Whether or not you own an Apple device, there’s a good chance you’ve heard of AirPlay. Available for most Apple hardware — including the iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch, Mac computers, and Apple TV streaming devices — as well as a range of third-party devices, AirPlay allows you wirelessly send audio and video from an Apple gadget (the transmitter) to a compatible speaker, smart TV, or streaming device (the receiver).
But that’s just scratching the surface. There’s a lot more to AirPlay than meets the eye, so we put together this guide to teach you everything you should know about Apple’s wireless protocol.
What is AirPlay anyway?
Originally debuting in 2004 as AirTunes, AirPlay is Apple’s proprietary streaming protocol designed to allow users to “throw” audio and video signals from one “sender” device to one “receiver” device. Streamed content includes music, video, photos, and screen sharing, all of which retain their metadata when sent via AirPlay.
Back then, sender devices included Windows computers running Apple Music, iOS devices including iPhones, iPods, and iPads, and Mac computers running macOS X Mountain Lion or later (depending upon the processor).
Receiver devices include Apple TV, Apple’s HomePod, HomePod Gen 2, HomePod Mini, Mac computers with Monterey macOS or newer installed, and a wide variety of supported third-party wireless speakers, as well as a number of smart TV platforms.
AirPlay also lets you “mirror” the screen of an iOS/iPadOS/macOS device to an Apple TV so that you don’t end up with a group of people huddling around a tiny screen just to see a map, photo, video, etc.
What does AirPlay do?
Announced in 2017, AirPlay 2 builds on the original AirPlay feature set and lets you exert more control over AirPlay devices through Apple’s HomeKit platform. At one point, Apple and other consumer tech brands often differentiated between the original AirPlay version and AirPlay 2. These days, though, it’s far more common to see AirPlay 2 simply referred to as AirPlay. That being said, we’ll be keeping this section as is for the time being to showcase the evolution of the technology.
Some of the most useful features of AirPlay include:
- Stream music to multiple AirPlay-compatible speakers simultaneously, creating a true multiroom streaming system. Under the original AirPlay, only one could be used at a time.
- Apple Home compatibility. You can use the Home app to label these AirPlay devices and add them to rooms and scenes, which can then be automated. For fans of Apple’s Siri voice assistant, this is a big deal because Siri can control any devices that HomeKit recognizes. Initially, this only worked with an Apple Music subscription, but Apple has been adding support, including Deezer, Spotify, Pandora, and more.
- If you own two of Apple’s HomePods or HomePod Minis, you can use AirPlay to set them up as a stereo pair.
- AirPlay can also be used to control streaming video, and on many more devices than just an Apple TV. Smart TV models from Samsung, LG, Vizio, Toshiba, and Sony are AirPlay-compatible, as are all Roku TVs and select 4K-capable Roku player devices. For some people, this will mean they no longer need an Apple TV device at all — especially as many of these same TVs will be getting Apple’s TV app too.
Other devices that support AirPlay include multiple soundbars, smart thermostats like the Ecobee, and other smart speakers.
While older versions of AirPlay allowed for lossless 16-bit/44kHz CD-quality audio, it turns out AirPlay 2 actually lowers the resolution of all audio down to 256Kbp AAC. Word around the AirPlay grapevine is Apple opted for lower bandwidth to allow for multi-room audio via Apple Home. However, there are a couple of caveats:
If you happen to own older Apple hardware (like the now-discontinued AirPort Express), you’ll still be able to get lossless CD quality playback when using AirPlay. There are also a couple of exceptions for AirPlay 2 lossless playback, like if you’re streaming Qobuz from a Mac computer to a compatible AirPlay device.
Does AirPlay work on all my Apple devices?
AirPlay 2 is baked into iOS, iPadOS, and macOS, so whether you’re using an Apple mobile device or computer, you’ll have full control of audio playback. The same goes for the Apple TV and Apple TV 4K streaming devices. Apple’s tvOS turns your Apple TV into a “sender” device for audio, so if you’re playing a movie on Apple TV, you can turn every AirPlay 2 speaker in your home into an expanded home theater sound system — a handy feature for those without a dedicated soundbar or 5.1 home theater system.
