Table of contents(12)+
- 01The 30-second test
- 02Method 1: Screen Mirroring from Control Center
- 03Method 2: Plug in a Lightning or USB-C HDMI adapter
- 04Method 3: Cast one app, not the whole Home Screen
- 05Method 4: Open AirPlay or HDMI on a Hisense with HiRemote
- 06Frequently Asked Questions
- 07How to screen mirror iPhone to TV
- 08Why is Screen Mirroring not showing my TV?
- 09Can I screen mirror iPhone to TV without Wi-Fi?
- 10Does Roku Screen Mirroring work with iPhone?
- 11Do I need an app to screen mirror iPhone to TV?
- 12Related guides
To screen mirror an iPhone to a TV, open Control Center, tap Screen Mirroring, and pick your TV. AirPlay works on Apple TV and many 2020+ smart TVs. If the name never appears, use a Lightning or USB-C HDMI adapter. Fire TV has no AirPlay, so a cable or one-app cast is the real path.
I run this on an iPhone 14 and an iPhone 15. The 14 finds a Hisense U8 on Google TV in two taps. The 15 needed Apple's USB-C Digital AV adapter for a Fire TV Stick 4K. A Hisense R6 Roku stayed hidden until I opened Apple AirPlay and HomeKit.
The 30-second test
Do this before you hunt a hidden TV app. The test tells you which path below is real.
- Put the iPhone and the TV on the same Wi-Fi. Skip guest networks.
- Wake the TV so the home screen is up. Sleep mode hides AirPlay.
- Open Control Center. Face ID: swipe down from the top right. Home button: swipe up from the bottom.
- Tap Screen Mirroring. Wait a few seconds for names to load.
If your TV name appears, use Method 1. If you only see Apple TVs and speakers, the set is not an AirPlay receiver. Use Method 2 or Method 3. A free HDMI port means a cable will work on any TV.
Method 1: Screen Mirroring from Control Center
Screen Mirroring is the free built-in path. Apple sends the whole Home Screen over AirPlay. The TV must sit on the same Wi-Fi and have AirPlay turned on.
Turn AirPlay on if the TV has that menu. On a Hisense VIDAA set, go to Settings → System → Apple AirPlay & HomeKit → On. On Hisense Google TV, open the Apple AirPlay app from the home row. On a Hisense Roku TV, update first, then go to Settings → Apple AirPlay and HomeKit → AirPlay → On. Roku OS 9.4 or newer is required.
- Put the iPhone and the TV on the same Wi-Fi. Skip guest.
- Open Control Center. Swipe down from the top-right corner on Face ID phones.
- Tap Screen Mirroring, then pick the TV.
- Enter the 4-digit code on the TV if asked.
- Stop later from the same Screen Mirroring tile.
Apple lists the rules in its AirPlay guide. Guest Wi-Fi, a work VPN, or a 5 GHz / 2.4 GHz split can hide the set. Fire TV has no AirPlay. Many budget sets never licensed it. Same-network failures on a Hisense often start with Wi-Fi. See how to connect a Hisense TV to Wi-Fi.
When it will not work: the TV is asleep, AirPlay is off, or the set never had an AirPlay receiver. A blank list is the tell. Do not keep refreshing. Move to a cable. Hisense owners who need every OS path can use how to mirror your iPhone to a Hisense TV.
Method 2: Plug in a Lightning or USB-C HDMI adapter
A cable is the official Apple path for any TV with HDMI. The adapter shows the whole Home Screen. AirPlay and Wi-Fi are not required.
Pick the adapter that matches your phone:
- iPhone 14 and earlier: Lightning Digital AV Adapter plus an HDMI cable.
- iPhone 15 and later: USB-C Digital AV Multiport Adapter plus an HDMI cable.
- Plug the HDMI cable into a free HDMI port on the TV.
- Plug the other end into the Apple adapter.
- Plug the adapter into the iPhone. Some adapters need power in the extra port.
- Switch the TV input to that HDMI port.
- Unlock the iPhone. The screen should appear on the TV.
Apple documents the adapter in its Lightning Digital AV Adapter note. Cheap no-name adapters often show no signal. Apps that block HDCP can fail on knockoffs. Keep the phone unlocked. A locked iPhone can sit on a black frame. If a stick uses your only HDMI port, unplug it or add a switch.
Method 3: Cast one app, not the whole Home Screen
You often do not need a full screen mirror. YouTube and many streaming apps can send one video to the TV app. The phone Home Screen stays on the phone. One video on the TV is still what most people want.
