How to Connect an iPad to a Smart TV (Samsung, LG, Sony, Xiaomi, Sharp and More)

There are two ways to get an iPad onto a smart TV: wirelessly with AirPlay, if the TV has it built in, or with a USB-C to HDMI cable, which works on any TV with an HDMI port. Which one you can use depends on the TV, not the iPad. This guide shows how to tell, gives the steps for each route, explains what the TV actually shows, and fixes the usual problems.

The quick answer

Your TV has AirPlay? Open Control Center on the iPad, tap Screen Mirroring and choose the TV. Apple names Samsung, LG, Sony and Vizio as TV makers that build AirPlay in, on selected models.
No AirPlay? Use a USB-C to HDMI adapter and an HDMI cable, then switch the TV to that HDMI input. Some Google TV and Android TV sets, including the Xiaomi and Sharp models we checked, list Chromecast but not AirPlay.
Chromecast won't take your iPad's screen. Google describes casting a whole screen as an Android feature. From an iPad you can only cast from apps with a Cast button, such as YouTube.
Want wireless on a TV without AirPlay? Plug an Apple TV into a free HDMI port: it adds AirPlay to that TV.

Which route works with which TV

Checked against Apple's and the TV makers' own pages · October 2026

Your TV	Screen Mirroring (wireless)	USB-C to HDMI cable	ScreenCommand
Smart TV with AirPlay built in	✓Turn AirPlay on in the TV's settings	✓	✓Over a cable
Smart TV without AirPlay (Chromecast or Google Cast only)	✗Chromecast doesn't take an iPad's screen	✓	✓Over a cable
Any TV with an Apple TV plugged in	✓Choose the Apple TV	✓	✓Over a cable or AirPlay
Basic TV, monitor or projector with HDMI	✗Unless you plug in an Apple TV	✓	✓Over a cable

The cable column assumes an iPad with USB-C (a Lightning iPad needs Apple's Lightning Digital AV Adapter) and a free HDMI port on the TV. ScreenCommand is supported over a cable and over AirPlay to an Apple TV; we haven't verified it with AirPlay built into smart TVs, so the table doesn't claim it.

Does your TV have AirPlay? How to check

AirPlay is something each TV maker adds model by model, so the same brand can sell sets with it and sets without it, and a model can differ from one country to the next. Any of these will tell you:

Look in the TV's settings for a menu called AirPlay, or AirPlay and HomeKit. If it's there, the TV has it.
Read the spec sheet for your exact model number on the maker's website, and look for AirPlay or AirPlay 2 under casting, mirroring or connectivity. Chromecast built-in, Google Cast and Miracast are different systems: an iPad's Screen Mirroring only sends to AirPlay devices.
Look for the badge. Apple tells shoppers to look for the “Works with Apple AirPlay” symbol in stores and online.
Or just try it. With the iPad and the TV on the same Wi-Fi network, open Control Center on the iPad and tap Screen Mirroring. If the TV never shows up in the list, it has no AirPlay, AirPlay is switched off, or the two are on different networks.

What the TV makers say on their own pages, as of October 2026:

Samsung: AirPlay on selected Samsung smart TVs from 2018 onward. It lives in Settings, under Connection or General, then Apple AirPlay Settings; if you find that menu, the TV has it.
LG: AirPlay 2 on selected models from 2018, and on every OLED and QNED model from 2021 through 2024, the newest year on LG's list. Turn it on from the Home Dashboard: choose AirPlay, then AirPlay and HomeKit settings.
Sony: every BRAVIA with Google TV supports AirPlay 2, a few series after a software update, and so do some earlier Android TV models.
TCL: lists AirPlay 2 on some Google TV models, the Q7D for example, and notes that features vary by region.
Roku TVs: Roku lists which Roku TV models support AirPlay by model number. Find yours in Settings, System, About.
Xiaomi: the Xiaomi TV A Pro 2025 spec sheet lists Chromecast built-in and Miracast, not AirPlay. Xiaomi's own help page has you open an app called AirPlayMirror on the TV to mirror an iPhone to it.
Sharp: the Sharp Google TV models we checked on Sharp Indonesia's site list Chromecast under Mirroring / Casting, not AirPlay. Sharp also sells Android TV and other smart TV models, so check your exact model.
Any other brand: check your exact model's spec sheet for AirPlay. If it isn't listed, plan on a cable.

