How to turn off AirPlay on iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple TV

Apple makes it simple to broadcast the display of an iPhone, iPad, or Mac to any other AirPlay-enabled device in range. However, turning off AirPlay can be less straightforward than you might expect. Fortunately, it only takes a few taps or clicks to do that. In this article, I'll show you how to turn off AirPlay on iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple TV. 

Key solutions: How to turn off AirPlay on any device

Need a quick fix? Here's a simple table with the fastest ways to turn off AirPlay depending on your device and what exactly you're streaming.

Device / scenario	What to do
iPhone / iPad (audio streaming)	Open Control Center (swipe down on the screen) → tap AirPlay icon → select iPhone/iPad or disconnect device
iPhone / iPad (screen mirroring)	Open Control Center → tap Screen Mirroring → tap Stop Mirroring
iPhone / iPad (stop auto AirPlay)	Go to Settings → General → AirPlay & Continuity → Automatically AirPlay → Never / Ask
Mac (screen mirroring)	Open Control Center (top-right in the menu bar) → click Screen Mirroring → click connected device to disconnect
Mac (audio streaming)	Open Control Center or Music app → AirPlay icon → switch back to Mac speakers
Mac (disable receiving AirPlay)	Go to System Settings → General → AirDrop & Handoff → toggle off AirPlay Receiver
Apple TV (stop AirPlay session)	Hold TV button (Siri Remote Control Center) → open Control Center → select AirPlay → disconnect device
Apple TV (fully limit AirPlay)	Go to Settings → AirPlay and Home → adjust or turn off AirPlay
Lock screen AirPlay widget	Disconnect AirPlay via Control Center, then lock and wake your device
AirPlay keeps connecting automatically	Go to Settings → General → AirPlay & Continuity → Automatically AirPlay → Never / Ask

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What is AirPlay and how does it work?

Before you find out how to turn AirPlay off, let us quickly explain what AirPlay is and how it works.

Already familiar? Skip to the device-specific instructions below.

AirPlay is Apple's wireless technology that lets compatible devices stream content on the same Wi-Fi network. For example, you can stream documents from your MacBook to an AirPlay printer. You can also send music from your iPhone to wireless speakers. Or stream movies from your Mac to your TV.

According to Apple Support documentation, AirPlay works by creating a direct wireless connection between devices. This allows for high-quality audio and video streaming with minimal lag.

How to turn off AirPlay on an iPhone or iPad

Finding AirPlay settings on your iPhone and turning them off involves different steps depending on what you're streaming. The procedures differ for music and screen mirroring.

How to turn off audio streaming on iPhone and iPad

If you're streaming music from your iPhone or iPad, it's easy to turn AirPlay off through the Control Center:

1. Access Control Center:
   • iPhone X or later / iPad (iOS 12+): Swipe down from the top-right corner.
   • Older iPhone / iPad: Swipe up from the bottom edge.
2. Tap the AirPlay icon (rectangle with triangle at bottom).
3. Select your device:
   • Tap the connected device to disconnect.
   • Or tap "iPhone" to return audio to your device.

Audio streaming will now stop.

How to turn off screen mirroring AirPlay on iPhone and iPad

Screen mirroring requires a slightly different approach:

1. Open Control Center (swipe from top-right on newer devices or bottom on older ones).
2. Tap Screen Mirroring (looks like two overlapping rectangles).
3. Select Stop Mirroring.

Your screen will stop broadcasting to the external display.

Now you know how to turn off screen sharing on iPhone.

On your Mac, you can try JustStream. Unlike Apple's native AirPlay, which only allows you to connect with Apple TV, the JustStream app practically eliminates restrictions on the type of TV you may mirror Mac content to.

How to disable automatic AirPlay on iPhone & iPad

iOS 17 and later enables iPhones to instantly connect to AirPlay TVs. Many users prefer to choose when their content appears on a larger screen rather than having it happen automatically.

To prevent iPhone or iPad from automatically connecting to AirPlay TVs, follow the steps below: 

1. Go to Settings > General.
2. Choose AirPlay & Continuity.
3. Tap Automatically AirPlay.
4. Select Never to stop automatic connections.

