Table of contents(14)+
- 01The 30-Second Test: Will Screen Mirroring Work With Your Devices?
- 02Method 1: Apple AirPlay (iPhone, iPad, and Mac)
- 03Method 2: Miracast (Android and Windows)
- 04Method 3: Google Cast and Chromecast
- 05Fix 1: No Wi-Fi? Mirror With a Cable Instead
- 06Screen Mirroring Protocols Compared
- 07Frequently Asked Questions
- 08Does screen mirroring work over cellular data?
- 09Why does screen mirroring lag or stutter?
- 10What's the difference between screen mirroring and casting?
- 11Can I screen mirror without Wi-Fi?
- 12Why won't my phone find my TV when I try to mirror?
- 13Does screen mirroring use a lot of data?
- 14Related Guides
Screen mirroring sends a live copy of your phone or computer's screen to a TV. It encodes the screen as video, then streams it over Wi-Fi or a cable. A receiver — a TV, dongle, or monitor — decodes that stream and displays it. Both devices need the same protocol, like AirPlay, Miracast, or Google Cast.
In my experience answering reader questions about this, most mirroring problems come down to three things. The two devices aren't on the same Wi-Fi network. They don't actually share a mirroring protocol. Or one of the devices is too old to support wireless mirroring at all. Once you know which protocol your phone and TV have in common, setup is usually quick.
The 30-Second Test: Will Screen Mirroring Work With Your Devices?
Before you try anything else, run through this quick check.
- Are both devices on the same Wi-Fi network? Mirroring almost always fails if your phone is on cellular data or a guest network while your TV sits on the main one.
- What brand is your phone? iPhones use AirPlay. Android phones and Windows laptops use Miracast or Google Cast, depending on the app.
- Does your TV show a 'Screen Mirroring,' 'Cast,' or 'AirPlay' option in its settings or home screen? If none show up, your TV likely needs a streaming device plugged into an HDMI port to add that support.
If you checked all three and nothing lines up, skip ahead to the wired method below. It works on almost anything.
Quick aside: if you own a Hisense TV and just want remote control, not mirroring your whole phone screen, that's a different job. HiRemote turns your iPhone into a Hisense remote over Wi-Fi, with a full keyboard for typing passwords into Netflix or YouTube. It's free to download and rated 4.4 with 1,680+ App Store reviews. It doesn't mirror your screen. It replaces a lost or broken physical remote.
Method 1: Apple AirPlay (iPhone, iPad, and Mac)
AirPlay is Apple's own screen mirroring protocol. It only works between Apple devices and AirPlay-compatible receivers, such as an Apple TV or a smart TV with AirPlay 2 built in.
Behind the scenes, your iPhone compresses its screen into a video stream. It sends that stream over your home Wi-Fi network to the receiver. Both devices need to be connected to Wi-Fi, though not necessarily the same Apple ID.
On most recent iOS versions, open Control Center and tap Screen Mirroring, then pick your TV or Apple TV from the list. Exact steps can shift slightly between iOS versions. See Apple's official AirPlay page for the current setup flow.
Where it falls short: AirPlay needs a stable local network. It can struggle on crowded Wi-Fi, like in an apartment building with dozens of networks nearby. It also won't mirror to a Windows PC or most Android TVs unless they've added AirPlay support separately.
Method 2: Miracast (Android and Windows)
Miracast is the Wi-Fi Alliance's open mirroring standard. Android phones and Windows laptops can support it natively, without installing any app. See the Wi-Fi Alliance's Miracast overview for the technical background.
Miracast runs on something called Wi-Fi Direct. Your phone connects straight to the TV or a Miracast receiver, without going through your router. That's why it can sometimes work even without a home Wi-Fi network, as long as both devices support Wi-Fi Direct.
Windows and Android both expose this as a 'Cast' or 'Screen Mirroring' option somewhere in quick settings or display settings. The exact label and location vary by manufacturer and software version, so check your device's settings menu if you don't see it right away.
Where it falls short: Not every Android phone ships with Miracast anymore. Some manufacturers lean on Google Cast instead. Plenty of TVs, especially older or budget models, don't support Miracast out of the box. You may need a separate Miracast adapter plugged into an HDMI port.
Method 3: Google Cast and Chromecast
Google Cast is a different idea. Most of the time, it isn't true screen mirroring at all.
When you cast a video from an app like YouTube, your phone just sends a link and a set of instructions to the Chromecast device. The Chromecast then streams the video directly from the internet on its own. Your phone becomes a remote control, not a video source. That's why casting rarely drains your battery or data the way mirroring does.
