How to Connect an iPhone to a Monitor (Cables, Adapters and Desktop Mode)

The quick answer

• iPhone 15 or later? Plug a USB-C cable straight into a monitor with a USB-C video input, or use a USB-C to HDMI adapter. Apple rates both at up to 4K at 60Hz, with an HDMI 2.0 adapter for HDMI. The iPhone 16e, iPhone 17e and iPhone Air send no video over USB-C.
• Lightning iPhone? Use Apple's Lightning Digital AV Adapter and an HDMI cable, at up to 1080p.
• The monitor mirrors the iPhone. It shows a copy of the iPhone's screen, in the iPhone's shape, except in apps that draw their own picture, like video apps.
• No desktop mode. iPhone has nothing like Samsung DeX and no Stage Manager. As of iOS 27, Apple says a connected display mirrors every iPhone, iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone Duo included.
• Keyboard yes, mouse with a workaround. A Bluetooth keyboard pairs in Settings > Bluetooth. A mouse works only through AssistiveTouch, an accessibility feature.
• Want a desktop browser on the monitor? That takes an app that draws its own picture there, like ScreenCommand: the monitor shows a full desktop browser, and the iPhone becomes its trackpad and keyboard.

Which cable for which monitor

Apple's article doesn't name a DisplayPort adapter for iPhone, but it says iPhone uses the DisplayPort protocol for USB-C displays, which is the signal those cables carry. Every row shows a mirror of the iPhone, except in apps that draw their own picture.

Which iPhones connect to a monitor by cable

Apple lists the same wired output for every iPhone that has one: up to 4K at 60Hz, sent as DisplayPort through the USB-C port. What differs is whether a model has it at all, and how fast its port moves data.

From Apple's article on the iPhone's USB-C connector (dated October 22, 2026) and each model's Tech Specs. HDR needs an HDR monitor. Each model name links to its own page.

USB 2 or USB 3 doesn't change the picture. Apple's Tech Specs give the same video out, up to 4K HDR over DisplayPort, for USB 2 models like the iPhone 17 and USB 3 models like the iPhone 17 Pro. USB 3 speeds up file transfers, and on the Pro models and iPhone Duo it lets you record ProRes video straight to an external drive.

Not sure which model you have? Look it up by name or model number in the model checker.

Connect an iPhone to a monitor, step by step

A cable needs no Wi-Fi and nothing to set up on the iPhone:

1. Check that your iPhone sends video over USB-C, in the table above. On an iPhone 16e, iPhone 17e or iPhone Air, use AirPlay instead, below.
2. Pick the cable for the monitor's input: a USB-C cable that supports USB 3.1 or higher for a USB-C monitor, a USB-C to HDMI adapter or cable for HDMI, or a USB-C to DisplayPort cable for DisplayPort.
3. Plug it into the iPhone and the monitor, and switch the monitor to that input if it doesn't switch on its own.
4. The iPhone's screen appears on the monitor. Turn the iPhone sideways in apps that rotate to use more of the monitor.

On an HDR monitor, you can switch between SDR and HDR in Settings > Display & Brightness, under the connected display. Apple adds that with Allow Display Mode Changes turned on, the iPhone matches the frame rate and dynamic range of the video that's playing.

Lightning iPhone? Plug Apple's Lightning Digital AV Adapter into the iPhone, and an HDMI cable (sold separately) from the adapter to the monitor's HDMI input. Apple says it mirrors the screen at up to 1080p HD.

No video over USB-C, or no cable? Any iPhone can AirPlay to an Apple TV plugged into the monitor's HDMI input: on the same Wi-Fi network, open Control Center, tap Screen Mirroring and choose the Apple TV. A few smart monitors have AirPlay built in, such as Samsung's 2021 M5 and M7 Smart Monitors. The full AirPlay steps are in how to connect an iPhone to a TV.

What the monitor shows

Apple's answer is short: when you connect an external display, it mirrors the built-in display of your iPhone. The monitor shows exactly what the iPhone shows, notifications and typing included.

