Disney+, Prime Video or HBO Max Black on the TV From Your iPad or iPhone? Here's Why (and What Works)
You mirror your iPad or iPhone to the TV, start a show in Disney+, Prime Video or HBO Max, and the picture goes black, often with the sound still playing. Nothing is broken. It's the same copy protection that blacks out Netflix, and the way around it is the same: send the video by a route the service allows. For these three it's easier than for Netflix, because their apps can AirPlay or cast the show to the TV themselves. Here's what's happening, what each service supports, and the setups that work.
What's actually happening
Screen Mirroring sends a live copy of your iPad or iPhone screen to the TV. Disney+, Prime Video and HBO Max wrap their video in DRM (digital rights management), copy protection the studios require, and protected video is kept out of that copy. So the player can turn black on the TV while the menus, subtitles and sound carry on. That's why it feels like a glitch. It isn't one.
The AirPlay button inside the app works differently. It doesn't copy your screen: it hands the stream itself to the Apple TV or AirPlay TV, which plays it the way the service allows, and your iPad or iPhone becomes the remote. Disney+ and HBO Max have an AirPlay button in their players, and the Prime Video app casts to Chromecast and Fire TV. Netflix is the odd one out: it doesn't support AirPlay from an iPhone or iPad at all.
A cable is the other route. Over HDMI, protected video is allowed through as long as every link passes HDCP, the copy-protection handshake that runs over the cable. Apple says movies, TV shows and certain streaming apps require it. A certified adapter, like Apple's USB-C Digital AV Multiport Adapter, passes it. An HDMI splitter, a capture card or an adapter without HDCP breaks it, and the picture goes black or an HDCP error appears.
Mirroring changes more than streaming, from black bars at the sides to your notifications showing on the TV: see screen mirroring compared with a full-screen browser.
What each service supports from an iPad or iPhone
Checked on each service's own help pages · October 2026Each route as the services describe it themselves, with Netflix for comparison. The last column is ScreenCommand, the TV browser this site is about.
| Service | AirPlay or Cast from its app | Screen Mirroring | USB-C to HDMI cable | ScreenCommand |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Disney+ | ✓AirPlay to an Apple TV or AirPlay 2 TV, or Chromecast | ⚠️Often black: use AirPlay in the app | ✓Disney+ says HDMI works from a phone or tablet | –Not promised: use the Disney+ app |
| Prime Video | ✓Cast button: Chromecast, Android TV or Fire TV | ⚠️Often black: cast from the app | ✓HDCP 1.4 for HD, HDCP 2.2 for 4K and HDR | ✓Over a USB-C cable |
| HBO Max | ✓AirPlay to an AirPlay 2 device, or Chromecast | ⚠️Often black: use AirPlay in the app | ⚠️HBO Max's HDMI steps cover computers only | –Not promised: use the HBO Max app |
| Netflix | ⚠️Casting only: no AirPlay on iPhone or iPad | ✗Not supported by Netflix | ✓ | ✓Over a USB-C cable |
From each service's help center and Apple's, checked October 2026. A warning sign means it may work, but it's not the route to count on. A cable from an iPhone needs USB-C video out: iPhone 15 or later, except iPhone 16e, iPhone 17e and iPhone Air. The ScreenCommand column claims only what we've verified, and Disney+ and HBO Max aren't on that list.
What works instead
First stop mirroring: open Control Center, tap Screen Mirroring, then tap Stop Mirroring. Then use one of these:
- AirPlay from inside the app. In Disney+ or HBO Max, start the show, tap the screen, then tap the AirPlay button in the player and choose your Apple TV or AirPlay 2 smart TV, on the same Wi-Fi network. The TV plays the stream itself, and you control it from your iPad or iPhone.
- Cast from Prime Video. Prime Video's help covers its Cast button, at the top right of the screen, for Chromecast, Android TV and Fire TV. On an iPhone or iPad, turn on Local Network for Prime Video in Settings first. Disney+ and HBO Max cast to Chromecast too.
- A USB-C cable with an HDCP adapter. Plug a USB-C to HDMI adapter that supports HDCP, such as Apple's USB-C Digital AV Multiport Adapter, into the iPad or iPhone, run an HDMI cable straight to the TV, and play the show in the app. Disney+ says an HDMI cable works from a phone or tablet, and Prime Video asks for HDCP 1.4 for HD and HDCP 2.2 for 4K and HDR.
