One of the biggest advantages of the Apple ecosystem is that all devices work together. Whether it’s AirDrop to transfer files between your iPhone and Mac or Continuity, that allows you to use an iPhone to scan and add documents on your Mac. One such feature is AirPlay.
Airplay allows you to play media from your iPhone on a Mac, Apple TV or external speaker wirelessly. It’s a great way to seamlessly transfer a music track from a phone to a speaker or watch a movie from your iPhone on a big screen connected to Apple TV. However, your experience won’t be as smooth if AirPlay suddenly stops working.
If you face this problem, here are some simple ways to fix AirPlay not working on your iPhone.
1. Enable Wi-Fi and Bluetooth
AirPlay streams data wirelessly from your iPhone to the device you want to play content on. This makes it essential to enable the Wi-Fi and Bluetooth switches on your iPhone and the output source.
Swipe up from the top right corner of your iPhone to access the control center and enable Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. If you want to stream your media to a Mac, make sure the switches are also enabled on the Mac.
2. Connect to the same Wi-Fi network on both devices
Since AirPlay works over a Wi-Fi connection, it is important that both your iPhone and the device on which you want to stream your media via AirPlay are connected to the same Wi-Fi network. Connect to a common network and then try using AirPlay.
3. Sign in with the same Apple ID on both devices
One of the requirements for AirPlay to work between your Apple devices is that you must sign in with the same Apple ID on all of your devices. If you want to AirPlay a video from your iPhone to your Apple TV. Both devices must be synced with the same Apple ID.
Here is how you can verify all devices linked to your Apple ID.
Step 1: Click on the Apple logo in the upper left corner of your Mac screen.
Step 2: Select System Preferences.
Step 3: Click Apple ID.
Step 4: You will see the list of your Apple products registered to your Apple ID in the left pane.
If your device is not listed here, be sure to sign in with the same Apple ID on both devices and try again.
4. Enable AirPlay Receiver on Mac
If you are trying to AirPlay a music track or video on your Mac, there is a setting you will need to enable to allow your Mac to act as an output source. Without this, your Mac will not be detected as a receiver when you try to use AirPlay. Here’s how to enable it.
Step 1: Click the Apple logo in the upper left corner of your Mac’s screen.
Step 2: Select System Preferences.
Step 3: Click on Sharing.
Step 4: Select the check box next to AirPlay Receiver.
This will allow your Mac to act as a receiver when you try to use AirPlay.
5. Turn off Low Data Mode
Your iPhone has a setting called Low Data Mode that limits the amount of data you can transfer over a Wi-Fi network. If you are using a mobile hotspot or metered connection, Low Data Mode is likely enabled by default. This can cause problems with streaming content over AirPlay. Here’s how you can disable it.
Step 1: Open the Settings app on your iPhone and navigate to the Wi-Fi section.
Step 2: Tap the ‘i’ button next to the connected network.
Step 3: Disable the switch next to Low Data Mode.
6. Keep the devices close to each other
Wireless transmission can often be interrupted or behave erratically if the two devices are far apart. Make sure the iPhone and the device that is streaming media are close together.
This is ideal if there are no obstacles in the way. If you try to AirPlay from one room to another and there are many walls in between, you may have problems. Move to the same room and then try.
7. Reset network settings on iPhone
Resetting the network settings on your iPhone might be helpful. This will reset all network settings, such as saved Wi-Fi networks, Bluetooth devices, data plans, etc. You will need to configure them again manually. But this will most likely solve your AirPlay related problems.
Step 1: Open the Settings app on your iPhone and tap General.
Step 2: Scroll down to find an option for “Transfer or Reset iPhone”. Tap it.
Step 3: Select the Reset option here.
Step 4: Now, select Reset network settings.
Connect to your Wi-Fi router and then try using AirPlay.
Stream media via AirPlay seamlessly
Now you can continue to stream your favorite tracks or shows on your Mac or Apple TV without interruption and enjoy images on a big screen and audio from better speakers.