How to Use AirPlay on Apple TV and Stream Media Files

AirPlay is a wireless way to cast audios, videos, photos, and any media content to compatible devices. Apple Inc. developed it and is built-in on Apple devices. You can AirPlay any content from an iPhone, iPad, or Mac to an Apple TV or AirPlay-compatible smart TVs and speakers. This feature is useful for businesses to sharing documents or demonstrating websites, presentations, and spreadsheets from their Apple device. In some scenarios, you might come across AirPlay not working on the Apple TV issue. It is vital to resolve it to transfer media between devices over AirPlay. To help you better deal with this, we have listed down some general troubleshooting methods here in this section.

How to Use AirPlay on Apple TV

AirPlay allows you to stream or share content from one Apple device to the Apple TV. To perform this action, you must have a stable high-speed internet connection.

Here is a guide to using AirPlay from the iOS device (iPhone/iPad/iPod touch) to the Apple TV.

#1. Connect your Apple TV and iPhone to the same Wi-Fi network.

#2. Choose a video on your iPhone that you would like to play.

#3. After it starts playing, tap on the AirPlay icon .

#4. Select your Apple TV, and you will find the available devices.

#5. Enter the passcode shown on your device.

#5. Using AirPlay, start mirroring the video to the selected device.

To Stop AirPlay on Apple TV

#1. Go to the Control Center of your iOS device. In case of Mac, you shall select Control Center from the menu bar.

#2. Select the Screen Mirroring option.

#3. Choose the Apple TV name of the list of devices.

#4. Now, hit the Stop Mirroring option.

Related: How to Use FaceTime on Apple TV

Possible Ways to Fix AirPlay Not Working on Apple TV

Sometimes you may face issues, or technical problems that results in AirPlay on Apple TV not working issue. We are here with some troubleshooting steps to fix it on your own. Take a look at the following measures for Apple TV.

1) Check the Power

Ensure to power on your Apple TV and check whether it is connected to a power supply.

2) Disable Sleep Mode

Apple TV will be turned off if you enable the sleep mode. So make sure to turn it off before you start AirPlay.

3) Check AirPlay Compatible Devices

The following is the list of compatible devices and receivers to function AirPlay perfectly. Make sure to have any one of these before you start casting.

AirPlay Supported Devices

• iOS devices (iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch)
• Mac 
• iTunes on Mac or PC
• Apple TV 4K or Apple TV HD

AirPlay Compatible Receivers

• HomePod
• Apple TV 4K or HD, and Apple TV (2nd or 3rd generation)
• Speakers plugged into the Audio out port on AirPort Express
• Speakers with tagline Works with Apple AirPlay on the speaker packaging

4) Check Software Updates

It is your necessity to keep your Apple TV firmware up-to-date to fix the internal issues and software bugs. Further, you will get additional features on upgrading to a new version.

5) Restart the Device

You have to restart your device to clear up the space by closing all the apps. It also clears RAM as well to improve the speed.

6) Check your Wi-Fi

It is important to check whether both the devices are connected to the same Wi-Fi network and receiving bandwidth properly.

7) Enable AirPlay on Settings

Suppose the AirPlay feature is restricted on your Apple TV it will not allow you to connect. You have to enable it by navigating to the Settings. After that, open AirPlay and HomeKit. Following that, click on Allow Access and choose Everyone. Now, it is ready to stream content.

Frequently Asked Questions

1) What is the use of AirPlay on Apple TV?

It helps to cast audio or video from your iPhone, iPad, or Mac to an Apple TV.

2) How to mirror my iPhone to Apple TV without Wi-Fi?

You can use Peer-to-peer AirPlay which uses Bluetooth to cast files.

3) Does AirPlay affect sound quality?

AirPlay can play spatial and lossless audio files like ALAC without affecting the sound quality.