- The service's own TV app. Disney+, Prime Video and HBO Max all have apps for Apple TV and for many smart TVs and streaming sticks. Sign in on the TV and leave the iPad or iPhone out of it: no cable, no mirroring.
The pattern behind all four: the video takes a path the service trusts, either a cable that passes HDCP or a TV, Apple TV or streaming stick playing the stream itself. Screen Mirroring sends a copy of your screen instead, and that's the path that goes black.
Service by service
- Disney+: Disney+ says you can cast or AirPlay from its app to a TV, with Chromecast, an Apple TV or an AirPlay 2 smart TV, and that an HDMI cable works from a phone, tablet or computer. If the TV shows a black box while you mirror, stop mirroring and tap AirPlay inside the Disney+ player.
- Prime Video: its help covers casting from the app to Chromecast, Android TV and Fire TV, and asks for an HDMI connection with HDCP 1.4 for HD and HDCP 2.2 for 4K and HDR. Downloads are stricter: Prime Video doesn't allow them over Chromecast or AirPlay, though it says offline playback to a TV works on supported devices with the right adapter.
- HBO Max, called Max from 2023 to 2025: its help has AirPlay steps for iPhone and iPad (start a show, tap the screen, tap AirPlay) and Chromecast steps. Its HDMI article covers computers only, asking for an HDMI 2.0 cable and a TV with HDCP 2.1 or later, so HBO Max doesn't say whether its iPad and iPhone app plays over a cable. If it stays black, use AirPlay from the app, Chromecast, or the HBO Max TV app.
- Netflix: the strictest of the four. Netflix doesn't support AirPlay or Screen Mirroring from an iPhone or iPad, so a cable, casting, or its TV app are the ways in. The Netflix black screen, explained.
Still black over a cable?
- Something sits between the iPad and the TV. An HDMI splitter, switch, capture card or an adapter without HDCP breaks the handshake. Plug an HDCP adapter straight into the TV.
- An alert asks for an HDCP-compatible device. Apple shows it when the connection doesn't carry HDCP, as with its VGA adapter. Use an HDMI adapter that supports HDCP.
- HD plays but 4K or HDR doesn't. Prime Video asks for HDCP 2.2 for 4K and HDR. Check that the adapter and the TV's HDMI port both support it.
- One app plays and another stays black. Apple says an app might not be compatible with your adapter, and to check the app's App Store page or ask its developer. The service's TV app sidesteps the question.
- An iPhone that shows nothing at all. The iPhone 16e, iPhone 17e and iPhone Air have no video over USB-C, so no adapter works: use AirPlay from the app, or the TV app.
Choosing an adapter? See which USB-C to HDMI adapter to buy, with HDCP and 4K at 60Hz by model.
Where ScreenCommand fits, honestly
ScreenCommand puts a desktop web browser on your TV, with your iPad or iPhone as the trackpad and keyboard. It shows websites, not apps, so the Disney+, Prime Video and HBO Max apps can't run on the TV through it.
- Prime Video over a USB-C cable: connect with a cable and Prime Video plays in ScreenCommand on the TV, as do Netflix, Apple TV+, Paramount+ and Peacock.
- Disney+ and HBO Max: use their own apps. We haven't verified either one in ScreenCommand, so we don't promise them. Use AirPlay from their apps, or their TV apps, as above.
- No protected streaming over AirPlay: ScreenCommand also connects to an Apple TV over AirPlay, where websites, YouTube and other web video play. Streaming services need the cable, because AirPlay can't carry their protected video.
- The rest of the web, full screen: YouTube with quality up to 4K, news, courses and any website, edge to edge at the TV's resolution, even on iPads that can only mirror.
- $4.99 one-time: no subscription, no account, zero data collection.
Not promised: Disney+ and HBO Max in ScreenCommand
The streaming services we name as playing in ScreenCommand over a cable are Netflix, Prime Video, Apple TV+, Paramount+ and Peacock. Disney+ and HBO Max aren't on that list. HBO Max offers its website on computers and points phones and tablets to its app.
ScreenCommand needs a USB-C iPad on iPadOS 17 or later, or an iPhone on iOS 17 or later. A cable from an iPhone needs USB-C video out: iPhone 15 or later, except iPhone 16e, iPhone 17e and iPhone Air. More in how to connect an iPhone to a TV.
