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If you wish to transmit audio or visual signals from your Mac, iPhone, or iPad to your TV or wireless speakers, you can rely on AirPlay, Apple's wireless transmission method. When AirPlay malfunctions, you may encounter difficulties during music or video playback. In the article below, Mytour will guide you on troubleshooting AirPlay issues.
Resolving AirPlay Malfunction
Encountering issues while streaming music or videos from iPhone, iPad to TV via AirPlay? Try applying these tricks:
1. If directly streaming or playing videos from iPhone, iPad, or Mac to your TV screen, you'll need to use Apple TV.
2. If you want to play music from iPhone, iPad, or Mac, you'll need to use compatible AirPlay speakers.
Note: Some users have reported encountering issues with AirPlay on iOS 11.
If you've checked and applied the tricks above, but AirPlay isn't working on Mac, iPhone, iPad, or Apple TV, try applying some other tips below to fix AirPlay malfunction:
1. Restart all devices.
2. Check if all devices are connected to the same Wifi network.
3. Ensure no nearby devices are interfering, causing connection disruptions.
If AirPlay still isn't working on Mac, iOS devices, or Apple TV, try applying some other solutions below to fix AirPlay issues.
Fixing AirPlay Dysfunction after Software Update
Sometimes iOS or macOS software updates can also be the cause of issues, including AirPlay malfunctions.
Specifically, on the iOS 11 update, some users reported AirPlay malfunctioning after updating to iOS 11 released last September.
To address AirPlay dysfunction after updating to the latest iOS version, follow the steps below to fix the issue:
Step 1: Force restart your iPhone or iPad.
Step 2: Reset network settings on your iPhone or iPad by navigating to Settings
AirPlay Icon Not Displayed on Control Center
The steps to connect two devices via AirPlay are quite simple. Just swipe up the screen on iOS devices (iPhone and iPad) to open the Control Center, then tap on the Screen Mirroring option, represented by a rectangle stacked on top of a triangle below, to stream content to the TV via Apple TV. Alternatively, select the audio tab at the top right corner, then tap the icon resembling a Wi-Fi signal to transmit content to smart speakers (or Apple TV).
Note: On older iOS versions, the option for direct TV playback was named AirPlay Mirroring instead of Screen Mirroring.
AirPlay Mirroring Not Functioning
Another issue iOS users reported on iOS 11 is that AirPlay Mirroring isn't functioning. Specifically, after upgrading to iOS 11, some users reported they could only play content on their device's screen, not on larger screens like TVs.
Before upgrading to iOS 11, users could transmit audio and visual signals between iPhones, iPads to TVs, and continue using iPhone or iPad as a second screen.
Some apps like Netflix or Amazon still have this functionality as the apps have AirPlay enabled. However, if attempting to play audio, images, videos from Safari browser, you won't find an option to stream that video signal to Apple TV unless using Screen Mirroring feature.
Audio on AirPlay Not Working
If the video is still playing on the TV but there's no sound, follow these steps:
Step 1: Try checking if you've turned on the sound on the TV or smart speaker, sometimes users mute the TV to listen to the phone or do something else but forget to unmute. Also, check the sound volume on iPhones and iPads, and see if the mute button at the top left corner of the device, on the volume control buttons, is turned off.
Step 2: Another reason could be that AirPlay is not supported on the app or website containing the content you want to play.
Video and audio on AirPlay are out of sync
One of the irritating and frequently occurring issues on streaming devices is the lack of synchronization between video and audio on AirPlay. The good news is AirPlay 2 has addressed these issues.
Step 1: The main cause of delay between audio and video is often weak Wi-Fi signals. To address this issue, try directly connecting Apple TV to the router via Ethernet cable.
Step 2: If the above option is not available, try removing all other devices that may interfere with the signal, these devices include microwaves, cordless phones, wireless speakers, or other broadcasting devices on the same Wi-Fi network.
Step 3: If you live in a densely populated area, neighboring Wi-Fi devices or your neighbors' Wi-Fi could be causing signal interference. In this case, try moving and placing the Apple TV in a different location.
AirPlay Error due to Firewall
As mentioned by Mytour above, if iOS devices cannot find Apple TV or HomePod smart speakers via AirPlay, the cause may be due to the firewall.
Step 1: On Mac, go to System Preferences =>Security & Privacy.
Step 2: Click on the padlock icon, then enter the username and Admin password.
Step 3: Click on the Firewall tab and select Firewall Options.
Step 4: If the Block all incoming connections option is selected, all you need to do is deselect this option.
Step 5: Ensure you have selected the option Automatically allow downloaded signed software to receive incoming connections.
If you've tried the above methods and haven't achieved satisfactory results, you can try displaying photos from iPhone to TV using a connecting cable, which ensures stability and better signal quality.
In this article, Mytour has just guided you through some ways to fix AirPlay dysfunction. Additionally, if you want to customize the desktop screen of your Mac according to your preferences, readers can refer to another article on customizing the Mac desktop screen on Mytour.
