Going on vacation is always a good time but no matter where you stay, the in-room entertainment systems can often leave a lot to be desired. If you're used to being able to stream all of your favorite shows and movies at home, hotels can often be a rude awakening. But now there's hope after Apple announced that select IHG Hotels & Resorts locations have added support for AirPlay.

The new feature means that anyone with an iPhone or iPad can walk into a room at one of the select locations and quickly and easily share their content on the big screen. The process works in a similar way to how we use AirPlay at home, and it was originally announced at WWDC last year. Now, almost a year later, things are starting to happen.

This announcement means that users can connect to one of the compatible LG hotel TVs in their rooms as well as the hotel's Wi-Fi network without having to fiddle with complicated settings or call down to reception for help. There's even support for pairing multiple devices to a single TV as well, making things much easier for families with kids who might want to watch TV while parents get ready for dinner.

Stream om

Apple announced the new availability via a new press release, saying that the new AirPlay feature is about more than just watching your favorite TV shows.

"Starting today, guests staying at select properties from IHG Hotels & Resorts, including Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants, Hotel Indigo, Candlewood Suites, and InterContinental Hotels & Resorts, can use AirPlay to privately and securely stream their favorite shows and movies on Apple TV+ and other popular streaming services, listen to personal playlists on Apple Music or other platforms, view vacation photos, practice a presentation, play fun games on Apple Arcade, or get a workout or meditation in with Apple Fitness+ on the big screen in their guest rooms," the press release begins. At rollout, there will be AirPlay support at more than 60 properties across North America.

Getting up and running is easier than you might think as well — all you need to do is scan a QR code to get the ball rolling.

"Users can automatically connect to the compatible LG hotel TV in their guest room and the hotel’s Wi-Fi network by scanning a unique QR code on the screen," Apple explains. "Once connected, guests can share almost anything on the big screen in their hotel room directly from their iPhone or iPad. Guests can also pair multiple devices to the TV, so friends and loved ones traveling together can also enjoy."

Each QR code is unique to the hotel room to make sure that streams are private and Apple says the connection between devices and the TV will be automatically "erased" at check out.

As far as the fingerprint is concerned, Apple says that an iPhone Xs or later running iPadOS 17.3 or later is required, while an iPad (6th generation or later), iPad mini (5th generation or later), iPad Air (3rd generation or later), 12.9-inch iPad Pro (2nd generation or later), 10.5-inch iPad Pro, or 11-inch iPad Pro (1st generation or later) running iPadOS 17.3 or later will do the trick for tablet fans. That should probably cover the vast majority of people, that's for sure.

Anyone looking to check whether their preferred hotel has the new AirPlay connectivity feature can check the full list of locations on the IHG website.

More from iMore

• How AirPlay works on your Apple Watch
• How to enable AirPlay on iPhone — stream video and audio
• AirPlay 2 and HomeKit for smart TVs: Everything you need to know

iOS 17’s long-delayed AirPlay hotel feature could finally be ready soon, according to a statement by LG.

Using AirPlay with supported televisions in hotels was first announced way back in June 2023 as part of iOS 17 — but there has since been no word of when AirPlay in hotels was going to debut. Apple had previously stated it would arrive by the end of the year, but fast-forward to February and we don’t seem to be any closer. 

The feature lets users connect their iPhone or iPad to a hotel TV, by simply scanning a QR code. Once connected, your device will be mirrored on the TV. You can then play games from Apple Arcade, or watch Apple TV Plus for example, all displayed on your hotel’s big screen

Now, a spokesperson for LG has confirmed to MacRumors that the feature is coming to certain hotel TVs “later this spring.” 

It’s worth mentioning that iOS 17.3 enabled this feature back in January, with its release notes stating, “AirPlay hotel support lets you stream content directly to the TV in your room in select hotels.” As Apple confirmed when the feature was announced last year, brands from IHG Hotels & Resorts will be the first to offer the feature. This could include Holiday Inn, Avid, and Kimpton. 

AirPlay in hotels cannot come soon enough - iMore’s take

Most of us have likely been in a situation where we’ve checked into a hotel room, and there are four channels to choose from on the TV. Instead, you reach for your iPhone or gaming handheld, and the TV is left off for the duration of your stay.

The solution for many, myself included, has been to bring a USB-C to HDMI cable — so we can hook up our iPads or Macs to these hotel TVs. It’s been a hit-or-miss affair though, as some hotel TVs in the past have restricted the use of input ports such as HDMI.

Once AirPlay in hotels goes live though, this frustrating dilemma will be no more. It’ll be worth the wait, and I’ll finally have no need to pack a USB-C to HDMI cable for when I travel.

More from iMore

• How to enable AirPlay on iPhone
• iOS 17.4 beta: Here's everything new in Apple's App Store-busting, CarPlay-teasing update
• The best shows on Apple TV Plus

When Apple announced iOS 17 back in June of 2023 as part of the big WWDC event, there were plenty of new features unveiled. Most of them made the big September release date while others have appeared in dribs and drabs via smaller software updates ever since. That continued with the recent iOS 17.2 update, with features like the hotly anticipated Journal app finally coming to the iPhone. But there are still some features missing.

To be specific, there are two features that are yet to make it out of Apple Park and we don't know for sure when they'll arrive. Apple says that both the ability to use AirPlay in hotel rooms and enjoy collaborative Apple Music playlists are still coming, and that they'll be with us at some unspecified point in 2024. It's good news that the features are still on the way, but it's strange that they haven't yet arrived.

That's especially true for the collaborative playlist feature considering it was part of earlier iOS 17.2 betas before being removed. And the fact that two features that have pride of place on Apple's iOS 17 webpage won't arrive until 2024 isn't a great look.

Missing features

None of this is helped by the fact that these two features are ones that will be very useful once they finally ship, of course.

The AirPlay feature in particular could be a huge boon for those who travel a lot. Apple's updated webpage says that the feature is "coming in an update in 2024, with the feature allowing users to "scan a QR code on a hotel room TV and then "securely share videos, photos, and music from your iPhone to the TV." For anyone who just wants to catch up on the latest must-watch Apple TV Plus show, that could be a huge addition. And it isn't yet clear why it's one that couldn't make its way into iOS 17.2 or a previous version, for that matter.

The second feature is one that Apple Music fans will surely enjoy when it ships because it will allow people to "Invite friends to join your playlist and everyone can add, reorder, and remove songs." You'll even be able to "use emoji to react to the song choices in Now Playing" if that's your jam, too.

With Apple saying that both of these features will now ship in 2024, we're all in something of a holding pattern. With a 12-month time window, there is plenty of wiggle room there. The saving grace? In a year when the Vision Pro will ship and Apple is expected to unveil a plethora of new iPads, we can only expect that Apple will want to get these features out of the door soon so it can focus on other things. And let's not forget that iOS 18 will start to be a very real concern soon — it's likely to be previewed during WWDC in June with the first beta dropping the same day.

A matter of faith

While we can be relatively sure that these two features will eventually arrive, it isn't a great look for things to get delayed in this way. It's doubtful that we have another AirPower on our hands of course, but when features get delayed it puts further strain on future updates.

Flash forward to June 2024 and iOS 18's unveiling. It's difficult to assume everything Apple shows off will ship when it says it will when two features announced a whole year before only landed a few months ago. This isn't the first time Apple has had to delay things, and it probably won't be the last. There has long been a suggestion that Apple should ditch the one-big-update-a-year method of software development in favor of more frequent, smaller feature additions. If Apple keeps biting off more than it can chew those calls are likely to return.

More from iMore

• Apple Releases New iOS 17.2 and iPadOS 17.2 updates
• The iPhone’s new Journal app is here with iOS 17.2, but it's the tech behind it that really matters
• iOS 17.2 supercharges AirDrop with a new way of sharing tickets

After Elon Musk revealed in 2022 that it was something he and a group of engineers were considering, references to AirPlay are starting to appear in the official Tesla app, signaling that it could finally be coming to its fleet of cars.

For those unaware, AirPlay lets you send audio or video content to another device that has the feature installed, allowing you to quickly cast something without sending it to someone or uploading it somewhere.

A bunch of televisions have this feature and it's incredibly useful, especially when you want to show someone a photo of an event you've recently been to, or if you're visiting someone and you want to AirPlay a new track of your favorite band.

According to not a tesla app, the building blocks for AirPlay have been laid down, so we could see an announcement of the feature coming to Tesla cars soon. Version 4.23 of the Tesla App "adds a reference to Apple's AirPlay technology that allows audio and video streaming from an Apple device to supported hardware such as a TV."

88 AirPlay miles an hour

We've spoken before about how CarPlay is a great alternative to the many dashboard user interfaces we all have to figure out and use with our cars. The third-party apps and the way you can use them when stuck in a car-to-car traffic jam can be a huge help.

You can even install devices that retrofit your car with CarPlay, completely avoiding the built-in dashboard, which is a haven to many with ones that can be very confusing to use.

But when it comes to Tesla, it has a huge iPad-like screen that's great to use - but trying to pair your iPhone to it can be a different kind of headache.

This is why AirPlay is at least a good stop-gap, even though native CarPlay support in a Tesla seems very unlikely for some reason, something that Musk can only fathom.

It's also great timing for AirPlay on Tesla, with a new iPhone 15 arriving later this year, with USB-C, improved cameras, and more.

So someone who owns a Tesla and who's also planning on upgrading to an iPhone 15, could be getting the best of both worlds by the time 2023 wraps up.

Twitter might not be the social network it once was but it's still the one that a whole load of people spend their time on and now they have a new feature to enjoy.

Video support has been around on Twitter for years and Apple even shared an entire episode of the Apple TV Plus hit Silo as a freebie recently. But watching on your iPhone is no fun, and using screen sharing via AirPlay didn't always work well. Now, that workaround is no longer needed.

That's because Twitter has now added the ability to AirPlay videos right from within its app, making it easier than ever to watch longer videos on a big screen.

Must-watch Twitter content

Since Elon Musk bought Twitter for $44 billion in late 2022 he's been trying to turn it into an everything app, similar to WeChat in China. That includes having it be the go-to place for video content and he's now one step closer to making that happen — even if there's still a ways to go.

Things took a step in the right direction when Apple TV Plus made the entire first episode of Silo available to stream on the platform at the end of June.

Musk alluded to being able to watch the episode on the big screen but at the time that required using Control Center's display mirroring, a workaround that didn't always make for the best experience. But by adding support for AirPlay viewers can be sure that the content they're streaming to the big screen is in the correct aspect ratio, for example.

All that's required to use AirPlay is a compatible TV or an Apple TV box. The Apple TV 4K is the best around, although even with Amazon Prime Day deals it still isn't cheap. Thankfully, there are tons of Apple TV alternatives out there if you're looking for something that won't break the bank.

After Apple announced at WWDC 2023 that AirPlay was coming to some hotels later this year, LG announced that it was going to be the first company to help make this happen.

Ahead of a HITEC Hospitality Trade Show, Michael Kosla, hospitality vice president at LG Business Solutions USA announced the update coming to a bunch of hotels that have its 2023 TVs installed.

For those unaware, you'll soon be able to connect your iPhone or iPad to a TV by a QR code that will display on the device, enabling you to mirror your device or play content to it without being limited to what the hotel TV offers.

LG also mentioned that this update will be coming to its recent TV models as well, but it didn't state exactly which ones you'll be able to use this new Airplay feature with just yet.

It's about to get far easier for watching content

Most of us have all been in a situation where we've checked into a hotel, and after a few days, we're either too sunburnt or too ill to go outside, and we're relegated to watching old 80s movies like The Golden Child on repeat.

The temporary solution for many has been to bring a USB-C to HDMI cable so we can hook up our iPad or Mac to these hotel TVs, but it's always been a fiddly situation, and TVs at some hotels even restrict using its input ports.

So having the ability to just scan a QR code to send your content to these TVs is going to be very useful. But don't expect a quick rollout. LG isn't the only provider of hotel TVs, and it wasn't clear as to whether it was a US-only rollout.

For UK folk who like to stay in a Travel Tavern, for example, and are hoping for this feature to come quickly, we recommend tempering expectations until other rollouts are announced.

LG is rolling out support for Apple services to a ton of televisions.

In a press release from earlier today, the company announced that it was adding support for the Apple TV App, Apple Music, AirPlay, and HomeKit to its webOS Hub. According to LG, this update will make the services available on televisions in over 100 countries and regions.

The company says that "10 times as many brands are now available on webOS Hub than in early 2021, with LG now working with 200 partners in total including Seiki, Eko, Stream System, Konka, Aiwa, and Hyundai. Through these efforts, LG is now primely positioned to deliver on its promise of pioneering streamlined content viewing experiences for millions of people around the globe."

In order to access these services, customers with a compatible television just need to go to the webOS Hub. For Apple TV, the webOS Hub Home Screen has a dedicated app. LG says that Apple Music should also be available through a dedicated app. At this time, it's unclear exactly how AirPlay and HomeKit work, but they're unlikely to need dedicated apps and are likely enabled through a television or the webOS Hub's settings.

At this time, there's no word from the company if other services like Apple Arcade or Apple Fitness Plus could come to their televisions. Those are still accessed on the television through dedicated hardware like the Apple TV 4K for the full experience.

LG already launched some compatibility years ago

This is just the latest upgrade LG has made to support Apple's services. Back in 2021, the company rolled out a dedicated app for Apple Music. In the same year, LG added a dedicated Apple TV app as well.

LG also isn't the only place where Apple's services have expanded recently. Late last year, it was reported that Apple Music and the Apple TV app were both coming to Windows. Last month, the Apple Music app finally launched on Windows, but it is currently limited to devices running Windows 11.

Want to enable AirPlay on iPhone? It's a really useful feature that allows you to stream video, audio and even mirror your display directly from your iPhone to a Mac or Apple TV.

AirPlay is possible thanks to the Apple ecosystem, and all you need is to ensure your Apple devices are on the same Wi-Fi network. AirPlay is great for entertainment, education, and enterprise — tap a button, choose a target, and watch your show or run your presentation.

Here's how to enable AirPlay on iPhone regardless of whether you own an iPhone SE or an iPhone 15 Pro.

How to AirPlay video from your iPhone or iPad

How to AirPlay video from your iPhone or iPad

You can AirPlay any video simply by mirroring your screen. Some video players, like YouTube, will even let you AirPlay right from the video pane. Here's how to AirPlay from within an app.

1. Play a video
2. Tap the AirPlay button
3. Choose your TV or Mac from the list
4. To stop using AirPlay, tap the AirPlay button and select your iPhone

1. On your iPhone or iPad, swipe down from the top right corner of the screen to bring up Control Center
2. Tap Screen Mirroring
3. Choose the device you'd like to AirPlay to

If you're not on the same Wi-Fi network as the Apple TV you're targeting — for example, if you're at a meeting — the Apple TV will display a code and require you to enter it on your iPhone or iPad before streaming over point-to-point Wi-Fi.

When you want to stop AirPlay, it's just as easy. Simply tap Screen Mirroring in Control Center again and then select Stop Mirroring.

