Mirror or extend
Select your primary screen to mirror. For an independent desktop, click Enable extended display, then select the extra display. Set it to Extend in Windows display settings if needed.
DISPLAY ASSISTANT · START HERE
A second screen, on your iPad
Sign in and export a signed IPA from the desktop assistant, then install it with i4Tools or Apple Configurator. External software handles the first installation; the assistant handles subsequent renewal.
For Windows 10 / 11 · x64
01 / Install on both devices
Before you start: prepare an external installer
Install i4Tools first, connect and unlock iPad, and confirm it appears there before signing in and exporting a signed IPA from Xianhong Assistant. i4Tools usually installs Apple device components. If device support is not ready, export stops with an explanatory dialog.
Installing an external tool does not guarantee readiness. Confirm discovery in both tools. Error dialogs show the failed step and guidance; Send to developer submits sanitized diagnostics without your account, password or verification code.
1
Download and install Xianhong Display Assistant
Choose Windows Setup on the download page. Run the downloaded Setup.exe and follow the installer, then open Xianhong Display Assistant from the desktop or Start menu. The tablet app and guide are included. From 0.9.24, Check for updates shows download progress. After verification, click Install now; the assistant closes, installs and reopens automatically, preserving settings. For the first upgrade from an older version, run the new Setup.exe from the official website; no file renaming is needed.
Go to downloads →2
Sign in and export a signed IPA
Sign in to your Apple Account in iPad Installation & Renewal, complete verification and select the signing identity. Your password is handled by the local signing tool and is not sent to Xianhong servers. Keep the same account for later updates and renewal.
Connect and unlock iPad as before, trust this computer when prompted, and select the detected target device in the assistant. The assistant reads device information automatically; no manual identifiers are needed.
Choose Export signed IPA, select a save location and wait for signing and validation to finish. The package is already signed for the target iPad. Export success does not mean the app has been installed.
3
Complete the first installation with external software
Connect and unlock the target iPad by USB and tap Trust when prompted. In i4Tools, use its local IPA installation option to install the signed .ipa you just exported; menu names vary by version. Keep the existing signature rather than signing again with another Apple Account.
Download i4Tools (official) Choose Windows, or the Intel / Apple silicon build for your Mac. Older Mac compatibility depends on its OS. The current Xianhong Mac assistant requires Apple silicon and macOS 14 or later.
After installation, open Xianhong Display Assistant on iPad. Follow iPad system prompts for developer trust or Developer Mode if required. This workflow uses the same signed-package process regardless of jailbreak status.
4
Verify installation and set up Wi-Fi renewal
Keep USB connected for initial setup and trust the computer that will renew the app. Refresh in the assistant to confirm the installed app and expiry, then enable wireless installation and renewal. If detection still fails, enable Wi-Fi connectivity using Apple device-management software and refresh. Display streaming alone does not prove renewal connectivity.
Join the same local network, unplug USB and refresh. Confirm that the assistant can still read the device and installed app wirelessly before enabling automatic renewal. Keep the computer, assistant and renewal service running, with a valid Apple sign-in. Windows still requires working Apple device services; external first installation does not replace them.
Free signing usually lasts seven days; use the expiry verified from the installed profile. Automatic renewal attempts one day before expiry and reinstalls the renewed app over Wi-Fi, briefly interrupting it. Unavailable devices wait for retry; failure dialogs allow sanitized diagnostic submission.
02 / Make your first connection
1
Open the iPad app
Keep both apps open. If iPad asks for developer trust or Developer Mode, follow its system instructions and reopen the app.
2
Stream over the same local network
On Windows, USB is for installation and trust. Display streaming uses the local network. Join the same network and allow local network access.
3
Enter the tablet IP and connect
Read the current IPv4 address in iPad Settings → Wi-Fi details. Enter it in Tablet current Wi-Fi IPv4 address on Windows, select the display to share and click Connect. Recheck the address after changing networks.
03 / Set up your workspace
Touch, keyboard and audio
Use More on iPad for mode, aspect ratio and keyboard; turn Speaker on in Audio at the top. Touch control requires input permissions on the computer; on Mac, allow Accessibility when prompted. Test a tap and a drag first.
04 / Troubleshooting
iPad app expired or will not open
Refresh and renew using paired Wi-Fi. If unavailable, connect and unlock iPad by USB. If adoption still fails, export another IPA signed with the same account and install over the existing app externally. Complete Apple authentication if prompted.
Tablet appears but will not connect
Keep both apps open, check for a changed iPad IP and allow firewall and local network access. Try a regular home Wi-Fi network. Mac also supports USB display streaming; Windows USB is only for installation and trust.
Blank screen, no audio or touch
Check the selected display, then screen recording and input permissions, plus the Speaker switch in Audio at the top of iPad. Reopen the assistant after changing permissions.
Mac disconnects when the lid closes
Closing the lid may put your Mac to sleep. Start with the lid open. For closed-lid use, configure a tool such as Amphetamine and check its lid settings. Continuous closed-lid operation is not guaranteed on every Mac.