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Airplay Icon

If you are streaming media to your AirPlay device, connecting it to your Apple TV app, an AirPlay icon will appear highlighted in blue in the Playback controls that are on screen. If Apple has built-in AirPlay-enabled devices for you to connect, an AirPlay icon should be visible on the menu bar. Apples built-in AirPlay features are available on certain Apple devices, typically taking just a few taps to configure. AirPlay is also available on Apple Music, which lets you cast audio and video from the music library to airplay-capable devices.

With the AirPlay feature, you can broadcast your iPhone or iPads whole screen, or your Mac, or you can wirelessly broadcast only an app that is displayed on the TV screen. AirPlay allows you to wirelessly stream audio or video from an iPhone, iPad, or Mac to an Apple TV or AirPlay 2 compatible Smart TV, provided that your iPhone is connected to the same Wi-Fi as the TV. AirPlay is an integrated function of the iPhone, iPad 2, Mac, and an Apple TV that allows you to cast content such as videos, photos, music from your iOS devices or Macs to Apple TVs or other devices that support AirPlay. Apple TV is a powerful media streaming device, it also supports AirPlay 2 to stream videos and audio from iOS devices.

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In addition to streaming video/audio from an AirPlay-enabled device, you can also AirPlay content from an iPhone (or iPad) to the Mac, provided that the Mac has AirPlay receiver settings, which we discuss directly below. Also, keep in mind that you can only AirPlay content to an Apple TV or an AirPlay-enabled speaker or receiver, and you cannot AirPlay content from an iOS device to another iOS device or a Mac.

Features of AirPlay iconConnect AirPlay with iOS devices
broadcast whole screen on your MacConnect iOS devices to same Wi-Fi network as your Apple TV
wirelessly stream audio or videoOpen Control center
cast media content from your iOS devices to Apple TVs Tap on Screen mirroring
stream content to AirPlay-enabled speaker or receiverselect from list of devices
use with Apple AirPlay lower video resolutionEnter Passcode
This table shows the features and method to connect AirPlay with iOS devices

When you do not see an AirPlay icon on the iPhone, iPad, please be sure an Apple TV or another AirPlay-enabled device is turned on and in proximity to the iOS device. On an Apple TV, go to Settings > AirPlay and check if AirPlay is turned on. Make sure that you are trying to connect Apple Music on devices that support AirPlay. If your Mac is on one network, but the airplay devices are on another, using AirPlay for Apple Music will not work.

If both devices are connected to different networks, Apples built-in AirPlay functionality will not work, and neither will the AirPlay icon show up. The iPhone can only talk to an AirPlay device when all devices are connected to the same Wi-Fi network. If you are streaming videos, movies, TV shows, and more on your Apple TV, there is no need to go elsewhere to turn off AirPlay. Just as when listening to Apple Music on another iOS device through AirPlay, if you wish to turn the feature off at a later time, you can do so easily in the Music app on your iPhone itself.

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If you want to disable AirPlay or turn off screen mirroring on a different device, the easiest way is through iOS Control Center. If you are casting media like this on another device that supports AirPlay, you can turn off this function in the media player in Control Center. Simply tap your iPhone to prevent media streaming on an AirPlay-compatible device.

Learn what does AirPlay icon look like on iPhone

From there, you can use options to adjust music preferences, as well as turning Airplay off on the iPhone. To stop casting, open up your Airplay window in the same way as how you access it above (again, it will vary depending on your app) and tap on the iPhone on the device list. If you do not see an AirPlay button, you will have to choose your apps Cast, Share, or Play options for a different device, and then tap on the AirPlay option. At the top of the screen, click on the AirPlay button from the menu bar, and choose your Roku device from the list of available devices.

If the AirPlay icon does not show up, even with your Apple TV nearby, head into System Preferences > Display > Display, and choose Show Mirroring Options in menu bar when available. Click on the AirPlay icon in the menu bar, and from the drop-down box, choose Mirror built-in retina display To make other devices mirror what is on your Macs desktop. You can enable AirPlay on your aMac via the aSystem Preferencesa applicationas displaya menu.

Using AirPlay is typically just a couple of taps on an iPhone, or a couple taps on a Mac. If you are using iOS 11 and later, finding AirPlay is not quite as simple as it is in some other versions of iOS. Once you install MacOS Monterey on your supported Mac, you do not have much you need to be AirPlaying from your iOS device to a computer.

There are other ways of getting your devices content on a TV, and you should consider exploring those every time Apple AirPlay does not work, for one reason or another. AirPlay on Mac is a great way to share content across Apple devices, or even with non-Apple devices that are AirPlay-compatible, such as many smart TVs.

Apple AirPlay can even mirror your entire screen for big presentations, or simply share a piece of content on a larger display. Even better, you can mirror your entire iPhone/iPad/iPod touch/Mac screen in real-time to your Apple TV using AirPlay mirroring.

You can still use Apple AirPlay with older models with lower video resolution. By default, only devices signed into your Apple ID can AirPlay things back to your Mac, but you can change this.

On an iPhone or iPad, you can easily find an AirPlay icon on the Control Center, just swipe up from the bottom of your home screen to pull out the Control Center, and tap on either the AirPlay or Screen Mirroring icons to turn AirPlay on. The AirPlay icon not showing up causes a variety of problems, including the distance between Mac or iOS device and the Apple TV, network connectivity issues, airplay hardware malfunctions, manual settings, and more. These devices are not always used, and they consume wireless bandwidth, but when Apple TVs Airplay icon is missing from the Macbook Pro, it could just be the result of the lack of sufficient wireless network bandwidth for streaming HD videos.

Where do I find the AirPlay icon?

When you open an app or a movie within an app, if you see an AirPlay button (which resembles a rectangle with an arrow going up at the bottom), press on that to activate AirPlay. An AirPlay button, for instance, can be found in the bottom right corner of the video on the iPad version of the YouTube app.

Why can’t AirPlay on my TV?

Ensure your iOS device is close to the Apple TV if AirPlay isn’t working, and then double-check that both devices are connected to the same Wi-Fi network. Try rebooting both your Apple TV and your iOS mobile if this doesn’t solve the issue for some reason.

Why can’t I find AirPlay on my iPhone?

Verify that your iPhone is connected to the same Wi-Fi network as your device. Only if all devices are linked to the same Wi-Fi network will your iPhone or iPod touch communicate with the AirPlay device. AirPlay won’t function if the AirPlay device is on a different network from your iPhone. Reset the gadgets.

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