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Screen mirroring is a handy feature offered by most smart devices nowadays. It’s a great feature to use for entertainment purposes, such as watching your favorite media or playing a smartphone game on a larger screen.
While this feature can have several practical applications, many people use it to exploit the privacy of technologically-backward people who have no clue what it does. People with malicious intent may use Screen mirroring to monitor your activities.
That being said, if you want to determine if someone is mirroring your Screen without you knowing, then you should know what the feature is and how it works. Read on to find out everything you need about this feature and how to turn it off.
Screen Mirroring – What Is It?
Screen mirroring is a technology that allows you to stream media playing on your Android, iOS, or Windows device to another device, such as a media projector or television. The connection takes place wirelessly and allows you to cast multiple media such as photos, games, videos, and more.
It’s powered by the Miracast protocol that allows you to mirror one Screen to another wirelessly. To use this technology, both your device must support Screen mirroring. However, not all devices will be compatible with this feature.
Screen Mirroring on Android – How to Identify and Disable
Most android devices have a built-in feature that allows you to mirror your Screen on other devices. You can even use several third-party applications to do so, but they’ll also be utilizing the same feature for the purpose. Here’s how you can do it:
- On your smartphone, swipe down to access the notification screen and swipe once again to reveal the Quick Options
- Swipe right to access the second page and click on the “Screen Cast” button
- In case the button doesn’t appear, tap on the Pencil icon on the bottom-left part of the Screen and then click on the button
- Now, your phone will search for available connections. As soon as it appears, click on the option to initiate the casting request
- Then, click on the “Allow” button to grant permission to your device to start recording
In just a few seconds, your device’s Screen should be visible on your monitor or TV, wherever you want to mirror it. Whatever actions you perform on your Android device will be mirrored directly to the other device with little or no delay, depending on your connection strength.
That being said, if you use an Android smartphone and have the “Screen Cast” button enabled on your Quick Access toolbar, this means that your Screen is being mirrored. To turn it off, simply tap on the “Screen Cast” button once again.
Screen Mirroring on iOS – How Does it Work and How to Identify
You can use the AirPlay feature on your iOS device to share and stream media from your smartphone to other Apple devices such as Mac, Apple TV, AirPlay compatible smart TV, and more. Here is how AirPlay is used to share photos, stream videos, or mirror the entire Screen:
- Make sure that both your iOS device and smart TV are connected to the same wireless network
- Locate the media that you want to stream
- Then, tap on the “AirPlay” option. In the case of certain apps like Photos, you’ll have to tap on the “Share” button first and then choose the “AirPlay” option
- Once done, choose the AirPlay 2 compatible smart TV or Apple TV from the list
After selecting the preferred device for Screen mirroring, your media will begin streaming on it. You can quickly determine if your iOS device is being mirrored or not by looking at the “AirPlay” option in the Control Centre of your device. To stop this, follow the steps given below:
- Launch the app from which the media is streaming
- Then, tap on the “AirPlay” option. Alternatively, you can also access it through the Control Centre
- Afterward, tap on your iOS device from the list
Screen Mirroring on Windows – How to Turn It Off
Windows devices allow you to mirror your Screen to another device or a projector. If the sending and receiving devices both have the same operating system, you can also control one remotely with a keyboard and mouse. Here’s how:
- Launch the “Action Centre” on your PC by clicking on the bottom-right corner of the Screen
- From the various tiles, click on the “Connect” button and wait for the list of available receiving devices to appear
- Once your PC has detected the receiving devices, select your preferred one and wait for both devices to pair
- You can also toggle the “Allow Input” option to on if you want to allow the receiving device to control your PC
So, to determine whether your Windows PC is Screen mirrored to another device or not, all you have to do is head to the “Connect” option in the “Action Centre” and check if any device is connected to your PC or not.
If it is, then you can click on the “Disconnect” button next to the connected device to terminate the connection.
Can Someone Screen Mirror Your Phone Without You Knowing?
Whether you use an Android or iOS smartphone, there are specific spyware applications available that allow a malicious person to track your activity remotely. They can actively monitor your device from a distant location without even touching it.
While they’ll still need permission to mirror your Screen, most of your data, such as call logs, messages, and more, will be accessible to them. To prevent this, make sure you remove any apps that you haven’t installed on your smartphone.
How Can You Determine If You’re Being Spied On?
While it’s hard to determine whether you’re being monitored or not from a general outlook, you may consider checking the list of apps installed on your smartphone to find anything suspicious that you haven’t installed in your phone.
Sometimes, these malicious files can obfuscate themselves with stock names like Settings, Appdata, and more, so make sure you look out for those too. Such applications may also not be visible on the app drawer and work in the background instead.
Stopping Your Devices from Casting to Other Devices
An official android update by Google allows all users connected to the same wireless network to determine whether you’re casting your device or not. They can also gain control over your cast by just being connected on the same network.
To prevent this from happening, you need to access the app that’s casting, tap on the “Cast” option and then turn it off. There are several cast-enabled devices that may put your privacy at risk, such as the ones given below:
- Google Cast-enabled products.
- Chromecast.
- Chromecast Audio.
- Chromecast Ultra.
- Google Home.
- Nexus Player.
- Nvidia Shield.
- Razer Forge TV
Here’s how you can stop your various devices from casting to other devices:
Samsung TV
To prevent your Samsung TV from casting to other devices, just follow the steps given below:
- Revoke all the pre-authenticated registered devices from the Settings
- Access the device list from Settings > General > External Device Manager > Device Connection Manager > Device List
- Then, make sure you do not accept any unknown connection request that you receive
Android Phone
To prevent your android phone from casting to nearby devices, you have to head to the “Settings” tab > Google > Device Connections > Cast Media Controls. On the next interface, you can toggle off the “Media Control for Cast Devices” option.
Chromecast
You can prevent others from connection to your chromecast by following the steps given below:
- Head to the Google Home app and then locate your cast device
- Then, tap on the Chromecast settings icon at the top-right corner of your screen
- Now, turn off the “Let others control your cast media” toggle
Frequently Asked Questions
How Can Someone Screen Mirror My Phone Without Permission?
While there are several ways to mirror your smartphone to another device using built-in utility or third-party apps, you’ll still have to grant permission before the connection takes place. If a malicious person has physical access to your phone and manages to grant the required permission, then they can mirror your phone without you knowing.
Can Someone Remotely See My Phone Screen?
Unfortunately, there are various spyware apps and exploits that an attacker might use to view and control your phone remotely. They usually trick you into installing a malicious application or gaining physical access to your device to do so.
Where is the Screen Mirroring Setting on iPhone?
You can find the Screen Mirroring setting on your iOS device by navigating to the Control Centre and tapping on the “Screen Mirroring” option. There, you’ll see a list of all the available devices on which you can mirror your Screen.
Final Words
We hope this newfound information on Screen mirroring proves to be helpful for you. If you doubt that your Screen is being mirrored and monitored, then using the steps mentioned above will help you identify and disable the feature in no time.