How to AirPlay audio from your iPhone or iPad

Just like with video, some audio apps have a built-in AirPlay button. Whether they do or not, you can always AirPlay your audio from the Now Playing card in Control Center and send it to any Apple TV, AirPort Express-connected speakers, or any speakers with AirPlay built-in.

1. Swipe down from the top right corner of the screen to bring up Control Center
2. Tap the AirPlay button on the Now Playing widget
3. Choose the device you'd like to AirPlay to

When you want to stop listening to audio via AirPlay, it's just as easy. Simply tap the AirPlay button in Control Center again and then select your iPhone.

AirPlay compatibility

Before you can mirror your Mac using AirPlay, you must ensure all your devices are compatible. To use AirPlay Mirroring between devices on the same Wi-Fi network, you need:

• Apple TV (2010 or later)
• Apple TV 4K (2017 or later)
• iMac (2011 or later)
• iMac Pro (2017 or later)
• Mac mini (2011 or later)
• MacBook (2015 or later)
• MacBook Air (2011 or later)
• MacBook Pro (2011 or later)
• Mac Pro (2013 or later)

You should also make sure you're running the latest software for your Mac and Apple TV.

One more thing... Turn up your entertainment

AirPlay is one of those terrific built-in Apple features that many forget when it's time to find something to watch or hear. Use it anytime to watch and listen to your favorite YouTube video, Apple TV series, or album, from your mobile device to Apple TV. You can also use the feature to mirror whatever's happening on your computer screen to Apple TV, which is ideally suited for business meetings, instructional situations, and more. 

AirPlay is a genuinely useful tool that allows you to make the most of your technology in your home. You can use it anytime you want to watch a YouTube video, watch your favorite movie on Apple TV, or listen to Taylor Swift on your HomePods. 

I use AirPlay daily, and it's one of the main reasons I could never move from iPhone to Android. AirPlay is just one of many features that make the Apple ecosystem so intuitive.

With the release of iOS 17, there are plenty of other features that make the ecosystem even stronger, including the new NameDrop functionality that makes AirDrop better than ever before.

AirPlay is one of the most useful Apple ecosystem features — in fact, it's so good that in recent years Apple has opened up the technology to allow third-party devices to use it. It lets you wirelessly beam audio and video to different devices. Watching a video on your MacBook? You can AirPlay it to your Apple TV and watch on the big screen. Listening to some sweet tunes on your iPhone? AirPlay that audio to your favorite AirPlay speaker.

Unfortunately, even iOS16 and Apple's other latest software can sometimes mess up, you might find that sometimes AirPlay is not working properly. If you're having trouble with AirPlay, there are some steps you can try to correct the behavior on your iPhone, iPad, or Mac and get you back to streaming your audio and video. Here are some steps you can try to troubleshoot problems with AirPlay.

Make sure you're on the same Wi-Fi network if AirPlay is not working

AirPlay requires both the devices you're streaming from and the device you're streaming to to be on the same Wi-Fi network to work. If you're trying to beam some content from your iPhone to your AirPlay-compatible TV, you need to make sure both devices (your phone and your TV) are on the same network.

So, before you try any other troubleshooting tips when AirPlay isn't working, make sure you've checked that everything is connected to the same network. 

Try toggling Wi-Fi if AirPlay is not working

Sometimes the best solution is to turn it off and then on again. You can toggle the Wi-Fi off and on with just a few taps or clicks on the logo on your best iPhone, iPad, and Mac. Doing this can sometimes fix an errant connection, which may be why AirPlay isn't working for you.  

Note: Control Center no longer turns Wi-Fi completely off. It simply stops the current connection but leaves things like AirPods, Apple Pencil, and Apple Watch available. To fully turn it off, head to Settings.

How to toggle Wi-fi on iPhone and iPad

1. Launch Settings from your Home screen.
2. Tap Wi-Fi.
3. Tap the Wi-Fi On/Off Switch twice. Once to turn it off and another time to turn it back on. 

How to toggle Wi-Fi on Mac 

1. Click the Wi-Fi symbol in the Menu bar.
2. Click the Wi-Fi On/Off Switch twice. Once to turn it off and then once to turn it back on again.

Don't forget to toggle the Wi-Fi on your other devices. If you're trying to AirPlay something to your TV, for example, go into the TV settings and try disconnecting and reconnecting to the Wi-Fi network.

Reset your devices if AirPlay is not working

Taking it up a notch, you can always try to do a hard reset on your devices. Rebooting the software is often a great way to right the ship when things are going a little sideways. Here's how you can reboot your iPhone, iPad, and Mac. 

How to reset an iPhone or iPad 

If you are resetting an iPhone or iPad that has Face ID, follow these steps:

1. Quickly click and release the Volume Up button.
2. Quickly click and release the Volume Down button.
3. Press and hold the sleep/wake button.
4. Keep holding down the sleep/wake button, even after the Shut Down screen shows up. Once the screen goes black, you can stop holding the button.

If you're using an iPhone or iPad without Face ID, follow these steps:

1. Press and hold down the On/Off button on the right side.
2. While continuing to hold the On/Off button, press and hold the volume down button on the left side of your iPhone.
3. Hold both buttons as the screen turns off, and keep holding them until the screen turns back on and displays the Apple logo.

How to reset a Mac

If you have a Mac that you want to reset, follow these steps:

1. Click the Apple icon at the far left of the Menu bar.
2. Click Restart. 

Now that you've reset your iPhone, iPad, or Mac, trying using AirPlay again to see if that fixes the problem of AirPlay not working. Remember you may want to reset your third-party devices as well, to see if that helps. 

Check for updates

Keeping your device like your best Mac up to date is always a good idea. Sometimes, new versions of iOS, iPadOS, or macOS introduce compatibility problems; other times, they fix them. So, if AirPlay is not working as expected, check to ensure you're on the latest software. 

How to check for software updates on iPhone and iPad

1. Launch Settings from your Home screen.
2. Tap General
3. Tap Software Update

From here, you'll be able to see if there is a software update. If there is an update, you can download and install it and see if that solves the issue of AirPlay not working once it's booted back up and ready to go. 

How to check for software updates on Mac if AirPlay is not working

1. Click the Apple icon at the far left of the Menu bar.
2. Click System Preferences.
3. Click Software Update.

Hopefully, you're back up and running!

When AirPlay isn't working correctly, it can be a real nuisance. Still, hopefully, the steps listed above helped you out, and now you're using AirPlay to beam your favorite video and audio wherever you want. 

If you've followed all the steps above and AirPlay is still not working for you, we would suggest contacting Apple support directly and seeing if they can help you out. 

When Apple first announced Fitness+, there was some confusion about why they didn't allow you to AirPlay the workouts to your TV or another AirPlay-compatible screen. After all, following along to a workout on the biggest screen you have makes it much easier to do, as evidenced by the fact that Apple designed a whole app for the Apple TV to be able to use Fitness+ on it. Not everyone has the best Apple TV to take advantage of the Fitness app, but many people have AirPlay-compatible TVs.

The good news is Apple quickly changed its tune, and in an update shortly after the service launched, they enabled AirPlay for Fitness+. This means you can start a workout on your iPhone and AirPlay it to your TV, so if you don't have one of the best Apple TVs, you don't have to follow along with the class on your tiny little iPhone screen. It's perfect to go alongside one of the best rowing machines for Apple Fitness+ or similar. Here's how to AirPlay Fitness+ workouts to your TV.

How to AirPlay Fitness+ workouts to your TV

Using AirPlay with Fitness+ is pretty straightforward and very similar to using AirPlay for other apps or services, but you can do it right in the Fitness app as you go to launch a workout.

1. Launch Fitness from your iPhone Home screen.
2. Tap the Fitness+ tab at the bottom of your screen.
3. Tap the workout you want to do.

4. Tap Let's Go.
5. Tap the AirPlay button.
6. Tap the device you want to AirPlay to.

Get your sweat on!

Now you're ready to work out! Just remember that when you're using AirPlay to display a Fitness+ workout, you won't see your favorite Apple Watch metrics appear in the top left of the screen. Unfortunately, Apple doesn't allow the metrics to be displayed in iOS 15, so you'll need to check your Apple Watch to see your metrics while you AirPlay the workout to your TV.

However, in iOS 16, you are supposed to be able to AirPlay Apple Fitness workouts and display the metrics at the same time. Of course, iOS 16 is only in its first developer beta right now, and won't be released to the general public until later this fall.

Updated June 2022: Updated for the latest version of iOS 15 and added some information regarding the upcoming iOS 16 update.

What you need to know

• Tesla CEO Elon Musk says he will speak to his engineers about the possibility of adding AirPlay support to cars.
• There is no sign that CarPlay support will come to Tesla vehicles.
• AirPlay would allow for lossless audio streaming.

Tesla electric cars could add support for Apple AirPlay, allowing people to more easily stream audio and potentially video from their iPhones. But CEO Elon Musk remains steadfast in his refusal to discuss adding the feature everyone really wants — CarPlay support.

The new AirPay admission came after Musk replied to one Tesla car owner to say that he would speak with Tesla audio engineers about the possibility of adding support for AirPlay. Musk says that the sound system built into the new Model S and Model X is "incredible" but one owner wants Apple to give them a better way to stream music to it than the current Bluetooth.

Musk responded, as he is wont to do on Twitter, to say that he would have a word with his team — although there is no guarantee that future AirPlay support will be added, of course.

Unfortunately, there is still no indication that Musk is at all keen about adding another Apple technology in the form of CarPlay. The large display that Tesla electric vehicles have would be perfect for projecting an iPhone display onto, but so far, no dice.

Adding AirPlay support to Tesla cars would theoretically allow for lossless audio streaming, although it's a matter for debate whether the speakers inside the cars would make for an experience that would make such a thing worthwhile.

Apple's AirPlay and CarPlay offerings are some of the best iPhone features around, especially the latter. It gives people a way out of the normally poor in-car systems that carmakers force upon drivers while opening up the possibility of using third-party navigation apps as well.

New smart televisions are more likely than not to come with the Apple TV app. However, you don't necessarily need an app to stream your favorite content, including videos, photos, music, etc. Through AirPlay 2, you can cast your iPhone, iPad, or Mac content onto your television without an app installed. Here's how to do it.

If you are in the market for one, check out our pick for the best Apple TV right now.

Requirements

To use AirPlay 2, you must have a physical Apple TV attached to your television or a TV that supports it natively.

The number of AirPlay 2-supported televisions continues to grow and includes many from LG, VIZIO, Samsung, and Sony. You can find an updated list of supported TVs on the Apple website.

Devices that support AirPlay 2 include the Works With Apple AirPlay logo somewhere on the box as shown here:

Digital content on iPhone, iPad, or Mac that supports AirPlay casting will include one of the logos below. These images represent video and audio streaming, respectively.

AirPlay setup differs according to the smart television you own. Generally, you activate AirPlay during the television setup process. In most cases, however, once you set up Wi-Fi on your smart TV, AirPlay is ready to go. Make sure your TV and AirPlay device are on the same Wi-Fi network.

Important note: AirPlay setup doesn't only differ by vendor; in some cases, it also varies by model year. Check with your television manufacturer for more installation information.

Casting video to Smart TVs

To use AirPlay with your compatible smart television, follow the steps below.

1. Find the video that you want to AirPlay.
2. Tap the AirPlay icon.
3. Select the casting AirPlay-compatible television.

You can end casting by controlling the video on your television, just like you would any other video. To stop casting on your iPhone or iPad:

1. Tap the AirPlay icon on the video screen that's currently casting.
2. Uncheck the television from the list of AirPlay-compatible devices.

1. Open the app or website that you want to stream video.
2. Click on the AirPlay icon in the video playback controls.
3. Select the casting AirPlay-compatible television.

To end casting:

1. Click the AirPlay icon on the video screen that's currently casting.
2. Choose Turn off AirPlay.

Mirroring your device content to Smart TVs

Using AirPlay screen mirroring, you can cast everything on your mobile device onto your smart television. In addition, you can both mirror and extend your Mac display using the same tool.

1. Open Control Center, which requires swiping down from the upper-right corner of the screen on newer iPhones and iPads with Face ID (or the iPad Air 4/5, which has no Face ID but uses Touch ID on the Side button), or swiping up from the bottom edge of any screen from older ones with a Home button.
2. Tap the Screen Mirroring icon.
3. Choose your smart TV from the list of supported devices.
4. If required, enter the passcode that appears on your TV screen to your mobile device.

Your TV uses your device's screen orientation and aspect ratio. Change your TV's aspect ratio or zoom settings to fill your TV screen with the mirrored iOS device screen.

To stop mirroring:

1. Open Control Center.
2. Tap Screen Mirroring. This might be identified with the name of your television.
3. Selected Stop Mirroring

To mirror or extend your Mac on your smart TV:

1. Click the AirPlay icon in the menu bar at the top right of your Mac screen
2. Choose your AirPlay 2-compatible smart TV.
3. Enter the AirPlay password that appears on your television display.

To change the casting settings:

1. Click the AirPlay icon in the menu bar at the top right of your Mac screen.
2. Click Mirror TV to mirror your Mac onto your television or
3. Click Use As Separate Display to extend the screen.

To end mirroring:

1. Click the AirPlay icon in the menu bar at the top right of your Mac screen
2. Choose Stop AirPlay.

A lot you can do

As you can see, AirPlay 2 makes it easy to stream content from your Apple devices to Apple TV or the Apple TV app. You can also use AirPlay screen mirroring to cast everything on your mobile device to your smart television.

Updated May 2022: These are still the steps to cast your content to an AirPlay 2 compatible TV.

What you need to know

• Webex will soon support AirPlay on a number of devices.
• The Cisco Room, Desk, and Board devices will support AirPlay later this year..
• It's expected that the new AirPlay feature will be available in June.

Popular meeting and video calling app and service Webex is gaining support for AirPlay across the Room, Desk, and Board series of devices.

The Room, Desk, and Board devices are Cisco Webex devices that are designed to b used during meetings. According to a ZDnet report, AirPlay support is going to be added soon — June 2022 is the current date being aimed for, although there are no promises right now.

The idea is a simple one — people who are in meeting rooms will be able to throw content onto one of those Room, Desk, or Board devices so that everyone can see what's going on. Taking content from an iPhone or iPad and making it available on a larger display is one of AirPlay's killer features and it's one that could make a big improvement to a world that is settling into the hybrid work lifestyle.

While the target is the aforementioned June 2022 launch window, it's possible that date could be missed. However, if talk of June is already out there it seems likely that everyone involved is fairly confident it's a date Webex will be able to meet.

AirPlay is Apple's proprietary wireless streaming protocol that lets you instantly share audio or video between your iPhone, iPad, or Mac and an Apple TV or another AirPlay-enabled device. Apple's HomePod also relies heavily on AirPlay.

Here's your ultimate guide to using AirPlay!

How to AirPlay to Apple TV with iPhone, iPad, and Mac

Your favorite iPhone, iPad, and Mac are the heart of AirPlay. Without them to actually send the audio and video, AirPlay wouldn't be a thing. There's much you can do with AirPlay 2 and Apple TV. You can AirPlay video and AirPlay audio from your iPhone or iPad to Apple TV. AirPlay mirroring is also possible from your Mac to Apple TV.

