Steaming your iPad content onto the larger screen of your Mac will allow you to get more out of your devices. Connecting your iPad to a Mac elevates your Apple user experience, whether you’re giving a presentation, sharing files, or listening to podcasts.
In this article, we’ll show you how to use QuickTime and other apps to mirror your iPad tablet to your Mac.
How to Use QuickTime to Mirror an iPad to a Mac
You’ll need an Apple Lightning to USB cable to connect your iPad to your Mac using the QuickTime app. Because QuickTime is a standard Mac program, no additional software is required.
Here’s how to use QuickTime to connect the two devices:
- Use a Lightning to USB cable to connect the tablet and the Mac.
- Navigate to your Mac’s “Applications” folder and select “QuickTime Player.”
- Select “File” from the Mac menu in the upper-right corner of the screen.
- Select “New Movie Recording” from the menu.
- Locate and click on the down arrow in the middle of the screen, next to the record button.
- Select your iPhone from the list of available devices.
Don’t be concerned if your device does not appear on this list. Disconnect your devices and reconnect them using the USB cable. The iPad and its connectivity should now be recognized by the QuickTime app.
When you choose your iPad in QuickTime, the tablet screen should appear on your Mac’s desktop.
Users can also record the mirroring session on their Mac device using the app. When you press the red record button, your iPad’s screen will be recorded. Simply press the button again to stop recording. The recording can be saved in any folder on your Mac.
To end a QuickTime mirroring session:
- Select “QuickTime Player” from the Mac toolbar.
- Tap “Quit QuickTime Player” to stop the content on your iPad from streaming.
How to AirPlay Mirror an iPad to a Mac
You can also use the AirPlay feature to screen mirror your iPad to your Mac with macOS Monterey, Apple’s newest Mac operating system. To do so, first determine whether your Mac computer is running macOS Monterey. If you have an older operating system, you must determine whether your Mac is compatible with macOS Monterey and install it.
macOS Monterey is compatible with the following Mac devices:
- From 2018 onwards, the MacBook Pro and MacBook Air
- iMac and Mac Pro models from 2019 and later
- Mac mini and iMac Pro models released in 2020 or later
To use AirPlay, your iPad must be running iOS 15 or later. To determine which version you’re using, do the following:
- Launch the Settings app on your iPad.
- Choose the “General” card.
- Select the “Software Update” tab to learn more about the software that powers your iPad.
How to Stream Music from an iPad to a Mac Using AirPlay
You can begin screen mirroring podcasts or songs if both of your devices support AirPlay.
- Before you begin a mirroring session, make sure your Mac is fully charged or charging.
- Sign in to the Mac operating system using the Apple account associated with your tablet.
- Confirm that both devices are connected to the same Wi-Fi network.
- Start playing an audio file on your iPad.
- At the bottom of the screen, click the “AirPlay” button.
- Select your Mac from the list of AirPlay devices.
Your audio files will now be played through the Mac speakers. You can also connect additional speakers for improved sound quality. They will be recognized by AirPlay and used to stream music, podcasts, or recordings.
How to AirPlay Video Mirroring from an iPad to a Mac
AirPlay is an excellent way to mirror your iPad’s video files. Here’s how to go about it:
- Ensure that your Mac is fully charged and that you are logged in to its operating system using the Apple account associated with your iPad.
- Make sure both devices are on the same Wi-Fi network.
- Launch and play a video on your iPad.
- At the bottom of the video player’s interface, select “AirPlay.”
- Select your Mac from the available devices list.
The video file will begin to play across the screen. You can change the playback settings by dragging your mouse over the appropriate on-screen options.
How to Use AirPlay to Mirror an iPad Screen to a Mac
When you don’t want to mirror audio or video files but still want to see your iPad’s interface on a larger screen, AirPlay can help. It’s an excellent choice for group presentations or file sharing.
To begin mirroring:
- Confirm that the Mac and iPad are connected to the same wireless network.
- Open the “Control Center” app on your iPad.
- Choose “Screen Mirroring” from the menu.
- Select your Mac from the list of compatible devices.
The screen of the iPad will now appear on the Mac.
To stop AirPlay screen mirroring, follow these steps:
- Navigate to the tablet’s “Control Center.”
- Navigate to the “Screen Mirroring” tab.
- At the bottom of the screen, tap the “End Screen Mirroring” card.
How to Use Reflector 3 to Mirror an iPad to a Mac
The Reflector 3 app allows you to mirror your iPad’s screen even if it is running an older operating system than OS 15. The $14.99 app supports iPadOS 13 and later and is relatively simple to use. However, you can try out its services for seven days for free to see if it works for you.
After installing Reflector 3 on your Mac, follow these steps to screen mirror with the app:
- Make sure your iPad and Mac are connected to the same wireless network.
- On your Mac, launch Reflector 3.
- Open the “Control Center” app on your iPad.
- Choose “Screen Mirroring.”
- Select your Mac from the available devices list.
- On the desktop, an AirPlay Password will appear. To enable the AirPlay feature, enter the code into your iPad.
To end a mirroring session with Reflector, do the following:
- From the Mac toolbar, launch the Reflector app.
- Navigate to the iPad’s “Control Center.”
- Select “Screen Mirroring” from the menu.
- At the bottom of the interface, tap “Stop Mirroring.”
When screen mirroring is enabled, the Reflector app allows the Mac to record the iPad’s on-screen activity.
- Make sure your devices are set to “Screen Mirroring.”
- On your Mac, tap the red record button at the top of the app.
- When you’re finished recording, press the red button once more.
The recording can be saved anywhere on your Mac computer.
How to Use Apowermirror to Mirror an iPad to a Mac
Apowermirror is another app that doesn’t require a cable connection to mirror your iPad’s screen to a Mac. If your devices support AirPlay, they will also work with the Apowermirror app. To use it, go through the following steps:
- Navigate to the Apowemirror website and save the software to your Mac.
- Launch the app on your computer.
- Ensure that the iPad and Mac are connected to the same Wi-Fi network.
- On the iPad’s interface, swipe up and select “AirPlay Mirroring.”
- Select “Apowersoft(mac)” from the drop-down menu.
A powerful feature of Apowermirror is the ability to mirror the contents of multiple iOS devices on your Mac at the same time.
If you’re having trouble mirroring your iPad to your Mac, here are a few pointers that should help:
Before using the AirPlay feature, make sure your devices are turned on and close together.
Check that the tablet and Mac are both running AirPlay-compatible operating systems and are connected to the same wireless network.
Restart the devices and attempt to start a new mirroring session.
With Ease, Share Your iPad Screen
Unfortunately, not all iOS devices include built-in screen mirroring support for Mac products. The good news is that several apps exist to help users overcome this connectivity problem. This guide should have provided you with a few useful methods for successfully mirroring your iPad’s screen and contents to your Mac, regardless of the tablet’s make and model.
Have you had any issues connecting your iPad to a Mac? How did you deal with them? Please share your thoughts in the comments section below.