There’s a good possibility that you own an Apple device, like an iPhone, iPad, or and Apple TV 4K. There's also an excellent chance that if you do have one of those devices, then you've heard of Apple AirPlay, but maybe aren't sure what it is or how to use it.
AirPlay is a wireless standard that Apple created to allow users to wirelessly transmit audio and video content from popular devices like the iPhone to AirPlay-compatible devices, like smart TVs, wireless speakers, or Apple devices such as HomePods or Apple TVs. How exactly do you get AirPlay up and running, though, and what are its limitations? Let’s find out!
What is AirPlay?
AirPlay and its more advanced successor, AirPlay 2, are technologies Apple invented to let people wirelessly transmit audio and video from their iOS devices to nearby speakers and screens. The iOS device is considered the AirPlay “sender,” and the speaker or TV is considered the AirPlay “receiver.” If you own an Apple portable device such as an iPhone, iPad, or iPod Touch with iOS 4.2 or later (which should pretty much be everybody who owns one of these devices), you already have AirPlay built-in.
Think of AirPlay as an invisible cable connecting your iOS device to the device you want to watch or listen on because that’s almost exactly the right analogy. There are two distinct ways to use AirPlay: As a way to stream audio and video and as a way to mirror your device’s entire screen. We’ll discuss the differences between these two use types below.
What’s the difference between AirPlay and AirPlay 2?
While Apple and most consumer tech brands simply refer to AirPlay 2 as AirPlay now, there was a time when differentiating between versions 1 and 2 was important. So, for the time being, we’ll be leaving this section in to highlight AirPlay’s evolution over the last couple of years.
AirPlay 2 gives you a few more choices over where and how you stream your content. From its inception, Apple claimed that AirPlay 2 would be more thoroughly integrated throughout the iOS framework, making it compatible with a number of third-party devices and services.
AirPlay 2 gives you a few more choices over where and how you stream your content. From its inception, Apple claimed that AirPlay 2 would be more thoroughly integrated throughout the iOS framework, making it compatible with a number of third-party devices and services.
From an audio standpoint, AirPlay 2 can be used to stream music to more than one speaker throughout the home. Users have the option of starting a song on their iPhone and sending the audio to multiple AirPlay-compatible speakers at the same time or hand-picking exactly what speakers the music plays on.
While AirPlay is still in use on plenty of third-party wireless speakers for audio, AirPlay 2 can stream both video and audio to multiple third-party smart TVs and streaming devices.
Is AirPlay just for iOS devices?
No. Any second-generation Intel Core (or newer) Mac computer or laptop running OS X Mountain Lion or later can use AirPlay for screen mirroring. Windows computers do not natively support AirPlay casting, so you'll need to use a third-party Windows app, such as AirMyPC or AirParrot that will allow you to mirror your PC to an Apple TV.
Apple TV and Apple TV 4K devices are also AirPlay-enabled, though they’re special in the AirPlay world, as they’re both receivers and senders.
There are also a number of major TV brands and streaming devices that offer support for AirPlay controls. Chief amongst these companies is Roku. With AirPlay directly integrated into Roku’s operating system, Roku device owners can easily stream music and video to their TVs and streaming devices.
Smart TV brands such as Samsung, Sony, Vizio, and LG also have AirPlay 2 support built-in — although exact features and capabilities will vary by brand.
If you do some Googling, you’ll also find a huge community of hardware and software developers that have discovered ingenious ways to bring AirPlay sending and receiving to other gadgets, but none of these are officially supported by Apple, so your results may vary if you decide to go down that road.
What kind of things can I do with AirPlay?
Streaming audio and video is pretty vague language, so here are some specific examples of exactly what you can do with AirPlay:
- Watching Netflix: When watching a movie or TV show on the Netflix app on your iOS device, you can AirPlay the audio and video to your TV via an Apple TV set-top box.
- Getting better sound for YouTube: When watching a video on the YouTube app, you can AirPlay just the audio to a set of wireless speakers for a much more immersive experience than listening to the built-in speaker on your iPhone or iPad.
- Surfing together: Let’s say you’re planning a road trip with friends. Instead of a big group of people huddling around a 13-inch laptop to look at a map, you can mirror the entire screen using AirPlay to a 65-inch TV via an Apple TV (or directly if your TV has AirPlay built-in).
- Multiroom party: Open your Apple Music or Spotify app and pick your favorite playlist. AirPlay that music to every wireless speaker in your house, without any annoying delays and echoes.
How to use AirPlay on a Mac
If for some reason you do not see the Airplay button in the menu bar, especially in older versions of MacOS, this next section explains how to enable AirPlay on a Mac.
