AirPlay: problems and solutions
You will usually use AirPlay to stream content from the iPhone, iPad or Mac to a television. This can be done with an Apple TV or with a suitable AirPlay television or AirPlay speaker. Doesn’t work? Then you can go through these steps to find out the cause, which hopefully solves your AirPlay problem quickly!
- #1 Check the internet connection
- #2 Restart your devices if AirPlay is not working
- #3 Check your device
- #4 Disable the firewall on a Mac
- #5 Force AirPlay with Mirroring
- #6 Check if the software supports AirPlay
- #7 The music suddenly stops
- #8 Picture, no sound
#1 Check the internet connection
To use AirPlay, both devices must be registered on the same wireless network (WiFi). Check on both devices whether you have a working internet connection and whether you are on the correct network. If necessary, restart the router or modem if the internet connection is not functioning properly.
Do you use both the cable and a wireless network at home? Then connect the Mac to the same router that your Apple TV or other AirPlay system is connected to via WiFi.
#2 Restart your devices if AirPlay is not working
A reboot is a small effort and often solves all conceivable problems. You can restart your iPhone by pressing the appropriate buttons. With the Apple TV you can possibly pull out the power cable. But you can also go to Settings > System > Restart via the menu. It will take a few minutes for the Apple TV to be ready to use again.
#3 Check your device
Make sure your AirPlay-enabled devices are all turned on and close to each other. You cannot use AirPlay if the devices are tens of meters away. Also check if you have set any restrictions. Does everything function properly? Then you can proceed to the next step.
#4 Disable the firewall on a Mac
Firewall settings may prevent AirPlay on Mac from working properly. You can check this:
- Open > System Preferences.
- Go to Security & Privacy > Firewall.
- Click on the padlock and choose Disable Firewall.
Now try using AirPlay again. You can re-enable the firewall later if necessary.
#5 Force AirPlay with Mirroring
Sometimes it is not possible to activate AirPlay, but playback mirroring works. You do this on the iPhone and iPad by opening the Control Center and tapping the icon for mirroring (AirPlay Mirroring). This looks like two overlapping windows.
On the Mac, go to > System Preferences > Displays > Show available video mirroring options in menu bar. You will now see all devices that are suitable for AirPlay in the menu bar. Choose which device you want to stream to.
#6 Check if the software supports AirPlay
Not all apps offer the option to use AirPlay. If an app does not have a built-in AirPlay option, you can often use mirroring (see above).
AirPlay icon not showing up? Then you can check whether the Apple TV and the app you want to use are running on the latest software.
#7 The music suddenly stops
If you are listening to music via AirPlay, the music may suddenly stop if another task is being performed. An example is when someone uses Siri to ask a question to a smart speaker or when Hey Siri is activated. Check if there might be other devices (or people) that want to use the same speaker.
#8 Picture, no sound
If you have a picture while streaming a video, but no sound, this is usually because the sound volume is muted or set too low. Check whether the audio on your iPhone, iPad or Mac is loud enough and that the mute switch is in the correct position. Also check the volume on the television, speaker or receiver.
