stage Manager is the right tool — no purchase needed.

Any USB-C iPad: apps that draw their own big-screen view

There's a third path Apple allows on every USB-C iPad: apps can render their own content on the external display instead of mirroring. That's what ScreenCommand does — it puts a desktop-class browser on the monitor or TV, filling the screen edge to edge because it adapts to your display's native resolution, while the iPad becomes the trackpad and keyboard. It works even on a non-M iPad: any USB-C iPad running iPadOS 17 or later, over the same cable or AirPlay connection you just set up.

• Desktop-class pages, no black bars — websites render as full desktop layouts, not a scaled-up mirror.
• 12 tabs that persist — tabs and site logins survive between sessions.
• 8 cursor styles — from Default to Aurora Borealis, with adjustable size and speed, easy to spot on a TV across the room.
• YouTube controls — seek, quality up to 4K, and Cinema Mode — plus a one-tap skip for skippable video ads.
• $4.99 one-time — no subscription, zero data collection, no account to create.

Frequently asked questions

More product questions — pricing, gestures, privacy — are covered in the main FAQ.