How to Enable AirPlay for iPhone

Turn on AirPlay to beam music, photos, and videos to other devices

by Mark Harris
Mark Harris is a former writer for Lifewire who wrote about the digital music scene and streaming music services in an easy to understand, no-nonsense manner.
Updated November 27, 2019

Enable AirPlay on your iPhone to stream data, or the entire screen, wirelessly between your phone and other compatible devices on the same Wi-Fi network. Using AirPlay on an iPhone requires an AirPlay receiver. This can be a third-party AirPlay-compatible speaker system, Apple TV, or an Airport Express hub, for example.

Instructions in this article apply to devices running iOS 11 or later.

How to Configure AirPlay on an iPhone

Setting up AirPlay on an iPhone only takes a few taps on the screen.

  1. Make sure that both the iPhone and AirPlay receiver are powered on and connected to the same wireless network.

  2. On the iPhone, swipe up to open Control Center.

  3. Tap and hold the music control area, then tap the AirPlay button.

    On an iPhone 6s or later, use 3D Touch by pressing the Music section.

  4. Tap a device to connect to it over AirPlay.

    If you connect to an Apple TV that isn't on the same Wi-Fi network as the iPhone, enter the code displayed on the TV into the phone.

    Opening AirPlay options on an iPhone

  5. On some devices, tap Done to establish the connection.

How to Mirror the iPhone Display

With AirPlay enabled, and with the iPhone's built-in Screen Mirroring feature, show your phone's screen on your Apple TV.

  1. Open Control Center.

  2. Tap Screen Mirroring or AirPlay Mirroring, depending on the iOS version.

  3. Select your Apple TV.

    Screen Mirroring settings on an iPhone

  4. Enter the AirPlay passcode displayed on your TV, if you see one, into your iPhone.