AirPlay is integrated into multiple Smart TVs from major brands like Samsung, Sony, LG, Vizio, making it effortless to mirror your iPhone, iPad, or Mac to the bigger TV screen. But if your smart TV doesn’t have AirPlay built-in, here’s how to wirelessly mirror your iPhone and iPad to it using a third-party app.
If you have a Samsung, LG, Panasonic, or Sony smart TV, you can mirror its display without needing to buy Apple TV or using a plethora of unsightly dongles.
A series of App Store apps called Screen Mirroring Samsung TV, LG TV Cast & Screen Mirroring, Sony TV Miracast & Mirroring, and Screen Mirroring Panasonic TV by AirBeam TV BV let you wirelessly broadcast your iOS device’s screen to supported Smart TVs with ease.
Because I have a Samsung Smart TV, this tutorial will focus on the Screen Mirroring Samsung TV app. But you should expect a similar user experience from the other three apps mentioned above.
For these apps to work, both your iPhone/iPad and Smart TV must be connected to the same Wi-Fi network. If they are, you’re ready to begin; otherwise, take care of that first.
How to see your iPhone screen on a smart TV
After all your devices are connected to the same Wi-Fi network, follow these steps to mirror your iPhone or iPad’s display on your Samsung Smart TV:
1) Download and install the Screen Mirroring Samsung TV from the App Store.
2) Launch the app from your Home Screen.
3) The app will look for Smart TVs connected to your network. Select your TV from the list of TVs available, and select Start Mirroring.
4) Your LG or Samsung TV will ask if you want your device to connect. Using your TV remote, highlight the Allow option and press the OK/Select button.
5) You will be asked to enable push notifications. This allows the app to notify you when you connect and disconnect. You can decide whether this is an option you want or not.
And just like that, you should see your iOS device’s screen on your Samsung smart TV:
Easy peasy, lemon squeezy. Or something like that.
How to stop broadcasting
When you’re ready to quit mirroring your iPhone or iPad’s screen to your LG or Samsung Smart TV, merely tap the red bar or capsule at the top of your screen to open the mirror app and press Stop Broadcasting. Additionally, you may stop mirroring by tapping on Stop Mirroring within the app.
You will receive another banner notification alerting you that the broadcast has stopped. When you see it, you’ve finished mirroring your display.
What you need to know
As nifty as the Mirror for Samsung TV and the Mirror for LG TV apps are, there are a few caveats you should know about before getting it. Most important of all is how this only works with Smart TVs manufactured from 2012 and onward. If you’re unsure of what you have, the developers recommend checking the model type printed on the back of your TV unit:
This works on any Samsung Smart TV from the 2012 models onward. Which model year do you have? You can see that by looking at the middle letter in your model type (on the back of your Samsung TV). Once you find out the model of your Samsung TV, you may refer to this guide to find out the year:
- E = 2012
- F = 2013
- H = 2014
- J = 2015
- K = 2016
- M = 2017
- N = 2018
- R = 2019
- T = 2020
- Q = QLED (also supported)
For instance, a model number: UG65_E_S800 means the TV is from 2012. A model number UG55_H_U850L would mean it is a 2014 model.
Other tidbits to be aware of include:
- iOS 12 and above is required, as the app relies on system resources that aren’t available in earlier versions of iOS.
- There’s a 1-3 second delay between your iOS device’s screen and the mirror on your Samsung or LG  Smart TV.
- At this time, audio playback will not mirror to your Smart TV when broadcasting from Safari or Chrome; it comes from your device instead. Download the free Puffin Browser from the App Store to enable sound during browsing.
- Some apps like Netflix, Disney, and AppleTV+, block mirroring for DRM purposes. There isn’t a workaround for this.
- The apps in the article only work for Samsung and LG TVs. You can also mirror your iPhone or iPad screen to a Panasonic or Sony TV using the specific apps for these brands.
Wrapping up
With all things considered, Mirror for Samsung TV and Mirror for LG TV could each be useful utility apps if you have related Smart TVs in your home.
If you plan to view a YouTube video here and there or browse the web on the big screen, then you might like what the app has to offer. On the other hand, gamers and power users who can’t deal with a little bit of a latency delay should probably steer clear.
What are your thoughts about these convenient iOS screen mirroring apps for specific Smart TVs? Share in the comments below!