AirPlay 101: Everything you need to know

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Use our easy-to-follow guide to have yourself using AirPlay like an expert in no time. The ways that modern devices can communicate and interact with each other can be truly remarkable. Not only can you pull up the same video on your phone that you can on your smart TV, but often, you can even share your video stream from mobile to TV if the two devices are compatible. The same is true with music: many devices allow owners to stream music directly from a mobile device to a smart TV or from a streaming player to a TV or speaker. Just a few taps, and the content is transferred from phone to connected device. Apple devices allow this type of device-to-device communication via AirPlay, which lets owners stream audio and video from their phone to their TV, share photos, home videos, and more. But what is AirPlay specifically, and how does one use it? We’ll explain everything you need to know about using Apple’s AirPlay in our beginner’s guide below. AirPlay 101: Everything you need to know What is AirPlay? What can you use AirPlay for? Can you use AirPlay with non-Apple devices? What devices support AirPlay? How to use AirPlay on your devices What are the benefits of using AirPlay? Can you use AirPlay while traveling? Is AirPlay similar to Google Cast? Troubleshooting common AirPlay issues Apple TV 4K devices Shop now Browse now What is AirPlay? AirPlay is Apple’s wireless protocol that allows device owners to connect an iPhone, iPad, or Mac to a receiving device to share audio, video, photos, or even device screens. It’s a lot like a wireless HDMI cable that carries your data across the room from one screen to another, with no tripping hazard. Because AirPlay transmits data over Wi-Fi as opposed to Bluetooth, it can send much more data with every transmission. That allows users to send very high-quality video and audio between devices while using AirPlay. What can you use AirPlay for? AirPlay has two basic functions. The first is to play audio or video streamed from an Apple device to a receiver. In this way, owners can watch TV episodes or movies, listen to music, and browse photos and videos from their personal collection on their TV screen, while still using their phone to text, play games, etc. AirPlay also has a screen mirroring function, which completely duplicates the device screen on the TV, monitor, or other display. This is ideal for giving business presentations, photo slideshows, and instructing an audience on how to use a website. Can you use AirPlay with non-Apple devices? Only Apple hardware can serve as the transmitter of data with AirPlay. This includes iPhones, all iPad Pro or Air models, iPad Gen 5 or later, iPad mini, and Mac computers, as long as they are running the most current version of their respective operating systems. The Apple Watch is also capable of sending audio to speakers via AirPlay. Users can connect to a long list of devices that support AirPlay; not all of them are made by Apple. Some are, like the Apple TV 4K streaming player and HomePod speakers. But a wide range of smart TVs and streaming devices can now support reception of Apple AirPlay, including non-Apple devices. If you’re not sure whether a device supports AirPlay, look for an official AirPlay badge on the packaging, or search for AirPlay in its online specifications sheet. What devices support AirPlay? A non-complete list of AirPlay-compatible devices includes: Samsung QLED, Crystal UHD, Frame, Serif, and Sero TVs LG OLED TVs Sony Bravia TVs Roku TVs Amazon Fire TVs Many Hisense TVs Numerous Fire TV and Roku streaming players Newer Google TVs from Philips and TCL VIZIO SmartCast TVs Newer Panasonic TVs Sonos speakers and soundbars Select Bose smart speakers and soundbars How to use AirPlay on your devices To watch video on a smart TV or streaming device To stream video or photos from an iPhone or iPad to your smart TV or streaming player, you must first make sure that the devices you want to connect with AirPlay are connected to the same Wi-Fi network. If they are on different networks, you will not be able to use AirPlay. Then to finish the process: Open the app you want to stream with AirPlay. Find the AirPlay icon (A rectangle with a triangle at the bottom). Tap the icon, then select the device you want to stream on from the list of available options. If prompted, enter the four-digit code that appears on your TV screen. From a Mac: Open the video or photos in Safari or the app you want to use. Click the AirPlay icon in the playback controls. Select the device you want to connect to. To stream audio from an iPhone or iPad to a smart TV or streaming device Begin playback of your chosen title from an audio streaming app. Swipe to open the Control