True screen mirroring is also possible with Google Cast, usually through a 'Cast my screen' or 'Cast screen' option. That mode works more like AirPlay or Miracast: your phone encodes its screen and streams it live to the Chromecast. It's useful for apps that don't support casting directly.
Where it falls short: Full-screen mirroring over Google Cast tends to use more battery and bandwidth than app-based casting. Quality can drop on a slower Wi-Fi network. It also depends on your phone and Chromecast model supporting the feature. For a full walkthrough, see our guide to Chromecast screen mirroring.
If screen mirroring sounds like more setup than you want, and your TV runs Hisense's Roku software, there's a shortcut. Our free browser-based Roku remote controls the TV directly from any browser, no mirroring and no app install required. It's built for basic remote control, not for sending your phone's screen. For that, you'd still want one of the methods above.
Fix 1: No Wi-Fi? Mirror With a Cable Instead
If your Wi-Fi is unreliable, or your devices simply don't share a wireless protocol, a cable is the most dependable fix.
On an iPhone or iPad, Apple's Lightning or USB-C Digital AV Adapter connects to an HDMI cable, which plugs straight into your TV. On Android and Windows devices, a USB-C to HDMI cable or adapter does the same job.
Wired mirroring isn't technically 'screen mirroring' in the wireless sense. There's no protocol negotiation, no encoding delay, and no network to drop. The TV just displays exactly what the adapter sends, in real time.
Where it falls short: You're tied to the length of your cable. Older TVs with limited HDMI ports may need you to unplug something else first. It's also not practical if you want to walk around while mirroring. For more on the wireless limits, see our guide on screen mirroring without Wi-Fi.
Screen Mirroring Protocols Compared
| Protocol | Works Best With | Needs Same Wi-Fi Network? | True Mirroring? |
|---|---|---|---|
| AirPlay | iPhone, iPad, Mac to Apple TV or AirPlay 2 TV | Yes | Yes |
| Miracast | Android, Windows to Miracast TV or adapter | No — uses Wi-Fi Direct | Yes |
| Google Cast (app casting) | Any phone to Chromecast or Google TV | Yes | No — streams from the internet |
| Google Cast (screen mirroring mode) | Android to Chromecast or Google TV | Yes | Yes |
| Wired (HDMI adapter) | Any phone or laptop to any TV with HDMI | No Wi-Fi needed | Yes |
Frequently Asked Questions
Does screen mirroring work over cellular data?
No. Screen mirroring needs a direct local connection between your phone and the receiver, either through shared Wi-Fi or a direct Wi-Fi Direct link. Cellular data connects your phone to the internet, not to a nearby TV, so it can't carry the video stream. If you're away from Wi-Fi, a wired HDMI adapter is your only reliable option.
Why does screen mirroring lag or stutter?
Lag usually comes from a weak or congested Wi-Fi signal, since your phone has to constantly encode and transmit video. Moving closer to your router, switching to 5GHz Wi-Fi if your router supports it, or closing other bandwidth-heavy apps can all help. A wired connection avoids this entirely, because there's no encoding or network involved.
What's the difference between screen mirroring and casting?
Mirroring sends a live copy of your entire screen to the TV, while casting sends a link and instructions for content your TV streams on its own. Casting is lighter on your phone's battery because the TV does the streaming work. Mirroring is better when you need the TV to show exactly what's on your phone, like a game or a presentation.
Can I screen mirror without Wi-Fi?
Yes, in two ways: a wired HDMI adapter, or a protocol like Miracast that uses Wi-Fi Direct instead of a shared network. Wi-Fi Direct connects your phone straight to the TV or adapter without a router in between. Not every device supports Wi-Fi Direct, so check your phone's settings before relying on it.
Why won't my phone find my TV when I try to mirror?
The most common reason is that the two devices aren't on the same Wi-Fi network, including guest networks that look identical but are separate. Some TVs also need their screen mirroring or cast feature turned on manually in settings before they'll show up as an option. If neither fixes it, your phone and TV may simply not share a common mirroring protocol.
Does screen mirroring use a lot of data?
Mirroring over your home Wi-Fi doesn't use mobile data at all, since it stays on your local network. If you mirror using a mobile hotspot, the video stream does count against that hotspot's data, and quality settings affect how much. Casting an app directly to a smart TV usually uses less data than full mirroring, since the TV streams the content itself.