How you do this will depend on which version of MacOS you are using. The process of turning on or accessing AirPlay is a lot easier in the newer versions of MacOS.
Step 1: The first step is always to make sure that your Mac and smart TV are on the same network.
Step 2: If you are using MacOS Big Sur 11, click the AirPlay status icon in the toolbar and then choose your AirPlay-compatible smart TV.
If you are using Monterey 12 or later, then you should click on the Screen mirroring icon in the Control center and choose your AirPlay-compatible smart TV or other device.
Step 3: Alternately, if you'd like to connect to an AirPlay-compatible speaker, click the Speaker icon in the toolbar, which will show the available speakers in the drop-down menu.
For these versions of MacOS, you are ready to use Airplay.
How do I use AirPlay on my iPhone, iPad, or iPod Touch?
Using AirPlay couldn’t be easier, but you will need at least three things before you begin:
- Your iOS device (obviously).
- A Wi-Fi network (AirPlay requires Wi-Fi).
- An AirPlay-compatible receiving device like a wireless speaker, Apple TV, or smart TV (make sure it's plugged in and powered on).
How to mirror your iPhone to your TV via Apple TV
Step 1: Swipe down from the top-right corner of your phone screen to see the iOS Control Center.
Step 2: Tap the Screen mirroring button. In the following window, choose your target device, which in this case is Apple TV.
Step 3: That’s it — your iPhone’s screen should now be displayed on your TV.
Pro tip: If you don’t like how it looks when in a vertical orientation, simply turn your phone sideways, and the image on your TV will do the same.
How to listen to Apple Music on a wireless speaker
Step 1: Open the Apple Music app and pick a song, album, or playlist to play.
Step 2: On the Now playing screen, tap the AirPlay audio icon.
Step 3: In the following window, choose your target audio device.
Step 4: Tap anywhere outside the window to return to the Apple Music app. You’ll now see that the AirPlay audio icon is showing that you’re connected to Dining Room, for example.
Step 5: Hit the Play button, and that’s it.
Pro tip: You can swipe up from the bottom of your screen any time you’re playing audio on your iOS device to access the AirPlay audio control.
How to watch a YouTube video on your iPad while playing the audio through your wireless speakers
Step 1: Open the YouTube app and pick a video to play.
Step 2: Tap the AirPlay video icon in the bottom-right corner of the video window, and in the following menu, choose your target audio device.
Step 3: The audio will begin playing on your chosen speaker.
Pro tip: You could also do it by swiping up at any time from the bottom of the screen to access the Control Center, and pick your speaker (or TV) from the list.
How do I use AirPlay from an Apple TV?
The Apple TV and Apple TV 4K are already set up to act as AirPlay receivers for audio and video, but they can also be used as senders, although just for audio.
You might want to do this if you don't own a soundbar or an A/V receiver but you do have some AirPlay-compatible speakers, such as Apple's HomePod.
How to AirPlay from an iOS device to a Mac
If you ever have the need to mirror your iPhone, iPad, or iPod Touch's screen to your Mac's larger computer screen, then this is how you do it. It's not really any different than AirPlay mirroring we've talked about, but it's only compatible with Macs running MacOS Monterey or later and works best on iOS 14 on this list of devices.
Step 1: Connect your compatible iOS device to the same Wi-Fi network that your Mac is on.
Step 2: Open the Control center by swiping down from the top-right corner. Or on an iPhone 8 or earlier, swipe up from the bottom edge of the screen.
Step 3: Tap the Screen mirroring icon and select your Mac from the menu that appears. Your iOS device's screen should now be mirrored on your Mac's screen.
How to use AirPlay to stream the audio for a movie or show you're watching
Step 1: While watching, swipe down on your Apple TV remote.
Step 2: Select Audio and then select each speaker or TV that you want to send the audio to.
How to use AirPlay to stream the audio for music that you're listening to
Step 1: Swipe down on your Apple TV remote.
Step 2: Select the AirPlay audio button.
Step 3: Select each speaker or TV that you want to play the audio to.
Pro tip: You can also press and hold on your Apple TV remote and select a speaker.
What are some of the newest AirPlay features?
As part of Apple’s macOS Sequoia 15.2 update, AirPlay is getting a much-needed upgrade. Now when you click the Screen mirroring icon, a pop-up window appears with three options: Entire Screen, Window or App, and Extended Display, along with the option to select a default.
This past fall, Apple also added spatial audio and Dolby Atmos support to HomePods and compatible third-party speakers, as well as Apple Intelligence-powered device suggestions. The latter is especially convenient if you own several AirPlay-compatible devices, as your Apple gadget can now suggest which device to connect, based on how often you use it. You’ll even be able to tell Siri which room to play your AirPlay content in!
