• AirPlay is Apple's wireless transmission protocol for sharing audio and video on a local network. 🎵📺
• To mirror your Mac's display wirelessly, you need an AirPlay-compatible device, such as an Apple TV, a smart TV that supports AirPlay, or third-party AirPlay receiver software.
• To mirror your Mac's screen, click on the Control Center in the top right corner of the macOS desktop, then select “Screen Mirroring” and choose the device you want to stream to. 📱➡️📺

With AirPlay, you can wirelessly extend or mirror your Mac's display to an external display such as an Apple TV, certain smart TVs, or devices that use software AirPlay receiver. We'll show you how to do it. 🚀

What is AirPlay?

AirPlay is Apple's name for its wireless media streaming protocol. With AirPlay, Apple devices Like Macs, iPhones and iPads can stream audio and video over a local network to a compatible receiver without the need for cables. It's similar to how Chromecast works on Windows devices and Android. 📲

One of the most useful features of AirPlay is the ability to share (project) the screen from your Mac to another display device. Today we are going to explore this. 🖥️✨

You will need an AirPlay compatible receiver device

Before we begin, we will assume that you already have at least one AirPlay compatible receiving device connected to the same network local than your Mac. The supported devices include an Apple TV, certain brands of smart TVs, and other devices that use AirPlay receiver software. 🎉

If you have a TV or monitor that you'd like to use with AirPlay without spending a fortune on an Apple TV, we recommend you check out some of the best cheap AirPlay receiver alternatives. 💰

How to share your Mac screen via AirPlay

Sharing your Mac's screen is quick and easy. To get started, make sure both your Mac and your AirPlay receiver are on the same grid. Now, click on the Control Center icon in the top right corner of your screen. 📲❗

From the list of controls that appears, click the “Screen Mirroring” button.

Now, select a target device you want to mirror your screen to. You may be asked to enter a code to pair both devices, especially if this is your first time doing so. 🔐

Optimize macOS for your AirPlay display

If the picture looks a little blurry on the AirPlay receiver, you can improve it by changing a setting. Click “Duplicate” “Screen” back into the Control Center macOS and select “Display Settings” at the bottom of the menu. 🌟

Now configure the “Optimize” drop-down menu to” to your AirPlay receiving device. This will change the resolution of your Mac’s main display to better suit the AirPlay device you’re streaming to. It might look a little worse on your Mac, but it will improve on Apple TV or wherever you’re projecting! 👌

If the settings are already set for your target device and you're still seeing poor quality, you may have to accept that AirPlay doesn't meet the same standard as a cable. If you have a MacBook or a Mac mini, you can always connect it via HDMI instead. 🎬

Extend your desktop instead of duplicating it

Once you are in mirroring mode, you will see another option in the Screen Mirroring menu. If you prefer to have your AirPlay receiver act as a extension from your desktop (as an additional display), switch to “Use as Extended Display. 🖥️📈

By doing this, you will revert your Mac's primary display resolution settings back to the native one and optimize for AirPlay display at the same time. Click on the “Display Settings” option in the menu Screen Mirroring and then “Arrange” to drag your screens into the correct arrangement. 🎯

You can now drag windows around in relation to this arrangement. For example, if you have your AirPlay display appear on the left side of your Mac screen, simply drag a window to the left to move it there. 🖱️➡️🖥️

How to stop sharing your Mac screen via AirPlay

To stop sharing your Mac's screen via AirPlay, go back to Control Center > Screen Mirroring and click the display you're connected to (it will be highlighted in blue). Your screen will immediately stop sharing and your Mac will automatically turn off. will revert to its previous resolution and scaling settings. 🔄

Something interesting to note is that by default, macOS will hide notifications while you're casting your screen. This will prevent pop-ups from appearing in the top right corner, meaning you might miss an important email or notification from your iPhone. 🚫📬

You can enable notifications when connected to AirPlay in System Settings > Notifications using the “Allow notifications when mirroring or sharing your screen” switch. 🔔