Put sender and receiver in the correct roles
Squirrels describes Reflector as software added to a Mac or Windows computer. That computer becomes a destination for supported devices. Installing receiving software on the destination is a different task from choosing what to send on a phone or a laptop.
Before diagnosing discovery, draw a simple private note of the intended direction: which device originates the picture and which should display it. A computer can sometimes fill either role, but the application selected for one role does not automatically provide the other.
Check the protocol against the operating system
Reflector’s desktop feature page describes AirPlay, Google Cast and Miracast receiving routes, with an explicit restriction that its Miracast receiving feature applies to Reflector for Windows only. Keep that operating-system condition with any compatibility claim.
Use the sender’s supported projection control and the receiver edition’s documentation together. A screen labelled Cast or Screen Mirroring does not identify a universal protocol across all products. Record the actual route when comparing one successful device with another that is absent from the destination list.
Control which connections appear
The publisher documents connection prompts, on-screen codes and controls to show or hide connected devices. Those controls help you decide which source is presented. A connected device being hidden is a presentation state, different from a receiver failing to accept any connection.
For a household demonstration or support example, admit only the intended sender and avoid exposing unrelated notifications. A code displayed on the receiving screen is connection information; do not publish it as part of a public diagnostic screenshot.
Understand audio and media scope
Reflector supports audio-only receiving as well as screen presentation, and the publisher explains that streamed media and mirrored-device audio have different control paths. Identify the task before assuming that every missing sound is a computer speaker fault.
Begin with content you are authorised to share, then record sender, receiver OS, protocol and output mode. Reflector is a receiving tool, not a subscription package or a promise that every protected programme supports mirroring. Source-service rules and exact software compatibility remain separate checks.