How to use AirPlay with HomePod

AirPlay is what the HomePod experience is all about if you want your friends to play music from their iPhone on your speaker. There's two HomePod versions. The first, called HomePod, is no longer on sale. There's also the HomePod mini, which remains on the market. You can securely AirPlay on HomePod and also add multi-room audio and a stereo pair.

How to AirPlay content to your Mac

Beginning in 2021, it's finally possible to AirPlay content to your Mac. Previously, it was only possible to use AirPlay to mirror Mac to Apple TV. On your supported device, you can AirPlay audio or video to your Monterey-installed Mac. It works on all of the best Macs!

Easy breezy

There's much you can do with AirPlay 2 across your various Apple devices, including iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, and Mac. So take advantage of the tool and enjoy video and audio in awesome new ways.

Updated February 2022: Updated for latest software.

The HomePod and HomePod mini are fantastic ways to elevate your binge-watching or movie night experiences when combined with the Apple TV. Whether using a single HomePod for all of your audio, pairing two HomePods together for bigger sound, or using a HomePod mini as a replacement for your TV speakers, setting it all up only takes a few clicks on the Siri Remote. Here's how to set up HomePod with Apple TV.

What you need

HomePod or HomePod mini must be set up with a compatible iPhone or iPad. Currently, you can't connect one directly to your Apple TV, so you'll first need to set up HomePod on your iPhone or iPad.

You'll also need a compatible Apple TV, the fourth-generation Apple TV, or the Apple TV 4K, and your HomePod or HomePod mini must also be on the same Wi-Fi network as your Apple TV.

How to set your HomePod or HomePod mini as your default speaker on Apple TV

If you're running iOS and tvOS 14.2 or later, you can set your HomePod or HomePod mini up as the default speaker for your Apple TV's audio. This method means that you won't have to remember to switch over to it on your next movie night.

1. Open Settings on your Apple TV.
2. Click Video and Audio.

3. Click Audio Output.
4. Select your HomePod with a click.

Alternatively, you can set your HomePod as your default speaker through the Home app on iOS, iPadOS, and macOS.

How to set up HomePod or HomePod mini with Apple TV via AirPlay

If you temporarily want to use your HomePod as an Apple TV speaker, you can do so via AirPlay. With this method, you can link your Apple TV content with multiple AirPlay 2 speakers, not just the HomePod, allowing you to create a makeshift surround system.

1. Hold down the Home Button on the Siri Remote for around three seconds to bring up Control Center.
2. Click the AirPlay icon.
3. Select your HomePod or HomePod mini with a click.

How to stop using AirPlay with your HomePod or HomePod mini

1. Hold down the Home Button on the Siri Remote for around three seconds to bring up Control Center.
2. Click the AirPlay icon.
3. De-select your HomePod or HomePod mini with a click, then select your TV.

How to set up two HomePods for stereo sound

Since iOS 11.4 for iOS and tvOS added support for AirPlay 2, you can pair two HomePods or HomePod minis to create a stereo experience with your Apple TV. Through Stereo Pairing, audio quality is significantly better than a single HomePod, but it only works with pairs of the same type of HomePod.

If you have a second HomePod and want to create stereo audio, it's just about as simple as plugging in your HomePod and waiting for technology to take its course! For more, check out our guide, how to create a stereo pair with your HomePods and AirPlay 2.

Your HomePod is the best soundbar for your Apple TV

As you can see, setting your HomePod as a speaker for your Apple TV is quite simple. Now with a stereo pair, or by using your HomePod as your Apple TV's default speaker, you can enjoy high fidelity sound without having to shell out for a dedicated home theater.

Updated December 2021: Updated to include HomePod mini stereo pairing and default audio.

What you need to know

• Sling TV has been updated with support for AirPlay.
• Users can stream content to an AirPlay-enabled device, including TVs.

Streaming TV app Sling (or Sling TV, as it will always be to me ) has been updated to add support for AirPlay. The addition means users can cast their streaming TV, movies, and sports right from their iPhone and iPad and onto their big television for the first time.

The use case here is pretty obvious because it means users don't need to have the Slink app installed. As more TVs begging to support AirPlay this is a huge deal, giving people the chance to cast to a big screen with just a few taps.

All you need to do now is make sure that you have a TV with support for AirPlay. The list continues go grow and some are in our collection of the best TVs available today.

You can download the updated Sling app from the App Store right now and it's free. The update actually landed late last week and was spotted by the folk at Appleosophy.

What you need to know

• AirPlay and HomeKit support is coming.
• Use a new app to access the Live TV Channel Guide.
• Audio product updates also.

Roku has announced significant software changes that are coming soon to its devices. The upcoming Roku OS 9.4 update introduces Apple AirPlay and HomeKit support, and also includes a new way to access The Roku Channel's Live TV Channel Guide on Roku TVs, and more.

New features coming to Roku devices include:

• Apple AirPlay 2 and HomeKit – Later this year, we're expecting to deliver Apple AirPlay 2 and HomeKit capabilities on select 4K Roku devices. With AirPlay 2, you can stream, control, and share your favorite content directly from your iPhone, iPad, or Mac to your Roku device and bring the experience to the big screen. HomeKit allows you to easily and securely control your Roku device using the Home app and Siri on iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, or HomePod.
• Live TV Channel Guide – Have a Roku TV? Now you can watch free live TV directly from your home screen by selecting the "Live TV" input tile. This gives you one-click access to an easy to use program guide with over 115 free live streaming TV channels. If you have an antenna connected, you'll be able to view a combined program guide with free streaming channels and over-the-air broadcast channels. Additionally, you can choose between two program guide views, including recently watched channels.
• Helpful Hints for Roku Voice – Helpful hints will appear directly on the TV screen to inform you of voice commands you can use on your Roku device. These hints are designed to help you enjoy quick, simple control of your Roku device using a wide variety of voice commands. Roku Voice is available on compatible voice remotes or via the free Roku mobile app.
• Surround level control for multi-channel audio – If you own Roku audio products with a multi-channel speaker configuration, you'll be able to adjust the volume of your rear surround speakers relative to the volume of your soundbar for sound levels that match your preference.

For non-Roku customers, you can now access The Roku Channels's Live TV Guide through an iOS and Android app. The free mobile app offers free and premium entertainment for all users. At the same time, Roku is offering more free live/linear channels, including Bloody Disgusting TV, The Craftistry, Circle, HappyKids.tv, Hi-YAH! – The Martial Arts Channel, iFood.tv, The LEGO Channel, Maverick Black Cinema, MOVIESPHERE, Skills + Thrills, VENN, and Weatherspy, as well as a variety of Spanish-language entertainment including Sony Canal Comedias, Sony Canal Compentencias, Sony Canal Novelas from Sony Pictures Television, and Tastemade en Espanol.

In total, there are 115 channels available through the Roku Channel app.

Roku OS 9.4 begins rolling out to select Roku players in the coming weeks. Roku TV models are expected to receive the update in phases over the coming months.

Thanks to an update from Sonos, four speakers in the lineup support AirPlay 2, which means you can play music from your iPhone or iPad without needing a Wi-Fi connection and you can ask Siri to play something through your Sonos speaker. If you have one or more of the four supported Sonos speakers and you're wondering how to set them up, we've got you covered.

The Guide

There are two bits of software that you'll need to update to update the firmware for your Sonos One. First, you'll need to make sure that your iPhone or iPad is updated to version 11.4 or higher. You must be running iOS 11.4 or higher to get AirPlay 2. You can check your current software version from the Settings app.

1. Tap Settings on iPhone or iPad.
2. Tap General.
3. Tap Software Update.

If your software is not updated to iOS 11.4 or higher, install the update.

1. Tap Download and Install.
2. Enter your passcode if prompted.
3. Agree to the Terms and Conditions.
4. Tap Agree again to confirm.

The next thing you'll need to update is the Sonos Controller app to version 9.0 or higher. Version 9.0 brings with it support for AirPlay 2.

1. Launch the App Store on your iPhone or iPad.
2. Tap Search.
3. Enter Sonos Controller into the search field.

4. Select the Sonos Controller from the query results.
5. Tap Update if the Sonos Controller app needs to be updated.

Once both your iPhone and the Sonos controller app have been updated, open the Sonos controller app. You should be automatically directed to update your speaker, but if it doesn't happen automatically, navigate to the Settings section of the Sonos app.

1. Launch the Sonos app on your iPhone or iPad.
2. Tap More.
3. Tap Settings.
4. Tap System Updates.
5. Tap Check for Updates.

The Sonos Controller app will send the firmware update to your Sonos speaker.

After you've updated your Sonos firmware, you'll be able to add the speaker to your Home app, where you'll be able to stream music from Control Center or ask Siri to play something. You'll need to add the Sonos speaker to the Home app, and you're ready to go.

1. Open the Home app on your iPhone or iPad.
2. Tap the Add button in the upper right corner of the Home page.
3. Tap Add Accessory.
4. Follow the instructions to add your Sonos speaker to the Home app.

Once you're all set up, you can start playing music either directly on your iPhone or iPad or by asking Siri.

1. Start playing a song from your favorite music player.
2. Navigate to Control Center on your iPhone or iPad.
3. Press the Now Playing widget.
4. Select your Sonos speaker from the list of available AirPlay speakers.

You can also ask Siri to play tunes for you. Just say, "Hey Siri, play my playlist on Sonos One."

Note: Siri will only play music from Apple Music.

AirPlay 2 is only supported on Sonos One, Sonos Beam, Sonos Playbase, and the second-generation Play:5. But, that doesn't mean you can't use AirPlay 2 with your older or non-Airplay supported Sonos speaker system. As long as you have one of the AirPlay 2 supported speakers, you can connect the rest of your Sonos system and pipe your favorite tunes throughout the entire house.

The Sonos One is the least expensive of the four supported speakers, so if you don't already have one, you can pick one up on Amazon and add it to your Sonos system.

Our top equipment picks

If you're already set up with a house full of Sonos speakers but want to connect them with your Apple TV, HomePod, or just want to AirPlay from your iPhone, these are the four Sonos speakers that support AirPlay 2.

The Sonos One is comparable to an Echo Plus, but with a much better sound. Sonos' unmatched audio quality means you can set the One in a corner and still hear your music as clearly as if it were in the center of the room.

If your TV set needs a new sound bar, the low-cost Beam is a solid replacement. You won't experience audio lag because it connects directly to your TV. You can set it up with Alexa and with Siri, and thanks to AirPlay 2 compatibility, you can piggyback additional Sonos or HomePod speakers for true surround sound.

The Playbase has 10 amplified speaker drivers for an electrifying sound experience. It's designed to be the foundation of a true surround sound experience with Sonos speakers, which includes the Sonos Sub and a pair of Sonos One speakers. If you're going to go whole-hog, this is the ultimate setup for your living room entertainment.

If you're ready to make the jump to an advanced speaker setup for your music-listening experience, you're not going to be disappointed in the incredible sound quality you get from the Play:5. With two connected upright, you'll experience stereo separation equal to what you'd get with a set of hardwired speakers.

Check out our round up of the best Sonos deals now!

The HomePod may not be a traditional Bluetooth speaker, but it is a standard AirPlay speaker (with some added smarts, of course). That means you can't stream music from an Android device (without a complicated workaround) or connect it to an audio source using Bluetooth. It does, however, mean that you can stream any audio from your connected iPhone and iPad using Airplay, even if it's from a third-party music streaming service. Here's how.

• AirPlay doesn't mean Siri play
• How to AirPlay any music streaming app to your HomePod
• How to stop streaming third-party music services on your HomePod using AirPlay
• Troubleshooting AirPlay on HomePod

AirPlay doesn't mean Siri play

Though you can use AirPlay to stream any music from your iPhone or iPad, that doesn't mean you can use Siri to control playback. That only works with Apple Music and iTunes Match. You'll have to start the beats from your iPhone or iPad and control whether you skip or replay songs from either your device or the control panel on top of the HomePod.

How to AirPlay any music streaming app to your HomePod

Streaming Spotify, music from your iTunes, SoundCloud favorites, YouTube Premium content, or whatever audio you want to your HomePod is as easy as connecting it to AirPlay.

1. Swipe up from the bottom bezel on your iPhone or iPad to bring up Control Center (swipe down from the upper right corner on iPhone X).
2. Tap the audio options icon in the upper right corner of the Now Playing control panel.
3. Tap your HomePod.

Whichever music app is playing will automatically play through the HomePod, even if you switch apps.

How to stop streaming third-party music services on your HomePod using AirPlay

If you'd rather get your music directly from Apple Music on HomePod, or if you want to play something else, you can quickly bring the audio back to your iPhone or iPad.

1. Swipe up from the bottom bezel on your iPhone or iPad to bring up Control Center (swipe down from the upper right corner on iPhone X).
2. Tap the audio options button in the upper right corner of the Now Playing control panel.
3. Tap your HomePod to send the music back to your iPhone or iPad.

Troubleshooting AirPlay on HomePod

Here are some common issues with AirPlay that can easily be fixed.

• Make sure your iPhone or iPad has Bluetooth enabled.
• Make sure your iPhone or iPad has wi-fi turned on.
• Make sure your HomePod is paired to your iPhone or iPad.

Any questions?

Do you have any questions about playing music from third-party streaming apps to HomePod using AirPlay? Put them in the comments and we'll help you out.

Netflix has already made it clear it wants nothing to do with Apple's TV.app one-stop viewing spot or the upcoming Channels feature where people can subscribe to additional services from within the same interface as Apple's own, also upcoming, TV+. But, now, Netflix also seems to want no more part of Apple's AirPlay content beaming feature either. Which is especially odd given Netflix has supported it until, well, today.

Via MacRumors:

Nilay Patel, on Twitter:

https://twitter.com/reckless/status/1114587772935901184

Gruber, writing at Daring Fireball:

Either way, it's a shame. While most devices have Netflix either built-in or easily downloadable now, if you're visiting a friend or family member who has an Apple TV or TV set with AirPlay built-in, simply being able to stream from your account, without having to get them to subscribe or having to log yourself in, is way more convenient.

Or, at least it was.

While Apple Music & Podcasts and iTunes purchases & Match can be played natively on HomePod, everything else requires AirPlay — Apple's streaming audio and video protocol. Does that mean anyone can sneak up to your house an start streaming Chipmunks to your HomePod? Only if you don't lock it all down in the Home App.

How to control who can access AirPlay on your HomePod

You can set permissions for your AirPlay on your HomePod using the Home app.

1. Launch the Home app on your iPhone or iPad Home screen.
2. Tap on the Add Home button (looks like a location arrow), top right.
3. Tap on Allow Speaker Access in the Speakers section.
4. Tap on:
   • Everyone to allow unfettered access.
   • Anyone on the Same Network to allow anyone who is on your local Wi-Fi network.
   • Only People Sharing This Home to allow only those with whom you've shared your Home in HomeKit.
5. Tap on Require Password if you want additional security.
6. Tap the Password to change it.

