Mirroring iPad Mini on Mac computer

May 3, 2018 6:37 PM

I'd like to know if there is a way to mirror my iPad mini on my Mac computer without using wifi. There used to be a way to do this using Quicktime and a lightning cable, but apparently this does not work anymore. Basically, I want to browse the web on my iPad using the cellular internet connection and view it on my Mac computer monitor without using wifi to connect the two devices.
posted by ericthegardener to Computers & Internet (4 answers total)

Best answer: If your goal is to see (and possibly record) your IPad screen on your Mac via a lightning to USB cable, this should still be a supported feature of QuickTime Player.

On the other hand, if your goal is for your Mac to access the internet via a cellular connection provided by a cellular-capable iPad connected to the Mac with a lightning to USB cable, this is also possible. See set up Personal Hotspot and connect to Personal Hotspot with USB.
posted by RichardP at 7:05 PM on May 3, 2018

Response by poster: Thanks Richard! I want to do exactly what you describe in your first paragraph, and I have tried this method on my work computer and it did not work. I was unable to select my iPad as the device to record from. BUT, I just tried this on my home computer and it worked without issue. My home computer is on a slightly older OS. I wonder if they stopped supporting this feature in later releases.
posted by ericthegardener at 8:08 PM on May 3, 2018

Best answer: I just tried a Mac running the latest macOS, High Sierra 10.13.4, and it worked using an iPad as the device from which to record. So, I don't think Apple has stopped supporting this feature. Did you, perhaps, sometime in the past, answer "Don't Trust" to the "Trust this Computer" alert on the iPad when you connected the iPad to your work computer? If so, it won't show up as a possible video source in Quicktime. You might check to see if your iPad is showing up in iTunes on your work computer — if your iPad is appearing in iTunes but not QuickTime Player that would eliminate the trust setting as the source of the problem. See About the ‘Trust This Computer‘ alert on your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch.
posted by RichardP at 11:34 PM on May 3, 2018

Response by poster: Yes, it was just a matter of trusting the computer. Thanks!
posted by ericthegardener at 2:41 PM on May 6, 2018