How to Use AirPlay to Stream from Your Mac to a TV
Mirror your Mac's screen or stream video to an Apple TV or AirPlay-compatible smart TV wirelessly — no cables needed.
4 min read · 5 steps · Checked April 2026
Step 1. Make sure both devices are on the same WiFi
On your Mac, click the WiFi icon in the menu bar and confirm which network you're on. On your Apple TV, go to SettingsNetwork and confirm the same network name. On a smart TV with AirPlay, check its network settings (usually in SettingsNetwork or WiFi). Both must show the same network name before AirPlay will work.
Step 2. Use the Control Center to start Screen Mirroring
On your Mac, click the Control Center icon in the top right corner of your menu bar. It looks like two toggle switches. Click "Screen Mirroring." A list of available AirPlay devices will appear. Click your Apple TV or smart TV's name. Your Mac screen will appear on your TV within a few seconds.
Quick Tip
If you don't see your TV in the list, make sure it's turned on, connected to the same WiFi, and has AirPlay turned on in its settings.
Step 3. AirPlay a video from a specific app
Many apps — including the Apple TV app, Safari, and QuickTime Player — have a built-in AirPlay button. Look for a rectangle with a triangle pointing up (the AirPlay icon) in the playback controls of the video. Click it and select your TV from the list. The video will play on your TV while your Mac screen remains free for other tasks.
Step 4. Adjust the display settings when mirroring
While Screen Mirroring is active, you can go to System SettingsDisplays to adjust the resolution or choose whether the TV shows an exact mirror of your Mac or acts as an extended second display (meaning you can move windows onto the TV separately). For most casual uses, the default mirror mode works well.
Quick Tip
If the picture looks blurry on the TV, try setting your Mac's resolution to match your TV's resolution (1080p or 4K) in System SettingsDisplays.
Step 5. Stop AirPlay
When you're done, click Control Center in your Mac's menu bar, click "Screen Mirroring," and click your TV's name again to disconnect. Alternatively, you can click the AirPlay icon that appears in your menu bar while mirroring is active and select "Stop Mirroring." Your Mac screen will return to normal right away.
AirPlay is Apple's wireless technology for sending video and audio from one Apple device to another — or to a compatible smart TV. With AirPlay, you can stream a movie playing in your Mac's browser, mirror your entire Mac screen onto your TV for a bigger view, or play music from your Mac through speakers connected to an Apple TV.
To use AirPlay from your Mac to a TV, you need two things:
- A Mac running macOS Sonoma, Sequoia, or later for the full feature set (basic AirPlay has technically been available since macOS Big Sur in 2020, but an up-to-date macOS version gives you the most reliable connection and full AirPlay 2 support).
- An Apple TV (any model) connected to your TV, OR a smart TV that supports AirPlay 2. Many modern smart TVs from Samsung, LG, Sony, and Vizio support AirPlay 2.
Both your Mac and the Apple TV or smart TV must be connected to the same WiFi network. If one is on your home WiFi and the other is on a guest network or a different network, AirPlay won't find it.
There are two modes: Screen Mirroring, which shows everything on your Mac screen on the TV (useful for presentations or browsing the web on a big screen), and AirPlay from an app, which sends only the video or audio from a specific app to the TV while your Mac screen stays independent (useful for watching a movie on TV while doing something else on your Mac).
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