AirPlay by Apple is a feature that allows you to stream content wirelessly from your iOS mobile device to an Apple TV, AirPlay-enabled speakers, a Mac computer that’s set up as an AirPlay receiver, or a smart TV. Most of the time, using AirPlay doesn’t require much setup. We’ll teach you how to get your devices ready to stream in a few simple steps, plus talk you through common AirPlay issues and how to fix them. Read on to learn more, with tips from AV tech specialist Jason Williams.
Setting Up AirPlay: The Basics
Make sure your iPhone or iPad is connected to the same Wi-Fi network as the device you’re streaming to. Open the Control Center on your iPhone or iPad, tap Screen Mirroring, and select your AirPlay-compatible device. You can also tap the AirPlay icon while watching a video or listening to music to start streaming.
Steps
Streaming with AirPlay
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Verify your iOS device is compatible with AirPlay. If you have an iOS device that’s capable of running iOS 4.2 or higher, you’re good to go. In other words, pretty much any modern iPhone or iPad can stream to an AirPlay receiver.
- Newer AirPlay-compatible devices, such as Roku and many smart TVs, require your iPhone or iPad to have AirPlay 2 capability. To use AirPlay 2, your iOS device must be running iOS 12.3 or later.
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Verify you own a device that works as an AirPlay receiver. You can stream content to an Apple TV, AirPlay-compatible speakers, a Mac that’s been set up as an AirPlay receiver, or most newer smart TVs and streaming devices. If you’re not sure, look for a label on your device that says “Works with Apple AirPlay,” or check your user manual or the manufacturer’s website.
- To see a list of AirPlay-compatible TVs and speakers, check out this page from Apple .
- To stream to your Mac, you’ll need to make sure your Mac is set up as an AirPlay receiver
. Go to Apple menu > System Settings > General > AirDrop & Handoff
and toggle AirPlay Receiver
on.
- In this menu, you can also choose who can stream to your Mac with AirPlay (e.g., just you or anyone on the same network) and whether a password is required.
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Connect your iOS device and AirPlay device to the same Wi-Fi network. Both your devices will need to be connected to Wi-Fi for AirPlay to work. If multiple networks are available, double-check that both devices are on the same network. [1] X Research source
- Williams suggests that you make sure that you have a reliable Wi-Fi signal. AirPlay requires a good internet connection to work properly.
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Sign into the same Apple Account on Apple devices. While this isn’t strictly necessary for using AirPlay, it can make the connection process easier if you’re trying to stream to a Mac or Apple TV. Sign in on both your iPhone or iPad and your receiver device with the same Apple Account (formerly Apple ID). [2] X Research source
- For instance, if you’re streaming to your Mac and you’ve chosen to only allow streaming from “Current User,” you’ll need to log in with the same Apple Account for AirPlay to work.
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Open the Control Center on your iPhone or iPad. On most models of iPhone and iPad, you can open the Control Center by swiping down from the top right side of the screen. If you have an iPhone with a Home button, swipe up from the bottom instead.
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Tap the Screen Mirroring icon. In newer versions of iOS, this button looks like a pair of overlapping rectangles. In earlier versions, it might look like a TV screen. Tapping this button displays a list of all AirPlay screen mirroring-compatible devices connected to your Wi-Fi network. [3] X Research source
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Tap on the device to which you want to stream content. After selecting a device, AirPlay streaming will be enabled.
- On some devices, you may be prompted to enter a passcode on your iPhone or iPad to connect. This code will appear on the screen you’re trying to stream to from your iOS device.
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Navigate to the media you want to stream, then tap Play . The media content will now start playing on your AirPlay-compatible device. [4] X Research source
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Stream from within apps as an alternative to Screen Mirroring. Say you’re playing Apple Music and want to stream to a nearby speaker, or you’re watching a video in the Apple TV app and you want to stream just that (instead of everything on your phone’s screen) to your TV. Start playing the photo or video, then tap the AirPlay icon and select the device you’d like to stream to. You can use your iPhone or iPad to control playback while you watch or listen. [5] X Research source
- For videos, the AirPlay icon resembles a TV screen. If you’re listening to an audio file, look for a series of concentric circles with a triangle on the bottom.
- Some third-party apps, like YouTube, can also stream to devices using AirPlay. Tap the screen sharing icon (on YouTube, this looks like a screen with several curved lines in one corner), then select AirPlay & Bluetooth devices and select your device.
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Set up AirPlay to stream automatically (optional). If you stream from your iPhone or iPad to a certain AirPlay device all the time, you can set up your phone or tablet to automatically connect when it detects that device. To do this: [6] X Research source
- Open Settings on your iPhone or iPad and go to General > AirPlay & Continuity .
- Tap Automatically AirPlay .
- Select Never to always connect manually, Ask if you want your iPhone or iPad to ask when it detects an AirPlay compatible device, or Automatic if you’d like to automatically start streaming from apps you regularly use with AirPlay.
Community Q&A
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QuestionHow do I use Airplay on an iPhone X?This answer was written by one of our trained team of researchers who validated it for accuracy and comprehensiveness.wikiHow Staff EditorStaff AnswerMake sure your iPhone X and your Airplay compatible device are on the same network. In the home screen on your iPhone, swipe down from the upper right-hand corner and hit the “Screen Mirroring” button. Whatever you want to display on your Airplay device should then become visible on the screen.
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QuestionHow do you turn Airplay off?This answer was written by one of our trained team of researchers who validated it for accuracy and comprehensiveness.wikiHow Staff EditorStaff AnswerOn an iPhone X or later or an iPad running iOS 12, swipe down from the upper right corner of the screen to open the control center. Swipe up from the bottom of the screen for older devices/operating systems. From there, tap the “Screen Mirroring” or “Music” widget and hit “Stop Mirroring” or “Stop Airplay.”
Video
Tips
References
- ↑ https://support.apple.com/guide/iphone/stream-video-and-audio-from-your-iphone-iphd668e80e6/ios
- ↑ https://support.apple.com/guide/iphone/stream-video-and-audio-from-your-iphone-iphd668e80e6/ios
- ↑ https://support.apple.com/en-us/102661
- ↑ https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT204289
- ↑ https://support.apple.com/guide/iphone/stream-video-and-audio-from-your-iphone-iphd668e80e6/ios
- ↑ https://support.apple.com/en-us/102661
- ↑ https://support.apple.com/en-us/102587
- ↑ https://support.apple.com/guide/iphone/stream-video-and-audio-from-your-iphone-iphd668e80e6/ios
- ↑ https://support.apple.com/guide/tv/adjust-settings-for-airplay-and-homekit-atvb0342111f/tvos