Any AirPlay on HomePod questions?

If you have any questions about AirPlay or HomePod, drop them in the comments below!

When my friends come over, they're always rushing to play me some great song or show me some funny video. Apple TV is fantastic for that because it supports peer-to-peer Airplay, which means they don't have to be on my wi-fi network in order to show me videos. They can just AirPlay it directly from their device. Apple included peer-to-peer AirPlay support for HomePod so they can share their music with me, too. Here's how it works.

• What you need
• How to stream audio to HomePod using peer-to-peer AirPlay
• How to stop streaming audio to HomePod from an iPhone or iPad that is using peer-to-peer Airplay
• Troubleshooting peer-to-peer AirPlay

What you need

In addition to having your HomePod already set up with your iPhone or iPad, the person streaming to your HomePod will need an iPhone or iPad from late 2012 or later running iOS 8 or later.

How to stream audio to HomePod using peer-to-peer AirPlay

When your guest is ready, have them access the device sharing options from whichever audio app they're using. This is usually on the main playback screen and will usually look similar to the Share icon (a rectangle or circle with an arrow pointing upward), though not always. Spotify, for example, is on the main playback screen under Devices available.

1. Open the AirPlay-supported app (like the Music app or Spotify) on your guest's iPhone or iPad.
2. Find the song or album you want to play.
3. Navigate to the Now Playing screen.
4. Tap the AirPlay button.
5. Tap your HomePod.

You can also access the AirPlay button from Control Center after the music begins playing. It looks like two curved lines in the upper right corner of the music playback control.

Remember, they won't have to be on your Wi-Fi network to be able to stream music to your HomePod.

How to stop streaming audio to HomePod from an iPhone or iPad that is using peer-to-peer Airplay

When your guests have finished playing their favorite tunes on your HomePod, they can stop sharing music through AirPlay.

1. Open the app that music is playing from.
2. Navigate to the Now Playing screen.
3. Tap the Airplay button.
4. Tap your HomePod to stop sharing.

You can also access the AirPlay button from Control Center after the music begins playing. It looks like two curved lines in the upper right corner of the music playback control.

Troubleshooting peer-to-peer AirPlay

There are some issues with AirPlay and peer-to-peer AirPlay that can easily be fixed.

• Make sure the guest iPhone or iPad has Bluetooth enabled.
• Make sure the guest iPhone or iPad has wi-fi turned on (it doesn't have to be signed into your network, but it does have to be on).
• Make sure the guest iPhone or iPad is supported (late 2012 or newer running iOS 8 or later).
• Make sure your HomePod is paired to your iPhone or iPad.
• Make sure the iPhone or iPad connected to your HomePod has wi-fi and Bluetooth turned on.

Any questions?

Do you have any questions about how to peer-to-peer Airplay on HomePod? Put them in the comments and we'll help you out.

HomePod has multi-room support thanks to AirPlay 2, but your five-year-old Bluetooth speaker can't join in on the party. That is unless you have Airfoil. It's a simple program that lets you stream audio from your Mac or PC to any AirPlay and Bluetooth speakers at the sae tine.

Though you can currently AirPlay to multiple devices from iTunes on your Mac, it's only possible with iTunes and doesn't combine AirPlay and Bluetooth speakers. Airfoil is incredibly universal, allowing you to use AirPlay and Bluetooth to stream music to as many devices as you want from any audio source you want on your Mac or PC.

See at Rogue Amoeba

Did you say it works with both AirPlay and Bluetooth?

Yes! You can send audio to a multitude of AirPlay speakers, not just the HomePod. Do you already have half a dozen Bluetooth speakers? Not a problem. You can connect all of them to Airfoil and play audio from your Mac or PC across all of them at the same time.

That's right. Not only does Airfoil work with AirPlay speakers, it also works with Bluetooth. So, you can connect two HomePods in the living room, your Soundlink in the kitchen, and a UE Boom in your bathroom and walk throughout your entire house, playing whatever you want from your Mac.

Did you say PC?

That's right. You can use HomePod with any PC running Windows 7, Windows 8, or Windows 10.

Did you say any audio? Can I listen to Spotify? YouTube Music? Deezer?

You sure can. With Airfoil installed on your Mac or PC, you can select any application you want to send audio to pretty much all of your connected speakers. GarageBand? djay Pro? Plex? Yes. Yes. Yes.

Video games, movies, audiobooks, FaceTime, your home movies, all of it. You can even set up Airfoil to play the system audio from your Mac so it'll send the clicks, bleeps, and blips to your HomePod (if you're into that sort of thing).

What about syncing issues?

There is always going to be a little bit of audio lag when you first set up your multi-room speaker array. But, Airfoil has its own advanced speaker options that let us manually sync audio across all of the speakers playing audio.

When you drag the slider bar to the left or right for each speaker, it will adjust to sync up with the playback of the audio of another speaker.

I've done this with four different audio sources at once. It takes a little time to set it all up, but once everything is synced up, your whole house plays back the music. It's like living in a dance club or a movie theater.

But what about my iPhone?

Oh, did I forget to mention that with the companion Airfoil Satellite apps you can actually send audio from your iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, or another Mac or PC to your Mac and thusly through those multiple speakers you have connected? Yeah. You can do that.

When you play audio on your iPhone you'll just use the AirPlay button you normally do to send audio to an external speaker source. Tap your Mac as the receiver. Then, with Airfoil Satellite and Airfoil on your Mac, you'll receive the audio and send it to your connected speakers.

OMG. It's pretty cool.

You had me at AirPlay and Bluetooth together. How much?

Airfoil for Mac and PC are $29 each for a license that will unlock the full app on multiple computers (but only one user). If you have both Macs and PCs in your house, you can get a 30% discount on a bundle pack for $40.

If you think $29 is a lot of money, think about how cool it would be to play audio from all of your speakers, not just your multi-room paired HomePods. You can connect your Mac to an Echo, a Google Home, a variety of different Bluetooth and AirPlay speakers, and play the same music throughout every nook and cranny of your house.

Airfoil is available as a free trial so you can try before you buy. If you like what it does (and if you have a couple of AirPlay and Bluetooth speaker in the house, you will), you can order the full license right within the app.

See at Rogue Amoeba

Your thoughts?

I know some of the iMore readers are long-time fans of Airfoil. Let us know what your set up is like and the things you've done with Airfoil.

Updated June 2018: Updated to reflect AirPlay 2 support.

When it comes to wirelessly streaming audio from a phone, tablet, PC, or Mac, people generally rely on one of two technologies: Bluetooth or AirPlay. If you're trying to make a decision between Bluetooth or AirPlay speakers, there are some things you should be aware of, as both methods have their own pros and cons.

Here's what you need to know about deciding between Bluetooth and AirPlay when buying audio hardware.

Why you might want to use Bluetooth

The biggest point in favor of Bluetooth is compatibility. Every modern consumer device from feature phones to high-end laptops comes with Bluetooth support built in. It's a standard controlled by a board rather than a single company. And because it's universal, as long as your phone/tablet/computer and your speaker have Bluetooth, you don't require any additional hardware, allowing you to broadcast directly from your device to the speaker. While peer-to-peer AirPlay, which works similarly, does exist, it's not common and a wireless network is often required in order to use AirPlay.

The other major factor to consider between Bluetooth and AirPlay is format support. Having been around longer, Bluetooth has gained support for a wider variety of audio formats than AirPlay. This includes the newer AptX codec, which allows for nearly lossless transmission of audio data between your device and your Bluetooth speaker, many of which support AptX these days.

Why you might want to use AirPlay

If you live in an Apple-centric home, filled mostly with iPhones, iPads, and Macs, then you might want to heavily consider AirPlay. First, AirPlay offers excellent sound quality, and while Bluetooth has been catching up in that arena (thanks in particular to AptX), there are other compelling reasons to choose AirPlay.

First, there's pairing, or rather, the lack thereof. It's true that you'll usually have to set up an AirPlay speaker with your home wireless network, but once you do, that's it. You don't have to pair it with any devices. Any iPhone, iPad, Mac, or Apple TV connected to your Wi-Fi network will be able to connect with and stream music to your AirPlay speaker without any additional steps.

Another consideration is range. While Bluetooth 5 has notably improved range over older versions of Bluetooth, it's still a new technology, and when it comes to audio, you'll still want to keep the device that is streaming music to the speaker in the same room as the speaker. With AirPlay, on the other hand, you can connect to any compatible speaker no matter where you are as long as it and the iPhone, iPad, or Mac from which you want to stream audio is on the same network.

And while it's not here yet, I'd be remiss if I didn't mention multi-room audio. AirPlay 2, said by Apple to be coming sometime in 2018, will bring with it support for sending audio to multiple speakers from any iOS device. You'll also be able to control the volume of your different AirPlay 2 speakers separately from one another.

Do you really have to choose?

Here's the secret about the AirPlay vs. Bluetooth debate: these days, you often don't have to choose. In the early days of AirPlay, compatible speakers were often more expensive than their Bluetooth counterparts, but these days, companies like August are making AirPlay speakers for under $100. What's better, many companies have offerings that include support for not only Bluetooth or AirPlay, but both.

Speakers from companies like Libratone, GGMM, and Bang & Olufsen often feature support for both technologies, and the number of companies that support both is continually growing. Here are just a few examples of speakers that support both AirPlay and Bluetooth.

• August WS300G ($80) - See at Amazon
• Libratone Zipp ($299) - See at Amazon
• B&O Play M3 ($299) - See at Amazon

So when looking at speakers and audio receivers, consider something that allows you to pick between Bluetooth and AirPlay based on your needs.

If you really need to choose

If you actually do need to choose between Bluetooth and AirPlay, your final decision is going to depend on your needs.

Do you need something that can work with literally any modern computing device you might have? Maybe you need something portable for a day at the beach or a picnic? Then you'll want to go with Bluetooth.

If you've got an Apple-centric home, and keep most of your speaker-based music listening there, then you'll want to get an AirPlay-compatible speaker. The cost of getting into AirPlay isn't as high as it used to be, you can count on the quality, and you know that it'll work with any Apple device that you have without any pairing.

What did you get?

Have you experimented with both AirPlay and Bluetooth? Which suited you better? Let us know in the comments.

Lory Gil, Mikah Sargent, and Serenity Caldwell talk about the HomePod staining some wood finishes, how to avoid it, and why Apple missed this (or at least warning customers of the possibility) in the first place. They also discuss fixes for the Telugu character bug. On a happier note, Lory espouses the joy of using Airplay to send audio from her Apple TV to HomePod for a better home theater experience.

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Show notes

• iMore show 594 video edition
• How to stop HomePod and Sonos One from leaving white rings on wood furniture
• How to fix the message app crash bug on iPhone and iPad

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• Georgia Dow
• Lory Gil
• Mikah Sargent
• Serenity Caldwell

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Apple's new HomePod is the company's answer to the high-fidelity and smart speaker market. It's a dedicated speaker that supports Siri for access to Apple Music and HomeKit-enabled devices. It's one hell of a sound system packed into a 7-inch tall package. It has a specially engineered audio design to produce quality sound throughout your entire room, even if it's set up in a corner. It's built with Siri inside, so you can use it to play tunes through Apple Music, send messages, make phone calls, and control your HomeKit enabled devices. In fact, Mobile Nations Editorial Director, Rene Ritchie, describes listening to HomePod as "Retina for your ears." It's bound to be a pretty impressive little speaker. You're not here to learn more about the HomePod, though (you can do that by reading our FAQ). You're here to help you decide whether you should buy more than one. Let's dig in!

See at Apple

Should I buy multiple HomePod speakers?

The short answer is no. When the HomePod launches, it's not going to have multi-room music functionality or stereo pairing. What, exactly does all that mean? It means if you buy two HomePods, they're going to work as completely separate speakers — you won't be able to create a synced stereo environment in your living room by placing the two speakers across from each other. Here's how Apple describes the feature that it says will be coming later this year:

Other than a nice stereo setup, the biggest benefit of multiple speakers is the ability to fill your home with the sound of music (both the musical and just the media in general). Unfortunately, AirPlay 2, the technology that enables multi-room listening, won't ship with the HomePod. It'll be coming later this year. Here's how Apple describes that feature:

So as you can see, there's no feature-based reason to purchase multiple HomePods right now. Added functionality will be coming later this year and when it does, that'll be all the reason you'd need to add to your setup. That said, there are a few reasons you might want to purchase multiple HomePods:

• Supply: If you're worried the new features could ship before Apple catches up on demand, you're probably going to want to pick up another HomePod. It took a long time for Apple to catch up to demand for AirPods. It's hard to say, but the HomePod could have the same issue.
• Multiple people: If you've got multiple people in your home who all have different music tastes (and Apple IDs), you may want to pick up another HomePod. That'll give everyone the opportunity to use their HomePod as they see fit.
• Gifts: If you'd like to give someone a HomePod as a gift, that's obviously a reason to purchase more than one.

If you're looking to learn more about HomePod before the January 26 order date, check out this guide from my colleague Serenity Caldwell — it should answer your questions!

Should You Buy a HomePod?

Are you buying multiple HomePods?

Will you be among those buying multiple HomePods at launch? Share your thoughts and excuses in the comments or over on Twitter!

AirPlay, Apple's wireless protocol for sending songs and video to compatible speakers, doesn't work on the Apple Watch. But Apple's smartwatch does use the AirPlay icon (hidden inside Control Center) for its Bluetooth audio output.

While your Apple Watch may not be able to technically use AirPlay, you can tap that button to change your audio output from the internal Apple Watch speaker to your AirPods or another Bluetooth option.

Here's how!

• What audio outputs can the Apple Watch use? What won't it connect to?
• How to change your audio output from your Apple Watch's watch face
• How to change your audio output from your Apple Watch's music app

What audio outputs can the Apple Watch use? What won't it connect to?

As of Series 3, the Apple Watch can connect to the following devices to play audio:

• AirPods or other W1-chip Bluetooth headphones
• Bluetooth headphones
• Bluetooth speakers
• Apple TV

The Apple Watch cannot play music through the following options:

• AirPlay speakers
• Your car
• Your iPhone*

** *Note:** Your Apple Watch can act as a remote control your iPhone's locally-stored music tracks, and may appear as a "target" option when doing so, but you cannot send music locally stored on your Apple Watch to play on your iPhone.

How to change your audio output from your Apple Watch's watch face

When it comes to pairing your audio device via Bluetooth, each device is slightly different. Before you start, consult the manual for your specific device and set it up accordingly.

1. Swipe up on the watch face to open Control Center on your Apple Watch.
2. Tap the Audio Outputs button (looks like the AirPlay symbol).
3. Tap the device you want to use.

How to change your audio output from your Apple Watch's music app

1. Launch the Music app from the Home screen.
2. Tap the music you want to play.
3. Tap on the device you want to use.

Any questions?

Let us know in the comments down below!

Nintendo Switch lets you game like a console in your living room, then pick up and take your gaming on the go. Instead of an Apple TV — or NES! — box, it's more like an iPad that can dock to your TV for room-filling fun. Google's Chromecast achieves something similar but in an entirely different way: through a dongle rather than a dock. Even Amazon's latest Fire TV offers a lot in a small, cheap package.