Frequently asked questions
Why is Disney+ a black screen when I screen mirror my iPad or iPhone to the TV?
Disney+ protects its video with DRM, and protected video is kept out of the copy of your screen that Screen Mirroring sends, so the TV can show a black box while the sound plays. Stop mirroring, then tap the AirPlay button inside the Disney+ player: that hands the stream itself to your Apple TV or AirPlay 2 smart TV, which plays it. Disney+ also casts to Chromecast, plays over an HDMI cable from a phone or tablet, and has its own TV apps.
Why does Prime Video show a black screen on my TV from my iPhone or iPad?
If you're mirroring the screen, it's copy protection: protected video stays out of a mirrored screen. Cast from the Prime Video app instead, with the Cast button at the top right, to a Chromecast, Android TV or Fire TV, or use the Prime Video app on the TV or an Apple TV. Over a cable, Prime Video asks for HDCP 1.4 for HD and HDCP 2.2 for 4K and HDR, so plug an HDCP adapter straight into the TV with no splitter in between. Over a USB-C cable, Prime Video also plays in ScreenCommand, a browser for the TV.
Why is HBO Max black on my TV when I mirror my iPhone or iPad?
Mirroring sends a copy of your screen, and HBO Max's protected video can stay black in it. Use the app's own AirPlay instead: on the same Wi-Fi as your Apple TV or AirPlay 2 TV, start watching in HBO Max, tap the screen, tap the AirPlay button and choose the TV. HBO Max also casts to Chromecast and has apps for Apple TV, Roku, Fire TV, Samsung, LG and other TVs. If you knew it as Max, it's the same app: Max went back to the HBO Max name in 2025.
Why does Hulu go black on the TV when I mirror my iPhone or iPad?
For the same reason as Disney+: Hulu protects its video, and protected video stays out of Screen Mirroring, so the picture turns black while the sound and menus often carry on. Send the show another way. If the Hulu app's player shows an AirPlay or Cast button, use that instead of mirroring. Or watch in the Hulu app on the TV, or on a streaming device plugged into it. Or connect with a USB-C to HDMI adapter that supports HDCP, plugged straight into the TV. We haven't verified Hulu in ScreenCommand, so we don't promise it there.
Can I watch Disney+ or HBO Max on a TV with an HDMI cable from my iPad or iPhone?
Disney+, yes: its help says an HDMI cable works from a phone, tablet or computer. Use a USB-C to HDMI adapter that supports HDCP, like Apple's USB-C Digital AV Multiport Adapter, plugged straight into the TV. HBO Max's HDMI article covers only computers, so it doesn't promise its iPad and iPhone app over a cable; if the picture stays black, use AirPlay from the app or the HBO Max app on the TV. From an iPhone, a cable needs USB-C video out: iPhone 15 or later, except iPhone 16e, iPhone 17e and iPhone Air.
Can I watch Prime Video or Disney+ downloads on a TV?
For Prime Video, over a cable, not wirelessly: Prime Video says downloads can't play over Chromecast or AirPlay, but offline playback to a TV works on supported devices with the right adapter. Disney+ and HBO Max don't cover downloads on a TV in the help pages we checked, so try a USB-C to HDMI adapter with HDCP, or stream from their TV apps instead. ScreenCommand is a web browser that streams over the internet, so it can't play downloads saved in these apps.
Does ScreenCommand play Disney+ or HBO Max on the TV?
We don't promise it. Over a USB-C cable, ScreenCommand plays Netflix, Prime Video, Apple TV+, Paramount+ and Peacock on the TV, and Disney+ and HBO Max aren't on that list. For those two, use AirPlay from their own apps, or their TV apps. ScreenCommand is a $4.99 one-time desktop browser for the TV, with the iPad or iPhone as the trackpad and keyboard: websites, YouTube up to 4K and the services above.
More product questions (pricing, devices, privacy) are answered in the main FAQ.
Keep reading
A full-screen browser for the TV, run from your iPad or iPhone
Websites and YouTube up to 4K on the big screen, plus Netflix, Prime Video, Apple TV+, Paramount+ and Peacock over a USB-C cable. $4.99 one-time, no subscription. Works even on iPads that can only mirror.