Reflector 3 is an enjoyable-to-use app that uses AirPlay mirroring to get the job done without wires or additional software. It works with iOS 8 and later, and iPadOS 13 and later. It works with. It is a cool software that can be used on both MAC and Windows. Mirroring 360 comes in different versions for different devices. While using Mirroring 360, keep in mind that your computer and the mirroring device, iPhone/iPad must be connected to the same internet networking.
With AirPlay, you can stream the contents on your iPhone screen to your Mac and Apple TV easily. But what if you only have a Windows PC? Don’t worry, I’ll show you a FREE software that lets you mirror your iPhone screen to PC handily. If you are want to do it via USB cable (without having to use Wi-Fi), I’ll show you as well.
Mirror your iPhone on PC
The software we will be using is LonelyScreen. Click here to download it for free. It’s also the software I mentioned as one of the best applications to record iPhone and iPad’s screen.
The software simulates AirPlay functionality of Apple devices, allowing your iPhone to connect and mirror the display to your Windows PC’s screen without having to install additional apps on it.
Once you’ve downloaded it, launch the file and proceed with the installation process. If Windows Firewall is enabled, you might get an alert that the Firewall has blocked some features of the app. The alert window lets you select which types of networks that you allow the setup file (lonelyscreen.exe) to communicate.
Normally, the “Private networks” option is selected already. You just need to click on “Allow access” to continue. Public networks are not recommended because they often have little or no security.
1) After installation, launch LonelyScreen. You can simply use the keyboard shortcut Windows + S and type “LonelyScreen” into the search box to quickly find the program. And make sure your Windows PC and your iOS device are connecting to the same Wi-Fi network.
2) On your iPhone, swipe up from the bottom of the screen to open up the Control Center. Tap “AirPlay Mirroring” and select Lonelyscreen. This is the default name of the AirPlay receiver of the software. You can also assign a new name if you want.
3) Once Lonelyscreen is selected, you will see your iPhone screen now projected on the Lonelyscreen window on your PC. Tap “Done” to return to the Control Center, close it and start enjoying.
4)To stop mirroring your iPhone to your PC, either exit LonelyScreen by clicking the gear button in the upper-right corner of the windows, or simply turn off AirPlay on your iPhone.
LonelyScreen also allows you to record contents on your iPhone’s screen. You can easily notice the red circle button in the bottom of the app’s interface. Click on it to start and stop recording. Resulting videos are in MP4 format and stored in a preset folder, you can access them by simply clicking on the folder icon located in the bottom-right corner.
Sometimes, if your Wi-Fi network condition is not good enough to stream contents smoothly from your iPhone to Windows, or you just cannot connect to one, you can still make use of LonelyScreen. I’ve managed to find a way to mirror my iPhone to my Windows PC via a USB cable using this application.
Read also: How to AirDrop from iPhone to Mac/Windows PC
Mirror your iPhone to PC via USB
Instead of relying on Wi-Fi networks out there, you can setup on your own a network connecting between your iPhone and Windows PC by enabling the Personal Hotspot. Follow the steps below:
1) Plug in the USB cable into your iPhone and your PC
2) Go to Settings > Personal Hotspot and enable it. A pop-up notification will appear on the screen if both your Wi-Fi and Bluetooth are off. You can select USB only.
Mirror Iphone To Mac Without Software Free
3) At this point, your PC should be connecting and sharing your iPhone’s data connection. You can start mirroring via AirPlay just like I’ve shown.
Note that, occasionally, you might see an error appear saying that it was not possible to connect. In that case, the easiest workaround to solve the issue is to turn Wi-Fi off then on again. This problem does not seem to happen very frequently, but in my case, I experienced several failed attempts to connect and solved by using this common method.
Conclusion
And that was how you can cast your iPhone and iPad’s screen of a Windows computer. I haven’t found any applications for Windows that let you use only USB connection like QuickTime player on Mac but above is a really good workaround to deal with the issue. If you do know other solutions, let’s discuss below.
Dan is a web developer, a digital nomad, and a lifelong Apple fan. At iPhonebyte, his job is to help you get the most out of your iOS and Mac devices. Read the story about him and the website here.
Apple Inc. just developed a new feature that will let you reflect what you are doing on your iPhone or iPad to your personal computer or Mac. This can be done through Airplay mirroring. Airplay mirroring allows you to show everything that you are doing on your iPhone/iPad in a bigger screen. Cool, right? But first, let me introduce to you the system that will enable you to perform this.
What is Airplay?
Airplay is a protocol developed by Apple Inc. that enables wireless streaming of audio, images, videos and other data between devices. It allows you to integrate whatever you are doing in your iDevice or any device that runs an Apple’s iOS system to an Airplay-receiving device. This protocol was introduced in iOS 5.
How To Do Mirroring With An Airplay-Receiving Device
One example of an Airplay-receiving device is AppleTV. You can easily do mirroring of your iDevice (iPhone/iPad) to your AppleTV by doing these simple steps:
- Go to Control Centre by swiping up from the bottom of your home screen
- Select Airplay, then tap on Apple TV
- Just enable Mirroring
Voila! Everything you do on your iPhone/iPad’s display is reflected on the Apple TV wirelessly. Easy, right? But how can you do Airplay mirroring of your iDevice to your Mac/PC?
How to Mirror your iPhone or iPad to your Mac or PC
Your Mac/PC is probably not an Airplay-receiving device. But these devices should behave like one (like the Apple TV) in order for you to do the mirroring of your iDevice. How to do it?
Mirror Iphone To Mac Without Software Computer
Luckily, there are a lot of third-party software that you can use. Here is the list:
- X-Mirage
- Reflector
- AirServer
Using this third-party software are the only way to enable you to do the mirroring of your iDevice to your Mac/PC. You choose which software to use and you’re on the way to do the mirroring.
Procedures to do the Mirroring
- First, you need to install the software of your choice: X-Mirage/ Reflector/ AirServer
- Run AirServer/X-Mirage/Reflector after installation. The software will turn your Mac/PC into an Airplay-receiving device.
- Check if you’re iDevice and Mac/PC are connected to the same Wi-fi connection. Both devices should be connected to the same internet connection!
- Go to Control Center by swiping up from the bottom of your home screen
- Select Airplay
- Tap on your Mac/PC
- Enable Mirroring
Voila! Your iDevice’s screen should be reflected on your Mac/PC. And you’re done! But what will you do if you encounter a problem?
Encountering Airplay Mirroring Problems
Uh-oh, you may run into some issues occasionally. But hold on, here are some troubleshoot tips that could help you solve your problem:
If you can’t find Airplay after going to the Control Centre, here are some things that you should try:
- Again, check if your iPhone/iPad and your Mac/PC are connected to the same internet connection.
- Check if Airplay is already running on your Mac/PC; make sure that your installed software (AirServer/X-Mirage/Reflector) is running correctly on your Mac/PC
- Check the Bluetooth settings of your iPhone/iPad and turn it off
Additionally, all your devices should be compatible. For Apple devices, iPhone 4s and latest versions, and iPad 2 and latest versions (which include all the iPad minis) support the Airplay protocol. Your iDevice should be running with the latest iOS. For Macs, all the latest models and also the ones released from the middle of 2011 should be able to support Airplay.
There you go, just follow the steps and good luck on using your devices!