How to Screen Mirror an iPhone or iPad to a Hisense TV (VIDAA, Roku, Google TV, Fire TV)

The quick answer

• First, find out which Hisense you have. Press Home: the home screen shows whether the TV runs VIDAA, Roku TV, Google TV or Fire TV. Each has its own AirPlay switch.
• Google TV, Roku TV or VIDAA? Hisense says its Roku and Google TV models can mirror an iPhone, and its VIDAA manuals cover AirPlay too. Turn AirPlay on (usually from the TV's input list or settings, below), then open Control Center on the iPhone or iPad, tap Screen Mirroring and choose the TV.
• Fire TV model? Some have AirPlay: look in Settings > Display & Sounds > AirPlay & HomeKit. Fire TV's own Display Mirroring doesn't work with an iPhone.
• No AirPlay anywhere? A USB-C to HDMI adapter and an HDMI cable work on any Hisense TV with a free HDMI port, with no Wi-Fi and no settings.
• Netflix goes black? That's copy protection, not the TV. Open Netflix on the Hisense itself, or connect with a cable.

AirPlay and casting on each kind of Hisense TV

Menu names change between software versions, so if yours differ, look for AirPlay in the input list and in Settings. A cable works on every one of these. ScreenCommand is supported over a cable and over AirPlay to an Apple TV; we haven't verified it with the AirPlay built into Hisense TVs, so the table doesn't claim it.

Which kind of Hisense TV do you have?

Hisense's US site sorts its TVs into Google TV, Fire TV, Roku TV and VIDAA models, and earlier Hisense sets, such as the 2021 U6G, ran Android TV. Any of these tells you which one is yours:

• The home screen. Press Home on the remote. A Roku TV shows Roku's home screen, with a tile for each input. A Google TV shows Google TV's, which you set up with a Google account. A Fire TV shows the Fire TV menu. A VIDAA TV shows Hisense's VIDAA home screen, with a VIDAA Account icon.
• The TV and its remote. Roku says a Roku TV from another maker has the maker's name on the front and a Roku TV logo in the corner. Hisense's Fire TV models come with a Voice Remote with Alexa.
• The About screen. On a VIDAA TV, Settings > Support > About shows the VIDAA version. On a Roku TV, Settings > System > About shows the Roku model number, which is what Roku's AirPlay list goes by.
• The model number. It's on the sticker on the back of the TV. Hisense's product names and spec sheets include the platform, like the “R6 Series Hisense Roku TV” (43R6G) or the “U8 Series Mini-LED ULED Google TV” (55U8K), so looking the number up on Hisense's site settles it.

Not a Hisense after all? How to connect an iPad to a smart TV covers Samsung, LG, Sony, TCL and more.

Turn on AirPlay on your Hisense TV

AirPlay can be switched off on the TV, and then your iPhone won't list it. Where the switch lives depends on the platform.

VIDAA

Hisense's VIDAA manuals make AirPlay an input, like the HDMI ports:

1. Press the input button on the remote to show the list of inputs.
2. Select AirPlay, then AirPlay and HomeKit Settings.
3. Set AirPlay to On.

Newer VIDAA versions also put it in Settings > Connection > AirPlay and HomeKit > AirPlay and HomeKit Settings. If there's no AirPlay in the input list or in Settings, Hisense says the TV may not support AirPlay yet, and that AirPlay isn't available on some models or in some countries.

Google TV

Hisense's Google TV manual puts AirPlay in the same place:

1. Press the input button on the remote to show the list of inputs.
2. Select AirPlay, then AirPlay and HomeKit Settings, and make sure AirPlay is on.

Hisense says the same AirPlay and HomeKit settings are also in the TV's system settings.

Older Hisense Android TV? Hisense's manual for the 2021 U6G covers Chromecast built-in but says nothing about AirPlay. If yours has no AirPlay in its input list or settings, cast from apps or use a cable.

Roku TV

1. Press Home on the Roku remote and open Settings.
2. Select Apple AirPlay and HomeKit and set AirPlay to On.

Not in the menu? Roku lists AirPlay by Roku model number, which you'll find in Settings > System > About, and some models need Roku OS 9.4 or 10.0. The full list is in how to mirror an iPhone or iPad to a Roku.

Fire TV

1. Open Settings from the Fire TV menu.
2. Select Display & Sounds, then AirPlay & HomeKit, and follow the on-screen instructions.

No AirPlay & HomeKit there? Amazon says AirPlay isn't on every Fire TV smart TV, though Hisense lists it on some of its Fire TV models. Fire TV's Display Mirroring is a different feature: it takes Miracast, and Amazon lists iOS among the devices that can't use it. More in getting an iPad or iPhone onto a Fire TV.

Screen mirror an iPhone or iPad to the Hisense TV

Once AirPlay is on, these are Apple's Screen Mirroring steps, the same on every Hisense platform and on iPhone and iPad:

1. Turn the TV on, and connect it and the iPhone or iPad to the same Wi-Fi network.
2. Open Control Center: swipe down from the top-right corner of the screen. On an iPhone with a Home button, swipe up from the bottom edge.
3. Tap Screen Mirroring and choose your Hisense TV.
4. If an AirPlay passcode appears on the TV, type it on the iPhone or iPad. Your screen now shows on the TV.

