Which USB-C to HDMI Adapter for an iPad or iPhone (4K 60Hz, HDCP, Charging)

What you need for 4K at 60Hz, by device

An adapter can't add what the device doesn't send, so find your model first.

From Apple's articles on connecting iPad and iPhone to USB-C and HDMI displays, and Apple's adapter pages, checked October 2026.

Not sure which model you have? The model checker covers every iPad since 2018 and every USB-C iPhone, one by one.

HDMI 2.0 or HDMI 1.4: 4K at 60Hz or at 30Hz

The HDMI version an adapter supports decides how smooth a 4K picture can be. HDMI 1.4 carries 4K at up to 30Hz. HDMI 2.0 carries 4K at 60Hz, and Apple says adapters that support HDMI 2.0 output 4K at 60Hz from the iPads and iPhones that can send it.

30Hz is fine for photos, slides and reading, but scrolling, the cursor and moving video look less smooth at 4K and 30Hz than at 60Hz. On a 1080p TV or projector none of this matters: an adapter rated for 1080p at 60Hz already gives you everything the screen can show.

• Look for “HDMI 2.0” or “4K 60Hz” on the box. “4K” on its own can mean 4K at 30Hz.
• HDMI 2.1 works too, but Apple lists nothing above 4K at 60Hz over HDMI for any iPad or iPhone, so it adds nothing here.
• The HDMI cable counts. A cable labeled High Speed is rated for 4K at 30Hz. For 4K at 60Hz, use one labeled Premium High Speed or Ultra High Speed. A High Speed cable is fine for 1080p.
• HDR needs support on both ends. Apple says an iPad plays HDR10 or Dolby Vision through an HDMI 2.0 adapter that supports those formats, so check for them too if your TV does HDR.
• A one-piece USB-C to HDMI cable is an adapter and an HDMI cable in one, and the same rules apply to it.

HDCP: why streaming goes black on some adapters

HDCP is the copy protection that runs over the HDMI connection. Apple says movies, TV shows and certain streaming video apps require it, and that over a connection without it an alert asks for an HDCP-compatible device. In practice you may just see a black picture where the video should be, often with the sound still playing. Apple's USB-C Digital AV Multiport Adapter is HDCP compliant, and so is nearly every TV.

For a third-party adapter, look for HDCP in the listing or on the box. One that doesn't mention it may show your Home Screen and YouTube perfectly and still go black on Netflix, so if streaming is the point, buy one that states HDCP support and keep the receipt.

The other usual cause is something in between: an HDMI splitter, a capture card, or a converter. Apple says accessories that convert HDMI to other formats (DVI, composite, component) aren't compatible. Plug the adapter straight into the TV.

One cause no adapter can fix: AirPlay screen mirroring never carries protected video. Over a cable, Netflix, Prime Video, Apple TV+, Paramount+ and Peacock play in ScreenCommand. More in the Netflix black screen, explained.

USB-C cables: video or charging only

An adapter plugs straight into the port, so it brings its own cable. The cable question comes up when you connect a USB-C monitor directly: many USB-C cables carry power but no video, and they look exactly the same.

• The cable in the iPhone box is made for charging. Apple says it supports charging and USB 2 speeds. For a display, Apple recommends a USB-C cable that supports USB 3.1 or higher, such as the one that came with the display, or a Thunderbolt cable.
• For an iPad, Apple says to use a USB-C cable that supports high-bandwidth connections, such as the one included with the display or a Thunderbolt cable.
• On the label, look for USB 3.1 or later, USB4, Thunderbolt (marked with the Thunderbolt symbol), or “video” and “DisplayPort Alt Mode”. A wattage on its own says nothing about video.
• Try a cable you know carries video before blaming the monitor or the iPad.

Charging while connected (power pass-through)

An iPad or iPhone has one port, and the adapter takes it. To charge during a film or a long session, get an adapter with a USB-C charging port, often sold as power pass-through or PD charging, and plug your usual charger into it. Apple's USB-C Digital AV Multiport Adapter has one, and Apple says a charging cable connected to it charges the iPad or iPhone.

• Use the charger you normally charge with. The adapter uses some power itself, so a small, low-wattage charger may only slow the battery's drain rather than fill it.
• Without a charging port, the adapter runs off the device's battery. Apple notes that some accessories request more power from an iPad, which might affect battery life.
• A USB-C monitor may do it for you. Apple says some USB-C displays charge an iPad or iPhone over the same cable that carries the picture.
• If something doesn't work, do what Apple suggests: unplug the adapter, connect every cable to it, the charger included, then plug the adapter into the device last.

