What To Know
- You can use your iPhone as a projector with a projector box or by creating a DIY shoebox projector.
- Commercial iPhone projector boxes, like those from Luckiest of London or Polaroid, magnify your iPhone screen onto a wall.
- For a homemade solution, a shoebox, magnifying glass, black paint, and glue can transform your iPhone into a simple projector.
In this article, I’ll show you how to turn your iPhone into a projector, easily projecting your screen onto the wall.
Let’s get into it!
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The 2 Options for Using Your iPhone as a Projector
iPhones are awesome.
They can do a lot of things.
Yes, including project images for you on a wall or screen.
As we mentioned, there are 2 options to do that.
Let’s take a close look at each one.
iPhone Projector Boxes
What does a projector do?
It projects images onto the wall to enhance your viewing experience.
Well, what if we tell you that you can do that with your iPhone as well…
…with the help of a projector box.
You might be wondering, “How does it work?”
An iPhone projector box is simply a box with lenses inside. These lenses are the ones that project the images on your iPhone to the wall/screen.
Here’s how to set it up:
- Turn off all the surrounding lights in the room.
- Select the video/movie you want to project.
- Turn your iPhone’s screen to the brightest level.
- Place it inside and angle it in a way that the lenses can enlarge the images.
- Play your video.
- Shut the box tight. You don’t want any light filtering in.
- Sit back and enjoy.
With that, everyone can watch from their iPhones without having to gather beside each other.
A quick side note. Though this is a creative and fun idea, it shouldn’t be for commercial or professional use as it doesn’t have the best quality.
Recommendations
If you’re interested in buying these iPhone projector boxes, here are some recommendations to check out…
Luckiest of London Smartphone Projector is a fun way to get creative with your family.
- Suitable for use with iOS and Android compatible smart phones.
- Fits phones up to a maximum size of 8cm x 14.5cm and 3.2 x 5.7 inches
- Pack includes lens. Glue not included.
Last update on 2023-12-06 / Paid Link.
It comes with everything you need to assemble it:
- A box that can securely fit an iPhone inside (3.2″ x 5.7″).
- Lenses that can magnify images up to 8x bigger than your iPhone screen.
- Other tools that help set it up.
Not only that, but it also has a cool design that makes it look like a real projector.
Another recommendation is also from Luckiest of London.
- Smart Phone Projector 2.0 Brown - a mini projector for smartphones; Our portable projector screen...
- Place your cell phone in the phone stand compartment, turn the brightness to 100% & enjoy family...
- An outdoor projector screen for family parties! Unlike a traditional movie projector our cell phone...
Last update on 2023-12-06 / Paid Link.
This Smartphone Projector 2.0 version comes fully assembled.
It has a more retro look. And, it can support iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus.
Then, there’s the Polaroid Projector.
This iPhone projector box has a unique shape and can project the screen up to 16cm bigger.
DIY iPhone Projectors
If you’re not willing to spend on iPhone projector boxes, you can MAKE YOUR OWN!
All you’ll need are a shoebox that can fit your iPhone, a magnifying glass , black acrylic paint , and glue .
Once you have all that, follow these simple steps:
- If your shoebox has any flaps inside, you first need to glue it down.
- Once the glue is dry, trace the magnifying glass on the side of the shoebox. Make sure you trace over the shoebox’s lid as well.
- Cut off what you’ve traced with a cutter. This hole is where you’ll install the magnifying glass.
- To install the magnifying glass, you need to remove its handle by breaking, cutting, sawing, or unscrewing.
- But before you secure the magnifying glass, paint the inside of the shoebox with your black paint. The darkness will absorb the light and not allow it to escape.
- Once the paint dries, glue the magnifying glass through the hole from the inside out. You should also paint the outside edges of the hole so that zero light can enter.
- If you want to get fancy, you can paint the outside of the shoebox (although this isn’t necessary).
- Inside the box, create a stand for your iPhone. You can get creative with what to use for this.
- Turn your iPhone’s brightness level to 100% and place it upside down inside the box.
- To get the best focus, move the phone forward or backward inside the shoebox.
- Close the lid, sit back, and enjoy.
So you see.
It’s so easy and fun to make your own!
iPhones With Built-In Projectors – Are the Rumors True
When the iPhone 6 was about to come out in 2014, there were a lot of speculations about amazing new features…
…such as a built-in projector!
Its projector was said to function as an actual one, with HD images and all that.
However, that rumor was soon shut down when the iPhone 6 became available and it had no built-in projector.
Now, each time a new iPhone model comes out, this rumor will come up again.
Even with the newest model coming out soon (the iPhone 12), people still wish that a built-in projector would be added to its features.
If not, it might happen in the future… In the future when technology becomes even more advanced than we can imagine.
In the meantime, iPhones don’t have built-in projectors.
Conclusion
Don’t have a projector?
No worries.
Remember, there are 2 options to use your iPhone as a projector.
The first option is to buy an iPhone projector box. The other option is to DIY an iPhone projector box.
Whichever you choose, you’ll be able to enjoy videos/movies with family and friends.
We hope that this article has been a great help to you!
Meet Vance. He’s a proud dad, a seasoned Electronics Engineer, and an avid tech lover. His proficiency in electronics and troubleshooting skills were instrumental in crafting Pointer Clicker. Vance is passionate about simplifying tech for those who aren’t well-versed in it.