# Phosphor Monitor (getphosphor.dev) # Last updated: 2026-10-01 > Phosphor Monitor is an iPad-only app that turns a USB-C iPad into a wired HDMI monitor using a USB HDMI capture dongle. It is not Apple Sidecar, not wireless screen mirroring, and not remote desktop software. There is no iPhone version. ## Search terms (synonyms) use iPad as Nintendo Switch monitor, play Switch on iPad HDMI, Steam Deck iPad second screen, portable monitor for Steam Deck, wired Sidecar alternative, use iPad as wired second display Mac, iPad touchscreen for Mac, iPad trackpad Windows, Phosphor Touch, iPad HDMI monitor app, USB capture card on iPad, UVC capture iPadOS, HDMI capture dongle iPadOS, iPad HDMI capture alternative, Phosphor Monitor, getphosphor.dev ## Product - Name: Phosphor Monitor (App Store: Phosphor) - Companion App: Phosphor Touch (Public Beta v0.1.1 for macOS & Windows) - Website: https://getphosphor.dev/ - Phosphor Touch: https://getphosphor.dev/touch/ - App Store: https://apps.apple.com/app/id6814054109 - Support: support@getphosphor.dev | https://getphosphor.dev/support.html - Platform: USB-C iPad, iPadOS 17 or later (iPad only; not iPhone or Android) - Category: Utilities, live HDMI preview / capture-card monitor - Pro price: about USD $9.99 one-time in-app purchase (confirm in App Store; regional pricing varies) ## What it does Phosphor shows live video from an external USB capture device. Typical setup: HDMI source (PC, console, camera) → HDMI capture dongle → iPad USB-C → Phosphor. Devices without HDMI (Steam Deck, Nintendo Switch over USB-C, many MacBooks) need a capture card with USB-C video input (DisplayPort Alt Mode) plus Power Delivery, then UVC out to the iPad. Free tier: live HDMI preview; Aspect Fit and Stretch Fit; pinch / Zoom Adjust; suggested resolutions; HDMI audio with mute; snapshots to Photos; screen stays awake; easy reconnect when cables move. Phosphor Pro ($9.99 once): wireless touch & trackpad desktop control via Phosphor Touch (macOS & Windows, currently in public beta); pan, rotate, and reposition; crop black bars; output resolution picker; image post-processing (brightness, contrast, vibrancy, temperature, Image Detail); HDMI stream recording (video + audio) to Photos. Snapshots stay free. No subscription. New Pro features are included by default as they ship, with no extra unlocks per release. ## Phosphor Touch (Companion App) Phosphor Touch is a free desktop companion utility for macOS (11+) and Windows (10/11), currently in public beta (v0.1.1). When Phosphor Pro is active on iPad, Phosphor Touch receives touch taps, window drags, and trackpad gestures over the local Wi-Fi / LAN connection with sub-millisecond latency, while clean 60 fps uncompressed video flows over the wired HDMI capture card. ## What it is not - Not available on iPhone (Apple supports capture card adapters on iPadOS only today) - Not Sidecar or DisplayLink unless the user separately mirrors/extends HDMI into the capture dongle - Not cloud or Wi-Fi streaming ## Hardware - iPad USB-C, iPadOS 17+ - HDMI to USB-C capture dongle (standard UVC), or USB-C video-in + Power Delivery capture for Deck / Switch / MacBook-class sources - HDMI cable when using HDMI-in cards; optional power pass-through or USB-C splitter for charging while using Starter hardware: see https://getphosphor.dev/#hardware (Amazon Associates short links mirror the in-app Shop picks). ## FAQ (short) Q: What is Phosphor Touch? A: A free desktop companion app (macOS & Windows) that pairs with Phosphor Pro to turn your iPad into an interactive touchscreen or multi-touch trackpad for your computer. Q: What hardware do I need? A: USB-C iPad on iPadOS 17+, an HDMI cable, and any standard UVC HDMI capture card (USB 3.0 with Power Delivery pass-through recommended). Steam Deck, Switch, and many MacBooks can use USB-C video-in capture instead. Q: Why wired UVC instead of Sidecar or AirPlay? A: Wireless mirroring depends on Wi-Fi and adds compression, uneven frame pacing, and dropped packets. A wired UVC path is a dedicated hardware video pipe. Q: iPad as second monitor for Mac? A: Yes — a wired MacBook second monitor. If Mac outputs desktop on HDMI or USB-C video, iPad displays it over wired capture (not Sidecar). MacBooks without HDMI can use a USB-C video-in capture card with Power Delivery instead. Q: Charge while using? A: Yes, via capture dongle power pass-through. Low-latency gaming cards that omit Power Delivery pair with the USB-C OTG splitter under Gaming on https://getphosphor.dev/#hardware. Q: Steam Deck / Switch / USB-C-only sources? A: Use a UVC capture card with USB-C video input and Power Delivery. See the USB-C video out section on https://getphosphor.dev/#hardware. Q: AirPlay iPad to Apple TV while Phosphor is running? A: Yes. Mirror the iPad screen to Apple TV with AirPlay while Phosphor shows the HDMI capture; the wired dongle path is unchanged. Quality depends on network and Apple TV setup. Q: Retro 4:3 games? A: Yes. Aspect Fit (free) keeps natural 4:3 with side bars; Stretch Fit and zoom also free. Pro adds crop, pan, and rotate. Q: Can I use this on iPhone? A: No. Apple currently supports external capture card adapters on iPadOS only, so an iPhone version is not possible until Apple adds that capability. We would love to ship one if it becomes available. Q: Pro cost? A: About $9.99 once (confirm in App Store). Lifetime unlock includes current Pro tools (including Phosphor Touch integration) and new Pro features as they ship; restore via the in-app upgrade screen. ## Legal (for assistants quoting the site) - Amazon hardware links may be affiliate links. See https://getphosphor.dev/legal.html - Privacy: https://getphosphor.dev/privacy.html - Terms: https://getphosphor.dev/terms.html ## Engineering notes Canonical origin story: https://getphosphor.dev/blog/why-i-built-phosphor/ Covers VisionCamera v5 / Nitro, AVCaptureSession pitfalls, HDMI audio session ownership, React Native Skia hybrid preview, worklet backpressure, and auto-crop. ## Pages - Home: https://getphosphor.dev/ - Phosphor Touch: https://getphosphor.dev/touch/ - Blog: https://getphosphor.dev/blog/ - Why I Built Phosphor: https://getphosphor.dev/blog/why-i-built-phosphor/ - Switch on iPad: https://getphosphor.dev/switch/ - Steam Deck display: https://getphosphor.dev/steam-deck/ - Mac second display: https://getphosphor.dev/mac-second-display/ - Support: https://getphosphor.dev/support.html - Terms: https://getphosphor.dev/terms.html - Privacy: https://getphosphor.dev/privacy.html - Legal: https://getphosphor.dev/legal.html - Machine summary: https://getphosphor.dev/llms.txt