Your iPad Only Mirrors? Which iPads Can Extend, and How the Rest Get a Full-Screen Browser
On iPadOS 27, only iPads with an M-series chip can use a monitor or TV as an extended display. Every other iPad mirrors: the big screen shows a boxed-in copy of the iPad, with black bars on both sides. Here's the full list by model, how to tell which iPad you have, and how an iPad that only mirrors can still put a full-screen browser on the monitor.
Which iPads support extended display on iPadOS 27
Verified October 2026 · iPadOS 27Apple's list of models that support extended displays for iPadOS 27 contains only M-series iPads. Below is every iPad since 2018 and every iPhone with USB-C: pick yours to see what it can do with a monitor or TV, or sort the tables.
Every iPad since 2018
Select a column heading to sort.
| Chip | Port | With a monitor | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| iPad Air 11-inch and 13-inch (M4) | M4 | 2026 | USB-C | 6K 60Hz | Extends | Cable or AirPlay |
| iPad Pro 11-inch and 13-inch (M5) | M5 | 2025 | Thunderbolt | 6K 60Hz | Extends | Cable or AirPlay |
| iPad Air 11-inch and 13-inch (M3) | M3 | 2025 | USB-C | 6K 60Hz | Extends | Cable or AirPlay |
| iPad (A16)Often called the 11th-generation iPad | A16 | 2025 | USB-C | 4K 60Hz | Mirrors only | Cable or AirPlay |
| iPad Pro 11-inch and 13-inch (M4) | M4 | 2024 | Thunderbolt | 6K 60Hz | Extends | Cable or AirPlay |
| iPad Air 11-inch and 13-inch (M2) | M2 | 2024 | USB-C | 6K 60Hz | Extends | Cable or AirPlay |
| iPad mini (A17 Pro)Often called the 7th-generation iPad mini | A17 Pro | 2024 | USB-C | 4K 60Hz | Mirrors only | Cable or AirPlay |
| iPad Pro 11-inch (4th generation) and 12.9-inch (6th generation) | M2 | 2022 | Thunderbolt | 6K 60Hz | Extends | Cable or AirPlay |
| iPad Air (5th generation) | M1 | 2022 | USB-C | 6K 60Hz | Extends | Cable or AirPlay |
| iPad (10th generation) | A14 Bionic | 2022 | USB-C | 4K 30Hz | Mirrors only | Cable or AirPlay |
| iPad Pro 11-inch (3rd generation) and 12.9-inch (5th generation) | M1 | 2021 | Thunderbolt | 6K 60Hz | Extends | Cable or AirPlay |
| iPad mini (6th generation) | A15 Bionic | 2021 | USB-C | 4K 30Hz | Mirrors only | Cable or AirPlay |
| iPad (9th generation) | A13 Bionic | 2021 | Lightning | 1080p | Mirrors only | Not tested |
| iPad Pro 11-inch (2nd generation) and 12.9-inch (4th generation) | A12Z Bionic | 2020 | USB-C | 5K | Mirrors only | Cable or AirPlay |
| iPad Air (4th generation) | A14 Bionic | 2020 | USB-C | 4K 30Hz | Mirrors only | Cable or AirPlay |
| iPad (8th generation) | A12 Bionic | 2020 | Lightning | 1080p | Mirrors only | Not tested |
| iPad Air (3rd generation) | A12 Bionic | 2019 | Lightning | 1080p | Mirrors only | Not tested |
| iPad mini (5th generation) | A12 Bionic | 2019 | Lightning | 1080p | Mirrors only | Not tested |
| iPad (7th generation) | A10 Fusion | 2019 | Lightning | 1080p | Mirrors only | Not tested |
| iPad Pro 11-inch (1st generation) and 12.9-inch (3rd generation) | A12X Bionic | 2018 | USB-C | 5K | Mirrors only | Cable or AirPlay |
| iPad (6th generation) | A10 Fusion | 2018 | Lightning | 1080p | Mirrors only | Not tested |
Every iPhone with USB-C
| Chip | Port | With a monitor | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| iPhone 17e | A19 | 2026 | USB-C | No video over USB-C | Mirrors only | AirPlay only |
| iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max | A20 Pro | 2026 | USB-C | 4K 60Hz | Mirrors only | Cable or AirPlay |
| iPhone Duo | A20 Pro | 2026 | USB-C | 4K 60Hz | Mirrors only | Cable or AirPlay |
| iPhone 16e | A18 | 2025 | USB-C | No video over USB-C | Mirrors only | AirPlay only |
| iPhone 17 | A19 | 2025 | USB-C | 4K 60Hz | Mirrors only | Cable or AirPlay |
| iPhone Air | A19 Pro | 2025 | USB-C | No video over USB-C | Mirrors only | AirPlay only |
| iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max | A19 Pro | 2025 | USB-C | 4K 60Hz | Mirrors only | Cable or AirPlay |
| iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus | A18 | 2024 | USB-C | 4K 60Hz | Mirrors only | Cable or AirPlay |
| iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max | A18 Pro | 2024 | USB-C | 4K 60Hz | Mirrors only | Cable or AirPlay |
| iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus | A16 Bionic | 2023 | USB-C | 4K 60Hz | Mirrors only | Cable or AirPlay |
| iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max | A17 Pro | 2023 | USB-C | 4K 60Hz | Mirrors only | Cable or AirPlay |
From Apple's Tech Specs, the iPadOS 27 extended-display list and Apple's USB-C display articles, checked October 2026. Best wired output is the most Apple states for a USB-C display or HDMI; Lightning iPads top out at 1080p through Apple's adapter.
