Wouldn’t it be cool if there was a way to send what you’re watching on your iPad to the big screen or what you’re listening to on your iPhone to a more powerful speaker? Well, in the Apple ecosystem there is, and it’s called AirPlay. So, in today’s video, let's take a look at all the ways you can use the feature.

https://youtu.be/0cPsPkSiWtI

Before getting any further, what is AirPlay?

AirPlay is a feature built into all your Apple devices that allows you to stream your content to another device, like a compatible speaker or TV. And it's relatively simple to do.

It all started in 2004 with the launch of AirTunes alongside the first AirPort Express. You could plug any pair of speakers into your Express, open iTunes, and choose your AirPort Express as a speaker from a drop-down menu at the bottom of the window. So, at the time, the feature was a bit limited.

Then, in 2010 AirTunes was rebranded to AirPlay in iTunes version 10 and added to iPhones and iPads that updated to iOS 4 and the newly released 2nd Generation Apple TV.

It wasn't until 2011, that AirPlay became a native feature in macOS Mountain Lion and iOS 5, along with the ability to mirror your Mac or iOS device to an AppleTV.

Finally, in 2018, along with the release of the original HomePod, AirPlay 2 was launched, bringing support for multiroom audio. It also created deeper integration into the Apple ecosystem now that Contol Center, in some form, can be found on every Apple device.

Now let's take a look at how to AirPlay to and from compatible devices.

Across the Apple ecosystem, there are two AirPlay icons to look for. The first is the original AirPlay icon. Today it's used to show when you can AirPlay a video in apps like YouTube. The second is AirPlay Audio. This icon will appear in music apps, like Podcasts.

Now that you know the symbols to look for let's seek them out.

First, on your iPhone or iPad, open Control Center from any app. Then, tap on the AirPlay Audio icon in the top corner of the media controls box and choose your AirPlay device from the list.

On your Mac running macOS Big Sur or later, open Control Center from the top menu bar and click on the AirPlay audio icon next to the volume control. Now you can once again select an AirPlay device from the list.

If you're running an older version of macOS, you should see an AirPlay icon on your menu bar standing on its own.

On your Apple TV HD and newer, you can hold down the TV button to launch Control Center from the right side of the screen. Then, click on the AirPlay Audio button and choose your speakers.

Also, in the AirPlay menu of Control Center, you can AirPlay to multiple AirPlay-compatible speakers at a time. This is a great option for when you want to broadcast audio to your whole home. To do this, choose one AirPlay device. Then, a checkmark will appear next to that speaker and empty bubbles next to the rest. Clicking on an empty bubble will AirPlay to that device as well, and give you individual volume controls for each of your active speakers.

Beyond just streaming your music and videos to a larger screen, you can also extend or mirror your screen.

On an iOS device or macOS Big Sur and later, you can tap the screen mirroring feature in Control Center and choose your device. If you're on an older version of macOS, this is also handled through the dedicated AirPlay menu.

Now that you know what AirPlay is and how to use the feature, what devices support it? Well,