SKYWALLWhy the bars are there
A TV is 16:9. An iPhone held upright is tall and narrow, and an iPad is closer to square, so a copy of either screen can't fill the TV. Screen Mirroring keeps the whole picture and fills the rest with black.
Ways to fill the screen
- Turn the device sideways. An iPhone in landscape is a little wider than the TV, so only thin bars remain at the top and bottom. An iPad in landscape still leaves bars at the sides.
- Send the video, not the screen. In a video player, the AirPlay button sends just the video to the TV, which fills it, instead of copying the whole screen.
- Use an app that draws for the TV. While you mirror, some apps can show their own picture on the TV, sized for it, and keep the device as a remote.
If the picture is cut off or stretched
Look for the TV's picture size setting (often called Fit, Screen Fit or Just Scan, depending on the brand) and choose the option that shows the whole picture. On Apple TV, Settings > Video and Audio > Format should match what your TV supports.
In Skywall
Tap Use the TV and choose TV shows the channels: the wall fills the 16:9 screen with no bars, and your iPhone or iPad becomes the remote. See how to watch several channels on a TV.
Questions
Can I get rid of the black bars while mirroring?
Not while the TV shows a copy of the screen, because the shapes differ. Turning the device, a video player's AirPlay button or an app that draws for the TV fills the screen.
Why does the TV keep showing my screen after I open a video?
Screen Mirroring copies everything until you stop it in Control Center with Stop Mirroring. A video player's AirPlay button sends only the video instead.