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I've been a MacBook owner for nearly a decade and an iPhone user for more than five years, and it was only recently that I realized I had not been using either one properly.
Everywhere I go, whether it's my home, a friend's place, a party, or even a hotel while traveling, I'm always looking for a better way to play music or mirror content from my iPhone. Before, I took my own Bluetooth speakers along or, when I wanted to play content on a bigger screen, I would even pack my Apple TV. But the perfect solution had been sitting right in front of me the whole time.
You can AirPlay content directly from your iPhone to your Mac
Apple lets you AirPlay music, videos, photos, and even your iPhone's screen directly to your Mac, without any workarounds or third-party apps. That means the AirPlay device you have been looking for all along has been with you the entire time.
Sure, you can stream audio from services like Apple Music, YouTube Music, and Spotify, but it also works with video streaming apps such as Netflix, HBO Max, and others. And the best part is that none of this requires cables. Everything works wirelessly.
This is especially useful for live sports. You might begin watching a game on your iPhone and then switch to your Mac when you want a larger display. The feature also works for AirPlaying photos and even screen sharing your entire iPhone display to your Mac. I personally use this feature quite often to mirror my iPhone screen to my Mac when I'm recording videos and need to double-check framing.
Your MacBook already has some of the best speakers you'll find on a laptop, and if you use a desktop Mac like a Mac mini or Mac Studio, it's likely connected to a solid set of external speakers. The setup is already there, just waiting to be used, and it's surprisingly easy to get started.
How to prepare your Mac for AirPlay streaming
1. Open your Mac's settings
Before you AirPlay content from your iPhone to your Mac, you need to make sure everything is set up correctly.
First, ensure that both your iPhone and Mac are connected to the same Wi-Fi network. Also ensure that your devices are recent enough. iPhones newer than the iPhone 7 and Macs released after 2018 are all supported, so even if you aren't using the latest iPhone 17 or an M5 MacBook Pro, you are likely already covered.
Next, on your Mac, open the System Settings app and go to General from the left sidebar, then head into AirDrop & Handoff.
2. Toggle AirPlay receiver on and adjust your security settings
Here, make sure the AirPlay Receiver toggle is enabled.
Below that, you can choose who can AirPlay to your Mac. Setting it to Anyone on the same network allows others nearby to AirPlay, while the default option restricts it to devices signed in with your Apple account.
You can also enable the Require password option to add an extra layer of control before someone AirPlays content to your Mac.
Once this is done, you don't need to set up anything else on your Mac. You are now ready to AirPlay content from your iPhone directly to your Mac.
How to AirPlay from your iPhone to your Mac
1. Access your chosen app's casting settings
Open the app you want to stream content from, tap the AirPlay option, or the relevant icon (a rectangle with an upward arrow), and select your Mac from the list that appears.
For example, in YouTube, you'll need to tap the Cast button first, then choose AirPlay & Bluetooth devices, and then select your Mac. The same steps work in apps like Apple TV, YouTube Music, Netflix, Prime Video, and more.
2. Pick AirPlay and then your Mac
Alternatively, you can open Control Center and select your Mac as the output device by tapping the small AirPlay icon inside the playback widget.
Once the content is AirPlaying on your Mac, you can control playback from either your iPhone or your Mac. To stop streaming, tap the AirPlay icon again and switch the output back to your iPhone.
How to send photos from iPhone to Mac with AirPlay
1. Open the share sheet when viewing a photo, and pick AirPlay
If you want to AirPlay photos, open the Photos app and select the photo you want to share. Next, tap the Share button to open the Share Sheet, and then select AirPlay. You can swipe left or right to move between photos and videos while they are being displayed.
How to mirror your iPhone on Mac with AirPlay
1. Select the screen mirroring option in Control Center
If you want to mirror your iPhone's screen instead, open Control Center, tap the Screen Mirroring tile, and select your Mac from the list. Your iPhone's screen will then appear on your Mac.
And that's it. You can now stream everything from your iPhone to your Mac without using a single cable.
Pro tip: if you want to cast to a TV that does not support AirPlay, you can connect your Mac to the TV using an HDMI cable and then AirPlay content to your Mac. Whatever shows up on your Mac will show up on your TV too, and it works surprisingly well.
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