There's much to recommend Apple TV 4K's dedicated, powerful device approach, including separate local storage, A10X processing, and updates that won't depend on big media houses supporting hundreds of different "smart-TV" platforms. But what if we could have the best of all worlds?

Last year I traveled a lot to do training for some of our new writers. In one of the offices, we had two old-school Apple TVs attached to two big screens on opposite sides of the building. They were used as inexpensive and convenient conduits for AirPlay — Apple's wireless content beaming system — so we could quickly share what was on our Macs, iPads, and iPhones, with everyone in the room.

When I travel to San Francisco I often stay at a hotel that has old-school Apple TVs attached to every television set as well. That way, once you're on the hotel network, you're just a few steps away from AirPlaying any of your stuff to the big screen in front of you. Rather than having to learn a new channel grid or suffer through yet another terrible set-top box experience, you get content that's yours through an interface you're already familiar with.

But those are both exceptions. I'd love a rule.

The Play's the thing

Like CarPlay, which lets your device and content take over the interface of the car — and eliminates the confusion historically associated with everything from upgrades to rentals — AirPlay does much the same anywhere there's a television. It's so great that, when I end up in an office or hotel room without an Apple TV, I miss it tremendously. Sure, I could pick up an extra Apple TV box and make sure I have it with me at all times, but that feels like overkill. I don't really need a box, Siri, or apps for that. I simply need AirPlay.

I need it enough that it makes me long for something like Google's Chromecast dongle — a tiny device that plugs into an HDTV and then simply lets me stream from my iPhone, iPad, or Mac to the big screen. Chromecast Ultra already supports 4K, so I assume a light-weight Apple TV dongle could do the same.

I'd love it if Apple built the basic Apple TV experience into iOS 12, where the logic stays on the iPad or iPhone but the interface and content projects onto your television through the tiny device — AirPlay Express or Apple TV Express, or whatever name best fits.

The TV app already exists on iPhone and iPad. Making it the doorway to Apple TY Express may not be that much of a stretch.

It would be great for offices where all that's wanted is screen mirroring, great for travelers who want the smallest amount of hardware possible in their pockets or luggage — great for anyone who just wants what's in their hands to be up on their TV. And, like CarPlay, it would make hardware updates less of a concern — every time iOS is updated, Apple TV Express would be updated as well.

Room at the bottom

Apple has Airport Extreme and a less expensive Airport Express. The current Apple TV 4K is supplemented on the lower end the previous Apple TV (1080p). But it's still much more expensive than competing streaming boxes. An Apple streaming stick could be a great alternative: The full-on Apple TV for those who want a dedicated box and an Apple TV Express for those who simply want to project content onto a screen right now.

There's any number of reasons why Apple would never make a TV streaming stick. But every time I think about it, I wish they would.

What do you want to see?

Would you use an AirPlay streaming stick? What else would you want to see in iOS 12? Let me know in the comments!

Updated September 28, 2017, to include recent product changes, competitors, and the next big software release, iOS 12.

When you need to send audio from your iPhone or iPad to a different device, you can pop open the Control Center and tap the AirPlay icon near the audio controls to get a list of options. With iOS 11, that button is still there; it's just an extra press away. So no, you don't have to go all the way to Settings > Bluetooth to switch the audio output.

How to switch Bluetooth or AirPlay speakers and headphones using audio controls in iOS 11's Control Center

Control Center in iOS 11 includes some stock controls you can't change and a collection of buttons you can add, remove, and reorder. One of the stock modules is a set of audio controls, but its basic view is quite... basic. Until you expand it.

1. Swipe up from the bottom of your Home screen to launch Control Center.
2. Press firmly (iPhone) or long press (iPad) in the audio playback section of Control Center. It will display whatever you're playing on your iPhone at the moment. If you just tap it, it'll just open the app associated with what's playing.
3. Tap the AirPlay button on the top right of the new window. It looks like a triangle with rings around it.
4. Tap the device to which you'd like to AirPlay audio.

The expanded view also has the volume slider, playback scrubber, and a thumbnail of your content that you can tap to launch the audio app.

• How to customize Control Center in iOS 11

Easy-peasy or not?

Obviously, it would be nice if Apple decided to make that audio-out button available as its own button in Control Center. It would also be great as an optional button, since anyone who doesn't mind the extra force-tap could simply turn the dedicated button off.

Keep in mind that many audio-playing apps have an AirPlay button right inside the app, too.

Any questions about audio playback controls in iOS 11? Let us know!

What's the HomePod?

Apple's long-rumored "Siri Speaker" is called the HomePod, first previewed at WWDC 2017 and coming later this year. It's a small speaker that packs seven tweeters and a woofer, and Apple says it can map a room and then intelligently adjust the sound to fill it. It also offers Siri to let you control Apple Music and stream it directly from iCloud. But if you want another music app on the HomePod, you'll have to first send its audio from one of your iOS devices using AirPlay 2, an update to Apple's wireless streaming protocol that debuts with iOS 11 and macOS High Sierra this fall.

The HomePod will also let you control HomeKit devices on your network, as well as ask about your calendar, the weather, and so on.

• HomePod FAQ: Everything you need to know!

OK, then what's the Libratone Zipp?

The Zipp is a Wi-Fi-equipped speaker from Libratone that looks like a more colorful HomePod. Along with Wi-Fi and AirPlay, it also has Bluetooth, which makes it more versatile than the HomePod for streaming. It doesn't sense the size of the room or its location therein, but the ZIPP does have what Libratone calls "360-degree FullRoom Sound" designed to send sound waves in all directions to fill the space. It also has a 10-hour rechargeable battery for on-the-go play, while the HomePod has to stay plugged in all the time.

Unlike HomePod, however, the ZIPP is not a smart speaker, it doesn't ship with a voice assistant like Siri or Amazon's Alexa. (Well, not out of the box, anyway—it does have a line-in port so you can connect an Amazon Echo Dot and add Alexa support that way.)

How do they compare on price?

Take a guess. Yup, you're right, Apple's HomePod is more expensive — likely because of the built-in voice assistant and microphone technology. The HomePod will sell for $349 when it debuts, while the Libratone Zipp is currently available for $299.

Libratone also sells the the Zipp Mini for $199. The Zipp's little brother has the same features but a smaller size, different speaker array, and 60-watt output, compared to the Zipp's 100 watts, and is less comparable in sound and size to the HomePod.

What about the specs?

• HomePod: 7 beam-forming tweeter array, one 4-inch, Apple-designed woofer, 6-microphone array, Siri support, 802.11a/b/g/n/ac Wi‑Fi with MIMO, multiroom speaker support with AirPlay 2, capacitive touch controls on top of the device
• Zipp: 100 watts total power, from two 1-inch soft dome neodymium tweeters, 2 4-inch low-frequency radiators, 4-inch neodymium woofer, 360-degree reflector. Dual-band 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0 aptX, AirPlay, DLNA, Spotify Connect. Touch controls, hush gesture detection, 5 programmable internet radio stations, noise-isolating microphones for Bluetooth speakerphone feature, 3.5mm analog audio-in, USB play-in/charge-out (charges your phone while music plays), 10-hour rechargeable battery, interchangeable speaker covers
• Zipp Mini: 60 watts total power, from one 1-inch soft dome neodymium tweeter, two 3-inch passive radiators, 3-inch neodymium woofer, 360-degree reflector. Dual-band 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0 aptX, AirPlay, DLNA, Spotify Connect. Touch controls, hush gesture detection, 5 programmable internet radio stations, noise-isolating microphones for Bluetooth speakerphone feature, 3.5mm analog audio-in, USB play-in/charge-out (charges your phone while music plays), 10-hour rechargeable battery, interchangeable speaker covers

How big are they?

All of these speakers are sized to fit almost anywhere in your home; keep in mind, however, that the Zipp is rechargeable, while the HomePod will need to be plugged into AC power at all times.

• HomePod: Measures 6.8 inches high, and 5.6 inches wide and deep. Weighs 5.5 pounds.
• Zipp: Measures 10.3 inches high, 4.8 inches wide and deep. Weighs 3.3 pounds.
• Zipp Mini: Measures 8.8 inches high, 3.9 inches wide and deep, and weighs 2.4 pounds.

How do I control each speaker?

The HomePod has touch controls on the top for volume and play/pause. There aren't readily labeled buttons in the previews we've seen, so we're assuming it's likely a tap/swipe kind of deal. You can also control playback with your iOS device, since the HomePod shows up as an AirPlay 2 speaker, or by using Siri.

The Zipp has controls on the top, too, but the speaker is much more liberal regarding the amount of controls and their labels. You can tap buttons to play/pause, skip forward/back, link multiple speakers together, and access your saved favorites. To adjust volume, swirl your finger clockwise to elevate the sound, or counterclockwise to turn it down. There's even a "hush" gesture — place your hand over the top of the speaker to mute it. Zipp also comes with the Libratone app, and since it's just a regular Bluetooth and AirPlay speaker, you can control playback from your music apps as well.

If I subscribe to Apple Music, the HomePod is pretty much built for me, right?

Pretty much. The HomePod can start playing Apple Music at any time, directly from the Internet — even if your iPhone, iPad, or Mac isn't available. All you have to do is ask Siri.

The ZIPP can also play Apple Music, though, right?

Yes, just not as directly. ZIPP has Bluetooth and AirPlay, so you can send it music from Apple Music or any other audio app on your device, but you can't control it directly from the speaker. It also doesn't let you summon Siri, so if you want to use Siri to change your music, you'll have to summon the assistant from a compatible iOS device first.

If I don't subscribe to Apple Music, do either of these have an advantage?

Spotify Premium subscribers should definitely consider the Zipp, since it has Spotify Connect support. That means you can stream your Spotify collection and playlists directly from the Internet; if your phone rings while you're listening to music, for example, the music keeps playing. (This requires Spotify Premium, the service's paid subscription — it won't work with a free Spotify account, though users of the free tier can still stream Spotify music to the Zipp over Bluetooth or AirPlay.)

You can also control the playback from the Spotify app on any device, even if you didn't start playback from that device. It kind of works like AirPlay: You make your selection in the Spotify app for iOS or Android, and then tap the Spotify Connect speaker symbol in the app.

But wait, there's more. The Zipp's touch interface lets you store your five favorite Internet radio stations, but Spotify users can also program it with their five favorite Spotify playlists. That way, you don't even need your phone nearby to start a Spotify dance party.

What about multiroom audio? Will HomePod support this?

Yes! Because the HomePod will ship with AirPlay 2 support, you can combine multiple HomePods (or other AirPlay 2-compatible speakers) in the same room or different rooms, and then choose which combination of speakers to send your audio to. Previously, with the AirPlay protocol, you could only stream to one AirPlay speaker at a time.

Can the Zipp do multiroom audio as well?

Not currently. But Libratone officially announced AirPlay 2 support is coming via a firmware update "later this year," likely when iOS 11 ships in the fall. That will let you send audio to two or more ZIPPs, HomePods, or other AirPlay 2 speakers from a device running iOS 11 or macOS High Sierra.

• AirPlay 2 FAQ: Everything you need to know

Zipp also has its own solution called SoundSpace, which lets you link up to six Zipp and Zipp Mini speakers together. You can put them in the same room, or multiple rooms, and use the Libratone app to play music to the entire group. It's not quite as versatile as true multiroom audio, however; if you decide you only want music to play on one of the speakers in a SoundSpace group, you have to unlink it first to get it to show up as an individual speaker again.

Do both speakers come with controller apps?

The Zipp does; Libratone's app is available for iOS and Android. This is where you'll add the speaker to your home network, set up your favorite Internet radio stations or Spotify playlists, play Internet radio, and link speakers together to create a SoundSpace.

Apple didn't unveil a companion app for the HomePod at WWDC, but that doesn't mean we aren't getting one. The HomePod has an A8 chip that does a lot of heavy lifting to improve the audio as it plays, so it's possible Apple would provide an app that lets you peek in on that process and tweak the sound to your liking. We'll probably find out more about the HomePod, since Apple is expected to hold one more big event—the iPhone launch in the fall—before the HomePod ships.

We talked about AirPlay, but what other connection types do these speakers support?

Based on what Apple has announced, the HomePod will only support AirPlay 2 at launch: No Bluetooth, no DLNA, no external 3.5mm jack.

Besides Bluetooth, AirPlay, DLNA for the Andriod crowd, and the forthcoming AirPlay 2, the ZIPP has a 3.5mm audio-in jack for connecting pretty much anything with a headphone jack, even a TV. Plus, its USB port lets you plug in a phone or tablet, and charge that device from the ZIPP's battery while playing music. You can even load up tracks on a USB flash drive formatted as FAT32, and the tracks will play, whether they're MP3, LPCM, WAV, FLAC, WMA, Ogg Vorbis, AAC, AIFF, and ALAC. Whew.

And now the money question: How do they sound?

Apple went all-out to make the HomePod sound blow away its small size — Rene had a chance to listen to an early version of the HomePod and called it "Retina for your ears.". With its A8 chip and custom algorithms, the HomePod tweaks the frequencies of your music, punching up vocals and smoothing out bass. Its seven beamforming tweeters can provide 360-degree sound if you place it in the center of a room, or send very narrow beams bouncing off nearby surfaces for a surround-sound effect from what's technically a mono speaker.

(Keep in mind that these are first impressions based on a demo at WWDC—as of this writing, no one's gotten to take a HomePod speaker home and write a full review.)

The Zipp has been on the market a bit longer and been positively reviewed by Wired, SoundGuys, Tom's Guide, Sound & Vision, and PC Mag, among others. iMore even named it a best alternative to Sonos earlier this year.

See at Amazon

Of course, sound is subjective, and the most important opinion is yours. Are you holding out for the HomePod, or taking a closer look at the Zipp? Let us know in the comments.

TiVo has updated its app for iPhone and iPad, adding AirPlay compatibility. This lets you watch all of the programming recorded to your TiVo DVR on your Apple TV.

The TiVo app has also added bug fixes and other improvements in version 3.6. Check them out below:

• TiVo Stream, Roamio Plus and Roamio Pro users can now use the App to mirror their recordings to an Apple TV.
• A security update requires updating content already downloaded to the App. Users with multiple TiVo Stream, Roamio Plus or Pro unit may choose to download the content to the app again after the update to ensure all downloaded content can be played.
• Bug fixes

You can grab TiVo 3.6 for iPhone and iPad from the App Store right now.

• Free - Download Now

All you need is your Mac and the right kind of speakers. Thanks to AirPlay, you can make music wherever you have Wi-Fi. There's a bonus tip in here too, to help you control your Mac from your iPhone, iPad or iPod touch.

Set up iTunes

iTunes is that app that some of us love to hate. I've ranted about it before, and changes since then have arguably made iTunes worse rather than better.

Having said that, iTunes is unquestionably the easiest way to manage your digital music on the Mac. Once you have your music loaded in to iTunes, you shouldn't need to do anything else except play the music on whatever speakers you'd like to use. When you have AirPlay speakers attached, should should see them listed by clicking on iTunes' volume button. You can select multiple AirPlay speakers if you want to stream music everywhere, instead of just on one speaker system.