It keeps the iPhone's shape, too. Held upright, the iPhone fills a narrow strip in the middle of a widescreen monitor, with wide black bars on both sides. Turned sideways, apps that rotate, like Photos and video apps, use much more of it.

The exception is an app with what Apple calls a second-screen experience, like a video app. It draws its own picture for the monitor, in the monitor's shape, while its controls stay on the iPhone. Whether an app does this is up to the app.

Mirroring next to an app that draws its own picture: screen mirroring vs ScreenCommand.

Is there an iPhone desktop mode like Samsung DeX?

No, not in iOS 27. No iPhone has a desktop mode for an external display, the iPhone 17 and iPhone 18 Pro included. Apple's article on the iPhone's USB-C connector, dated October 22, 2026 and covering the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone Duo, says a connected display mirrors the iPhone, except in apps with their own second-screen picture. Apple's iOS 27 page lists no desktop or external display feature for iPhone.

Stage Manager is for iPad and Mac. It's the feature that puts app windows on an external display, and on iPad only models with an M-series chip can do that. The iPhone User Guide for iOS 27 has no Stage Manager at all.

iPhone Duo splits its own screen. Open and in landscape, it shows two apps side by side in Split View, or two windows of an app like Safari. That's on the iPhone's own display: a monitor connected to an iPhone Duo still mirrors it, Apple says.

What DeX does, for comparison. Samsung says DeX connects a Galaxy phone or tablet to a PC, monitor or TV “for a desktop mode experience”. Apps open as windows you can resize and rearrange, up to five at once in each of up to four workspaces, and a standard USB-C to HDMI adapter starts it. With no mouse, the phone becomes a touchpad.

From Samsung's DeX pages and Apple's iPhone articles, October 2026. Samsung notes that DeX features vary by Galaxy model.

Safari's desktop websites aren't a desktop mode. In Safari, the Page Menu has Request Desktop Website, which loads the version of a site made for computers. It's still on the iPhone's screen, and on a monitor it's still a mirror, in the iPhone's shape.

So for the web, the closest thing to a desktop mode is an app that draws its own picture on the monitor, which is what ScreenCommand does (more below). For app windows on a monitor, you need an iPad with an M-series chip, with Stage Manager, or a Mac.

Keyboard and mouse with an iPhone on a monitor

A Bluetooth keyboard pairs with an iPhone like any Bluetooth accessory:

1. Turn the keyboard on and put it in pairing (discovery) mode, as its instructions say. A Magic Keyboard just needs to be on and charged.
2. On the iPhone, go to Settings > Bluetooth and turn Bluetooth on.
3. Tap the keyboard when it appears in the list. Some keyboards ask you to enter a code.

If the keyboard is already paired with a Mac or an iPad, Apple says to unpair it there first. Once connected, it types into whatever text field is selected on the iPhone, and the monitor shows that, since it's a mirror.

Run the iPhone from the keyboard. Turn on Full Keyboard Access in Settings > Accessibility > Keyboards & Typing. Tab then moves between items and the Space bar activates them; Fn-H goes to the Home Screen, Fn-C opens Control Center, and Tab-H lists every command.

A mouse or trackpad is different: iPhone takes one only as an AssistiveTouch pointer device.

1. Go to Settings > Accessibility > Touch > AssistiveTouch and turn on AssistiveTouch.
2. Under Pointer Devices, tap Devices, then Bluetooth Devices, and choose the mouse or trackpad.
3. A round, gray pointer appears, along with the AssistiveTouch button. Since the monitor mirrors the iPhone, the pointer shows there too.

Tracking Sensitivity, under Pointer Devices, sets how fast the pointer moves. To make it bigger or easier to see, go to Settings > Accessibility > Pointer Control.

Apple says wired pointer devices plug into the iPhone's port, but on a monitor that port usually holds the display cable, so Bluetooth is the simple choice for both the keyboard and the mouse.