How to check which iPad you have
- Open Settings on the iPad.
- Tap General, then About.
- Look at Model Name, then find that name in the tables above.
What “mirror only” means on a monitor
When an iPad that can't extend is connected, iPadOS mirrors it: the monitor shows an exact copy of the iPad screen, locked to the iPad's squarer shape. On a 16:9 monitor or TV that means black bars on both sides, with the iPad's touch-first screen scaled up in the middle, which is why people describe the picture as boxed in or squished. These iPads have no setting to switch to extended display, and no iPadOS update has added one.
What iPadOS 26 and 27 changed, and what they didn’t
iPadOS 26 brought Mac-like windowing to every compatible iPad, and iPadOS 27 keeps it. Neither brought extended display beyond M-series: Apple's iPadOS 27 list of models that support extended displays is the same M-series set as in iPadOS 26. iPadOS 27 also dropped the 2018 iPad Pro models, which stay on iPadOS 26.
How an iPad that only mirrors gets a full-screen browser
Mirroring isn't the only picture a non-M iPad can send to a monitor. Apple lets any app draw its own content on an external display, separate from what's on the iPad. That's how ScreenCommand works: it puts a desktop-class browser on the monitor or TV at the display's native resolution, filling it edge to edge, while the iPad becomes the trackpad and keyboard.
- Every iPad in the second table: any USB-C iPad on iPadOS 17 or later, with no M-series chip or Stage Manager needed.
- Wired or wireless: a USB-C or USB-C-to-HDMI cable for the lowest cursor latency, or AirPlay to an Apple TV.
- A real desktop browser: desktop webpages, up to 4 windows with 12 tabs each, a cursor you can spot from the couch, and YouTube controls.
- Streaming over a cable: Netflix, Prime Video, Apple TV+, Paramount+, Peacock and other streaming services play on the monitor over USB-C.
- $4.99 once: no subscription, no account, zero data collection.
What it isn’t
ScreenCommand is a browser, not extended display for all your apps: it doesn't move your other apps to the monitor, and it shows one browser window there, or two side by side. If you need native apps side by side on a second screen, that takes an M-series iPad with Stage Manager.
Setting it up takes a minute: see how to connect an iPad to a monitor or TV, or compare every option, including free Stage Manager.
Frequently asked questions
Does iPadOS 27 bring extended display to non-M iPads?
No. Apple's iPadOS 27 list of iPads that support extended displays has only M-series models: iPad Air (5th generation), iPad Air 11-inch and 13-inch (M2, M3 and M4), iPad Pro 11-inch (3rd generation and later), iPad Pro 12.9-inch (5th generation and later) and iPad Pro 13-inch. The iPad, iPad mini, iPad Air (4th generation) and pre-2021 iPad Pro models still mirror only. Verified September 2026.
Why does my iPad (10th generation) only mirror to a monitor?
Because extended display needs an M-series chip and the iPad (10th generation) has an A14. It mirrors on every iPadOS version, including iPadOS 27, so the monitor shows a copy of the iPad screen with black bars on the sides. Apps can still draw their own full-screen picture on the monitor: that's how ScreenCommand puts a desktop browser there.
Does the iPad (A16) support extended display?
No. The iPad (A16), often called the 11th-generation iPad, mirrors only, and so does the iPad mini (A17 Pro). Both work with ScreenCommand, which draws a full-screen browser on the monitor instead of a mirror.
Can a 2018 or 2020 iPad Pro extend to a monitor?
No. Those models have A12X and A12Z chips, so they mirror only, and the 2018 models also stop at iPadOS 26. ScreenCommand works on both, since it needs a USB-C iPad on iPadOS 17 or later.
Can I get rid of the black bars on a non-M iPad?
Not in mirroring: the mirror always keeps the iPad's shape. An app that draws its own picture on the monitor, like ScreenCommand's browser, fills the screen edge to edge because it uses the display's native resolution.
More product questions (pricing, gestures, privacy) are covered in the main FAQ.