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Henroun's avatar
Henroun
Copper Contributor
Aug 17, 2026

How can I share or mirror iPad screen to Macbook Pro M5?

I want to display my iPad screen on my MacBook in real time — not just transfer files or use sidecar for extending the display, but actually see a live mirror of what's on my iPad on the MacBook scre...
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Seehoilzer's avatar
Seehoilzer
Copper Contributor
Aug 17, 2026

If you want to know how to share iPad screen to Mac. As i know, using UxPlay is a completely free and open-source method for screen mirroring. It is an AirPlay server that allows your iPad to mirror its screen to your MacBook Pro (M5) by acting like an Apple TV. 

How to share iPad screen to Mac

1. Install GStreamer: This is a required multimedia framework. On macOS, you can install it using MacPorts or Homebrew.

2. Install UxPlay: After installing GStreamer, download the source code from GitHub. Open a terminal in the source directory and run the build commands:

text

cmake .

make

sudo make install

3. Run UxPlay: In the terminal, simply type the command uxplay to start the server.

4. Connect Your iPad: Ensure both your iPad and MacBook are on the same Wi-Fi network. On your iPad, open the Control Center and tap the "Screen Mirroring" button. You should see your MacBook (named "UxPlay" by default) appear in the list. Select it to start mirroring.

Important Notes for macOS

  • Audio/Video Sync: On macOS, you may experience dropped video frames. A recommended workaround is to use the -vsync no option when you run UxPlay (e.g., uxplay -vsync no).
  • Display Window: The mirroring window may start small. You can expand it with your mouse, but the image may not preserve its original aspect ratio. To fix this, try using -vs "osxvideosink force-aspect-ratio=true".
  • Resolution: You can set a custom resolution with the -s option (e.g., -s 1920x1080). For 4K mirroring, use the -h265 option, but a wired Ethernet connection is recommended for this high-quality stream.