How To Mirror an iPad to a Mac

Steaming your iPad’s content on Mac’s bigger screen will help you get more out of your devices. Whether you’re giving a presentation, sharing files, or listening to podcasts, connecting your iPad to a Mac takes your Apple user experience to the next level.

In this article, we’ll explain how to mirror your iPad tablet to your Mac using QuickTime and other apps.

How to Mirror an iPad to a Mac with QuickTime

To connect your iPad to your Mac with the QuickTime app, you’ll need to use an Apple Lightning to USB cable. QuickTime is a default Mac program, so no additional software is required.

Here’s how to link the two devices with QuickTime:

1. Connect the tablet and the Mac with a Lightning to USB cord.
   
2. Open the “Applications” card on your Mac and select “QuickTime Player.”
   
3. Choose “File” in the Mac menu at the top-right corner of the screen.
   
4. Tap the “New Movie Recording” option.
   
5. Find the down arrow in the middle of the screen next to the record button and click on it.
   
6. Pick your iPhone from the pop-up menu of available devices.

If your device doesn’t show up on this list, don’t worry. Disconnect your devices, then reconnect them with the USB cord. The QuickTime app should now recognize your iPad and its connectivity.

When you’ve selected your iPad in QuickTime, the tablet screen should be displayed across your Mac’s desktop.

The app also allows users to record the mirroring session on their Mac device. Clicking the red record button will start recording your iPad’s screen. To stop recording, simply select the button again. You can save the recording in any folder on your Mac.

To end a mirroring session in QuickTime:

1. Go to the Mac toolbar and select “QuickTime Player.”
   
2. Tap “Quit QuickTime Player” to stop streaming your iPad’s content.

How to Mirror an iPad to a Mac with AirPlay

Thanks to macOS Monterey, Apple’s newest Mac operating system, you can also use the AirPlay feature to screen mirror your iPad to your Mac. To do so, you’ll need to check whether your Mac computer operates on macOS Monterey. If you have an older operating system, you need to find out whether your Mac supports macOS Monterey and install it.

The following Mac devices are compatible with macOS Monterey:

• MacBook Pro and MacBook Air from 2018 and onwards
• iMac and Mac Pro from 2019 and newer
• Mac mini and iMac Pro from 2020 or later

To use AirPlay, your iPad should be using an iOS 15 or a later version. To check which version you’re using:

1. Open your iPad’s Settings app.
   
2. Select the “General” card.
   
3. Tap the “Software Update” tab to see which software powers your iPad.
   

How to Stream Music Files from iPad to Mac with AirPlay

If both of your devices offer AirPlay support, you can start screen mirroring podcasts or songs.

1. Ensure that your Mac is fully charged or charging before you begin a mirroring session.
   
2. Log in to Mac’s operating system with your tablet’s Apple account.
   
3. Make sure both devices are using the same Wi-Fi network.
   
4. Begin streaming an audio file on your iPad.
   
5. Select the “AirPlay” button at the bottom of the screen.
   
6. Choose your Mac from the menu of available AirPlay devices.

Your audio files will now come from the Mac speakers. You can also plug in additional speakers for better sound quality. AirPlay will recognize them and use them to stream music, podcasts, or recordings.

How to Mirror Video from an iPad to a Mac with AirPlay

The AirPlay feature is a great way to mirror your iPad’s video files. Here’s how to do it:

1. Check that your Mac is fully charged and logged in to its operating system with your iPad’s Apple account.
   
2. Ensure that both devices are connected to the same Wi-Fi network.
   
3. Open and play a video on the iPad.
   
4. Click the “AirPlay” option at the bottom of the video player’s interface.
   
5. Choose your Mac from the menu of available devices.

The video file will start streaming across the screen. You can adjust the playback settings by using your mouse and selecting the appropriate on-screen options.

How to Mirror an iPad Screen to a Mac with AirPlay

When you don’t want to mirror audio and video files but need to display your iPad’s interface on a bigger screen, AirPlay can help you out. It’s an excellent option for presentations or sharing files with several people.

To initiate mirroring:

1. Check that the Mac and iPad are on the same wireless network.
   
2. Pull down your iPad’s “Control Center.”
   
3. Select the “Screen Mirroring” option.
   
4. Pick your Mac from the list of supported devices.
   

The iPad’s screen will now show up on the Mac.

Here’s how to end AirPlay screen mirroring:

1. Open the tablet’s “Control Center.”
   
2. Click the “Screen Mirroring” tab.
3. Tap the “End Screen Mirroring” card at the bottom of the display.

How to Mirror an iPad to a Mac with Reflector 3

The Reflector 3 app lets you mirror your iPad’s screen even if the tablet is running on an operating system older than OS 15. The relatively easy-to-use app supports iPadOS 13 and later and comes with a $14.99 price tag. However, you can test out its services during a seven-day free trial and see whether it works for you.

Once you’ve downloaded Reflector 3 onto your Mac, follow these steps to screen mirror with the app:

1. Ensure that your iPad and Mac are on the same wireless connection.
   
2. Launch Reflector 3 on your Mac.
   
3. Pull down your iPad’s “Control Center.”
   
4. Select “Screen Mirroring.”
   
5. Pick your Mac from the menu of available devices.
   
6. An AirPlay Password will pop up on the desktop. Enter the code into your iPad to enable the AirPlay feature.

To stop a mirroring session with Reflector:

1. Open the Reflector app from the Mac toolbar.
   
2. Choose the iPad’s “Control Center.”
3. Click the “Screen Mirroring” option.
4. Tap “Stop Mirroring” at the bottom of the interface.

The Reflector app also allows the Mac to record the iPad’s on-screen activity when you enable screen mirroring.

1. Ensure that your devices are in “Screen Mirroring” mode.
   
2. Tap the red record button at the top of the app on your Mac.
   
3. When you’re done recording, select the red button again.
   

You can save the recording anywhere on your Mac computer.

How to Mirror an iPad to a Mac with Apowermirror

Another app that doesn’t require a cable connection to help you mirror your iPad’s screen to a Mac is Apowermirror. If your devices work with AirPlay, they’re also compatible with the Apowermirror app. To use it, follow these steps:

1. Go to the Apowemirror web page and download the software onto your Mac.
   
2. Open the app on the computer.
   
3. Make sure the iPad and Mac are on the same Wi-Fi network.
   
4. Swipe up on the iPad’s interface and select “AirPlay Mirroring.”
   
5. Choose the “Apowersoft(mac)” option.
   

Apowermirror’s great perk is that enables you to mirror the contents of several iOS devices on your Mac simultaneously.

FAQs

Why won’t my devices start a screen mirroring session?

If you’re having trouble mirroring your iPad to your Mac, here are a few helpful tips that should resolve the issue:

● Ensure that your devices are powered on and place them next to each other before using the AirPlay feature.

● Make sure that the tablet and Mac are running on AirPlay-supported operating systems and using the same wireless network.

● Restart the devices and try initiating a new mirroring session.

Share Your iPad Screen with Ease

Unfortunately, not all iOS devices have built-in support for screen mirroring to Mac products. The good news is that several apps allow users to overcome this connectivity issue. Hopefully, this guide has provided you with a few helpful methods to successfully mirror your iPad’s screen and contents to your Mac, regardless of the make and model of the tablet.

Have you experienced problems when connecting your iPad to a Mac? How did you resolve them? Let us know in the comments section below.