How to Connect iPhone to TV

HDMI TV

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Buy an HDMI cable and an Apple Digital AV adapter. You can find it online or at electrical stores. The adapter allows you to use an HDMI cable to connect your iPhone and TV. This method only applies to iPhone 4 and newer versions.

iPhone 6, 6 Plus, 5, 5c, and 5s use a different connection port than older versions. You need a Lightning Digital AV adapter.

You will need both an HDMI cable and an adapter to connect the devices. They are usually not sold together. HDMI cables have many different prices, and the quality is also different.

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Connect the adapter to the phone. Plug the AV adapter into the 30-pin port or Lightning port, depending on the phone model you are using. Plug one end of the HDMI cable into the port on the adapter.

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Connect the HDMI cable to the TV. Plug the other end of the HDMI cable into the corresponding port on the TV. The HDMI port is usually located on the back or on the edge of the TV. Each TV can have multiple ports.

Pay attention to the port name so you can easily find the compatible input port on the TV.

With an HDMI connection, audio is also transmitted via the HDMI cable.

If your TV doesn't have an HDMI port, see the next section.

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Turn on the TV and switch to the corresponding input. Depending on the phone model you are using, the interface that appears will be different.

iPhone 4 will not mirror the display on the TV. Instead, apps that play music, photos, and watch videos will appear on the TV, but you won't see the menu or game apps.

iPhone 4s and iPhone 5 models will mirror the display on your TV, you'll see all the same things on your phone screen.

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Charge your phone while watching. The Apple adapter has a 30-pin port or a Lightning port that allows you to plug in a charging cable. This is especially useful when you watch a lot of videos, because it drains the phone's battery quickly.

Analog TV

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Purchase a compatible adapter. If your TV doesn't support an HDMI port, you can connect your iPhone using an analog connection. Depending on the iPhone version, you will have different choices.

iPhone 3G, iPhone 4, iPhone 4s – Apple Composite AV Cable. This type of cable plugs into the 30-pin port on the phone, allowing connection to the composite port on the TV. This is a 3-prong connection type, usually red, white and yellow.

iPhone 3G, iPhone 4, iPhone 4s – Apple Component AV Cable. This cable plugs into the 30-pin port on the phone, allowing connection to a component port on the TV. This is a 5-prong connection type, usually colored red, blue, green, red and yellow. This port transmits a higher quality image than the Composite port, but not many TVs support this type of port.

iPhone 6, 6 Plus, 5, 5c, and 5s – Apple Lightning to VGA adapter. This cable is plugged into the Lightning port on the phone, allowing connection to the VGA port on the TV. The VGA cable looks similar to the old monitor cable, with protective screws on the surface. VGA cable sold separately.

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Connect the adapter to the iPhone. Plug the adapter or cable into the 30-pin port or Lightning port, depending on the phone model you are using. If you are using a VGA adapter, plug one end of the VGA cable into the adapter and tighten the screw.

The VGA adapter can only be installed in one direction. Don't try to press, otherwise you may bend the pins.

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Connect the cable to the TV. Find a port that is compatible with the cable type on the TV. Remember to plug in the correct color if you are using Composite or Component cables. If using VGA cables, remember to secure them with screws.

When connecting the component cable, make sure the red end is inserted into the correct socket. There is a red, blue, and green socket capacitor, and a red and white socket capacitor. 3-color drive capacitors for video transmission, while 2-color red and white capacitors for audio transmission.

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Audio connection (if using VGA). If you connect the Lightning port to a VGA adapter, you need a separate audio cable because the VGA cable does not transmit audio signals. You can connect an audio cable from your phone's headphone jack to your TV speaker system, or use the second Lightning port on the adapter to connect to another audio system in your home.

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Turn on the TV and select a compatible input. Make sure to select the correct input for the port you use to connect to your iPhone. Depending on the phone model you use, the interface that appears will be different.

iPhone 3G and 4 will not mirror the display on the TV. Instead, apps that play music, photos, and videos will appear on the TV, but you won't see menus and game apps.

iPhone 4s and iPhone 5 versions will mirror the display on the TV, you will see the same things as on the phone screen.

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Charge your phone while watching. Composite and Component cables have a USB end that can be plugged into a wall power source or computer to charge iPhone. The VGA adapter has a second Lightning port that allows you to connect to a charger.

AirPlay and Apple TV

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Check if your device is compatible. You need to own an iPhone 4 or newer models. Apple TV must be second generation or newer.

The second generation Apple TV was released in late 2010. If your Apple TV is an older version, it will not support AirPlay.

Make sure both devices are updated to the latest iOS version. This will ensure the highest image quality.

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Turn on your TV and Apple TV. Remember to select the input device on the TV that corresponds to the port connected to Apple TV. If you choose correctly, you will see the Apple TV interface.

Check the Settings menu on Apple TV to make sure AirPlay is turned on.

If you are using Apple TV for the first time, please refer to online articles to learn how to set up.

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Connect iPhone to your home network. To be able to mirror the iPhone screen to the TV, the iPhone and Apple TV need to be on the same network.

If you use iOS 8, you do not need to be connected to the same network as your Apple TV. Instead, you can connect directly to Apple TV, which is especially useful when you want to review vacation photos with friends.

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Play everything with your iPhone running iOS 7 or iOS 8. If you want to play everything on your iPhone on your Apple TV, swipe the screen up to open Control Center. Press the AirPlay button and select Apple TV in the list. Now, the iPhone screen is reflected on the TV.

To access the AirPlay button on iOS 6, press the Home button twice to open the recent apps list. Swipe from left to right to open the brightness menu. Select the AirPlay button and select Apple TV in the list.

This option is not available on iPhone 4. You need to own an iPhone 4s or later.

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Play specific content on TV. If you want to play a specific video or song on your TV, turn it on on your iPhone then press the AirPlay button. This button is located right next to the 'Next' button on the driver. Pressing this button sends your videos and songs to the Apple TV screen.

While content is playing on your TV, you can use your iPhone's controls to play, stop, skip or skip, and more. If you're viewing a photo, swipe the iPhone screen to move to the next photo.

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Decide whether you want to enable Mirroring or not. This feature allows the screen to be displayed on both devices. If mirroring is not activated, the display appears only on the TV. Mirroring is especially useful when presenting or playing iPhone games on a TV.

To activate the Reflection function, turn on the Reflection switch until it becomes colored.

Mirroring is not available on iPhone 4.

David Pac

Update 24 October 2023