You can also choose "Ask" if you want your iPhone to request permission before connecting.

How to remove AirPlay from the lock screen

When AirPlay is active, a media widget may appear on the Lock Screen. To stop the current session, open Control Center, disconnect AirPlay as described in the audio or mirroring sections above, then lock and wake your device. 

Persistent widget suggestions are best managed by disabling automatic AirPlay connections in Settings.    

How to turn off AirPlay on Mac

If you use AirPlay to send audio or video from your Mac to your Apple TV or to mirror your screen, you might also look for ways of how to stop AirPlay on a Mac. 

How to turn off screen mirroring on Mac

To stop mirroring your MacBook screen to another device:

1. Open Control Center icon in the menu baron your Mac.
2. Click Screen Mirroring.
3. Click the highlighted device name.

The device should become unhighlighted and mirroring will stop.

When you use multiple screens at the same time, it's convenient to have custom settings for every display's brightness, color, and volume. DisplayBuddy is a tool that will help you control settings across monitors with ease. This is especially important if your external screen always resets brightness when you switch it off. Give it a try — DisplayBuddy is rated 92% by 1,000+ Setapp users.

How to disconnect AirPlay audio on a Mac

You can do this from the app you're using or from the Control Center. Let us show you both methods.

Method 1: Using the Music app

1. Open the Music app.
2. Click the AirPlay icon.
3. Uncheck the box for the connected device.
4. Check the box for your Mac's speakers.

Method 2: Using Control Center

1. Open Control Center.
2. Click the AirPlay button next to Sound (has a checkmark).
3. Select your Mac's speakers to return audio.

How to disable AirPlay Receiver on a Mac

If you don't want to allow other devices to use AirPlay to stream content to your Mac, you can disable AirPlay Receiver. 

For macOS Ventura (13.0) and later, including macOS Sequoia and macOS Tahoe:

1. Go to Apple menu > System Settings > General.
2. Click AirDrop & Handoff.
3. Toggle off AirPlay Receiver.

For older macOS versions:

1. Go to Apple menu > System Preferences > Sharing.
2. Deselect the AirPlay Receiver checkbox.

According to Apple's AirPlay support guide, disabling the receiver prevents all incoming AirPlay connections.

How to turn off AirPlay on Apple TV

You can easily view and disable anything you're sharing over AirPlay on Apple TV by using the Control Center.

Here's how to disconnect AirPlay on Apple TV:

1. Hold down the TV button on your Siri remoteto open the Control Center.
2. Select the highlighted AirPlay icon.
3. Choose the connected device or content source and disconnect it.

The AirPlay symbol should no longer be highlighted when you reopen Control Center.

To fully manage or turn off AirPlay receiving: Go to Settings > AirPlay and Apple Home and adjust the options (e.g., turn AirPlay off or restrict who can stream)

If the videos you want to AirPlay to TV from Mac are on your computer, they probably take up a lot of space. And if you have a lot of videos, you won't watch again, or ever, it's a good idea to get rid of them to free up that disk space. Use the Large & Old Files tool that comes with a Mac care app called CleanMyMac to find large video files that you haven't opened in a long time.

1. Open CleanMyMac — you can install it from Setapp
2. Then navigate to My Clutter > Scan.
3. Click Review All Files > Large & Old Files.
4. Choose movies you want to remove. You can sort them by size and by access date.
5. Click Remove.

Enjoy getting space on your Mac back!

How to improve your streaming experience 

Now you know how to turn off AirPlay on iPhone, iPad, MacBook, and Apple TV. The process is straightforward once you know where to look.

For enhanced streaming capabilities, try these tools available through Setapp:

• JustStream — Mirror Mac screen to any TV brand.
• DisplayBuddy — Control settings across multiple screens.
• CleanMyMac — Free up space by removing old video files.

All these tools are available via Setapp, a platform where you can find dozens of handy apps for your Mac and iPhone. Start free 7-day trial. And don't forget to take a rest next time you work on a big screen. 

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