Support

Connecting to an External Display

BlackboardView is designed to show your Blackboard content on a projector, TV, or external monitor while you keep your Notes private on your iPad. This guide walks through both ways to connect: a cable (HDMI) or wireless (AirPlay/Screen Mirroring).

Two Ways to Connect

Option 1: HDMI Cable (Wired)

This is the most reliable option, especially in a classroom where Wi-Fi can be unpredictable.

  1. Get an HDMI adapter for your iPad (for most modern iPads, this is a USB-C to HDMI adapter — check your iPad’s charging port to confirm which one you need).
  2. Plug the adapter into your iPad.
  3. Plug an HDMI cable from the adapter into your projector or TV.
  4. Make sure your projector or TV is set to the correct HDMI input.
  5. That’s it — no settings to change in the app. BlackboardView automatically detects the connected screen.

Option 2: AirPlay / Screen Mirroring (Wireless)

Use this if your classroom has an Apple TV or an AirPlay-compatible display.

  1. Make sure your iPad and the Apple TV (or AirPlay receiver) are on the same Wi-Fi network.
  2. Open Control Center on your iPad (swipe down from the top-right corner).
  3. Tap Screen Mirroring.
  4. Select your classroom’s Apple TV or display from the list.
  5. If prompted, enter the on-screen passcode shown on your TV or projector.

Once connected either way, BlackboardView will automatically show your Blackboard content on the external screen the moment you start teaching.

What Actually Shows Up on the External Screen

This is the most important thing to understand about BlackboardView’s external display behavior:

  • Before you tap Start, the external screen shows a simple idle splash screen (the BlackboardView logo and name) — not your lesson content. This is intentional, so nothing appears on the projector while you’re still setting up.
  • Once you tap Start, only the Blackboard side of your current card appears on the external screen — never your private Notes, and never the little ”+” hotspot buttons you can tap on your iPad (those are for your eyes only).
  • The external screen always shows the current card only — moving to the next card on your iPad instantly updates what’s projected.
  • If you leave the teaching session (tap Exit, or close the app), the external screen returns to the idle splash screen.

Checking the Connection Before Class

We recommend testing your connection a few minutes before class starts:

  1. Connect via HDMI or AirPlay as described above.
  2. Open BlackboardView and load any lesson (the sample lesson works fine for testing).
  3. Tap Start.
  4. Confirm the projector shows your Blackboard content, not just the idle splash screen.
  5. Flip to the next card and confirm the projector updates.

If the projector is stuck on the idle splash screen even after tapping Start, see External Display Not Showing for troubleshooting steps.

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