Route 1: AirPlay, if your TV has it

This is Apple's Screen Mirroring, the same steps you would use for an Apple TV.

Turn AirPlay on in the TV's settings if it's off. On a Samsung TV it's in Settings, under Connection or General, then Apple AirPlay Settings; on an LG TV, open the Home Dashboard and choose AirPlay.
Connect the iPad to the same Wi-Fi network as the TV.
Open Control Center on the iPad: swipe down from the top-right corner of the screen.
Tap Screen Mirroring and choose your TV from the list.
If an AirPlay code appears on the TV, type it on the iPad. The iPad's screen now shows on the TV.

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

No AirPlay on your TV, but you'd like a wireless connection? An Apple TV plugged into one of its HDMI ports adds it, and it can also put a full web browser on the TV.

Route 2: a USB-C to HDMI cable, for any TV

This works on any TV with an HDMI port, with or without AirPlay, and needs no Wi-Fi. Every iPad with a USB-C port can send its picture this way.

Plug a USB-C to HDMI adapter into the iPad, or use a single cable with USB-C on one end and HDMI on the other.
Run an HDMI cable from the adapter to a free HDMI port on the TV.
Switch the TV to that HDMI input with the Input or Source button on its remote.
The iPad's screen appears on the TV. If the adapter has a USB-C charging port, plug the iPad's charger into it to keep the battery topped up.

How sharp the picture can be depends on the iPad. 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.

An older iPad with a Lightning port needs Apple's Lightning Digital AV Adapter instead, which tops out at 1080p.

Which adapter to buy, and how to fix a blank screen: see how to connect an iPad to a monitor or TV.

What about Chromecast and Google TV?

Chromecast, Google TV streamers and many smart TVs receive Google Cast. Google's help pages describe casting a whole screen as an Android feature, for Android 8.0 or later, so an iPad can't mirror its screen over Google Cast. From an iPad you can cast from apps that have a Cast button, such as YouTube: the TV then plays the video itself, and the iPad works as the remote. That's the app's video, not your screen.

Some Google TV and Android TV sets offer an AirPlay receiver app on the TV instead, as Xiaomi's help page does for the Xiaomi TV A Pro 2025. That's an app, not AirPlay built into the TV, and we haven't tested ScreenCommand with it. A cable avoids the question.

What the TV shows: a copy of the iPad, or an app's own picture

Whichever route you use, the TV starts out as a mirror: an exact copy of the iPad's screen, in the iPad's squarer shape, so a widescreen TV shows black bars on both sides. Web pages stay sized for the iPad and get scaled up, and your notifications and typing show on the TV too.

Apple names two exceptions. An app can draw its own picture for the TV, the way a video app plays a film full screen while its controls stay on the iPad. And an iPad with an M-series chip can extend instead, using the TV as a second display with its own app windows. Every other iPad mirrors.

Not sure which kind you have? See which iPads support extended display, model by model.

Where ScreenCommand fits

ScreenCommand is one of those apps that draw their own picture. It puts a desktop web browser on the TV at the TV's own resolution, edge to edge with no black bars, and turns your iPad into the trackpad and keyboard. It works on iPads that can only mirror, and on iPhone too.

Any TV with HDMI, over a cable: Samsung, LG, Sony, Xiaomi, Sharp or any other make, AirPlay or not. A cable is the recommended connection, with the lowest cursor lag.
Or AirPlay to an Apple TV, with a little more cursor lag than a cable.
Streaming over a cable only: Netflix, Prime Video, Apple TV+, Paramount+ and Peacock play in ScreenCommand over a USB-C cable. YouTube and other web video play over a cable or AirPlay.
Websites, not apps: ScreenCommand shows web pages. To put an iPad app or game on the TV, use mirroring.
$4.99 one-time: no subscription, no account to create, zero data collection.