The Apple TV is also an audio output system, so iTunes should find any Apple TVs running on your network. If you have nice speakers hooked up there, you can stream audio to your Apple TV sound system. That's what I do in my living room, where I have an Onkyo soundbar hooked up to the Apple TV.

If you want to make one Mac the main jukebox for your home, but you want to share the music you have there with other Macs, you certainly can. Click on the File menu in iTunes, select Home Sharing and enter your Apple ID. That will enable you to share music, movies and other iTunes content with up to five computers in total, also logged in using that Apple ID.

Sharing music isn't required to stream music, however. If you just want to play the music in your iTunes library, you're all set already.

Set up AirPlay speakers

AirPlay speakers enable you to stream audio from iTunes. AirPlay speakers connect to your home Wi-Fi network and appear as an output option in iTunes on the Mac and the Control Center on the iPhone, iPad and iPod touch.

There are some big advantages in choosing AirPlay over Bluetooth. The range of AirPlay is anywhere you have Wi-Fi. So you can listen to music anywhere you can get connected, instead of only within a range of about 30-100 feet from the host computer, as is the case with Bluetooth. What's more, any device or app capable of AirPlay is able to use it.

Here's a roundup of some of the best AirPlay speakers:

• Best AirPlay speakers for your iPhone, iPad, or Mac

You can go from mild to wild on AirPlay equipped speakers, but there's really no need to spend a lot. Any AirPlay speaker works the same, so if you have a limited budget, you can find cheap speakers too. Here are three AirPlay-equipped speaker systems that cost less than $100:

iHome iW2:

• $64.99 - Buy now

Philips AD7000W:

• $74.99 - Buy now

Sony RDP-XA700IPN:

• $99.99 - Buy now

AirPort Express

If you already have a stereo system you love, you can connect it as an AirPlay-compatible speaker system using Apple's AirPort Express, a small Wi-Fi router that includes a 3.5mm digital optical audio jack. You can connect it to an input on your home stereo or entertainment system, and it'll appear as another AirPlay option in iTunes.

• $94.99 - Buy now

Download Remote

Remote is a handy app made by Apple that lets you control the music playing on your Mac, PC or Apple TV. It works with iTunes and iTunes Radio, and enables you send music to any AirPlay speakers connected in your house. You can even control the volume on each speaker independently.

What's more, it's absolutely free. All you need to use it is a Mac or PC with iTunes and iOS 7.1 or later.

• Free - Download now

Working with Sonos?

Sonos makes lovely whole-house speaker systems that work differently than AirPlay. Sonos devices connect together using their own "mesh network" to enable wireless music streaming. We're big Sonos fans at iMore, so we've compiled some helpful how tos.

• Sonos: Everything you need to know
• How to get iTunes Radio working with your Sonos system via AirPlay
• How to hack together multi-room music with Sonos, Airfoil, and old iPhones

Your tips?

How are you handling audio in your home? Let me know!

As much as I love playing games on my iPhone and iPad, I sometimes miss the big-screen experience of a console system. If you own a second-generation Apple TV or later, however, it's a simple trick to send your iOS game to your television.

It's true that bigger screens and bigger sounds can immerse you into a game the way a 4.7-inch or 10-inch screen with headphones can't quite manage — heck, it's one of the reasons I still own an Xbox. But you don't have to settle for playing your iOS games on their original screen if you'd prefer something more exciting.

To do so, you just need to use Apple's AirPlay Mirroring technology (available for the iPhone 4s or later, iPad 2 or later, first-generation iPad mini or later, or the fifth-generation iPod touch). AirPlay Mirroring lets you send the audio and video of whatever's on your iOS device's screen directly to your television — no wires needed.

How to use AirPlay Mirroring to play iOS games on your television

1. Make sure your iOS device and Apple TV are on the same Wi-Fi network.
2. Turn your Apple TV on.
3. Open Control Center on your iOS device by swiping from the bottom of the screen, then tapping the AirPlay button and selecting the Apple TV.
4. Turn on the Mirroring switch.
5. Open the game of your choice.

Voilà! You can now play your game on the big screen, using your iOS device as a controller. Some games — group fun like SketchParty TV, for instance — even build in different views for the TV and for your controller, to make it easier to play.

I've already shown you not only what I have on my iPhone and iPad Home screens, but what I've got in my Mac dock too. A lot of our staff members here at iMore have also shown you what they're using on their iPhones, iPads, and Macs. That means the only thing I have left to show you are the apps and utilities I think are important enough to earn a place in my Mac's menu bar. Follow along to find out!

Off to the right of my menu bar is all the basic stuff that comes standard on every Mac including current user, date and time, volume controls, wifi and bluetooth toggles, and Time Machine. For the most part, you'll see some kind of variation of this setup on every Mac out of the box. Now that we have the boring stuff out of the way, here's what else gets a spot:

• iStat Menus: iStat Menus by Bjango is a system monitoring app that Peter turned me on to a while back. Not only can it track CPU usage, but RAM usage, network traffic, and pretty much every other chip or connection your Mac has. It's a huge help when you have to pinpoint an app or process that's causing problems. It has become one of the first things I install when setting up a new Mac. $16 - Download Now
• AirPlay: If you have an Apple TV floating around your house that's connected to the same network as your Mac, you'll probably recognize this icon. We have three of them between the bedroom, office, and living room. Whenever I want to beam content from my Mac to any one of them, the AirPlay icon in my Mac menu lets me do it in just two clicks. There's nothing to download or install, OS X will automatically show AirPlay anytime there's a capable device within range.
• Google Hangouts: We use Google Hangouts quite often for conference calls and meetings across Mobile Nations. That's why I find it essential to be able to sign in or access it quickly. The Mac app lets me do that in just one click. I can also initiate a private chat with any colleague just as easily. I don't use this feature all that often since we use Skype regularly, but it's nice to know it's there.
• Fantastical: I use Fantastical across the board on both OS X and iOS. It is one of the absolute best calendar replacement apps, if not the best. Fantastical supports natural language input and reminders all in one app. That clears up two places in my dock. I can also access it from virtually anywhere as well as assign shortcut keys to create events without ever taking my fingers off the keyboard. It doesn't get much better than that when it comes to calendar and reminder management. $19.99 - Download Now
• CloudApp: CloudApp is a link shortening and image storage service. It is available on most platforms and integrates with many third party apps for both Mac and iOS. I use it frequently to share screenshots, links, and documents. Since it integrates nicely into the iOS apps I have, it means I have one central account to review and access all the media I've uploaded. It's just that much easier to keep track of socially shared stuff in one central location. Free - Download Now
• TextExpander: We use a lot of links around here at iMore. I also respond to a lot of similar emails. Text Expander makes is super simple to create shortcuts based on the things I do the most. I can't even imagine how many keystrokes I've saved by using TextExpander snippets. You can also share them via Dropbox in order to create snippets for a group. We do it here on iMore and it works amazingly well. I add a snippet and everyone else has it too. The only caveat is that the Mac App Store version is somewhat limited, that's why we recommend buying it directly from SmileOnMyMac instead so you get the full feature set the way it was intended to work. $34.95 - Download Now
• Dropbox: Not only is Dropbox my main cloud storage service, I use it to share documents with colleagues, family, and friends. It integrates into pretty much every platform I use and could ever want to use. Almost every third party app that hooks into storage services supports it. It sits in my Mac dock because I access it countless times a day for everything from PSD templates to imagery to PDF documents. It's all there, on every device I own. Free - Download Now

That's it! I don't like to keep an over abundance of apps in my Mac's menu bar or I feel it looks too cluttered. Now it's your turn, let me know what you're must-have menu bar items are in the comments below! Do we share any of the same ones? Let me know that too!

For some time now the NBC app for iOS has allowed you to watch the latest shows from the peacock network, but now it's been updated to support AirPlay. Now you can watch your TV on your TV as TV is meant to be watched — except by using your iPhone or iPad via an Apple TV as a source.

Apart from that, version 2.5.1 of NBC for iOS also adds a trending clips section so users can see what's hot from The Tonight Show, Saturday Night Live, and more.

• Free — Download Now

Apple doesn't offer their Safari web browser on the Apple TV. However, if you have an iPhone or iPad with AirPlay ad the AirWeb app from the App Store you can easily and conveniently beam an optimized web browser right to your Apple TV. What's more, it's by far one of the best ways I've found to browse the internet on a television.

Note that AirWeb is compatible with the iPhone 4s and above as well as the iPad 2 and above. You can use the iPhone 4 but it isn't pretty and you'll need an additional cable attachment.

• $1.99 - Download Now

Once you've gotten AirWeb installed on your iPhone or iPad, it will take you through a bunch of prompts that show you how to set up and use it. If you already know how to use AirPlay mirroring you should b good to go.

In order to navigate AirWeb, tap on the question mark in the lower left corner of the control screen to view all the shortcuts. For starters, just tap in the address bar at the top and go to a website. From there you can poke around, open a new tab, and more.

When it comes to scrolling, AirWeb supports to main forms, the first being to scroll with two fingers. In my experience I've found this to be a little awkward on the iPhone. It works perfectly find on the iPad however. I much prefer the second method which is to long press on the screen and tilt your iPhone or iPad up and down to scroll. I find this to be more natural and much easier to do without paying attention to the device in your hand.

If you quit AirWeb or disable mirroring, the in-app browser or AirWeb should save all your tabs so next time you mirror, everything is right where you left it. You can also add bookmarks for fast access to your favorite sites right within AirWeb.

I've found AirWeb to be great for times when I'm showing someone something and we don't all want to crouch around my iPad. Or times when I just want to lounge around in the living room and don't have my iPad handy. I just beam my content right to the big screen from my iPhone with AirWeb.

If you happen to try AirWeb out, be sure to let me know what you think in the comments. If you've found another way to browse the web from your Apple TV, feel free to share that too!

It's CES 2014, and that means every tech company under the sun has made their pilgrimage to Las Vegas. Audio company Bang & Olufsen is one of those companies, bringing their line-up of premium speakers to show off. Back in October they rolled out their Immaculate Wireless Sound line of speakers, utilizing the WiSA (Wireless Speaker and Audio Association) standard to communicate between TVs, receivers, and speakers.

WiSA allows B&O to do something similar to what Sonos does, allowing the user to control which speakers are used to broadcast audio. They can control individual speakers or create groups of speakers with assigned roles. B&O worked with other WiSA members (which include recognizable audio names like Onkyo, Pioneer, and Klipsh) to help build the standard.

CEO Tue Mantoni told us that B&O had for the past decade been exploring building their own proprietary wireless systems, but never had the expertise to make it happen. They are a small company, Mantoni said, serving a niche market. Their strengths are in sound quality and acoustic design, not wireless communications. By partnering with some of their competitors in developing WiSA, B&O got a high-bandwidth 24-bit wireless standard that will work with WiSA receivers, speakers, and televisions developed by any manufacturer. In theory, at least, as B&O is the first to release WiSA gear.

WiSA supports up to 8 wirelessly-connected speakers, and B&O offers a trio of compatible speakers to suit your various needs, in addition to those build into their BeoVision 11 television. If you're feeling particularly crazy, you can wire in another 10 speakers. This is all managed through the BeoLab Transmitter, a fairly large box with an array of audio and network inputs. It feels more like a router, though in typical B&O fashion they even made that look halfway decent.

What B&O brought to CES that was new, however, was a new controller to go with the Transmitter. Instead of an installed and wired touch control panel in your wall, the new Beosound Essence is a circular dial control that you could mount to your wall it you wanted to, but also can be fixed to a special metal plate and be portable. Portable, you say? Yep, because it's wireless.

Essence consists of a smooth-turning but not free-spinning metal volume dial about two inches across and surrounding a four-way control pad. Up is play and down is stop, right and left are next and previous. It's a simple control, but its integration with the BeoLab Transmitter means that you can, as CEO Tue Mantoni told us he's always wanted, get up out of bed and with one tap have music playing. "As easy as turning on the lights," he said, though to be honest it might actually be easier. And your light switches don't make music play. Nor do they likely look anywhere near as good.

But that the Essence doesn't come cheap. Coupled with the Transmitter, Essence will run $995, plus additional Essence dials for $200.

That's not cheap by any measure, and we had the chance to Mantoni about B&O's business model. He readily admits that B&O's products are more expensive than their consumer-grade competitors, though he wouldn't say that they really are their competitors. B&O in his words is a premium audio company, and thus justifies the premium prices. There's no denying that B&O's sound systems sound incredible, with the eight-speaker system they demoed shaking the conference room to the point where I felt sorry for whoever was attempted to exhibit on the other side of folding divider wall.

Mantoni explained that B&O's approach to balancing design and engineering is similar to that of Apple's: the two happen concurrently, with the designer and engineer working together on a project from the start. There is tension in the process, as the designer understandably wants a speaker that's slim and beautiful, while the engineer wants as much space as he can get for his components. The collaborative process takes longer, but in the end you get a better product. That also costs more.

B&O has consistently hewn close to their standards of high quality materials and design, and that means expensive products. When asked about lower-cost B&O products, Mantoni intoned that there's only so low they can go in terms of materials, design, durability, and audio quality and still be making something they'd be proud to put the company name on. That said, products like their Form 2 headphones have been in production for 28 years, and the manufacturing efficiencies they've developed over the years have allowed them to bring the price down to $119. Though this year at CES they did introduce an update in the form of the Form 2i, which adds on a microphone and inline controls for a reasonable $129 (that'd be $10 more).

Two years ago the mobile Bluetooth speaker market was barely extant. Since then it has exploded, but mostly on the low end with speakers costing $200 or less. B&O doesn't compete at the price point, but they knew better than to leave money on the table — there are customers who want a portable speaker with B&O quality and are willing to pay B&O prices. For them there's the $800 B&O Play Beolit 12.

The BeoLit 12 doesn't use Bluetooth, though, instead relying on AirPlay and DLNA over Wi-Fi to get its audio from mobile devices. AirPlay is, of course, exclusive to Apple devices, and while DLNA is a standard that's been integrated into some Android devices, it's not a widespread one. B&O chose Wi-Fi and Airplay for two reasons: the quality of the sound and the easy integration with iOS, which is extremely popular among their existing client base.

In the short time that the BeoLit has been on the market, it's grown to comprise a quarter of B&O's revenue, and while their mobile speakers don't currently support Bluetooth, Mantoni said that we can expect Bluetooth-compatible (and thus fully Android, BlackBerry, and Windows Phone-compatible) mobile B&O speakers to come in the future. The delay comes back to B&O's processes — they are slow and deliberative on purpose, and make products that sound amazing and look incredible.

Netflix has released a new version of their streaming video software for the iPhone and the iPad. The new 5.0 release is now available for download from the App Store.

New to this release is support for Netflix HD, higher quality video. AirPlay streaming is also supported. (Both features require iOS 7). Netflix also describes "playback optimizations" and "quality improvements" in this new release without enumerating specifics. Netflix notes that in order for AirPlay streaming to work, you'll need to turn off AirPlay mirroring.

