Too often small screens don't work well when trying to show off videos, photos, and other visual content on your iPhone or iPad. Fortunately, there are several ways to connect these devices to a big screen TV.

From using a native HDMI adapter to sophisticated wireless streaming, I'll show you some easy ways to mirror your screen.

If your goal is to watch streaming services on your TV like Apple TV +, Netflix, or Hulu, then looking in the mirror of your iPhone or iPad is not the most practical solution. Instead, you can buy a cheap streaming media player like the Roku Streaming Stick+ or Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K, connect it to your TV and operate it with a suitable remote control.

Still, mirroring can be useful if you want to play videos recorded on your device, display your photo library, display a slideshow, collaborate on social media, or show off your iOS gaming skills on your TV screen.

The simplest way to connect your iOS device to your TV is through a wired connection. You can use Apple's Power Digital AV Adapter, which costs about $40. If you want to sit a comfortable distance from the TV, make it 1 foot longer.)

Setup is simple. Connect you TV with HDMI cable at one end, the adapter at the other end, connect the Lightning cable to your iOS device, and set your TV to the appropriate input. You can also connect a charger to the adapter's second Lightning port to avoid draining your iOS device's battery.

Most apps simply mirror your iOS device's display to your TV, but video apps like Amazon Prime and Netflix can provide continuous playback control while your video is playing on your TV.

For older iOS devices with a 30-pin charging port, Apple no longer sells its own 30-pin to HDMI adapter, but you can find third-party options on Amazon, such as this model from JIMAT. (It's important to note, however, that copy protection may not work with streaming video apps, as will third-party Lightning adapters.)

Apple is no longer selling composite A/V cables that allow iOS devices to connect to older tube TVs.

You can also play video and audio to any Apple TV using the wireless AirPlay protocol. It allows you to mirror audio from inside your TV or cast video and audio auxiliary apps on your iPhone or iPad display.

.Make sure your Apple TV and iOS device are on the same Wi-Fi network.

.If you have an iPhone X or later, or an iPad running iOS 12 or later, swipe down from the upper-right corner to bring up the Control Center. Otherwise, swipe up to go to Control Center instead. Press the "Screen Mirroring" button. Select your Apple TV from the list. (If you have multiple Apple TVs, consider labeling each Enter the 4-digit code displayed on your TV screen on your iOS device. (Basically, you only need to do this once for each device.)To disconnect from the TV, after performing steps 1-3, select "Stop Mirroring" from the list.

Many video and audio apps don't require mirroring. (It looks like a TV with a triangle.) Then select the Apple TV from the list of devices. In this way, AirPlay uses less battery than mirroring and allows you to use your iOS device for other tasks while playing music and videos on your TV.

If you don't have an Apple TV and don't want to pay for expensive adapter cables, you can use the Mirroring app to share your iPhone or iPad screen from your Roku, Fire TV, and Chromecast devices instead.

Different apps offer varying success rates, but 2kit Consulting's Screen Mirroring app for Roku, Fire TV, and Chromecast has good results. (If you're using the Roku and Fire TV apps, you'll also need to download a separate app for the player itself, but the iOS app guides you through the process.)

A few caveats apply. You will experience some lag, the video quality is not perfect, and unless you upgrade to a paid version of these apps, you usually need to watch the ads all the way to mirror.

Chromecast also lets you send video, audio, photos and information to your TV from thousands of supported apps. This app lets you play content directly on your TV, so you don't need to mirror your iPhone or iPad display.

After connecting your Chromecast to your TV, use the Google Home companion app to connect your device to your wireless network. You will then see a Chromecast icon in supported apps. When you start playing the media, it appears on your TV instead of your iPhone or iPad.

Roku Player also lets you share photos, videos, and music from your iOS device using the Roku mobile app. After installation, go to the "Media" tab to get started.