How to share mac screen with apple tv

  1. How to share mac screen with apple tv

    1

    Turn on your Apple TV. If this is your first time using Apple TV, you may have to set up and configure the Apple TV before proceeding.

  2. How to share mac screen with apple tv

    2

    Make sure that your Mac and Apple TV are on the same Internet connection. You may need to change your Mac's connection to match that of your Apple TV. To check your current connection:

    Advertisement

  3. How to share mac screen with apple tv

    3

    Open your Mac's Apple menu

    How to share mac screen with apple tv

    . Click the Apple logo in the upper-left corner of the screen. A drop-down menu will appear.

  4. How to share mac screen with apple tv

    4

    Click System Preferences…. It's in the drop-down menu. Doing so opens the System Preferences window.

  5. How to share mac screen with apple tv

    5

    Click Displays. This monitor-shaped icon is on the left side of the System Preferences window.

  6. How to share mac screen with apple tv

    6

    Click the Display tab. It's at the top of the window.

  7. How to share mac screen with apple tv

    7

    Click the "AirPlay Display" drop-down box. You'll find this option near the bottom of the window. Doing so prompts a drop-down menu.

  8. How to share mac screen with apple tv

    8

    Click Apple TV. It's in the drop-down menu. Doing this will prompt your Mac to begin attempting to mirror its display to your Apple TV.[2]

  9. How to share mac screen with apple tv

    9

    Wait for your Mac's screen to appear on your Apple TV. Once you see your Mac's screen appear on the Apple TV, you have successfully mirrored your display.[3]

    • You can check the "Show mirroring options in the menu bar when available" box near the bottom of the window to place a mirroring icon in the upper-right corner of the screen. Clicking this rectangular icon will prompt a drop-down menu with connection options.
    • If you want to play a video using your Apple TV's speakers, you may need to adjust your Mac's sound preferences.

  10. Advertisement

  1. How to share mac screen with apple tv

    1

    Click the "Back" button. It's the ⋮⋮⋮⋮ button in the top-left corner of the Display window. Doing so returns you to the main System Preferences window.

    • If you exited the System Preferences window, you'll instead open the Apple menu

      How to share mac screen with apple tv

      and click System Preferences... before proceeding.

  2. How to share mac screen with apple tv

    2

    Click Sound. This speaker-shaped icon is in the System Preferences window.

  3. How to share mac screen with apple tv

    3

    Click the Output tab. It's at the top of the window.

  4. How to share mac screen with apple tv

    4

    Click Apple TV. You should see this option below the "Select a device for sound output" heading near the top of the window.

    • If you do not see Apple TV here (or you can't click it), restart both your Apple TV and your Mac, then repeat the above steps.

  5. How to share mac screen with apple tv

    5

    Test your TV's speakers. Play a song or a video on your Mac to see if sound comes from your Apple TV's speakers; if so, your Apple TV's sound is set up.

    • If you still only hear sound coming from your Mac, you may need to restart both your Mac and your Apple TV before trying again.

  6. Advertisement

Add New Question

  • Question

    Why does my Macbook Pro not show Airplay under the display?

    How to share mac screen with apple tv

    If you look to the top right hand corner of your screen, you'll see a number of icons. The Airplay icon resembles a rectangle with an upward-pointing triangle below it. If you don't see it, open up System Preferences and click on Displays. In the bottom left hand corner you should see the words "Airplay Display: Off." Simply click Off and change it.

  • Question

    How do I get the drop down menu in system preferences?

    How to share mac screen with apple tv

    You can't get it in system preferences. Instead, if you hover over the top of your screen, a bar will pop up.

  • Question

    Can I use my Apple TV without the remote?

    How to share mac screen with apple tv

    You need the remote to get the Apple TV onto your WiFi network but after that you can download the Apple TV Remote App on to a mobile device and as long as that device is on the same network as the Apple TV you can control it.

Ask a Question

200 characters left

Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered.

Submit

Advertisement

  • AirPlay works on Macs built in 2011 or later.

    As a small thank you, we’d like to offer you a $30 gift card (valid at GoNift.com). Use it to try out great new products and services nationwide without paying full price—wine, food delivery, clothing and more. Enjoy!

  • If you don’t see the AirPlay icon on your Mac, make sure both your Mac and your Apple TV are connected to the same Wi-Fi network.

    As a small thank you, we’d like to offer you a $30 gift card (valid at GoNift.com). Use it to try out great new products and services nationwide without paying full price—wine, food delivery, clothing and more. Enjoy!

  • If the playback performance is poor, try to connect Apple TV to your router with a wired Ethernet connection. You will need an Ethernet to USB-C (Thunderbolt) port adapter if your Mac was built in 2017 or later.

    As a small thank you, we’d like to offer you a $30 gift card (valid at GoNift.com). Use it to try out great new products and services nationwide without paying full price—wine, food delivery, clothing and more. Enjoy!

Thanks for submitting a tip for review!

Advertisement

  • AirPlay mirroring will not work on the first-generation Apple TV, nor will it work on a Mac built before 2011. It also requires a minimum of Mac OS X 10.8 (Mountain Lion) on your Mac.

    As a small thank you, we’d like to offer you a $30 gift card (valid at GoNift.com). Use it to try out great new products and services nationwide without paying full price—wine, food delivery, clothing and more. Enjoy!

  • Mirroring can lag if you have lots of videos playing. Try closing some windows to reduce the load on your Apple TV.

    As a small thank you, we’d like to offer you a $30 gift card (valid at GoNift.com). Use it to try out great new products and services nationwide without paying full price—wine, food delivery, clothing and more. Enjoy!

Advertisement

About This Article

Article SummaryX

1. Connect the Mac and Apple TV to the same Wi-Fi network.
2. Click the Apple menu.
3. Click System Preferences.
4. Click Displays.
5. Click Display.
6. Select Apple TV from the "AirPlay Display" menu.
7. Click the back button and select Sound.
8. Click Output.
9. Click Apple TV.

Did this summary help you?

Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 502,020 times.

Is this article up to date?

How do I screen mirror my Mac to Apple TV?

Make sure your Mac and Apple TV are on the same network. Click the Screen Mirroring icon in the Control Centre, then choose your Apple TV. To set whether your desktop matches the size of the Mac screen or the TV screen, click the AirPlay status icon , then choose This Mac or your Apple TV.

Why won't my Mac screen share to my Apple TV?

Try these steps first Make sure that your AirPlay-compatible devices are turned on and near each other. Check that the devices are updated to the latest software and are on the same Wi-Fi network. Restart the devices that you want to use with AirPlay or screen mirroring.

How do I mirror my MacBook pro to Apple TV wirelessly?

On your Mac, click Control Center in the menu bar, click Screen Mirroring, then select your Apple TV or smart TV. See Use AirPlay to stream what's on your Mac to an HDTV. If your Mac and other Apple devices support AirPlay to Mac, you can listen to audio and play video from another device on your Mac.