With the macOS Monterey update, Apple has also added the ability to AirPlay directly from another Apple device, like an iPhone or iPad, directly to your Mac. This can be used to show media on a larger screen if you want to share it with an audience, among other purposes. This macOS support is only available on Mac models sold within the last few years but works on MacBooks, iMacs, the Mac Mini, and more.
How is AirPlay different than Bluetooth?
Although AirPlay and Bluetooth both allow audio to be streamed wirelessly, there are several important differences:
- Despite the name, AirPlay (and AirPlay 2) will work over any IP network connection, whether wired or wireless (Wi-Fi). The only rule is that all AirPlay devices must be on the same network.
- Bluetooth can directly connect devices wirelessly without needing a common IP-based network.
- AirPlay is proprietary to Apple. At the moment, the company only allows Apple devices to use AirPlay to stream media. Bluetooth is an open standard. Any company can choose to incorporate Bluetooth streaming into its devices.
- AirPlay can send video as well as audio, while Bluetooth only works with audio.
- But because AirPlay uses Wi-Fi and Ethernet, it has more bandwidth to work with and can thus support higher-quality audio streaming than Bluetooth.
- Bluetooth wireless range is shorter than Wi-Fi and has a harder time penetrating walls and other obstacles.
- You can use a Bluetooth speaker as a speakerphone if it’s got a mic, and some will let you create stereo pairs over Bluetooth. AirPlay doesn’t have the same mic-oriented features.
- Bluetooth is a more universal standard and is used to pair keyboards, mice, and much more. AirPlay is focused on streaming media.
Which devices work with AirPlay?
As mentioned, the list of AirPlay sender devices is fairly short, comprising mostly iOS devices (they’ll need iOS 11 or later) and Mac computers (macOS 10.13 or later) — it won’t work on any devices made before 2011.
The list of receiver devices, on the other hand, is growing rapidly, and by our count, includes many brands of wireless speakers and AV receivers, plus a growing selection of TV brands. AirPlay has been expanding its reach in the streaming world as well, thanks to Roku device support.
Here are just a few of the companies that already support AirPlay on some of their products:
- Amazon Omni and Fire TV
- Bang & Olufsen
- Bluesound
- Bose
- Bowers & Wilkins
- Definitive Technology
- Denon
- Devialet
- Ecobee
- Ikea
- LG
- Libratone
- Marshall
- Marantz
- McIntosh
- Naim
- Pioneer
- Polk Audio
- Roku
- Samsung
- Sonos
- Sony
- Vizio
As you might expect, this is likely just a small fraction of the companies that plan to add Airplay support to their products eventually. Plus, some existing apps and products can be updated to support AirPlay, in addition to newly developed apps and products.
So, if you have some swanky, Wi-Fi-enabled B&W speakers, don’t sell them just yet!
How to start using AirPlay
If you have compatible devices, using AirPlay is very easy, but there are several different ways to do it.
Using AirPlay to screen mirror
On an iOS/iPad OS device, access the Control Center and select the two interconnected rectangles icon. This will bring up a list of available screen mirroring devices on your network, like an Apple TV or a compatible Mac. Select the one you want.
Using AirPlay to stream video
Inside an AirPlay-compatible app on an iOS/iPad OS device, begin to play a video. Tapping the screen once should reveal a set of icons in the top-right corner. Look for the rectangle with a triangle pointing into the bottom and select it. It should bring up a list of available video AirPlay devices on your network, like an Apple TV or a compatible Mac. Select the one you want.
Using AirPlay to stream audio
There are two ways to AirPlay audio on an iOS/iPad OS device. If your app supports AirPlay, on the Now Playing screen, you may see a triangle with a radiating series of concentric rings. Selecting that icon will bring up a list of available AirPlay audio devices on your network, like a wireless speaker or an AirPlay-compatible AV receiver. Select the one you want.
If your app does not support direct AirPlay streaming, you can create an AirPlay connection to a compatible speaker using the Control Center. Look for a media control panel that has the same triangle with radiating concentric rings icon, and select it. That will bring up a list of available AirPlay audio devices on your network, like a wireless speaker or an AirPlay-compatible AV receiver. Select the one you want.
On a Mac, AirPlay audio options are found in the Sound menu. This is often available from the Mac’s top menu bar, but if the icon isn’t there, you can access it from the System Preferences app. Select the AirPlay device you want from the list.