To stop, open Control Center, tap Screen Mirroring, then tap Stop Mirroring.

The TV shows an exact copy of your screen in your device's shape: black bars at the sides for an iPad, and a narrow strip in the middle for an iPhone held upright, so turn it sideways in apps that rotate. Notifications and everything you type show on the TV too.

Mirroring, extending and a browser on the TV, compared: screen mirroring vs ScreenCommand.

Mirroring the screen vs AirPlay from inside an app

Screen Mirroring sends a copy of everything on your screen, in your device's shape.

The AirPlay button inside an app sends just the video, photo or song. Tap AirPlay in a video player, or in Photos tap Share, then AirPlay, and choose the TV. Only that item goes to the TV, and video fills the screen. Hisense's manuals note the same button in music and podcast apps.

Apple notes that some video apps don't support AirPlay. Netflix is one of them: its help center says AirPlay from an iPhone or iPad isn't supported.

Casting from apps: Google TV, Android TV, Roku and Fire TV models

Casting isn't mirroring. You tap Cast in an app on your phone, the TV's own copy of that app plays the video, and your phone becomes the remote. How it works depends on the platform:

• Google TV and Android TV models have Chromecast built-in, per Hisense's specs and manuals. Put the iPhone on the same Wi-Fi as the TV, open an app with a Cast button, such as YouTube, tap Cast and choose the TV. To stop, tap Cast, then Disconnect.
• Roku TV models: Roku says the app must be installed on both your phone and the TV, on the same network.
• Fire TV models: Amazon says compatible apps cast to Fire TV devices running Fire OS 7 or later, on the same Wi-Fi. For Prime Video, sign in with the same Amazon account on both.
• VIDAA models: the VIDAA app on your iPhone shares photos, music and videos saved on it (see below). For a streaming service, open its app on the TV.

If the TV never appears in an app's Cast list, the app may not have permission to find devices on your network. On the iPhone or iPad, go to Settings > Privacy & Security > Local Network and turn it on for that app. Google says casting from iOS 14 or later needs it.

One trap: the Screen Sharing input on Hisense TVs is for Android phones and Windows PCs. Hisense's manuals tell Apple users to use AirPlay instead.

Casting YouTube, or linking with a TV code: YouTube on a TV from an iPad or iPhone.

What Hisense's apps do on an iPhone

The phone app depends on the platform, and none of them mirrors your iPhone's screen.

• VIDAA TVs: the VIDAA app. VIDAA describes it as a way to control the TV without the remote: turn it on or off, change the volume and channels, type with your phone's keyboard, and share pictures, music and videos from your phone to the TV. It's on the App Store.
• Getting the right app. The TV shows a QR code for it under Settings > Support > Mobile App (Settings > Connection > Mobile App Download on newer versions). Some Hisense pages name an app called RemoteNOW; the QR code on your own TV points to the one made for it.
• Connecting it. Put the phone and the TV on the same network, accept VIDAA's license and privacy terms on the TV (Settings > Support > Disclaimer and Privacy), and turn on Content Sharing in the TV's settings, as Hisense's manuals require. Then open the app and choose the TV.
• Roku, Google TV and Fire TV models. Hisense's US FAQ points owners of its Roku and Android TV models to those platforms' own apps. The Roku app can show photos and videos saved on your phone; Amazon's Fire TV app is a remote and keyboard.

No AirPlay? Use an HDMI cable (any Hisense TV)

A cable works on every Hisense TV with an HDMI port, whatever platform it runs, and needs no Wi-Fi, no passcode and no setting. It's also the connection that lets Netflix and other protected video through.

1. Plug a USB-C to HDMI adapter into the iPhone or iPad, or use a single cable with USB-C on one end and HDMI on the other.
2. Run an HDMI cable from the adapter to a free HDMI port on the TV.
3. Switch the TV to that input. On a Roku TV, press Home and select the HDMI input's tile. On a VIDAA TV, press the input button or select the Input icon on the Home screen. On other models, press the remote's input button and choose the port.
4. Your screen appears on the TV. If the adapter has a USB-C charging port, plug your charger into it to keep the battery up.

• iPads: every iPad with USB-C sends video. Through an HDMI 2.0 adapter, the iPad (A16), iPad mini (A17 Pro), every M-series iPad Air and every USB-C iPad Pro send up to 4K at 60Hz; the iPad (10th generation), iPad mini (6th generation) and iPad Air (4th generation) top out at 4K at 30Hz.
• iPhones: iPhone 15 and later send video over USB-C, except the iPhone 16e, iPhone 17e and iPhone Air, which send none. Use AirPlay with those.
• Lightning iPhones and iPads need Apple's Lightning Digital AV Adapter and an HDMI cable, at up to 1080p.

Over a cable, most iPads and every iPhone still mirror, with the same black bars. Only M-series iPads can extend the desktop to the TV instead.