Apple's USB-C Digital AV Multiport Adapter

Apple's own adapter has three ports, all usable at once: HDMI, a USB-A port for things like a flash drive, and a USB-C port for charging. Apple says it's HDCP compliant and rates it for 4K at 60Hz from every iPhone with video over USB-C and from the iPads in the 4K 60Hz row above. The iPad Air (4th generation), iPad mini (6th generation) and iPad (10th generation) get 4K at 30Hz through it.

• Check the model number, printed on the side near the ports. Apple rates the current model, A2119, for 4K at 60Hz. The older A1621 tops out at 4K at 30Hz, whatever you plug it into.
• A 1080p Home Screen is normal. Apple says that with this adapter, an iPad shows its Home Screen and apps on an HDMI display at 1080p and 60Hz, and switches to match the video, up to 4K at 60Hz, when Match Content is on (Settings > Display & Brightness).
• Do you need Apple's? No. A third-party adapter that states HDMI 2.0 or 4K 60Hz, HDCP, and a USB-C charging port covers the same ground. Apple's is the easy choice if you'd rather not read spec sheets, or if another adapter has already gone black on you.

USB-C monitors: no adapter needed

If the monitor has a USB-C input that takes video, skip the adapter: one USB-C cable that carries video does the job. iPads and iPhones send video over USB-C as DisplayPort. Apple rates USB-C displays at up to 4K for the iPad (A16), iPad (10th generation), both USB-C iPad minis and the iPad Air (4th generation), up to 5K for the 2018 and 2020 iPad Pro, and up to 6K on a Pro Display XDR for M-series iPads. iPhones go up to 4K at 60Hz.

• Check the port: look for a USB-C input with a DisplayPort logo or a laptop icon, or “DisplayPort Alt Mode” in the monitor's specs. Some USB-C ports on monitors are for data or charging only.
• One cable for everything: some USB-C monitors also charge the iPad or iPhone over the same cable.
• On iPhone, the same models as in the table: iPhone 15 or later, except iPhone 16e, iPhone 17e and iPhone Air.

Lightning iPads and iPhones: the Lightning Digital AV Adapter

Older iPads, every iPhone SE and the iPhone 14 and earlier have a Lightning port, so a USB-C adapter won't fit. Apple's Lightning Digital AV Adapter connects them to HDMI and mirrors the screen, or plays video, in up to 1080p HD. It has an extra port for charging: plug your charge cable into it to charge while connected.

ScreenCommand is made for USB-C iPads and hasn't been tested on Lightning iPads. Any iPhone on iOS 17 or later, Lightning models included, can use it over AirPlay to an Apple TV; a cable to the TV needs an iPhone with video over USB-C.

Before you buy: a checklist

Go through this with the product listing open:

1. Find your model in the table above. If it tops out at 4K 30Hz or 1080p, don't pay extra for more.
2. For a 4K TV and a model that sends 4K 60Hz, the adapter should say HDMI 2.0 or 4K 60Hz, not just 4K.
3. For Netflix and other streaming, it should state HDCP support.
4. For anything longer than an episode, get a USB-C charging port (power pass-through) and use your usual charger with it.
5. For 4K at 60Hz, use an HDMI cable labeled Premium High Speed or Ultra High Speed.
6. Plug it straight into the TV, with no splitter, capture card or DVI converter in between.
7. Monitor with a USB-C video input? Skip the adapter and use a USB-C cable rated USB 3.1 or later, or a Thunderbolt cable.

Plugged in and still a blank screen? The No Signal checklist in the connection guide covers the rest.

How ScreenCommand uses the same connection

Everything above gets a picture onto the TV. On their own, iPads without an M-series chip, and every iPhone, then mirror: a copy of the small screen, with black bars on a widescreen TV. ScreenCommand uses the same adapter or cable to put a full-screen desktop browser on the TV instead, while your iPad or iPhone becomes the trackpad and keyboard.

• Opens on the TV by itself: with the app open, the browser appears on the TV as soon as you plug the adapter in.
• Streaming over the cable: Netflix, Prime Video, Apple TV+, Paramount+ and Peacock play in ScreenCommand over a cable, through an adapter that passes HDCP.
• The lowest cursor lag: a cable is the recommended connection. AirPlay to an Apple TV works too, with a little more lag.
• Movie nights: Cinema Mode dims your iPad or iPhone during fullscreen video, and the adapter's charging port keeps it going through the film.
• Made for iPads that only mirror, too: any USB-C iPad on iPadOS 17 or later, and iPhones on iOS 17 or later with video over USB-C.

Frequently asked questions

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

Keep reading

• Connect an iPad to a monitor
• iPad not connecting to a monitor
• Connect an iPhone to a monitor
• Netflix black screen, explained
• Which iPads support extended display
• iPad travel workstation