How to Connect an iPhone to a TV or Monitor (USB-C, HDMI, AirPlay)

The short answer

• iPhone 15 and later: plug in a USB-C cable or a USB-C to HDMI adapter, up to 4K at 60Hz. The exceptions are the iPhone 16e, iPhone 17e and iPhone Air, which send no video over USB-C.
• Lightning iPhones: use Apple's Lightning Digital AV Adapter and an HDMI cable, up to 1080p.
• Any iPhone, no cable: AirPlay to an Apple TV or an AirPlay 2-enabled smart TV on the same Wi-Fi network.
• Either way, the TV mirrors your iPhone: it shows a copy of the iPhone screen, except in apps that draw their own picture on the TV, like video apps.

Which iPhones work with a cable

From Apple's article on the iPhone's USB-C connector, each model's Tech Specs and Apple's Lightning Digital AV Adapter page, checked October 2026. 4K 60Hz needs a USB-C display or an HDMI 2.0 adapter, and HDR works on HDR displays and TVs. ScreenCommand runs on any iPhone with iOS 17 or later.

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

Connect with a cable

A cable needs no Wi-Fi and has the least delay. Most TVs only have HDMI, so you'll need a USB-C to HDMI adapter; a monitor with a USB-C input that takes video needs just a cable.

1. For a TV, plug a USB-C to HDMI adapter into the iPhone and run an HDMI cable from the adapter to the TV. For 4K at 60Hz, pick an adapter that supports HDMI 2.0, like Apple's USB-C Digital AV Multiport Adapter.
2. For a USB-C monitor, use a USB-C cable that supports USB 3.1 or higher, such as the one that came with the monitor. The cable in the iPhone box is for charging and USB 2 data.
3. Switch the TV or monitor to the input you plugged into.
4. The iPhone's screen appears on the TV as a mirror. Nothing needs setting up on the iPhone.

To keep the battery up on a long session, use an adapter with an extra port for your charger. Some USB-C monitors charge the iPhone through the same cable.

On an HDR TV or monitor, you can switch between SDR and HDR in Settings > Display & Brightness, under the connected display.

Lightning iPhone? Plug Apple's Lightning Digital AV Adapter into the iPhone and an HDMI cable (sold separately) into the adapter. It mirrors the screen to the TV at up to 1080p HD, and has an extra port for your charging cable.

Connect wirelessly with AirPlay

AirPlay works on any iPhone, Lightning or USB-C, including the iPhone 16e, iPhone 17e and iPhone Air. You need an Apple TV or an AirPlay 2-enabled smart TV; Apple lists the compatible TVs on its Home accessories website.

1. Connect your iPhone to the same Wi-Fi network as the Apple TV or smart TV.
2. Open Control Center: swipe down from the top-right corner of the screen, or swipe up from the bottom on an iPhone SE.
3. Tap Screen Mirroring and choose your Apple TV or smart TV.
4. If a passcode appears on the TV, enter it on your iPhone.
5. To stop, open Control Center, tap Screen Mirroring, then tap Stop Mirroring.

To send only a video, not your whole screen, tap the AirPlay button in the video app's player instead. Some video apps don't offer it.

AirPlay adds a little delay compared with a cable. Photos and video are fine; for anything you steer, like a cursor, a cable feels quicker.

What the TV shows

An iPhone mirrors, whether it's connected by cable or AirPlay: the TV shows an exact copy of the iPhone screen, in the iPhone's own shape. Held upright, that's a narrow strip in the middle of the TV, and notifications and everything you type show up there too.

iPhone has no extended display, the way M-series iPads do. Apple's exception is an app with its own second-screen picture, like a video app: it fills the TV while its controls stay on the iPhone.

Mirroring and a picture drawn for the TV, side by side: screen mirroring vs ScreenCommand.

A full-screen browser on the TV, from your iPhone

ScreenCommand is one of those apps that draw their own picture. Instead of a copy of your iPhone, the TV shows a desktop browser at its own resolution, edge to edge, and the iPhone becomes the trackpad and keyboard: glide a finger to move the cursor, tap to click, and tap a text field to type.

• Over a cable: needs an iPhone with USB-C video out, which is iPhone 15 or later except the iPhone 16e, iPhone 17e and iPhone Air. It has the lowest cursor lag.
• Over AirPlay: any iPhone on iOS 17 or later, to an Apple TV on the same Wi-Fi network.
• Streaming services over a cable: Netflix, Prime Video, Apple TV+, Paramount+ and Peacock play in ScreenCommand over a USB-C cable only. YouTube and other web video play over a cable or AirPlay.
• Websites, not apps: it shows web pages on the TV. For a game or another app, use mirroring.
• $4.99 one-time: one purchase covers iPhone and iPad, with no subscription and no account.

Make one of the connections above, then open ScreenCommand. The browser appears on the TV instead of a copy of your screen.

Using an Apple TV? Here's how to get a web browser on Apple TV, step by step.

Nothing on the TV? Check these

• Check your model. The iPhone 16e, iPhone 17e and iPhone Air send no video over USB-C at all, so a cable or adapter shows nothing. Use AirPlay.
• Try another cable. For a USB-C monitor, use a cable that supports USB 3.1 or higher, not the charging cable from the iPhone box.
• Check the input. Switch the TV to the exact HDMI or USB-C input you plugged into.
• Reseat the adapter. Disconnect and reconnect it at both ends, check that the HDMI cable works, and remove any HDMI extension cables or converters.
• Update iOS. Install the latest iOS in Settings > General > Software Update.
• TV missing from Screen Mirroring? Make sure the iPhone and the TV are on the same Wi-Fi network.
• Slower Wi-Fi while plugged in? Apple says some USB-C accessories and cables can interfere with wireless connections. Unplug when you're done, or try a different cable.

Netflix or another streaming app goes black over AirPlay? That's copy protection, not a fault: use a cable, or the service's own app on the TV. The Netflix black screen, explained.

Frequently asked questions

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

Keep reading

• Connect an iPhone to a monitor
• Connect an iPhone or iPad to a hotel TV
• vs Screen Mirroring
• Web browser on Apple TV
• iPad not connecting to a monitor
• Netflix black screen, explained
• Which iPads support extended display