When we need to enable mobile screen mirroring or multi-screen interaction, we’ll find a variety of technologies and protocols on the market, such as Miracast, WiDi, DLNA, and AirPlay. What are their differences? Which protocols should be prioritized for support when integrating a wireless screen mirroring SDK? This article will break it down for you in detail.

Based on Wi-Fi Direct technology, Miracast establishes a peer-to-peer connection directly between the sender (mobile phone) and the receiver (TV/projector) without the need for a router. Its advantage lies in enabling true screen mirroring with low latency, which can transmit all operations on the mobile phone in real time—making it ideal for scenarios like presentations and gaming. However, it has certain hardware requirements, and compatibility issues may arise between different devices.

It’s worth noting that WiDi can be regarded as the “predecessor” of Miracast and has now been largely replaced by Miracast.

DLNA operates within the same Wi-Fi network, and its main function is to “push” local media files (such as photos, videos, and music) from a mobile phone to a playback device. Its strengths include high protocol popularity and low resource consumption. On the downside, it cannot support full-screen mirroring—only pushing specific media files—resulting in relatively weak interactivity.

AirPlay is a proprietary protocol launched by Apple, designed for wireless screen mirroring and media pushing between iOS/macOS devices and receiving devices like Apple TV. Within the Apple ecosystem, it delivers an extremely smooth and stable experience. However, it is highly closed off and not very compatible with Android and Windows devices.

For developers, adapting to each of these protocols individually is a massive undertaking. Therefore, selecting a wireless screen mirroring SDK that supports multiple protocols and enables adaptive connections is crucial. An excellent SDK can:

There is no “one-size-fits-all” protocol—only the one that best suits a specific scenario. By integrating a powerful wireless screen mirroring SDK, your application can easily cover all mainstream protocols and provide users with the most comprehensive and smooth multi-screen interaction experience.