Compatibility

Devices & protocols

Which devices can I mirror from?

Today: any iPhone, iPad, or Mac that supports AirPlay (iOS 11+, macOS Monterey+). The sender device just needs to be on the same Wi-Fi network as your TV — there's no app to install on the sender.

Coming soon: Android phones and Windows laptops via Miracast. There's no firm release date yet; tracking on the GitHub repo.

Does it work on Android TV, Google TV, and Fire TV?

Yes — same APK, same feature set across all three. Android TV and Google TV install from the Play Store. Fire TV requires sideloading until our Amazon Appstore listing goes live.

What about Apple TV, Chromecast, Roku?

ScreenIT runs on Android-based devices only. Apple TV is its own ecosystem with native AirPlay support; you don't need ScreenIT there. Chromecast and Roku run their own operating systems and we have no plans to port. If your Chromecast is the new Google TV variant, it runs Android — install ScreenIT there.

Will it work over the public internet?

No, by design. ScreenIT is local-network-only. There is no cloud relay. This is partly a privacy decision (your screen content never leaves your network) and partly a bandwidth decision (low-latency screen mirroring needs a private LAN to work well).

Performance

Quality & latency

What's the latency like?

On a healthy 5 GHz Wi-Fi network, end-to-end latency typically lands in the 20–40 ms range. That's perceptually instant for desktop work and presentations, and good enough for casual gaming. Twitchy competitive games (FPS, fighters) will feel the latency — we don't claim ScreenIT is a gaming display.

Can it do 4K?

Yes when both the sender and the TV support it. AirPlay caps out at 1080p60 from most iOS senders; macOS senders can push 4K30 in some configurations. The receiver decodes whatever the sender pushes — there is no upscaling or transcoding step on our end.

My stream stutters. What now?

Turn on the live stats overlay in Settings. Three patterns to look for:

High latency, normal bitrate — the network is congested. Move closer to the access point or switch to 5 GHz.

Low bitrate, low frame rate — the sender's encoder is under-provisioned (often happens on older iPhones or when the sender is on battery saver). Plug it in.

High dropped-frames count — the receiver can't decode fast enough. Lower the quality preset in Settings to 720p30.

Does it support audio?

Yes, stereo audio mirrored alongside video, with sub-frame A/V sync maintained by the receiver. Audio plays through your TV's speakers (or whatever the TV is currently outputting to — soundbar, AVR, headphones).

Pricing

Free, premium, and ads

Is ScreenIT really free?

Yes. The core receiver functionality is free on every supported platform forever. We make money two ways: ads on the free phone/tablet build (no ads on TV), and an optional premium subscription that removes ads and supports continued development.

What does premium include?

Removes all ads on phone/tablet builds. Removes the in-stream "Upgrade to Premium" call-to-action. Supports development of new protocols (Miracast, Google Cast bridge) and platform expansions. Pricing is shown in the in-app upgrade screen — it varies by country and is set by Google Play.

Why no ads on TV?

Programmatic banner ad inventory effectively doesn't exist for connected-TV apps, and even if it did, banner ads on a 65-inch screen at 10-foot viewing distance are a terrible user experience. We may eventually add a brief video ad break on TV (served via Google Ad Manager / IMA) for free users, but this is unrelated to the phone/tablet ad path. Premium subscribers will never see ads on any platform.

How do I cancel premium?

From the Google Play app on any device → Subscriptions → ScreenIT → Cancel. Your premium entitlement remains active until the end of the current billing period.

Privacy

Data & security

What data does ScreenIT collect?

The screen content you mirror does not leave your network. The app collects nothing about your usage. Optional crash diagnostics may be sent to Sentry to help us fix bugs (you can disable). The free phone/tablet build serves ads via Google AdMob, which receives your advertising ID and coarse device info per Google's standard ads policy. Full detail is in the privacy policy.

Can someone on my network hijack my TV?

The first time a sender connects, ScreenIT shows an "Allow this device?" prompt on the TV. Without you (or someone with the remote) confirming, no stream starts. After confirming, the device is added to a trusted list and skips the prompt. You can clear the trusted list at any time in Settings.

Is the stream encrypted?

Yes — AirPlay uses standard end-to-end encryption between the sender and receiver. Even on an open Wi-Fi network, the stream itself is opaque to other devices on the LAN.

Other

Misc

Why isn't my TV showing up in the picker on my iPhone?

Check three things, in order: (1) both devices on the same Wi-Fi network — guest networks and AP isolation features block discovery; (2) ScreenIT actually open and showing "Receiver running"; (3) mDNS / Bonjour multicast not blocked by your router. Most consumer routers don't block it; some mesh systems and corporate Wi-Fi do.

Is ScreenIT open source?

The receiver core is Apache 2.0 licensed. The store-flavor builds (with billing and ads) are not open source. Development happens on GitHub — issues, feature requests, and pull requests are welcome.

How do I report a bug?

Easiest path: open an issue on the GitHub repo with the version number (Settings → About) and a description of what happened. If the bug is reproducible, attaching the stats overlay output and the network type helps a lot.

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