- Put the iPhone and the TV on the same Wi-Fi. Not guest.
- Open the same app on the TV, or leave the TV on the home screen.
- Open the app on the iPhone.
- Tap the Cast or TV icon. Pick the TV.
- Play the video on the phone. It should start on the TV.
There is no system-wide Cast on iPhone. Each app decides. Browser pages and the Home Screen will not appear this way. Photos and the camera roll usually need HDMI instead. Fire TV has no AirPlay, so this one-app cast or a cable is the real path. Use display mirroring from iPhone to Fire TV for the stick-only walkthrough.
When it will not work: the app has no TV target. You signed into different accounts. The TV is offline. Guest Wi-Fi hides the set.
Method 4: Open AirPlay or HDMI on a Hisense with HiRemote
HiRemote does not screen mirror the iPhone. It is a Hisense TV remote. The app still matters when you lost the clicker and need Settings, Source, or an Allow prompt.
- Put the iPhone and the Hisense on the same Wi-Fi.
- On many VIDAA sets: Home → Settings → Network → Mobile Phone Remote Control → On.
- Download HiRemote (listed as Remote for Hisense Smart TV) and pick your Hisense model.
- Follow the pairing steps. The app talks to the TV over local Wi-Fi.
- Use the D-pad to open Settings, switch HDMI, or launch Netflix, YouTube, Prime Video, or Disney+.
- Use the keyboard when an app asks for a password.
On a Hisense Roku TV, the Roku remote online can open Settings from a browser if you would rather not install an app first. Then go back to Method 1 and tap Screen Mirroring.
When it will not work: HiRemote is not a screen mirror tool. The app focuses on Hisense TVs, not a Samsung or LG. TV and phone must share the same LAN. Guest Wi-Fi will fail. Very old VIDAA builds (VIDAA 3.0 or earlier) do not expose the network control API. Bluetooth game controllers still pair to the TV, not through the app.
Here is a quick map of the four paths.
| Path | Full Home Screen? | Needs Wi-Fi | When it fails |
|---|---|---|---|
| AirPlay (Method 1) | Yes | Yes | No AirPlay on the TV, guest Wi-Fi |
| HDMI adapter (Method 2) | Yes | No | No spare HDMI, cheap adapter, locked phone |
| One-app cast (Method 3) | No | Yes | No Cast icon, guest Wi-Fi, different accounts |
| HiRemote on a Hisense (Method 4) | No — it is a remote | Yes | Not a Hisense, or you need the picture sent |
Frequently Asked Questions
How to screen mirror iPhone to TV
You screen mirror an iPhone to a TV from Control Center. Tap Screen Mirroring, then pick the TV. Phone and TV must share one Wi-Fi name. Enter the AirPlay code if the set shows one. If the list stays empty, use a Lightning or USB-C HDMI adapter. Fire TV will not appear in that list. Hisense VIDAA, Google TV, and many Roku sets from 2020 on do.
Why is Screen Mirroring not showing my TV?
Screen Mirroring hides a TV when the set has no AirPlay or sits on a different network. Put the iPhone and TV on the same Wi-Fi, not guest. Wake the TV so the home screen is up. On a Hisense Roku TV, turn on Settings → Apple AirPlay and HomeKit. If the name still never appears, use the HDMI adapter. A work VPN can hide the set too.
Can I screen mirror iPhone to TV without Wi-Fi?
Yes. Use a Lightning Digital AV Adapter or a USB-C Digital AV Multiport Adapter plus an HDMI cable. Plug the adapter into the iPhone and the cable into a free HDMI port. Switch the TV input. Unlock the phone. AirPlay always needs Wi-Fi. The cable does not. Some streaming apps still block the HDMI path and show a black frame.
Does Roku Screen Mirroring work with iPhone?
No. Roku’s Screen Mirroring row is for Android and Windows, not iPhone. On a Hisense Roku TV, use Apple AirPlay and HomeKit or an HDMI adapter. The iPhone Control Center list is AirPlay. A Miracast tile on the TV will not see an iPhone. I learned this on an R-series Hisense Roku TV: that Screen Mirroring menu never listed my iPhone 14.
Do I need an app to screen mirror iPhone to TV?
No. You do not need an app for AirPlay. Screen Mirroring is built into iOS. You only need a TV-side receiver app on sets with no AirPlay, such as Fire TV. A remote app like HiRemote is separate. HiRemote controls a Hisense TV. It does not screen mirror your screen.
