How to connect an iPhone to a monitor - Android Authority

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Published onApril 3, 2025

Things always look better on a bigger screen. This is especially true if you’re trying to display a presentation, watch a movie, or simply play a game. While some smartphones make it easy to hook your phone up to the big screen, that’s not always the case. What about iPhones? Thankfully, Apple does a great job here and makes this whole process pretty easy. Let’s jump in and show you how to connect an iPhone to a monitor or television set.

QUICK ANSWER

The simplest way to connect an iPhone to a monitor is using a wired connection. If you have an iPhone 15, you can use a USB-C cable to connect it to a USB-C-supported monitor, given that the cable supports at least USB 3.1. You can also use a USB-C dongle. If you have an iPhone 14 or older, the adapter must be a Lightning to HDMI or VGA one.

You can also wirelessly connect your iPhone to a monitor using AirPlay or Google Cast. Keep reading to learn all the details and steps.

JUMP TO KEY SECTIONS

If you want to connect to a monitor or TV using a wired connection, which iPhone you own will change your options.

The iPhone 15 provides the easiest way to connect to a monitor or TV. This is thanks to the new device’s implementation of the USB-C standard, which opens the doors to more connectivity opportunities. The trick here is that you won’t be able to use the cable included with the iPhone 15 to connect your iPhone to a monitor. This is a USB 2 cable, and this feature requires at least a USB 3.1 USB-C cable.

If you have at least a USB 3.1 USB-C cable and a monitor that supports USB-C, you can connect your iPhone 15 to the monitor and start viewing your content on it. If your monitor or TV doesn’t have a USB-C input, you will need an adapter. Here is a simple and affordable one from Anker. If you use a monitor with a VGA connection, you can find more options on Amazon.

The iPhone 14 and older iPhones use Apple’s proprietary Lightning connector. This means you will need a specialized dongle to connect your iPhone to a monitor or TV. There are plenty of them on Amazon. Apple, of course, recommends its own Lightning Digital AV Adapter for HDMI users, or the Lightning to VGA Adapter.

Once you have your adapter, connect it to your iPhone, and then connect your HDMI or VGA cable to the adapter and monitor. You can now view your iPhone display on the larger screen.

Wires seem so last decade. Modern tech is all about wireless connectivity, and given that you have the proper setup, you can connect your iPhone to a monitor or TV wirelessly. This is thanks to Apple’s AirPlay solution. It allows you to mirror or send content from your iPhone to a larger screen, like a monitor or TV. Think of it as the Apple version of Google Cast.

The thing is, to use this, you will need a monitor or TV that supports AirPlay. AirPlay monitors are rare, though. You can get an Apple TV smart box ($129.99 at Amazon) if your monitor or TV doesn’t support AirPlay. If you have an Apple TV or an AirPlay-supported screen, you can follow the steps below to wirelessly connect your iPhone to a monitor.

If you have a Chromecast or a Google Cast-supported screen, you can also cast content from an iPhone.

Sadly, iOS doesn’t support native screen mirroring to Chromecast, but there are third-party apps that make it possible. We have a complete guide on how to cast from an iPhone, if you want to dig deeper into these alternative methods.

Yes. You can connect an iPad to a monitor the same way you would an iPhone.

Yes. Connecting an iPhone to a monitor or TV works the same way. You can use the same methods listed above, keeping in mind your TV’s specific connection options and smart features.

Yes, you can connect both Xbox and PlayStation controllers to an iPhone. In fact, we have dedicated guides on how to connect your Xbox controller to an iPhone and How to connect a PS5 controller to an iPhone.

No. The cable included with the iPhone 15 is a USB 2 one. You will need at least a USB 3.1 cable to connect your iPhone 15 to a USB-C monitor.