Published Jun 25, 2024, 12:00 PM EDT
Hamlin has been in the tech field for over seven years. Since 2017, his work has appeared on OSXDaily, Beebom, MashTips, and more.
Although he uses a Z Flip 5 and iPhone 14 Pro daily, he prefers iOS to Android for convenience and seamlessness.
As the Lead Editor for Android, iPhone, Windows, and Mac, his goal is to make sure every article we publish on the site is valuable to our core audience. As a writer, he enjoys covering consumer hardware, software tutorials, and fitness tips.
Jump Links
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How to Turn Off AirPlay on Your iPhone or iPad
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How to Disconnect AirPlay on Your iPhone or iPad
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How to Turn Off AirPlay on Your Mac
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How to Disconnect AirPlay on Your Mac
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How to Turn Off AirPlay on Apple TV and Smart TVs
Summary
- Stop your iPhone or iPad from automatically connecting to nearby AirPlay devices from the Settings app.
- If you have a supported Mac, you can disable its built-in AirPlay receiver functionality from System Settings.
- You can end an active AirPlay session from the Control Center on your iPhone, iPad, and Mac.
AirPlay lets you stream audio/video or mirror your screen to other Apple devices, but if you don't want your device to automatically connect to a nearby Mac, TV, or speaker, you need to turn it off. We'll show you how to do that below.
How to Turn Off AirPlay on Your iPhone or iPad
Your iPhone or iPad can automatically connect to nearby AirPlay receivers like your Mac, AirPlay-enabled smart TVs or speakers, HomePod, etc. To stop that from happening, follow these steps:
- Go to Settings > General on your iPhone or iPad.
- Tap AirPlay & Handoff.
- You'll see the Automatically AirPlay setting at the top. Set this to Ask or Never if you want to prevent your device from automatically starting an AirPlay session.
- If you own an Apple Vision Pro, toggle off AirPlay Receiver in the same menu so that your headset doesn't stream content to it automatically.
How to Disconnect AirPlay on Your iPhone or iPad
If you want to turn off or end an active AirPlay session, you need to follow a different set of steps from the Control Center. Here's what you need to do:
- Bring up the Control Center on your iPhone or iPad.
- If you're streaming media to an AirPlay-enabled device, tap the AirPlay device (highlighted in blue) in the playback controls card and deselect the device it's connected to.
- However, if you're mirroring the screen to an AirPlay device, tap the Screen Mirroring toggle and tap Stop Mirroring to disconnect.
How to Turn Off AirPlay on Your Mac
Macs don't connect to nearby AirPlay devices automatically as iPhones and iPads do. However, modern Macs can act as AirPlay receivers, meaning you can AirPlay videos from an iPhone or iPad to your Mac. To turn this feature off, follow these steps:
- Click the Apple logo in the menu bar and choose System Settings from the dropdown.
- Select General from the left sidebar and click AirDrop & Handoff on the right.
- Toggle off AirPlay Receiver from this menu.
From now on, you won't be able to AirPlay content to your Mac from any other Apple device until you revert your settings. In the same menu, you can set a password for AirPlay if you need some privacy. Additionally, you can set Allow AirPlay for to Current User so that only devices logged in with your Apple ID can see your Mac and AirPlay to it.
How to Disconnect AirPlay on Your Mac
You can end an active AirPlay session on your Mac from the Control Center if you're mirroring the screen or streaming audio to AirPlay-enabled speakers like HomePods. But if you want to stop streaming a video via AirPlay, you have to do that from the respective app.
For example, if you're streaming a TV show in the Apple TV app, click the AirPlay icon once you access the playback controls and deselect the AirPlay device your Mac is connected to.
To end a screen mirroring session, click the Control Center icon in the macOS menu bar, click the Screen Mirroring toggle, and deselect the AirPlay-enabled device your Mac is connected to. And to stop streaming audio, click the AirPlay icon next to the Sound bar and set the output device to your Mac's built-in speakers.
How to Turn Off AirPlay on Apple TV and Smart TVs
One of the main features of the Apple TV streaming box is AirPlay. However, if you don't want to use the feature for any reason, it's easy to turn it off. The steps you need to follow are similar for AirPlay-enabled smart TVs from LG, Sony, Samsung, and other manufacturers.
- If you own an Apple TV, open the Settings app from its Home Screen. If you have an AirPlay-enabled TV, navigate to the AirPlay menu using your TV's remote.
- Select AirPlay and HomeKit Settings.
- Now, select AirPlay once to turn it off.
On Apple TVs, you can limit access to devices on the same Wi-Fi network by selecting the Allow Access option in the same menu. You won't find this option on AirPlay-enabled TVs, though.
Regardless of what Apple device you own, it's pretty easy to stop using the AirPlay functionality. At times, it can be annoying when your device automatically connects to a nearby AirPlay receiver. So, turning the feature off on devices you don't frequently use is a quick and straightforward solution.