How to Mirror an iPhone or iPad to a PC

This article will walk you through the steps of mirroring an iPhone or iPad’s screen on a Windows PC both wirelessly and by using a USB cable.

Can You Mirror an iPhone or iPad to a Windows PC?

The easiest way to mirror an iPad or iPhone’s screen on a Windows device is to use the LonelyScreen app. This app essentially tricks your Apple devices into thinking that your PC is an Apple TV device which can receive screen mirror requests from iPhones and iPads.

LonelyScreen is free to download and use though you may need to dismiss the occasional popup message prompting you to pay for an upgrade every now and then. The paid upgrade costs $14.95 per year and simply supports the app developers rather than unlocking any additional functionality.

1. Open the LonelyScreen app on your Windows PC and select the fullscreen option in the top toolbar. You can also enlarge the app window with your mouse cursor if you like.

   You don’t need to do this step but the app will likely be incredibly small otherwise.

2. On your Windows PC, hover your mouse cursor over the internet icon in the toolbar to ensure that it’s connected to a Wi-Fi network. If it is, your device is now ready to receive a wireless signal from your iPhone or iPad.

3. On your iPad or iPhone, swipe down to open the Control Center.

4. If the Wi-Fi icon is deselected, tap it to turn it on.
   

   Your Windows PC and iPhone or iPad need to be connected to the same Wi-Fi network for the screen mirroring to work.

5. Select the Screen Mirroring icon.
   

    The Screen Mirroring icon is the one that looks like two rectangles.

6. Select LonelyScreen.

7. Your iPhone or iPad’s screen should now start mirroring within the LonelyScreen app window on your Windows PC.

8. To cancel the screen mirroring, swipe down on your Apple device’s screen to open Control Center.

9. Select Screen Mirroring.

10. Select Stop Mirroring.
    

    Alternatively, you can also close the LonelyScreen app on your Windows device to stop the mirroring.

How Can I Mirror My iPhone to My Computer Using USB?

If the above wireless mirroring method doesn’t work the way you want or your computer doesn’t have Wi-Fi functionality, you can still mirror your iPhone and iPad on your Windows PC by using its USB charging cable and the ApowerMirror app.

You will need the ApowerMirror app installed on your Windows PC and your Apple device for the USB mirroring to work properly.

1. Open the ApowerMirror app on your Windows PC.

2. Connect the USB charging cable to your iPhone or iPad and plug it into a USB port on your Windows device.

3. On your iPhone or iPad, you should immediately receive a prompt. Select Trust.

4. Enter your Apple device’s passcode.

5. Your iPad or iPhone’s screen should now be mirrored on your Windows PC within the ApowerMirror app.

   You may lose your connection to the ApowerMirror Windows app the first time you use it while granting the permissions in the previous two steps. If this happens, simply disconnect the USB cable, wait a few seconds, and then reconnect it.

6. Rotate your Apple device to view the mirrored screen in landscape mode and/or select the fullscreen icon for the mirror to fill your PC’s entire screen.

7. Press Esc to exit fullscreen. The mirroring can be cancelled by either closing the ApowerMirror app on your Windows PC or by disconnecting the USB cable.

Can I Mirror My iPhone on Windows via the Cloud?

An alternative to mirroring your iPhone to a PC wirelessly or with a USB cable is to share the device’s screen via the cloud by using a communication app. Microsoft Teams and Zoom are two services which allow iPhone users to share their screens with other users, some of whom can be participating on a Windows PC. Telegram is another popular service that supports this functionality in video calls.

You can also use Apple’s first-party FaceTime service to share an iPhone’s screen. FaceTime added support for Windows devices in 2021 which means anyone in the FaceTime conversation on a Windows PC will be able to see your iPhone’s screen when you share it within the chat.

If you want to broadcast your iPhone’s screen to a large number of Windows PC users, you may want to consider using a streaming service such as Twitch. The official Twitch mobile app features free built-in tools for broadcasting your iPhone’s screen to anyone viewing your Twitch channel with just a few taps.