How to Use AirPlay Mirroring

Photo Credit: flatpanelshd.com

AirPlay is a great feature of iOS 7 and iOS 8 that enables you to wirelessly share photos, music, movies and more with other AirPlay users. However, did you know you can also use it to see all of that content on your TV screen? With AirPlay Mirroring you can see anything on your iPhone in real time on a flat screen TV from the comfort of your couch. It’s surprisingly easy to use this feature, though it does have certain hardware requirements: you must have a 2nd or 3rd generation Apple TV, as well as an iPhone (4S or newer), iPad (2 or newer), or iPod Touch (5th generation or newer). However, there are a few apps, like Relfector and XBMC, that allow you to connect AirPlay Mirroring with a Mac computer. Check out the quick, easy steps below to learn how to link your Apple TV with AirPlay Mirroring, and be able to check out your instagram selfies in all their 72 inch flatscreen glory.

Set Up AirPlay Mirroring

First of all, if you’re using iOS 7, make sure your iPhone and Apple TV are connected to the same wireless network (with iOS 8, you don’t need to worry about this). Now, swipe up from the bottom to bring up the controller screen. You’ll see a section near the bottom with the words “AirPlay” –tap it.

photo credit: support.apple.com
photo credit: support.apple.com

Toggle the button next to “Mirroring” to the green “on” position. Your phone will find nearby Apple TV’s. Tap the one you wish to connect to, so that it has a blue check mark next to it.

photo credit: support.apple.com
photo credit: support.apple.com

And that’s it! Your device is now synced with your TV.

Now, what if you’re using iOS 6? Well, my best advice is to tell you to just get iOS 7 already, or better yet iOS 8! But if, for whatever reason, you’re stuck with iOS 6, you can still use Airplay Mirroring. Just double click the home button to bring up previously used apps; then scroll the apps to the right until you see the AirPlay logo. Tap that and it will bring you to the same screen as iOS 7 and 8 that allows you to enable Mirroring.

Using AirPlay Mirroring

As mentioned previously, AirPlay Mirroring is great for viewing any of your phone’s content on a television screen. This could apply to watching movies, creating picture slideshows and showing everyone in the room that hysterical thing you wrote that just got retweeted. However, it’s also a great tool for work –looking at documents or spreadsheets, or even giving a presentation. In addition, most iOS games are compatible with AirPlay, so you can shoot angry birds at oinking pigs on the big-screen. Some games even give you the option of using your phone as a controller in order to play the game that’s mirrored on the television. Pretty cool.

Now, this all sounds peachy, however in iOS 7 there were a number of complaints about picture quality and lag time associated with AirPlay Mirroring. Supposedly those issues have been addressed with iOS 8, and though not perfect, do seem to have improved. But we’d love for you to weigh in on the topic in the comments below. Have you noticed an improvement with the new operating system? Are you able to use AirPlay successfully without lag and poor picture quality?

1 thought on “How to Use AirPlay Mirroring”

  1. Samantha Phillips

    Do you happen to know any tips for fixing sound when using AirPlay with a Mac? I’ve searched all over and none of the tricks I did find seem to work. When I’m mirroring what’s on my Mac to the TV, the sound still continues to come through the Mac and not the TV. This is why I bought an AppleTV, to watch the movies on my computer and mirror to the TV, so any help would be much appreciated! Thank You.

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