Airplay is an iOS utility suite with features that allow you to enjoy your videos, music and photos from your favorite Apple devices on your TV and Speakers.
AirPlay was first debuted as AirTunes in 2004. It is Apple’s proprietary wireless protocol suite. It enables users to stream any audio or video, screen mirroring and photo sharing over networked devices without lowering the quality and preserving metadata.
In brief, AirPlay allows you to watch, listen and share your digital media from your Apple devices to your AirPlay-2 supported TV and speakers.
Here I will explain all the features of Apple AirPlay in detail,
Watch video from your Apple device on your TV
You can easily send videos and photos directly to an Apple TV connected to your television or to any smart TV that supports AirPlay 2.
To share your video to your TV, Open your favorite app and open the video. Find the AirPlay button in your favorite apps, and tap the Airplay button. Then you can choose where you want to watch the video. It will display all AirPlay-2 supported devices in your wifi network. Select the desired device and enjoy the video on your TV.
Here are the simple exact steps to stream video from your iOS devices,
- Step 1: Connect your device to the same Wi-Fi network as your Smart TV
- Step 2: Open the video you want to Stream
- Step 3: Tap the AirPlay button(Button with Screena and arrow), in some app you may need to select the sharing option to find this button
- Step 4: Choose your Smart TV or other AirPlay-2 compatible device
AirPlay allows you to control your video from your iOS device’s screen. You can use the controls on your Apple device to pause, fast forward, and rewind the video.
To stop streaming, tap again on the AirPlay button in the device you are streaming from and de-select the currently active device.
Listen to Podcasts and Audio from your Apple device on your speakers
AirPlay lets you play music or podcasts from your iPhone/iPad to your speakers or wireless headphones.
To Send music and podcasts to AirPlay 2-enabled speakers, look for the AirPlay audio button in your media apps. The button may also appear on your iPhone’s lock screen or in the Control Center.
Tap on the icon, It will display all the available compatible devices available in your wifi network. Select the speakers to send audio to compatible speakers or wireless headphones.
If you have more than one supported speaker in your network, you can connect them. AirPlay enables you to play audio on multiple Airplay-2 enabled speakers including your HomePod, creating a true multi-room streaming system.
you can play the same music on many speakers at the same time, all in sync.You can also play different audio on different speakers without much difficulty from one or more devices.
It helps you simplify playing music on your home devices without any configurations or syncing issues.
Mirror your device screen to your TV
Do you need to share a presentation, website, or spreadsheet with everyone in the room? AirPlay allows Apple users to mirror their screens to the TV or Macs. Screen Mirroring lets you share what’s on your device’s displaywith a much bigger screen, so you can play video, music or even view pictures.
Though not all televisions support the AirPlay 2, most of the newer versions of Smart TV support the feature or allow you to install the Apple Play app which enables the users to do so. Yet, it is wise to verify the television’s compatibility with AirPlay before buying. If you already have an unsupported TV, you can use it with AirPlay using a Roku or Apple TV device to mirror the screen.
Follow the given simple steps to mirror your iPhone screen to your TV.
- Connect your iPhone to the same wifi network as your TV and make sure both are working.
- Swipe down on your iPhone to open the Control center, and select the screen mirroring option. This will search for all the available devices in the network and list the available devices.
- From the available devices, select the TV where you want to project/display your iPhone screen. If done correctly, your iPhone screen should now be visible on your TV. Here you can also play any audio or video that will be played on TV only, and you should have touch control on your iPhone to control them.
FAQs
Q. Can connect my Samsung/LG/Vizio/Toshiba/Sony TV using Airplay2?
Yes, Apart from the Apple devices, Airplay-2 can connect to most modern Smart TV models including TV models from Samsung, LG, Vizio, Sony and Toshiba.
Q. Can I connect to my Roku device with AirPlay?
Yes, Airplay 2 is compatible with all Roku TVs and selected 4k capable Roku plater devices.
Q. Do I need Apple TV to play videos on my TV using AirPlay?
No, As long as your Smart TV is compatible with Airplay 2 or they have Apple’s TV app, You can stream the audio/video to the TV over a Wi-Fi network. No need to bother connecting Apple TV or any other adapter.
Q. Can I use AirPlay without connecting to a WiFi network or while traveling?
Unfortunately, Airplay uses a WiFi network to stream media to other devices. It is required for both devices to be in the same WiFi network for working AirPlay setup. At the very least you need a portable router to do so while traveling.
Q. Can I use AirPlay with all my Apple devices?
AirPlay 2 sending capable devices are few, most of which are iOS devices(with iOS 11 or later) and Mac(MacOS 10.13 or Later). It will not work on any devices made before 2011.
Q. Do I need to install software to enable AirPlay on my Apple devices?
AirPlay comes with all the latest iOS, iPadOS and MacOS, So you do not need to install anything on your devices.
Q. Does AirPlay 2 Support Soundbars and thermostats?
Yes, Airplay2 supports multiple Soundbars and smart thermostats like Ecobee’s. The list of supported brands and models is increasing day by day.
Q. My Roku device is not shown in AirPlay supported device, how to fix it?
You can easily enable AirPlay support by going to Settings > Apple AirPlay and HomeKit and enabling the AirPlay option.
Q. Can I use SharePlay to connect with AirPlay-2 compatible devices?
No, SharePlay does not support AirPlay-2 compatible smart TVs. Use Apple TV instead to do so.
Q. Which iOS or MacOS versions have best supported AirPlay features?
For the best experience, devices with iOS 14 or later and Mac with macOS Monterey or later are recommended. Some older versions are supported but may stream at a lower resolution than video quality.
