How To Airplay From IPhone To Mac

Even though an iPhone provides a clear image and high display resolution, you still have the option to mirror it to a bigger screen. For this, you can make use of Apple’s AirPlay feature. AirPlay extends only to devices within the apple ecosystem. So, you can use a Mac to mirror your iOS device through AirPlay.

To airplay from iPhone to Mac, you first have to enable the airplay feature on both of your devices. When both devices are paired with one another, you can start the streaming. However, your Mac will only act as a monitor and all the UI controls (clicks) should be done via the iPhone itself.

Note: Not all iPhones and Macs support the Airplay feature. So, before you jump into the steps below, make sure that your devices meet these system model requirements:

iPhone 7 or later
MacBook Air 2018 or later
MacBook Pro 2018 or later
Mac Mini 2020 or later
iMac 2019 or later
iMac Pro
Mac Pro 2019 or later

Step 1: Enable Airplay on Mac

To mirror your iPhone to Mac, you have to enable AirPlay Receiver on the macOS. Doing so will allow your system to be discovered by nearby airplay devices.

You can enable AirPlay directly from the System Preferences panel. However, the exact steps to do so are a bit different on macOS Ventura and macOS Monterey or earlier.

If you have recently upgraded your firmware to macOS Ventura, follow these steps to enable Airplay:

Open Finder.
Click Apple > System Settings on the menu bar.
Go to the General settings from your sidebar.
Select the AirPlay & Handoff option.
Enable AirPlay Receiver.
Then, Allow AirPlay for either Current User, Anyone on the same network, or Everyone.
- If your Mac and iPhone are logged in via the same Apple ID, select Current User.
- If your Mac and iPhone are connected to the same network, select Anyone on the same network.
- Else, select Everyone.
If you want to enable a password for connecting Airplay devices, toggle on the option to Require Password and Set a desired password on the text field.

If you operate on macOS Monterey or earlier, follow these steps:

Open Finder.
Click Apple > System Preferences on the menu bar.
Go to Sharing settings.
On the sidebar, mark the AirPlay Receiver option.
Then, Allow AirPlay for either Current User, Anyone on the same network, or Everyone.
- If your Mac and iPhone are logged in via the same Apple ID, select Current User.
- If your Mac and iPhone are connected to the same network, select Anyone on the same network.
- Else, select Everyone.
If you want to enable a password for connecting Airplay devices, mark the option to Require Password and enter your desired password on the text field.

Step 2: Airplay From iPhone to Mac

You can scan for Airplay devices nearby through your iPhone’s control center. If your Mac is available on the list of discoverable devices, you can airplay your iPhone into it.

Access the iPhone control center.
Click on the Screen Mirroring icon.
Select your Mac from the list of available devices.
On your Mac, Accept the Airplay request.
Then, if your Mac shows a dedicated Airplay passcode, enter this passcode on your iPhone.
Your iPhone will now airplay to the Mac.

How to Airplay From Specific Applications?

Native Apple iOS applications, such as the Apple TV+, Apple Music, Photos, etc, provide you the option to airplay directly from within their application UI. Even though the core logic of this step is the same as the one mentioned above, this is another way to Airplay iPhone to Mac.

Source: Apple

For example, if you open Apple TV+, you’ll see a Playback icon at the bottom of the window. If you click on this icon and choose Mac from the list of devices, you can mirror your iPhone to Mac. So, depending on your application, click either the Playback icon or the AirPlay icon to airplay iPhone to Mac from within the application.