Center. Tap the AirPlay icon (Audio waves with a solid triangle at the bottom). Select available devices and start listening. How to screen mirror with Apple AirPlay To screen mirror with Apple AirPlay from an iPhone or iPad: Open the Control Center by swiping down from the top-right corner of the screen. Tap the Screen Mirroring icon (two overlapping rectangles). Choose the device you want to mirror to. You can stop casting any time by opening the Control Center again, tapping Screen Mirroring, then tapping Stop Mirroring. To screen mirror using AirPlay from a Mac: Click the Control Center icon in the menu bar on the top right. Select Screen Mirroring. Choose the TV or display. What are the benefits of using AirPlay? Using Apple AirPlay allows viewers to transmit video, photos, and audio over Wi-Fi for high-quality playback on the display device or speaker. This means viewers can use AirPlay to watch Ultra-High-Definition 4K video, listen to lossless audio, and enjoy minimal buffering. AirPlay 2, which is supported by a huge and growing range of modern devices, allows owners to turn their home into a synced sound system, with very low latency and echo — even if speakers are made by different brands. Owners can still use their Apple device to play games, receive texts or even phone calls, scroll social media, and perform its other various functions without affecting the stream on the screen with AirPlay. Users can even lock their Apple device without affecting the audio or video playback. There’s also no need to download any apps to make AirPlay work on your devices. Because it’s a system-level feature, it’s automatically included in new iPhones and iPads, and it’s built into smart TVs and soundbars as well. That means you don’t have to download anything extra to make it work with your favorite apps. Can you use AirPlay while traveling? Yes, in some circumstances. AirPlay is built into an increasingly large number of new smart TVs, and if the set in your hotel room supports it — and the hotel’s Wi-Fi allows devices to communicate with each other — you can use AirPlay to watch your favorite streaming apps, listen to your top music apps, and more while traveling. Is AirPlay similar to Google Cast? Yes, both AirPlay and Google Cast attempt to solve the same basic problem of allowing users to stream audio or video from their phone to a TV or speaker, without the need for HDMI cables or other connections. Both depend on Wi-Fi instead of Bluetooth to transmit media between devices, allowing for a larger data pipeline. Both offer background multitasking and a fairly uniform user experience. The main difference between the two is the app ecosystem in which they are designed to operate; Google Cast is more compatible with Android and Google TV devices, while AirPlay is more deeply integrated with Apple devices. Another major difference between Google Cast and Apple TV is that AirPlay generally transmits content directly from device to device, while Google Cast often calls up content on the display device by sending a URL to the TV, allowing the set to stream directly from the internet. Troubleshooting common AirPlay issues As with every device-to-device communication, issues can arise when using AirPlay. If you’re having trouble making AirPlay work with your devices, check out a list of common solutions to try before you call tech support: Check Wi-Fi Networks: If you don’t see the device you want to connect via AirPlay showing up in the available devices list, make sure it’s on the same Wi-Fi network as the Apple device you want to stream from. If the devices aren’t on the same network, you will not be able to use AirPlay. Ensure AirPlay is enabled on your display: Some smart TVs that support AirPlay do not automatically enable the feature straight out of the box. Double-check to ensure your display has AirPlay enabled if you want to use it. Make sure your devices are running the latest software: If either your Apple device or the TV or speaker you want to stream to isn’t running the newest software, AirPlay may not work. Reboot: If a device is suddenly no longer available on your AirPlay list, you can always reboot your Apple device, the display, and your Wi-Fi router to see if it fixes the issue. Apple TV Apple TV is a streaming device that can be used to watch Live TV Streaming Services and On Demand Streaming Services . Limited Warranty Your Apple TV probably isn’t covered against mishaps and malfunctions. We’ve partnered with 5Devices to give The Streamable readers a protection plan for any internet-connected device, including your Apple TV, iPhone, etc starting at $2.67 per device per month . And the good news is that it covers devices you already use (ie. no need for proof of new purchase). Protect Your Device $2.67+ / month 5Devices.com