Which adapter to buy, and why some show nothing: the USB-C to HDMI adapter guide. Just the iPhone side: how to connect an iPhone to a TV.

Netflix goes black when you mirror? Why, and what works

Streaming services protect their video with DRM, and AirPlay Screen Mirroring never carries protected video: the picture goes black while menus, subtitles and often the sound keep going. Nothing is wrong with the Hisense. Netflix goes further: its help center says AirPlay from an iPhone or iPad isn't supported, and its iPhone app shows “Cannot play title” while Screen Mirroring or AirPlay is on.

What works instead, cheapest first:

• The app on the Hisense. Hisense TVs come with popular streaming apps already installed, and you can add more from the TV's app store. Sign in on the TV and leave the iPhone out of it: free, and the best picture.
• The service's own AirPlay or Cast button, where it has one. It sends the stream itself rather than your screen. Not on Netflix, which doesn't support AirPlay.
• A USB-C to HDMI cable. Over a cable, the Netflix app plays on the TV. Plug the adapter straight into the TV: a splitter or capture card in between can break the HDCP copy-protection handshake.
• A browser on the TV, over the same cable. ScreenCommand plays Netflix, Prime Video, Apple TV+, Paramount+ and Peacock on the TV over a USB-C cable, not over AirPlay.

The full story, service by service: the Netflix black screen, explained.

Hisense TV AirPlay not working? Try these

• The TV isn't in the Screen Mirroring list. Check that AirPlay is on (above) and that the TV and the iPhone or iPad are on the same Wi-Fi network, not a guest network. Hisense adds two checks: that the TV is online with a good signal, and that the TV name you pick on the iPhone is the one the TV shows.
• Switch AirPlay off and on. In AirPlay and HomeKit Settings, turn AirPlay off, wait a few seconds and turn it back on. If the menu has Reset Paired Devices, use it, then connect again and enter the new passcode.
• Restart both. Hisense's last step is to unplug the TV's power cord, wait 30 seconds, plug it back in and turn the TV on. Restart the iPhone or iPad too.
• Update the TV and the iPhone. VIDAA: Settings > Support > System Update (System Upgrade on older versions). Google TV: Settings > System > About > System update. Roku TV: Settings > System > Software update > Check Now. iPhone or iPad: Settings > General > Software Update.
• Hisense Roku TV AirPlay not working? Check the Roku model number in Settings > System > About against Roku's list, keep the iPhone and the TV on the same network and the same band (2.4GHz or 5GHz), and turn on Fast TV start in Settings > System > Power so the TV stays connected while it's off.
• No AirPlay in the input list or in Settings. Then the TV doesn't have it, or doesn't have it yet. Use a cable, or plug an Apple TV into a free HDMI port.
• Screen Sharing on the TV waits, and the iPhone never connects. That input is for Android phones and Windows PCs. An iPhone or iPad uses AirPlay.
• The edges are cut off over a cable. The TV is zooming in. Open Picture Size (Settings > Picture on VIDAA, Settings > Display & Sound > Screen on Google TV) and try Dot-By-Dot, which shows the signal without scaling, and turn off Overscan where the TV has it.
• “No signal” over a cable. Switch to the exact HDMI input you plugged into, reseat both ends and try another port. Check that the adapter is made for video, and that the iPhone isn't an iPhone 16e, iPhone 17e or iPhone Air, which send no video over USB-C.

Where ScreenCommand fits

Mirroring shows the iPhone or iPad on the Hisense TV. ScreenCommand shows the web instead: a desktop browser that fills the TV at its own resolution, edge to edge, with your iPad or iPhone as the trackpad and keyboard.

• Any Hisense with HDMI, over a cable. VIDAA, Roku, Google TV or Fire TV, AirPlay or not. A cable is the recommended connection, with the lowest cursor lag.
• Or through an Apple TV plugged into the Hisense, over AirPlay, with a little more cursor lag. Here's how to get a web browser on Apple TV.
• Streaming over a cable. Netflix, Prime Video, Apple TV+, Paramount+ and Peacock play in ScreenCommand over a USB-C cable, not over AirPlay. YouTube and other web video play over either.
• Websites, not apps. ScreenCommand shows web pages. For an iPhone game or app on the TV, use Screen Mirroring.
• $4.99 one-time. No subscription, no account to create, zero data collection.

If all you want is Netflix or YouTube on the Hisense, its own apps do that for free. ScreenCommand is for the rest of the web on the big screen, with a real cursor.

It needs an iPad with USB-C on iPadOS 17 or later, or an iPhone on iOS 17 or later. Over a cable, an iPhone needs USB-C video out: iPhone 15 or later, except iPhone 16e, iPhone 17e and iPhone Air.

Frequently asked questions

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

Keep reading

• Connect an iPad to a smart TV
• Mirror an iPhone or iPad to Roku
• iPhone or iPad to a Fire TV
• iPad or iPhone to Google TV
• Which USB-C HDMI adapter to buy
• Netflix black screen, explained