In ScreenCommand, the iPhone's own screen is the trackpad, so you don't need a mouse at all. A hardware keyboard types straight into the page, and an AssistiveTouch mouse works on its trackpad: click to click on the monitor, and hold the button while you move to steer the cursor. More in the mouse and keyboard guide.

Keep the iPhone charged while it's connected

Your iPhone has one port, and the monitor's cable is in it. For anything longer than a video, plan the power:

• An adapter with a charging port. Apple says its display adapters have an extra port for the charging cable, so the iPhone charges while it's connected. Look for the same on any USB-C to HDMI adapter.
• A monitor that charges. Apple says some USB-C displays can charge the iPhone while it's connected, over the same cable that carries the picture.
• A portable monitor with its own power. Apple says an iPhone can charge small devices like AirPods at up to 4.5 watts. Don't count on that to run a monitor: give it a charger, or pick one with a battery.
• No charger at all? Then the iPhone's battery runs its screen, the picture on the monitor and the app you're using, all at once. Keep sessions short, or bring a charger.

Setting up a portable monitor for travel? What to check before you buy, including power and battery drain.

Nothing on the monitor? Check these

• Check the model. The iPhone 16e, iPhone 17e and iPhone Air send no video over USB-C, so a cable shows nothing. Use AirPlay to an Apple TV instead.
• Check the cable. For a USB-C monitor, use a cable that supports USB 3.1 or higher. The cable that comes with the iPhone is for charging and USB 2 speeds.
• Check the monitor's port. On some monitors, a USB-C port is for data or power only. Look for USB-C video input or DisplayPort Alt Mode in its specs, or use HDMI.
• Check the input. Switch the monitor to the exact input you plugged into.
• Work through Apple's adapter checklist. Disconnect and reconnect the adapter at both ends, make sure the HDMI cable works, remove any extension cables or converters, and install the latest iOS.
• A movie goes black, or an alert asks for HDCP. Apple says movies, TV shows and some streaming apps need HDCP copy protection on the connection. Plug the adapter straight into the monitor, with no splitter or converter in between.
• Wi-Fi slows down while connected. Apple says some USB-C accessories and cables can interfere with wireless connections. Speeds return to normal once you unplug, and Apple suggests trying a different cable.

More fixes by symptom, from black bars to cut-off edges: iPad or iPhone not connecting to a monitor.

Where ScreenCommand fits

If what you want from a desktop mode is the web on a big screen, ScreenCommand is the closest thing on iPhone. It's an app that draws its own picture: a desktop-class browser fills the monitor at its own resolution, edge to edge, and the iPhone's screen becomes the trackpad and keyboard. Glide a finger to move the cursor, tap to click, and scroll with two fingers.

• Over a cable, with the lowest cursor lag. It needs an iPhone with USB-C video out: iPhone 15 or later, except the iPhone 16e, iPhone 17e and iPhone Air.
• Over AirPlay to an Apple TV on the monitor's HDMI input, from any iPhone on iOS 17 or later, with a little more cursor lag. We haven't verified it with AirPlay built into a monitor or TV, so we don't claim it there.
• Real browser windows: up to 4 windows of 12 tabs each, two of them side by side, with Password AutoFill and a built-in ad and pop-up blocker.
• A hardware keyboard works, with ⌘L for the address bar, ⌘T and ⌘W to open and close tabs, and ⌘R to reload.
• Streaming over a cable: Netflix, Prime Video, Apple TV+, Paramount+ and Peacock play in it over a USB-C cable. Over AirPlay, YouTube and other web video play, but streaming services don't.
• $4.99 one-time: one purchase covers iPhone and iPad, with no subscription and no account.

Watching full-screen video? Cinema Mode dims the iPhone's screen so it doesn't glow next to the monitor.

We haven't verified ScreenCommand on iPhone Duo's open screen yet, so we don't claim it there.

Frequently asked questions

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

Keep reading

• Connect an iPhone to a TV
• Portable monitor for iPad
• iPad mouse and keyboard on a monitor
• Which USB-C HDMI adapter to buy
• iPad not connecting to a monitor
• vs Screen Mirroring