Mia
The software Apple has introduced on their various devices over the years has revolutionized the lives of many people. With over 120 million iPhone users in the United States alone as of 2022, it’s clear that this software is being used by many individuals on a daily basis. With that said, some software components, such as Airplay, go overlooked by many people in favor of other items. As a result, few people use and know how to troubleshoot issues with technology such as Airplay.
What Is Airplay?
For those unfamiliar with the technology, Airplay as defined by Apple is the software on a device that allows a person to share videos, music, photos, and other items from Apple devices to Apple TV, speakers, and select smart televisions. As an example, say your favorite sports game is being broadcast on an iPhone application, but you don’t get the television station for it. If you have a compatible television, you can stream the game from your phone onto your television with the click of a button.
How To Turn Airplay On And Off
The process of turning Airplay either on or off will vary depending on the device that you are trying to use. On a Mac, the easiest way to learn how to turn on or how to disable airplay is to go to ‘System Preferences’ and then select ‘Sharing’. There will be a checkbox next to a line that says Airplay Receiver which can be clicked or turned off.
On iPhone, however, there are two ways you can access Airplay. First, launch the control center on your iPhone. If it is added to your control center, you will see a tiny box that has two rectangles with one overlaid over the other. Clicking this will either turn Airplay on or off. Alternatively, you can go into your settings and type ‘Airplay’ into the search bar to find where it is located.
3 Most Common Airplay Issues
For those who have used Airplay in the past or for those considering using it now, there are three notable issues that often occur. Learning what these issues are and how to fix them can help any user successfully stream content to their device today:
1. Airplay Not Showing Up
Sometimes, a person may try to Airplay content but the device they are trying to stream to will not show up. It’s important that both devices be connected to the same WiFi and that the other device is fully turned on and compatible with Airplay. Also, you can only airplay to a single device so if you are already connected to another you must disconnect.
2. Airplay Not Transmitting Sound
Another frustrating occurrence with Airplay is when no sound is streamed from your phone to the device. In some cases, audio transfer may not be allowed by the platform you are trying to share content from. Alternatively, attempt to unmute your device to see if that has any effect.
3. Airplay Not Working At All
In some cases, Airplay may simply not be working at all when you are attempting to send content from one device to be streamed on another. There might not be any sort of error message or reason for the problem after you click on the device you want to stream to. To attempt to fix this, try restarting both devices to see if it solves the problem. After this, consider setting your network settings back to default on your phone.
Helpful Tips For Troubleshooting Airplay
Whether you are plagued by one of the above issues or something else entirely, there are a number of helpful tips which anybody can use to troubleshoot their device for Airplay problems:
- Turn Airplay off and back on again in an attempt to reset the software
- Change WiFi if you have the ability to
- Restart the device that you are attempting to stream content to
- Check both devices for any software updates which may be hindering Airplay
- Double check that the device you are trying to stream content to is Airplay compatible
- Make sure your Apple devices are unlocked
Troubleshoot Your Device Today
Airplay is an incredibly helpful tool for iPhone users and smart technology users as a whole. By being able to share content wirelessly, friends and family members can connect in new ways effortlessly. Use all of the above tips to troubleshoot any problems you may notice arise with Airplay as you start to familiarize yourself with the helpful technology.
