Device Requirements
To AirPlay content to your Mac from your iPhone or iPad, your devices must fulfill a few hardware and software requirements. For the OS, you will need:
Mac running macOS Monterey or lateriPhone or iPad running iOS/iPadOS 14 or later
In terms of hardware, you need one of these Mac devices:
MacBook Pro (2018 or later)MacBook Air (2018 and later)iMac (2019 and later)iMac Pro (2017)Mac mini (2020 and later)Mac Pro (2019)Mac Studio (2022)
As for the mobile device, any of these options will work:
iPhone 7 or lateriPad Pro (2nd generation or later)iPad (6th generation or later)iPad Air (3rd generation or later)iPad mini (5th generation or later)
How to Configure Your Mac to Allow AirPlay Streaming
Before you begin streaming content from your iPhone or iPad to your Mac, you’ll need to enable the AirPlay receiver feature in the System Preferences app and manage device permissions. AirPlay configuration is one of the many ways you can customize your Mac.
AirPlay to Mac Permissions
Manage who can stream content to your Mac with AirPlay by configuring device requirements and setting credentials. To get started, learn what each setting allows:
Current User: only devices signed in with the same Apple ID as the Mac are allowed to stream.Anyone on the same network: anyone on the same Wi-Fi network as the Mac is allowed to stream.Everyone: anyone, even if they are connected to a different Wi-Fi network or signed in to a different Apple ID than the Mac, is allowed to stream.Password Protected: anyone who enters a password that is set by the administrator is allowed to stream.
How to Stream Audio From Your iPhone to Your Mac
Share your favorite tunes to your Mac in just a few taps. This workflow is compatible with all audio streaming apps that support AirPlay, including the built-in Apple Music and Podcasts apps.
How to Showcase Photos From Your iPhone on Your Mac
Looking for a larger canvas to display photos from your iPhone? With AirPlay to Mac, you can effortlessly share your photos and videos from your iPhone or iPad by streaming them to your Mac’s screen. You can even use the “Memories” feature on your iOS device to auto-generate a photo slideshow. A pulsing blue indicator will appear on your iPhone in the upper-left corner, confirming that you have successfully enabled AirPlay.
How to Play Videos from Your iPhone on Your Mac
Share content from AirPlay-supported apps like YouTube, Apple TV and Netflix to your Mac for improved audio and a more immersive viewing experience. (If you have a non-Apple smartphone, follow our guide on streaming from Android to AirPlay.)
How to Mirror Your iPhone Screen to Your Mac
From presentations to how-tos to video game sessions, share just about any content you’d like to your Mac’s display with AirPlay mirroring. Image credit: Maxwell Nelson via Unsplash All screenshots taken by Brahm Shank.
