Having an Amazon Fire TV and Fire Stick lets you do anything and everything from streaming free movies to playing games to catching up with your sports live TV events to many much more. You could even load new apps into your Fire stick and get numerous free TV shows and broadcast content from all over the world.
Fire TV on the other hand allows you to use screen mirroring which lets you stream content from your PC to Fire TV or iPhone to Fire TV and many more. Through this article, we shall learn how to mirror your iOS devices- both iPad and iPhone to your TV through the use of your Fire Stick hardware.
Protect Your Privacy with a VPN
Before we get into details, first things first. The most important thing you will need to do whenever you are streaming movies on your Fire TV is to ensure that you are safe through the use of a Virtual Private Network or more commonly known as VPN. Without a VPN, you will not be assured of your safety- there could be instances wherein someone could monitor your online activity and worst- steal your identity. Hence, we highly recommend that you use a VPN to protect your Fire TV and yourself.
Through the use of a good VPN, you could be assured that your online activities, identity and data are encrypted even before it could leave your device. Hence, with this, no one surely could monitor your online activities nor discover where you are currently at. Furthermore, you will also be able to stream anything from anywhere and you will not have to worry about your privacy and your online security. If you are not sure what VPN you should use, we recommend ExpressVPN.
ExpressVPN
ExpressVPN is considered as one of the best VPN service providers for Fire TV and Fire Stick. They offer an easy to use app which is lightweight and compatible with Fire TV. It is easy to install on your hardware and ensures you are safe while you are watching your favorite show/s.
ExpressVPN has about 3000 plus servers in about 94 countries worldwide and they offer numerous IP addresses to ensure that your identity and traffic are kept anonymous. Aside from that, they come with high levels of security features such as DNS leak protection, zero logs policy, 256-bit AES encryption and kill switch.
Pros
- – Fast servers
- – No personal information logs kept
- – AES-256 encryption
- – Live chat support
Cons
- – Could be a little bit more expensive compared to other VPNs.
Mirror iOS devices to Fire Stick
Though mirroring or casting may sound difficult to do, Amazon has made it easy to do on Fire TV. All you need are built-in right on your hardware. However, we all know that things get complicated when it comes to iOS support. Though that is the case, Apple uses different protocols for you to be able to cast from your iPhone or iPad to Android based devices.
What is mirroring, casting and streaming?
- Mirroring – this means you are taking the content from one device and putting them both on your iPhone and your other device. In this case, your Firestick. Through mirroring, you could see two screens function the same way.
- Casting – similar to mirroring but could also be defined as same context in using Chromecast. The only difference of casting from mirroring is that casting could show one screen on another device.
- Streaming – this action sends HD movies from one device to another and this requires a higher quality of hardware since it would transfer more data compared to mirroring.
Streaming is considered as the best way for you to be able to watch videos. While casting and mirroring has the ability to preserve the quality of the content. Hence, if you would want to show some website or pictures and would like to see them in a much larger screen, you would just need to mirror.
Reliable home WiFi
For you to be able to mirror any content, you would need to connect your Fire TV, iPhone or iPad to the same WiFi network. Hence, it is important that you have a reliable WiFi connection. This also means that due to the requirement that you need to connect all of your devices in one common WiFi connection, you will not be able to mirror just anywhere you like such as to another device in another city. This feature prevents third parties or even hackers from taking over other devices.
iOS Versions
If you own either an iPhone or an iPad or an iPad Air or iPod/mini, you do not have to worry as long as it is an iOS device, it would not matter, you should still be able to mirror any content through the guides featured in this article.
The only downside is that for you to be able to cast, you would need an iOS 9 or above.
Two devices, two apps
Take note that for you to be able to cast, you would need to install same app on your two devices- one on your Fire Stick and one on your iPhone/iPad. This way you could bypass or overcome the differences of the protocols used by Amazon and iOS. Through the use of an app, you will be able to make your devices access and communicate with one another.
What about AirPlay?
AirPlay is a function of iPhone/iPad which allows you to mirror content from one device to another. Though it is easy to use especially if you do it from one iOS device to another iOS device. But unfortunately, it is not compatible with Fire TV which is the reason why we would need to install apps for you to be able to screen mirror.
How to mirror iOS devices to Firestick?
