AirPlay has been around for much longer than you might think, with an early version of the feature existing evenbefore the iPhone did. AirPlay is one of those great features that can work so well that it can feel a little like magic.
With the introduction of AirPlay 2, Apple made it even easier to control how you share your content over AirPlay. There are some limitations to AirPlay, however; you’ll need to use compatible devices, and you may not always be able to achieve what you want if the apps you’re using don’t support the protocol.
What is AirPlay exactly? How do you use it, what can you use it for, and which devices support it? Here’s everything you need to know about AirPlay and how to use it.
What is AirPlay?
AirPlay is Apple’s feature that allows you to wirelessly share audio, video, and photo content between AirPlay-compatible devices. For example, you may share a photo from youriPhone to an AirPlay-compatible TV, stream a video from your Mac to yourApple TV, or stream music from your iPad to an AirPlay-compatible speaker. You can also mirror content from one device to another, so you can see your iPhone display on a bigger screen, for example.
What is AirPlay 2?
AirPlay was first launched in 2010 with the release of iOS 4.2, although a similar feature had existed since 2004, known as AirTunes. AirTunes allowed you to stream audio from iTunes to an AirPort Express. With iOS 4.2, the name was changed to AirPlay, indicating that it was now possible to stream both audio and video.
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AirPlay 2 improves upon Apple’s original AirPlay, including multi-room audio, listening to different songs on different speakers, and more.
In 2017, Apple announced an updated version of AirPlay,known as AirPlay 2, which was released in 2018. AirPlay 2 added a number of new features, including the ability to stream audio to stereo speakers and to enable multi-room audio where audio is streamed to multiple devices at the same time. With AirPlay 2, it’s even possible to control playback of different songs on different devices at the same time. AirPlay 2 also makes AirPlay more accessible, with controls built-in the Control Center, Home app, Apple Music, and Siri.
What devices can I stream from using AirPlay?
If you want to use AirPlay, you’ll need two things: a device to stream from, and adevice to stream to. Any iPhone or iPad capable of running iOS 4.2 or above can be used as a streaming source. It means that even if you’re rocking an iPhone 4, you’ll be able to use the original AirPlay, although screen mirroring is only available with an iPhone 4S or later. Any iPad can also use AirPlay, as well as all models of iPod Touch except the first generation.
What you’ll need to use AirPlay
To use AirPlay 2, you’ll need a device that can run iOS 11.4 or later or the equivalent versions of iPadOS or tvOS. This includes the iPhone 5S or newer, the fifth generation iPad or newer, the iPad mini 2 or later, and all models of iPad Air and iPad Pro. Macs from 2010 or newer, as well as the Late 2009 MacBooks and Late 2009 iMac and iMac Pro also support AirPlay 2. The fourth-gen Apple TV or later can also be used with AirPlay 2.
What devices can I stream to using AirPlay?
You can stream using AirPlay from one Apple device to another if you wish. For example, you can stream video from your iPhone to your Mac. However, there are also many third-party devices that support AirPlay that you can use as your AirPlay streaming destination.
Smart TVs from major brands such asSamsung, LG, and SONY support AirPlay 2, allowing you to stream from your Apple device directly to the TV. If your TV isn’t AirPlay-compatible, you can still stream to a connected Apple TV to view the content on your TV screen.
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You can also AirPlay audio to a wide range of AirPlay-compatible speakers, including products from Bose, Denon,Sonos, Yamaha, Bang & Olufsen, and more. And of course, you can use AirPlay with the HomePod and HomePod mini.
What can you share with AirPlay?
AirPlay allows you to share a range of media types. you’re able to share photos from your Apple devices, to display them on a larger screen. You can share audio to AirPlay-compatible speakers, so enjoy your music with better sound quality than your iPhone can offer. You can also stream video from your Apple devices, too. For example, you can open theDisney+ appon your iPhone, start watching The Bear, and then use AirPlay to stream the video to your Mac or your smart TV so you can watch on a larger screen.
It’s also possible to use AirPlay for screen mirroring. For example, if you want to show your great aunt how to change the settings on her iPhone, and she’s forgotten her glasses, you can share your screen to your TV so that she can watch you make your way through the Settings app in real-time on the larger screen.
How to use AirPlay to share photos on iPhone and iPad
If you want to share a photo from your iPhone or iPad using AirPlay, you can do so in a couple of taps.
How to use AirPlay to stream music on iPhone and iPad
You can stream music using AirPlay from theApple Music appor other third-party music apps.
How to use AirPlay to stream video on iPhone and iPad
You can share video from the camera roll of your iPhone or iPad using the same method as for photos. You can also stream content from streaming apps such as Disney+ orAmazon Prime Video. However, Netflix no longer supports AirPlay, and it’s not possible to use screen mirroring when playing Netflix content, either.
How to use AirPlay to mirror your screen on iPhone and iPad
To mirror your screen on iPhone or iPad, you can access the screen mirroring controls from the Control Center.
How to use AirPlay to stream music on Mac
You can stream music using AirPlay from the Apple Music app. There’s no direct integration with theSpotify appon Mac, however.
How to use AirPlay to stream video on Mac
You can share video from the camera roll of your iPhone or iPad using the same method as for photos. Streaming videos fromstreaming servicessuch as Disney+ or Amazon Prime is not possible directly, however. You may be able to use screen mirroring, as outlined below, although this will often stop the video from playing on your Mac.
How to use AirPlay to mirror your screen on Mac
You can use screen mirroring to share the entire contents of your Mac screen to an AirPlay-compatible device. You can opt to share your screen or use the other device to extend your screen.
