External Display BrowserMarch 20265 min read

There Is Now a Real Samsung DeX Alternative for iPhone

Samsung DeX has let Android users turn their phone into a desktop for years. iPhone never had an equivalent. Here is the closest thing that actually works.

If you have used Samsung DeX, you know how good it feels to plug your phone into a monitor and suddenly have a desktop-like experience. Mouse support, keyboard shortcuts, multiple windows, full websites instead of mobile pages. It is a genuinely useful feature.

iPhone users have been asking Apple for something similar for years. The company has not shipped it natively. But there is now an app that gets very close to what DeX offers for browsers on your iPhone setup.

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The MacBook Neo showed exactly what an iPhone can do when paired with a proper display. iPhone chips have been outperforming many laptop chips in benchmark tests since 2020. The hardware was never the bottleneck. Apple just chose not to build the desktop mode software. Until they do, External Display Browser is the best workaround available.

What Samsung DeX Does

DeX puts a windowed desktop interface on an external display when you connect a compatible Galaxy device. You get a taskbar, resizable app windows, a desktop cursor with any Bluetooth or USB mouse, and keyboard shortcut support. It is close enough to a laptop experience that many people use it as one.

What iOS Does by Default

Connect an iPhone to an external monitor and you get screen mirroring. The iPhone's portrait screen is scaled up with black bars filling the sides. There is no windowed mode, no desktop cursor, no landscape browser. It is more like casting than a desktop experience.

Apple restricts what apps can do with external displays. Most developers have no way to properly output landscape full-screen content. External Display Browser uses the available APIs in a way that fills the screen properly.

How External Display Browser Changes This

External Display Browser outputs a full-screen landscape browser to the external monitor. Your iPhone becomes the controller while the monitor gets the real browser UI. Add a Bluetooth mouse and keyboard and the experience is genuinely close to a desktop browser session.

Full-screen landscape browser on any external monitor, TV or portable display
Bluetooth mouse and keyboard support with full cursor and shortcuts
Floating windows you can drag and resize on screen
Camera and microphone for Zoom, Google Meet and Teams calls
File downloads and PDFs opening as browser tabs
No black bars, native resolution output

External Display Browser

Full screen on any external monitor, TV or portable display. On the App Store.

Download on the App Store

Comparing DeX to External Display Browser

Feature	Samsung DeX	External Display Browser
Full-screen external display	Yes	Yes
Mouse and keyboard support	Yes	Yes
Browser full screen	Yes	Yes
Multiple app windows (any app)	Yes	Browser only
File downloads	Yes	Yes
Video calls with camera and mic	Yes	Yes
Works on iPhone	No	Yes
Price	Free with Samsung devices	On the App Store

What You Need to Get Started

Any iPhone supporting video output (iPhone 5 or later, see supported models below)
A Lightning to HDMI adapter (iPhone 5 to 14) or USB-C to HDMI or USB-C to USB-C cable/hub (iPhone 15 and later)
An external monitor, TV or portable display with HDMI input
A Bluetooth mouse and keyboard if you want the full desktop feel
External Display Browser from the App Store

iPhone Models Supporting Video Output

Lightning Port (iPhone 5 to 14)

iPhone 5, 5c, 5s, 6, 6 Plus, 6s, 6s Plus, SE (1st), 7, 7 Plus, 8, 8 Plus, X, XS, XS Max, XR, 11, 11 Pro, 11 Pro Max, SE (2nd), 12 mini, 12, 12 Pro, 12 Pro Max, 13 mini, 13, 13 Pro, 13 Pro Max, SE (3rd), 14, 14 Plus, 14 Pro, 14 Pro Max

Requires Lightning to HDMI adapter, but please check compatibility for your specific model and cable.

USB-C (iPhone 15 and later)

iPhone 15, 15 Plus, 15 Pro, 15 Pro Max, 16, 16 Plus, 16 Pro, 16 Pro Max, 17, 17 Plus, 17 Pro, 17 Pro Max, 18, 18 Pro, 18 Pro Max

Works with any USB-C to HDMI or USB-C to USB-C cable or hub. Note: iPhone Air and iPhone E models do not support video output.

Setting It Up

Connect your iPhone to the monitor

Use the appropriate adapter or cable for your iPhone model. The monitor will show a mirrored screen when you first connect. That is expected.

Download and open External Display Browser

Get the app from the App Store. Launch it while the monitor is still connected. The app immediately switches the external display to full-screen landscape mode.

Connect a Bluetooth mouse and keyboard

Go to iPhone Settings, Bluetooth, and pair your devices. Once paired, the cursor appears on the external monitor. Keyboard input routes to the browser. Scroll wheel and extra mouse buttons work too.

Use your iPhone as a desktop browser

Navigate to any website. Use the mouse to click, scroll and interact. Use keyboard shortcuts for copy, paste and navigation. It is not exactly DeX, but for browser use it is the closest iPhone gets.

Will Apple ever build native DeX for iPhone?

Apple has shown hints of expanded external display support in recent iOS updates but has not shipped a full desktop mode. Stage Manager on iPad gets close, but it has not come to iPhone. External Display Browser is the best option available right now for iPhone users who want that experience.

Try External Display Browser

Full screen on any external monitor, TV or portable display. No black bars. Download on the App Store.

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