You will have to install some apps on your gadgets- on your iOS device and on your Fire TV and try the apps/methods mentioned and listed below:
AirBeamTV Mirroring Receiver
One of the best iOS casting options is the AirBeamTV app. Aside from it being compatible with iPhone and iPad devices, it is also compatible with Mac PCs and laptops too. Through AirBeamTV, you will be able to mirror videos to music to screenshots to pictures without having the hassle of using cables or hardware. In fact, this method is actually similar to Chromecast but for iOS.
For you to be able to use AirBeamTV, you would need to buy the full version of the app then install mirror for Amazon Fire TV and on your iPhone or iPad https://apps.apple.com/us/app/mirror-for-amazon-fire-tv/id1249399124. Once done and connected, you are good to go.
Video & TV Cast for Fire TV
This app is offered for free and it is easy and straightforward to use. Just install it on your iOS and Fire TV devices and you are good to stream the contents of your iPhone or iPad to your Fire TV.
Download Video & TV Cast for iOS https://apps.apple.com/app/video-tv-cast-pro-for-fire/id1125003546 and set it up on your iOS device. Then, install https://www.amazon.com/Video-TV-Cast-Fire-web-video/dp/B00V4V3TWA/ on your Fire TV. Once both are installed and connected, choose which show you would want to stream on your iPad or iPhone and the app will do its magic.
iWebTV
A high-end mirroring solution, iWebTV is perfect for your iOS and FireTV mirroring needs. It offers streaming of videos in high definition including 1080p, 720p and 4K movies. Furthermore, iWebTV is compatible with different video formats and you could also add new content to the queue.
This app is simple to use all you need to do is install the app and press play. To use iWeb, you would need to download https://apps.apple.com/app/id999462129 for your iOS device and https://www.amazon.com/Swishly-Inc-iWebTV/dp/B01BL0CB2M/ for your Amazon Fire TV. Once the apps are connected open the iOS version and select your preferred video you wish to watch.
AllConnect for Fire TV
This app is very lightweight and is perfect to mirror your iPhone to your Fire TV. You could use it for browsing video channels such as Vimeo and YouTube. You could also stream FLAC and mp3 music and even cast Kodi and Plex.
Just download and install on your iOS device and install on your FireTV once both are connected, add content on your iOS device and start mirroring.
AirPlayMirror Receiver
This app is compatible to both iOS devices and Fire TV. Through it you will be able to cast four apple devices simultaneously. You will be able to watch your favorite YouTube and/or Netflix from your iOS device- iPad/iPhone.
Unfortunately, this app is not for free. However, you could check their 15-minute trial version.
To use this app, you will need to install it on your Fire TV https://www.amazon.com/NeoYantra-Technologies-AirPlayMirror-Receiver/dp/B06VWV5SKS/ . Open the app. Then you will need to enable your device as receiver and enable AirPlay on your iPhone/iPad. Then pick Fire TV from your AirPlay receiver list.
Reflector 2- AirPlay Receiver
Using this app is simple to use. All you need to install the app and turn on your Airplay, choose your preferred audio, video or any content you would wish to show on your Fire TV. The only downside of this app is it could be a bit pricier. If you would like to use this app, download the app on your Fire TV as the receiver through https://www.amazon.com/Squirrels-LLC-Reflector-AirPlay-Receiver/dp/B00LPLTI8S/ . Open your AirPlay on your iOS device and choose Fire TV.
AirReceiver
Though it is more complicated to use this app, it comes with amazing numerous features. It could stream and mirror any content you wish from your iOS device in HD quality. You could also send YouTube to your TV and pull media from NAS server. The downside as well is that this app comes with a price but it is worth its price.
To use this app download it from amazon , run it and assign your Fire TV as the receiver. On your iPhone or iPad, switch AirPlay on and choose Fire TV.
Does Mirroring iOS device with VPN work?
Though VPN does not have any business in casting, mirroring and streaming, it is wise for you to use a VPN while you use your iOS and Fire TV devices. This way, you would be able to protect yourself and make your connections safe and private.
To use VPN while mirroring all you need to do is:
- Open a web browser on your Mac or Windows PC
- Sign in your VPN
- Use links to send apps to Firestick and iPhone/iPad
- Install your VPN on your Fire TV and iPhone/iPad
- Launch your VPN and sign into your VPN credentials
- Connect to a server
- Once active, minimize your VPN app
Conclusion
With Fire TV, you would surely never get bored and with mirroring your iOS device would surely provide you enjoyable entertainment from playing iTunes movies on your HD TV. With all that, there is nothing more you could ask for. So what are you waiting for? Download a mirroring app and watch your favorite movies/shows on your HD TV.
