AirPlay is indeed a beneficial feature that Apple Inc. provides to its users. Playing videos, audio, and sharing screens on different devices can be done instantly using the AirPlay feature.
Turning off AirPlay is easy, but the number of steps depends on whether you are mirroring the screen, using an app to play video, or running audio on another device. This guide will help you learn how to turn off AirPlay on your iPhone, MacBook, Apple TV, and iPad.
First things first, what is AirPlay? To know more about this handy feature, keep reading.
What is AirPlay?
AirPlay is a handy feature that works across many Apple devices. Users can cast audio or videos from their iPad, iPhone or Mac to an Apple TV or AirPlay-compatible device. The only compulsion is both devices should be connected to the same internet.
If you like watching your favorite show on a large screen, Apple’s casting feature will surely come in handy.
Not only that, but users can also cast videos and audio from Windows devices using the iTunes software. There are a few requirements for that, the first one being that your Windows OS must be updated.
After Apple released the AirPlay 2, you can stream audio to multiple rooms and even pair speakers. So, whenever you play a YouTube video, and a small casting button pops up on the bottom left side of the screen, click on it to start casting.
But, the next question is, how to turn off AirPlay?
Disabling the casting feature is an easy task. It takes hardly a few seconds. Below are all the ways users can turn off Airplay on various devices.
How to turn off AirPlay on Apple devices?
1. iPhone/iPad
Switching off audio and video AirPlay features requires separate steps. To turn off AirPlay on your iPhone and iPad, follow these steps.
For videos
Using the control center, users can turn off AirPlay on their iOS and iPadOS devices. To do that, follow these steps:
- In the newer iPhone models, swipe downwards from the top of the screen to open the control center
- In the older modes, swipe upwards from the bottom of the screen to open the control center
- Tap the AirPlay icon to view the list of connected devices
- Lastly, click on the ‘Stop mirroring’ button to turn off the casting
For audios
If you are playing audio or songs using the AirPlay feature, you can turn it off in the music settings. To do that, follow these steps:
- Open the control center by swiping downwards from the top of the screen
- Press on the music tab. It’ll show the speakers and TV list at the bottom
- Lastly, tap on the iPhone option to change the audio output back to your iOS speaker
Turn off AirPlay completely
The above-mentioned tips will temporarily disconnect casting on other devices. To completely turn off AirPlay on your iPad or iPhone, follow these steps:
- Open the setting app on your device
- Go to the General tab and click on ‘AirPlay and Handoff’
- Then click the ‘Automatically AirPlay to TVs’ tab
- Lastly, select the ‘Never’ option to turn it off or the ‘Ask’ option to give casting permission every time
- Exit the settings app, and AirPlay will turn off instantly
2. MacBook
For videos
How to turn off AirPlay on Macs? MacBooks have slightly different steps to turn AirPlay off. To do that, follow these steps:
- Open the control center from the Apple menu located at the top right corner of your Mac
- Click on the Airplay icon. It will show the list of devices your Mac is connected to
- Tap the device that is currently mirroring your display to disconnect it
- To turn off AirPlay, click the ‘display preferences’ tab in the screen mirroring section
- Then click AirPlay display and turn it off
For Audio
Audio castings are turned off/disconnected using different steps. To do that, follow these steps:
- Open the control center from the Apple menu
- Tap on the AirPlay icon next to the ‘sound’ section
- Change the output option to your Mac’s speaker to disconnect other audio devices
- Run audio to see if the settings are updated
Remember, this is a quick way to disconnect the sharing feature. To turn AirPlay off completely, head to the next section.
Turn off AirPlay completely
To completely switch off casting videos and audio to other devices, you must go to the system preferences tab. To do that, follow these steps:
- Move the cursor over to the Apple logo in the Apple system menu (top left side of the screen)
- Click on the “System Preferences” option from the drop-down menu
- Then click the ‘sharing’ button to open the settings for sharing/casting options
- From the list of options, untick the ‘AirPlay Receiver’ to turn it off completely
- If you still want specific devices to cast your screen, keep the AirPlay receiver option ticked, and change the access from all devices to ‘current user’
3. How to Turn Off AirPlay on Apple TV
Lastly, if you have an Apple TV and you’re wondering How to turn off AirPlay on it, then fret not. Turning off the casting feature on Apple TV is a straightforward process. To limit the Airplay feature on the television, follow these steps:
- Open the settings application on your Apple TV by clicking on the gear icon on the home screen
- Scroll down to the ‘AirPlay & Homekit‘ tab and click it
- Then click the ‘Allow access button. You’ll see the privacy options to choose from
- Select the option to update the AirPlay setting on your TV. The options are:
- Everyone: It means anyone can cast videos on your TV
- Anyone on the same network: It means only the users connected to the same internet can cast videos/audio on your TV
- Only People sharing this home: It means only the users that you’ve added to ‘home sharing’ can stream to the Apple TV
- Require password: You can select this option and put up a password. Only the users that have access to the passcode will be able to cast to the TV
- Allow Nearby to AirPlay: This option means anyone near your Apple TV can easily stream videos on it
- Once you go through the options list, select the one that best fits your needs and exit the settings app
Conclusion
AirPlay is one of the convenient features that Apple Inc. offers to its users. You can benefit from the feature if you are in the Apple ecosystem and own more than one device.
Turning it off is as easy as turning it on. First, users can temporarily disable the feature using the control center of iPhones, iPods, and MacBooks.Or, open the settings app and follow the abovementioned steps to turn it off entirely.