Netflix is the popular video rental service that has in recent years increasingly become a streaming video service. The company offers thousands of movies and television shows, including originally produced content.

• Free - Download now

The Loewe AirSpeaker has been on the market for a little while now, but at the recent IFA Global Press Conference in Sardinia, the German manufacturer was on hand to show it off. Airplay compatible speakers aren't uncommon, but Loewe is a premium brand in the world of home electronics, and the AirSpeaker is no exception.

As you might expect from a premium product, good design is at the forefront. The AirSpeaker is supposed to look good in the home, as well as provide killer sound. There's no docking solution either, as the name implies, the AirSpeaker relies solely on Airplay. There's actually very little in the way of anything at all on the exterior. The rear of the unit houses the only 4 buttons along side the power cable which sits at the bottom, slightly recessed. Otherwise, it's all speaker.

Sadly, it wasn't possible on the show floor to get a good demonstration of the sound quality, so it remains an eyes on only. As a premium product, it also comes with a premium price. In the UK one of these will set you back a pretty hefty £499.99. That's a lot, whichever way you look at it, but then the AirSpeaker is a high end product.

The AirSpeaker wasn't the only thing at the event of note from Loewe, though. During their press briefing they teased a forthcoming portable speaker system -- the Loewe Speaker 2go -- that will have Airplay as one of its streaming options. A release timeframe wasn't provided, but since the event was linked to the annual IFA show in Berlin, it's not unreasonable to think we might see it there in September.

It's a lot of money to spend on a speaker, but these sit nicely at the high end of the market alongside the offerings from Bowers & Wilkins. So, anyone interested by either of these? Be sure to share your thoughts with us in the comments below.

Earlier today we linked to a post by Cabel Sasser on the Panic Blog about Apple's Lightning Digital AV connector, which is basically their HDMI adapter. Sasser had discovered that the adapter provided a less-than-1080p signal, broke it open, and found a tiny computer contained inside. Lots of speculation followed as to why that was, and what might be going on. A comment left on the Panic Blog by "Anonymous Coward", however, implies internal Apple knowledge of the matter, and purports to have the answer. In part, the comment says:

If the comment is legitimate -- and there's no way to know at this point if it is or not -- Apple is basically hanging all the electronics outside the device, rather than glutting Lightning up with signals that may fall into disuse over the time. There are trade-offs, to be sure, but given how the old 30-pin Dock connector abandoned FireWire over time, added HDMI, and jumbled in everything from line to serial, if accurate, this could also be a better, more future-proof solution.

And, since the on-device side is software-centric, an update could improve the HDMI out to true 1080p. Fingers crossed.

If anyone has any specific knowledge of how this kind of stuff works, give the full comment a read via the link below and then please weigh in a let me know how likely (or unlikely) it all sounds.

Source: Panic Blog comment

HBO Go has been updated to version 2.0, bringing support for Apple's AirPlay feature to the app. HBO Go users can now stream video from any device running iOS 6 to any Apple TV that’s been updated to software version 5.1.1 or later.

HBO Go has been a feature on Apple TV competitors, such as the Roku, for some time now. Though there have been reports that it is coming to the Apple TV, it has yet to materialize. Until that day comes, allowing customers to use AirPlay to watch HBO content is decent stopgap. Use of HBO Go requires an HBO cable subscription.

I've tried it out and it works fine. You can even use some of the interactive features for shows that support them, like Game of Thrones. Go grab the update, and tell us what you think.

• Free - Download Now

AirServer is a very simple Mac and PC app with a very useful purpose -- sharing your iPhone or iPad's screen to your computer with AirPlay mirroring. Once you install AirServer, your computer will appear in the list of devices available for AirPlay on your iPhone or iPad and when you select your computer, your iPhone or iPad's screen will pop up on your computer screen, just like it would on your television with Apple TV.

I am very impressed with how good AirServer works. There is virtually no lag time and I haven't run into any issues. It does what it claims to do and does it well. You can even adjust settings for audio, which display to use (if you use multiple displays) and optimize for a specific device.

There a 4 different licenses available for AirServer: a 7 day free trial, a standard license for 5 machines, a student license for 3 machines, and one for up to 15 computers. The Mac version includes audio support, but the PC version does not (yet).

If you download the free trial, AirServer will send you a referral link to share with your friends. When someone installs AirServer via your unique link, your free trial will extend by 3 days. (The download link below is my referral link.)

If you pick up AirServer, we'd love to hear what you think. AirServer can be helpful for sharing photos and videos stored on your iPhone or iPad with friends, playing AirPlay compatible games like Real Racing 2, a teacher giving a presentation to his/her class, and much more.

• Real Racing 2 for iPhone, $4.99 - Download Now
• Real Racing 2 HD for iPad, $6.99 - Download Now

Free - Download Now

Source: AirServer, thanks @matthewmspace for the tip!

Apple has recently removed Airfoil Speakers Touch by Rogue Amoeba and AirFloat by The Famous Software Company from the iTunes App Store for using AirPlay APIs in a way Apple did not intend them to be used. These apps basically let you use another iOS device as an AirPlay speaker. So, for example, you could beam your audio from your iPhone to an iPod touch or iPad. Though these API's are public, it looks like some reverse engineering was needed to get them to work in this way, and that's what Apple has taken exception to. Airfoil was just taken down this week, while AirFloat was yanked last week.

Apple may just be sour that these devs have found a way to crack into AirPlay without going through the usual "Made for iPhone" accessory certification process, and allowed users to have AirPlay speaker setups without buying additional AirPlay certified audio gear.

There's obviously a big business in that kind of thing, but also a lot more quality control; there's no way of making sure these apps don't provide a sub-par experience, since there's no documented iOS API to test against. If the AirPlay is glitchy or inconsistent, then buyers might get the idea that AirPlay sucks, and will refrain from spending more on, say, an Apple TV.

There was a certain amount of noise made since these types of apps have been in the App Store for years in some cases, and have been approved over and over again during that time, including when they submitted versions with the AirPlay features.

Again, it shows that frustration doesn't only exist in Apple's curation, but in the sometimes arbitrary and sometimes delayed ways in which they enforce it.

Well, I guess the Cydia store exists for a reason... Is Apple right to shut these guys down and protect private APIs, or should they go ahead and let developers make cool apps that leverage the technology that's already there, stability and testing be damned?

Source: Rogue Amoeba, Daring Fireball, The Verge

Did you just get a new iPad and new Apple TV, and are you wondering how to use Apple's AirPlay feature to wirelessly beam your music, videos, games, and even FaceTime chats to the big screen? Whether you're with the family or at the office, AirPlay lets you share everything from movies in the living room to Keynote presentations in the board room quickly and easily.

Overall, AirPlay is a pretty awesome feature to have included with iOS. If you've never tried it before, then check out the video above to get a better idea of what it is like to use. Music, Movies, Games, FaceTime and more can all be AirPlay Mirrored through an Apple TV.

How To Enable AirPlay

Setting up AirPlay is a fairly simple process. It's just a matter of ensuring a few options are set on your Apple TV and you're up and running. First, you'll want to navigate to the settings menu and then, navigate down to "AirPlay".

Once you've navigated to the AirPlay menu, you will see the option to enable the services. Go ahead and set it to on.

You'll also noticed you can password protect your AirPlay functionality. If you're using AirPlay at the office or in a public meeting room or even dorm room, you might want to turn this on. If it's just you and your family, you can leave it off.

From there, you'll need to grab your iPad and activate AirPlay on it as well. Keep in mind, both your Apple TV and your iPad need to be on the same Wi-Fi network, so ensure that is the case.

There's two ways to turn on AirPlay. If an app uses the standard Apple media control, like the built in Movies or YouTube app, then there will be an AirPlay button immediately to the right of the play/pause and other buttons. Tap it, choose Apple TV, and you're off and running.

If not, you can use the AirPlay Mirroring option, below.

You can double tap on your Home button to bring up the fast app switcher. Swipe all the way to the left until you see the AirPlay icon appear. You can then tap on it and choose the Apple TV which you wish to connect to.

Just change the setting from iPad to Apple TV and then you'll be connected to your Apple TV. However; if you stop here the stuff you can do will remain limited.

Watching Youtube or NetFlix will push the video and audio to your Apple TV, listening to music will push the audio to your Apple TV but if you're looking to play games or use FaceTime with video and audio you'll need to go one step further and enable AirPlay Mirroring.

Note: Yes, the Apple TV has built in YouTube and Netflix, but if you're on your iPad and you find a great video you want to share, it's much faster to simply AirPlay it then to start switching around and searching for it on your Apple TV.

How To Enable AirPlay Mirroring

Enabling AirPlay mirroring is just as easy as it was to connect your iPad to your Apple TV initially. One again go to your Fast App Switcher dock and where you enabled your Apple TV Connection and slide the mirroring button to the on position.

Now, your whole iPad will be displayed on your TV, where you can make use of AirPlay enabled apps to their maximum potential. Keep in mind though, your iPad when displayed on your TV will not take up the full screen.

Only when AirPlay Mirroring is in use with fully supported apps will it ever go to full screen. A great example of this would be Asphalt 6 HD, where the game goes full screen on your TV and your iPad acts as your heads-up display for the game.

Conclusion

If there was one significant reason I had to highlight as being one of the core deciding factors in my purchase of an Apple TV, AirPlay capability is it. So that's it, hopefully if you never tried it before this guide will set you on the right path.

If you're new to iPhone, iPod touch, or iPad and are wondering just what exactly AirPlay is and what it means to you, worry not -- iMore has you covered. AirPlay is Apple's term for their audio and video streaming technology. It's what lets your iOS 5 device, or iTunes on Mac or Windows, beam videos over Wi-Fi to your Apple TV so you can watch movies and play games on your big screen TV, or music to your AirPort Express router, so you can listen on your higher quality speakers.

AirPlay Mirroring is a more recent addition to iOS that works with iPad 2 or iPhone 4S and lets you not only beam music or video, but entire iPhone or iPad apps. Anything from Facebook to your favorite crosswords, racing, or fighting game can be sent via Apple TV to your HDTV, with your iPhone, iPod touch, or iPad remaining active as the controller. Some games, like [Real Racing 2](/tag/real-racing 2) even let you participate in multiplayer games using AirPlay, with each person using their own device to control their own car, all displayed together on the big screen TV.

AirPlay is proprietary and not an open standard, which means Apple gets to control who uses it. Several other companies have licensed AirPlay, however, and you can find a growing range of AirPlay-compatible audio equipment. There's also some software out there that can run on your computer and tie into AirPlay, like BananaTV that lets you beam to your Mac instead of a TV.

Your iPhone, iPod touch, iPad, or computer running iTunes needs to be on the same Wi-Fi network as your Apple TV, Airport Express, or other hardware for AirPlay to work, but because Wi-Fi has high bandwidth it usually makes for a solid, stable connection. It's real time. It's encrypted. And most of the time, it "just works"

Want to know more? Check out more of our iOS A-Z words-of-the-day, or jump ahead to our complete iPhone and iPad glossary for the full on dictionary list!

• Apple TV - Amazon link
• AirPlay compatible speakers - Amazon link

iOS 4.3 has just come out in beta with a rumored release date anywhere from February 10 (the Verizon iPhone release date) to March, 2011, and new features like Wi-Fi personal hotspot for iPhone and multitouch navigation gestures for iPad.

If you want a quick look at the new software but don't have a lot of time, check out the video above for everything you need to know about iOS 4.3 in just 5 minutes. For a more in-depth iOS 4.3 guide, read on after the break.

Note: We're combining iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad walkthroughs below since, post iOS 4.2 grand-unification the size of the updates are roughly similar. If it gets more complicated later, we'll split iPhone/iPod touch out from iPad like last time.

What hasn't changed

iOS 4.3 looks to have interesting albeit far from numerous changes thus far. Since we're only covering what's new and improved, here's a list of previous walkthroughs for those new to iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad so you can learn about all the established features. Major releases in bold.

• iOS 4.2 for iPhone | iOS 4.2 for iPad
• iOS 4.1 for iPhone
• iOS 4 for iPhone
• iOS 3.2 for iPad
• iOS 3.1 for iPhone
• iOS 3.0 for iPhone
• iPhone 2.2 for iPhone
• iPhone 2.1 for iPhone
• iPhone 2.0 for iPhone

System-wide changes

AirPlay was introduced in iOS 4.2 and allows video and audio to be sent from iPhone, iPod touch, iPad, and iTunes on Windows or Mac to an Apple TV, or audio-only to a growing number of 3rd party speakers and other accessories. While iOS 4.2 only provided video-to-Apple TV support from the YouTube and iPod/Video apps, iOS 4.3 promises to allow both apps and web content the ability to send video to Apple TV. (It's up to individual developers to implement, of course.)

Apple's own apps, like Photo, should be able to AirPlay video recordings in iOS 4.3 as well. Hurray.

3rd party apps like Air Video and Zumocast should gain Airplay Video streaming. No word yet on Angry Birds (using iPhone or iPad as a controller, naturally).

Home Screen

SpringBoard, the app that runs the home screen and overall interface in iOS, gets its multitasking dock UI tweaked once again on iPad.

Apple has introduced 4 or 5 finger multitouch navigation gestures in the iOS 4.3 for iPad beta with language that indicates they may or may not be bound for primetime:

The new gestures don't replace the Home Button but do reduce the amount of times you need to single or double click it, which could reduce concerns of hardware wear and tear post iOS 4.

The new gestures can be done with 4 or 5 fingers and resemble multitouch trackpad gestures available on Mac OS X since the introduction of the original MacBook Air in 2008 and expanded upon in the recent Mac OS X 10.7 Lion preview given by Steve Jobs at the Back to the Mac event. The gestures currently include

• Pinch all fingers in to exit an app and return to the Home Screen (identical to single-clicking the Home Button).
• Swipe up from the bottom bezel to reveal the multitasking Fast App Switcher Dock (identical to double-clicking the Home Button).
• Swipe sideways from left to right or right to left to move between recently open apps (similar to double-clicking the Home Button to reveal the Fast App Switcher and tapping on an app icon immediately to right).

The sideways swipe is interesting in that it allows you to go left or right whereas the Fast App Switcher reorders the recent app icons so you always go backwards in "time" to the right. It seems perceptively faster for a single app-back movement since there's no carousel animation, yet you can only swipe back one app at a time whereas you can tap on any of 4 immediately available app icons in the Fast App Switcher and swipe back 4 additional apps at a time.

Performance on the current generation iPad, however, is hampered by lack of RAM. With only 256MB many apps will need to reload when you swipe back to them (at least so far in the beta). An iPad 2 with 512MB -- or better yet 1GB -- would fly with this system (just sayin'...).

When iPad shipped with iOS 3.2 the hardware switch above the volume rocker was set to lock or unlock screen orientation. In iOS 4.2 it was changed to a mute/un-mute switch like iPhone. Uncharacteristically, Apple has now added a Settings toggle to let the user choose which function they want the switch to perform. Since iOS 4.2 added a software orientation lock widget in the multitasking Fast App Switcher dock, iOS 4.3 now also toggles between that widget and a software mute button to fill whichever function is no longer being provided by the hardware switch. (Hardware switch set to orientation lock means dock widget becomes mute button and vice-versa.)

