Surely many of you have left your old laptop on top of the shelf or in a drawer and at the moment you have no intention of changing it since from our iPhone or iPad we can do everything, we can also show all the content of our devices on the big screen in our living room. Apple offers us different methods to be able to connect iPhone or iPad to TV. If we want to connect it to our computer, the company itself also offers us different options, with or without cables. But we also have different options without going through the hands of Apple.
Some of the applications available in the App Store that allow us to enjoy streaming content, have the AirPlay function disabled by the developer, a function that allows us to display the content of our device on the screen of our living room through an Apple TV. Fortunately, the ability to show the content of our iPhone or iPad through a cable cannot be deactivated, so it becomes the only method to be able to enjoy the content of these applications in our living room without having to do it on the screen of our iPhone or iPad.
Many are the users who have begun to put aside their laptops mainly due to lack of use since with the iPhone or iPad you can perform practically the same tasks, always, saving distances. As smartphones have evolved, not just the iPhone, computer sales have been falling to historic levels and the trend has not seen to change. In 2008, almost 90% of devices connected to the internet using the Windows operating system, but for a few months, Android has become the most used operating system to connect to the internet, which reflects the change in trend that the market has suffered in recent years.
Connect iPhone to TV without cables
Apple TV
The best way to share the content of our iPhone, iPod touch or iPad is through the AirPlay protocol, created by Apple to allow the exchange of video content, music or images with a TV or music system. AirPlay requires that both the sender and the receiver are connected to the same WiFi network and as its name indicates, communication is carried out without any type of cables.
The Apple TV is the quintessential device to be able to show the content of our iPhone, iPad or iPod touch on the TV screen of our house. Over the years, the functions offered by Apple TV have been expanded, especially after the arrival of the 4th generation Apple TV, a device with its own application store that allows us not only to enjoy music services in streaming like Netflix, HBO, Hulu ... but it also allows us to enjoy iOS games on the big screen in our living room without the need to share or mirror the screen, as long as they have adapted the interface to this device.
If you only want to show the content of your iOS devices on the TV, with the 3rd generation Apple TV is more than enough. The 3rd generation Apple TV stopped selling shortly after the launch of the 4th generation model, a little over a year ago, but today we can still find it for about 60 euros on the internet. Or we can also choose to go to the second-hand market, where we are likely to find it cheaper.
Today Apple offers us two models of Apple TV, 32 and 64 GB. The 4th generation Apple TV is priced at 179 euros, while the 64 GB model is available for 229 euros at the Apple Online Store. This device not available on Amazon Due to the fact that the Amazon video streaming service is not installed natively on the device, more than enough reason for the head of Amazon to refuse to sell this device.
Mac or PC connected to TV
If we have a Mac Mini as a multimedia center in our living room connected to the television, we can also use the AirPlay function. For our Mac to start offering this service we must make use of applications such as AirServer, spotlight 2, LonelyScreen o 5KPlayer. The first two applications are priced at 13,99 and 14,99 euros respectively, while 5KPlayer and LonelyScreen are completely free. In addition, 5K Player is a complete video player compatible with almost all formats.
In this way, making use of one of these applications installed on our Mac connected to our television, we can share the content of our iPhone, iPad and iPod touch directly on the screen of our living room without having to buy adapters, devices or cables. AirServer, Reflector 2, LonelyScreen, and 5KPlayer are available for the Windows and macOS ecosystem.
Connect iPhone to TV with cables
Mac connected to TV
If we do not want to install any application on our Mac to activate the AirPlay function we can make the native QuickTime application. For a couple of years, Apple has allowed us to show the content of our device through QuickTime, even allowing us the possibility of recording everything that is shown on the screen. To do this we just have to connect our iPhone, iPad or iPod touch to the Mac using the Lightning cable.
Lightning to VGA connector adapter
If our veteran television continues to fight and we do not plan to change it. Or although our TV with HDMI connection does not have any free connection of this type, we can make use of the Lightning to VGA adapter, an adapter that only shows the image of our device on the screen of our television or monitor (if it were the case), since this type of connection is not capable of transmitting sound, as if we can do it with the Lightning to HDMI.
If we have a stereo nearby, we can connect the headphone connection of our device so as not to have to enjoy the content with the audio of our device. Or, if we have a bluetooth speaker, we can send the audio signal to this device. Or also, we can connect a bluetooth headset to the device to enjoy the audio without disturbing anyone. As you can see, there are solutions for everything.
The Lightning to VGA connector It has a price in the Apple Store of 59 euros. From time to time this same official connector, signed by Apple, is available for sale on Amazon.
APPLE MD825ZM / A - Adapter to connect iPhone to TVOfficial Lightning to HDMI Cable
Officially known as the Lightning Connector to Digital AV Adapter. This cable that has a price in the Apple Store of 59 euros, allows us play the content of our iPhone, iPad and iPod touch with Lightning connector with resolution up to 1080p on a television, projector or screen compatible with HDMI, a definition more than enough for a TV of 32 inches or more, although it may fall a little short if you have a TV of 50 inches or more. In this way we will be able to enjoy football games, television series or movies from our iOS devices on a television, projector or screen in a big way.
This adapter offers us an HDMI input and a Lightning connector to be able to charge the device while we consume content on the big screen. To be able to connect it we must buy an HDMI cable separatelyas this adapter does not include it. If we are not in a rush to purchase this adapter, we can regularly visit Amazon, where this adapter is sometimes on sale.
Obviously if we don't want to spend the money that that adapter costs, we can use unofficial adapters available both on eBay and Amazon, but over time they stop working since Apple detects that it is not the official one and allows us to use it. Also, the quality of construction and materials leaves much to be desired.
Do you know any other method to be able to connect iPhone to TV?
Ezcast, xiaomi tv, and chromecast are good options too.
None of these three devices allow us to show all the content of our iPhone on TV, they are not compatible, that is why they are not included in the article.
Does Apple TV allow you to do something similar to Screen Mirroring but with the iPhone screen off?
I am thinking of buying one, especially because I have Vodafone TV, and the illuminaos do not create a SmartTV application, and I do not know what to do, since with the fixed lighting-HDMI cable that I have to have the iPhone with the screen on.
Already, the problem is that with that cable the iPhone screen has to be on.
Hence I don't know if AppleTV fixes that.
My Iphone 6 does not connect to the tv through an HDMI cable before, if I did, I disconnected it and if later I reconnected it then it connects now and I don't know what happened to it, what can I do, could you help me