Not promised: AirPlay built into smart TVs

We haven't verified ScreenCommand with AirPlay built into Samsung, LG, Sony or other smart TVs, so we don't claim it works there. If your TV has a free HDMI port, use a cable.

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

Troubleshooting

The TV isn't in the Screen Mirroring list. Check that the iPad and the TV are on the same Wi-Fi network and that AirPlay is turned on in the TV's settings. If you can't find an AirPlay setting, check the model's spec sheet; if AirPlay isn't listed there, use a cable.
The TV says “No signal” over a cable. Switch the TV to the exact HDMI input you plugged into, reseat both ends, and try another HDMI port. Make sure the adapter is made for video output (DisplayPort Alt Mode), not just data and charging.
Black bars on both sides. That's mirroring keeping the iPad's shape, not a fault, and stretching it with the TV's zoom setting distorts the picture. To fill the screen, use an app that draws its own picture, like a video app or ScreenCommand, or extend from an M-series iPad.
The edges of the picture are cut off. The TV is zooming in. In its picture size or aspect ratio settings, choose the option that shows the full picture; each brand names it differently.
The video goes black but the sound plays. That's copy protection. AirPlay screen mirroring never carries Netflix, Prime Video and other protected streams. Over a cable they play, unless something between the iPad and the TV, such as a splitter, a capture card or an uncertified adapter, breaks the HDCP handshake: plug a certified adapter straight into the TV. Or use the streaming service's own app on the TV.

Why streaming goes black, and what plays where: the Netflix black screen, explained.

Frequently asked questions

Which smart TVs support AirPlay from an iPad?

Apple names Samsung, LG, Sony and Vizio as TV makers that build AirPlay in, and others, TCL and Roku among them, list it on some of their TVs. It goes model by model, so check your TV's spec sheet for AirPlay or AirPlay 2, look for an AirPlay menu in its settings, or look for the “Works with Apple AirPlay” badge. If your TV doesn't have it, a USB-C to HDMI cable works on any TV with an HDMI port.

Can I connect an iPad to a Xiaomi or Sharp TV?

Yes, with a USB-C to HDMI adapter and an HDMI cable: plug it into a free HDMI port and switch the TV to that input. Wireless is harder. The Xiaomi TV A Pro 2025 and the Sharp Google TV models we checked list Chromecast, not AirPlay, and an iPad can't mirror its screen to Chromecast. Check your own model's spec sheet for AirPlay.

Can I mirror an iPad to a Chromecast or Google TV?

Not the whole screen. Google describes casting a whole screen as an Android feature. From an iPad you can cast from apps with a Cast button, such as YouTube, and the TV plays that video itself. To show the iPad's screen on the TV, use a USB-C to HDMI cable, or AirPlay if the TV has it.

Can I connect an iPad to a TV without Wi-Fi?

Yes, with a cable. A USB-C to HDMI adapter and an HDMI cable need no network: the picture goes straight down the wire. AirPlay needs the iPad and the TV on the same Wi-Fi network.

Why doesn't my iPad fill the TV screen?

Mirroring copies the iPad's screen in its own squarer shape, so a widescreen TV shows black bars on both sides. An iPad with an M-series chip can extend instead, with Stage Manager. On any USB-C iPad, apps that draw their own picture for the TV fill it: video apps, and ScreenCommand, which puts a full-screen desktop browser on the TV.

Why is Netflix black when I mirror my iPad to a smart TV?

AirPlay screen mirroring never carries copy-protected video, so Netflix and similar services show a black picture, often with the sound still playing. Use the TV's own Netflix app, or connect with a USB-C cable: over a cable, Netflix plays on the TV in ScreenCommand, and in the Netflix app.

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

Keep reading

Plugged into the TV? Put a browser on it

ScreenCommand puts a full-screen desktop browser on any TV with HDMI, with your iPad or iPhone as the trackpad. $4.99 one-time, no subscription.

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