Photos

As mentioned above, you now have the ability to send recorded videos out over AirPlay to Apple TV, something which was noticeably missing when the feature was introduced in iOS 4.2.

Notes

iOS 4.2 finally let us change the Notes font from Marker Felt to something -- anything -- else, as long as that anything else was Helvetica or Chalkboard. Well it turns out Chalkboard wasn't long for this world as it has been replaced in iOS 4.3 with Noteworthy.

App Store

The App Store gets a new design for the Updates page.

For developers, iAds can now go full screen. That includes the big iPad screen, which Apple says allow for "immersive, interactive iAd experience". They also say the new banner format is easy to implement.

HTTP Live Streaming, the technology Apple uses to stream high quality video including their own press conferences and events, now includes viewer engagement and performance metrics. This is intended to help developers fine tune and optimize their content.

iTunes

iOS 4.2 beta 2 brings a new set of push notifications to the table -- for Apple's Ping social musical network. So if you've been dying to know what Phil Schiller -- or Chad -- has bought, liked, or commented on in iTunes as instantaneously as possible you'll get your wish just as soon as iOS 4.3 ships.

Settings

Not only does Settings hide the usually interesting tweaks found in any new iOS version but this time it's home to one of the marquee new features -- Wi-Fi Personal Hotspot.

Freshly sandwiched in between VPN and Notifications for iPhone 4 users is the new top-level Personal Hotspot setting. (It also find it in Settings: General: Network: Personal Hotspot, where it replaces the previous Tethering setting, but why dig that deep when you no longer have to?)

When you tap Personal Hotspot you're taken to a screen that lets you toggle it on or off (why can't we do this top-level like Airplane Mode or VPN?) along with your -- visible -- current WPA access point password (with no choice to hide it). Instructions on how "to connect using Wi-Fi" have been added to the previous tethering instructions for Bluetooth and USB. As before with Bluetooth, if you don't have Wi-Fi enabled you'll get a popup asking if you'd like to enable it or if you'd prefer to tether via Bluetooth (if that's enabled) or USB.

You can change your WPA password by tapping on it, and you're warned the new password must be at least 8 characters long (we recommend something not easily guessed like "password") and that changing the password will disconnect any currently connected devices.

When activated you get the same blue bar across the top of your iPhone that tethering presented under iOS 3 and iOS 4, though renamed Personal Hotspot and now indicating the number of devices connected (up to a maximum of 5).

Note: Personal Hotspot currently does not seem to be available for iPhone 3GS users, much as individual text tones weren't under iOS 4.2.

Location Services has also been promoted to top level in iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad. (see iPhone screenshot above, iPad screen shot below)

If you don't want your children discovering new, electronic hipster songs on Apple's social music network, Ping, iOS 4.3 lets you disable it via the Parental Controls.

The iPad's hardware switch, originally released as an orientation lock/unlock in iOS 3.2 and changed to an iPhone-like mute/un-mute switch in iOS 4.2 now becomes user assignable in iOS 4.3. Yes, with a simple checkbox you can choose which way you personally like it.

As mentioned up top, whichever option you do not choose becomes a software control in the multitasking Fast App Switcher dock.

A simple toggle allows you to turn on or off the new multitasking navigation gestures (see the description under system-wide changes, above).

(If you don't see the setting try connecting your iPad to Xcode and hitting the "use this device for development" button.)

The settings for Messages now allow you to choose how many times you want SMS/MMS alerts to sound, repeated at two minute intervals. Choices include:

• Once
• Twice
• 3 Times
• 5 Times
• 10 Times.

As mentioned previously, Noteworthy replaces Chalkboard in the Notes settings.

Phone + Contacts

A minor but likely very welcome change in iOS 4.3 beta sees the addition of a wait button to the add contact phone number's extended keyboard and the rejiggering of some of the other buttons like pause.

Safari

Hopefully Apple's comments about AirPlay supporting web content means we'll be able to stream H.264 video from Safari to Apple TV as well under iOS 4.3.

In addition we'd expect Apple adds whatever other HTML 5, CSS, and Nitro (their JavaScript rendering engine) improvements they've made since iOS 4.2 shipped.

Hints at more

As is often the case, iOS 4.3 beta 1 contains strings and refrences that hint at even more features, including those for future devices.

• Find My Friends feature hidden in iOS 4.3?
• iOS 4.3 beta points to iPad 2 cameras but no Retina Display
• iPhone 5, iPad 2 model numbers found lurking in iOS 4.3

Pricing and compatibility

No iOS 4.3 pricing information has been made available but we'll go out on a limb and say it'll likely be free for everyone and all devices, same as iOS 4.2.

Compatibility, however, is so far even more restricted that iOS 4 -- namely iPhone 3G/iPod touch G2 do not have beta versions of iOS 4.3 to date.

• iPhone 4, iPod touch 4 (2010), iPad: All features
• iPhone 3GS and iPod touch G3 (2009): No features requiring iPhone 4 or iPod touch 4-type hardware (i.e. front facing camera)
• iPhone 3G and iPod touch G2 (2008): not compatible/no update (yet?)
• iPhone 2G and iPod touch G1 (2007): not compatible/no update

We'll update as soon as we find an official list from Apple.

Not concluded

It's possible Apple will supply additional new features in a future iOS 4.3 beta or even take some existing beta features away. As always, If you noticed we missed anything, drop us a note in the comments or send us an email and we'll update as needed.

iOS 4.2 for iPhone is small update to iOS 4 and iOS 4.1 that adds marquee new features like AirVideo and AirPlay, fixes some bugs, but most importantly brings the iOS platform into grand unification, with iPhone, iPod touch, and -- finally -- iPad all on the same version number.

(Note, if you're interested in iPad, check out our complete iOS 4.2 for iPad walkthrough as well!)

If you don't have time (yet) to read this through this whole article and are eager to get the basics down now, there's a video up top to tell you everything you need to know in just over 5 minutes.

We're showing it off on an iPhone 4 and an iPod touch 4. Functionality is almost identical, just the telephony (i.e. text tones) don't work on iPod touch 4, of course.

What hasn't changed

We'll be covering what's new and improved below, so for what hasn't changed be sure to check out our massive iOS 4 walkthrough and iOS 4.1 update walkthrough because we won't be repeating all that here.

System-wide changes

AirPrint is Apple's wireless printing service. By the time it ships, it should be able to send pages to almost any printer on the same Wi-Fi network, or to certain printers directly (HP ePrint have already been announced). Needless to say, this answers one huge piece of previously missing functionality. (The one it doesn't answer, and still isn't answered, is easier file transfer and sync).

AirPlay is an evolution of Apple's AirTunes system that used to let you stream music between iTunes on Windows or Mac and Apple TV or Airport Express connected speakers. AirPlay takes that to the next level, letting you stream video and pictures as well as music from iPad (or iPhone or iPod touch) and the new 2010 Apple TV. Built-in apps like iPod, Video, and YouTube can stream, but unfortunately it looks like all other apps, including Apple's own Safari and all App Store apps are currently limited to audio-only. Whether this is intentional or Apple simply ran out of time and didn't finish making public APIs for video is unknown but hopefully this will be expanded upon in a future update.

You can tell AirPlay is an option when its icon appears to the right of the volume slider. It looks like a TV-style box with a triangle being inserted up into it. (Yeah, seriously). AirPlay compatible apps, when AirPlay compatible devices are present, will show the AirPlay icon as a button. Tap it and you get a list of devices you can stream to. Tap one and your video will switch from iPhone to TV. And since it's called AirPlay and not AirView, here's hoping Apple expands the functionality in the future to project game video onto the big TV screen, leaving iPhone and iPod touch as a full on multitouch game controller. Hey, we can dream...

Home Screen

SpringBoard, the app that runs the home screen and overall interface in iOS, gets its multitasking dock UI tweaked. Now, after you double press the home button to bring up the fast app switcher, you can swipe left to get to the audio controls and orientation lock as before, but you can also swipe left again to get to a new volume slider and AirPlay control.

Since iPhone has hardware volume controls, it may seem a little redundant, but perhaps it will independently control AirPlay video in the future.

Messages

Messages gets an extra button at the very top of the threaded view that, right in the middle between call and contact info -- FaceTime.

When you're exchanging SMS or MMS, just tap it to launch into a FaceTime video call (if you're both on an iPhone 4 or iPod touch 4, and on Wi-Fi, of course...)

Photos

Photos gets AirPrint now so you can quickly snap a shot and beam it to a nearby printer. Ultra-modern technology meets age-old media memories. Just tap the action button and, not surprisingly, print will be a new option at the bottom.

Print is also now an option when you multi-select.

What is surprising, however, is that there's no AirPlay button in the Photo app when it's playing movies. Since quickly recording a home movie and beaming it to our TV is one of the features we love most, that's a bit of an annoyance. Hopefully Apple will add that in an update.

YouTube

YouTube gets AirPlay, of course, so you can beam YouTube videos to Apple TV... which has a built-in YouTube app already. However, the convenience of being able to play an already-found video on the big screen rather than having to look for it again is certainly appreciated.

Also, gone are the old star ratings and in their place are the cheesy thumbs up and thumbs down. From a scale of 5 to a scale of 2? It's simpler and more YouTube, if missing the subtle iTunes-like gradations of the past.

Notes

Notes finally -- finally! -- lets you change fonts. That's right, if Marker Felt was never your thing, you can now jump into Settings and switch it to Chalkboard (essentially Marker Felt with a shave and a haircut), and Helvetica, used by the rest of the interface. Here's a mockup we created to show all three fonts together for comparison's sake.

Curiously, there doesn't seem to be an AirPrint option in Notes. It would certainly be handy.

Voice Memo

iOS 4.2 for iPhone brings with it a new Voice Memo icon and with it the most drastic redesign of a built-in iOS app icon to date. Sure, Calculator got a facelift recently, but it retained that pseudo-realistic look and feel Apple used for the other "utility" apps, like Compass and Camera. Voice Memo goes from faux microphone to strictly white icon, similar now to Phone or iPod, but without the diagonal pin stripe. If it was in the dock it might fit, but grouped in the default Utility folder, it kind of sticks out.

iTunes Store

iTunes store gets AirPlay too in case you want to stream a video podcast and shoot it over to your 2010 Apple TV. What, you wanted something as big as iOS 4.1's Ping?

Settings

As always, Settings is the least glamorous built-in app in the lineup that just so happens to get a bunch of tweaks and changes to support new features added to the system and flashier apps.

You can now prevent the physical hardware volume buttons from affecting ringers and alerts, if you so choose.

The good news for iPhone users is, Apple has finally increased the number of text tones. The bad news is, most don't seem well suited for use as text tones, and while you can now set personalized tones for different contacts, you still can't buy or create custom text tones.

New tones include Anticipate, Bloom, Calypso, Choo Choo, Descent, Fanfare, Ladder, Minuet, News Flash, Noir, Sherwood Forest, Spell, Suspense, Telegraph, Tiptoes, Typewriters, and Update. You can hear samples from each in the video at the very top of this walkthrough.

You can now prevent people (i.e. your young children) from deleting apps. It's amazing how fast a 4 year old can yank everything from the dock and obliterate every app on your home screen. No longer. Parents of the world rejoice. You can also prevent the little tykes from changing Location Services (e.g. GPS) and email accounts.

You can also now prevent your kids from accepting Game Center friend requests, thus ensuring their online play remain strictly anti-social and (potentially more) secure.

Interestingly, when setting up a MobileMe account, you're now presented with the opportunity to enter either your MobileMe or Apple ID credentials. We'll have to wait and see what, if anything, this means.

Notes now has its own Settings tab because, as mentioned previously, you can now change the font in Notes, and here's where you do it.

Phone + Contacts

In both Phone and in the Contacts apps proper, you can now choose to set a distinct text tone (SMS/MMS) for each contact. So if you want mom to remain good old Tri-Tone but dad to be Choo Choo, have at it!

Just tap edit, scroll down to Text Tone, and then choose from the same list shown in Settings, above.

Safari

iOS 4.2 finally gives iPhone and iPod touch the ability to find text on a Safari web page. This is similar to Windows or Mac, where you just hit CTL-F or CMD-F, type your text, and off you go. On iPhone Safari you use the regular old search field (still confusingly labeled Google by default) and start typing the text you want to find.

Where previously you only got suggested search terms, now you get an additional section at the bottom to find the word on the page. Tap it and the first match on the page is highlighted in yellow and a set of buttons slide up on the bottom for "Next" and "Done", as well as a counter for how many matches of the word there are on the page, and which one is currently highlighted (e.g., 7/16). Hit next until you find the one you want, hit done when you're finished. If you want to change the find term, the search box is repositioned alongside the controls to make it convenient.

No more tedious manual scanning, no more javascript bookmarklet workaround. Just happy surfing.

The previous + icon, for adding bookmarks and Web Clips is gone, replaced by the Action button found in other apps. Hitting the action button gives you all the same options as before, but now also includes AirPrint.

AirPlay will show up when you're playing videos in Safari but currently only supports audio.

Behind the scenes, Apple has added support for the accelerometer and gyroscope and generally improved HTML 5 support. (That means the potential for more, better web apps in the future.)

With this support, Augmented Reality is now possible as well, right in Safari.

iPod (Music/Video)

As we're sure you guessed by now, the major addition to the iPod app for iPhone (and Music and Video apps for iPod touch) is airplay. So, you can send any music to Airport express speakers, or video to the Apple TV (2010).

iOS 4.2 pricing and compatibility

iOS 4.2 is a free update for iPhone users and for iPod touch users.

Compatibility should be the same as with iOS 4.

• iPhone 4, iPod touch 4 (2010): All features
• iPhone 3GS and iPod touch G3 (2009): No features requiring iPhone 4 or iPod touch 4-type hardware (i.e. front facing camera)
• iPhone 3G and iPod touch G2 (2008): No features that require higher processor or RAM
• iPhone 2G and iPod touch G1 (2007): not compatible/no update

We'll update as soon as we find an official list from Apple.

Conclusion

While iOS 4.2 for iPhone and iPod touch is nowhere near as significant an update as iOS 4.2 for iPad, that's only because iPhone and iPod touch have enjoyed iOS 4 features since June. From small but long missing features like Find in Safari, to annoyances like Marker Felt in Notes, to the start of individual Text Tones in Messages, Apple is continuing the steady improvement of iOS.

It's still not perfect, it still suffers from the age-old gripes of poor notification handling among other things, there's still no good, SIRI-infused, OS-wide VoiceControl system, etc. etc. but those are not the stuff of minor updates. iOS 5 will no doubt be previewed in 4 months or so and then we'll see to the bigger issues.

For now iOS 4.2 not only does what it set out to -- unify the iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad on the same release -- but with welcome additions like AirPrint and AirVideo -- if it really takes off -- it could be the beginnings of something transformative.

And as always, If you noticed we missed anything, drop us a note in the comments or send us an email and we'll update as needed.