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The iPhone is a capable handset only improving with each iteration and software update, but it’s by no means a powerful speaker for bumping bass, loud listening, or watching movies. Its small screen is fine if you’re trying to pass the time on a flight or casually watch, but if you want to properly enjoy a movie, TV show, or even a phone-recorded video, a bigger screen is the better fit.
Luckily, it’s easy to beam content from your iPhone or other Apple devices to compatible speakers or televisions, using AirPlay. Now, the whole family can enjoy the violin concert they missed on the big screen.
How to turn AirPlay off on iPhone, iPad or Mac
If you’re trying not to use Apple’s streaming mode, here’s how to disable it.
AirPlay is Apple’s Wi-Fi streaming technology and since 2018, there’s been a second-generation version that’s widely available on iOS and macOS devices. AirPlay 2 allows you to stream music to speakers, stream video to televisions or computers, or even to display your photos on your TV. Here’s everything you need to know about Apple AirPlay 2 and its powerful capabilities.
What is Apple AirPlay 2?
Apple AirPlay 2 offers wireless streaming of content from Apple devices, includingiPhone, iPad or Mac. It enables you to stream a wide range of content from your phone to your Apple TV,certain audio devices, an audio device such as a compatibleSonos speaker, or even compatible televisions. Lots of audio devices support it, including products from Bose, Bowers and Wilkins, Bang and Olufsen, Naim, Denon/Marantz, Polk, Libratone and Audio Pro. And of course, you can use AirPlay to stream audio to your HomePod or HomePod mini, too.
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Some form of AirPlay has been around since 2004, when it was known as AirTunes, and enabled streaming from iTunes to an AirPort Express Wi-Fi base station. The name changed to AirPlay in 2010 when the feature was added to iOS 4. Apple AirPlay 2 arrived in 2018 in iOS 11.4 and has been around ever since. This latest version of AirPlay added in multi-room compatibilityfor the HomePodand the HomePod mini. AirPlay 2 also enables device mirroring to share the content of your phone’s display on another device, and is available on arange of TVstoo, including models from Samsung, Vizio, Sony and LG.
Additionally, AirPlay isn’t standing still – iOS 17 rolled out new features – including the ability to learn your listening habits so that your iPhone can suggest AirPlay supported speakers based on the room that you’re in.
And now AirPlay is also compatible with the in-room televisions in some hotels, allowing you to easily stream your favorite shows or music from your iPhone to the TV in your room.
Which Apple devices support AirPlay 2?
AirPlay 2 rolled out as part of iOS 11.4 back in May 2018. Using a compatible device, you can stream audio or video AirPlay-enabled speakers or TVs. The full list of compatible Apple devices that you can stream content from is as follows:
You can use AirPlay 2 with any of the following iPhone handsets.
You can use AirPlay 2 with any of the following Apple tablets.
iPod touch
You can use AirPlay 2 with the following iPod.
You can use AirPlay 2 with the following Apple TV.
MacBook and MacBook Pro
You can use AirPlay 2 with the following MacBooks.
How does AirPlay 2 work with music?
Apple AirPlay 2 adds speaker control to the Home app, meaning you can individually control all of your AirPlay-compatible speakers from your iPhone. Note, however, that the speakers need to support AirPlay 2. Most streaming services you have installed on your iPhone should work with AirPlay 2 speakers.
When you play music from your iOS device, you can select which speakers around your home you want the audio to be sent to and control the individual volume for those speakers. These controls can be found in theControl Centerby swiping down from the top-right corner of your iPhone screen.
How to transfer Apple Music playlists to Spotify on your iPhone
There’s a simple iPhone app you can use to transfer all your carefully curated playlists from Apple Music to Spotify. You’re welcome.
Another feature of AirPlay 2 is the ability for multiple users to add songs to one playlist. If you’re at a party, and one person has their iPhone playing Apple Music as the music source, other Apple Music users can send songs they want to be played to the source iPhone, to save having to connect and reconnect several phones.
Apple AirPlay 2 with Apple TV
Provided you have tvOS 11 or later, your Apple TV can send audio to speakers around your home as well.
Whatever speaker is connected to the Apple TV, be it a soundbar or speaker system, is automatically a de facto AirPlay 2 speaker. Simply AirPlay your music or video to your Apple TV, and you’ll hear the audio through the connected speakers.
You can now use NordVPN on Apple TV to watch content from abroad
With NordVPN now available on Apple TV, you’re able to easily stream content from abroad, and you get to keep your viewing habits private.
Another great use of an Apple TV is to AirPlay photos from your iPhone. If you want to show off your latest holiday snaps, using AirPlay to send them to your Apple TV allows everyone to admire your best hot dog legs selfies on the much larger screen of your television.
Apple TV 4K (2021)
Apple AirPlay 2 with Siri
Siritakes on a prominent role with AirPlay 2 and multi-room audio. You can tell her which speakers you want to play music on, and you can even ask her to play different songs on different speakers.
Best AirPlay receivers: Turn any speaker into a wireless audio powerhouse
AirPlay is one of the simplest ways to cast audio from your devices, but not every speaker supports it. These receivers, however, can change that.
You’re not just restricted to using Siri with theHomePodor HomePod mini either, as she will play nice with any other third-party AirPlay 2 speaker.
