AirPlay

The iPhone could get a lot better at casting videos to the big screen, as Apple is reportedly working on native support for Google Cast in iOS 27. That means you could soon beam video, photos and audio to almost all smart TVs on the planet.

Apple’s AirPlay is great if you are into the Apple ecosystem, but Google Cast is almost everywhere. It’s built into nearly all smart TVs sold today, including the hotel TVs you may have struggled with during vacations. Right now, your iPhone can’t natively talk to these devices, but iOS 27 could change that.

In a significant policy shift, Apple will let iPhone users stream videos directly to their CarPlay screens for the first time since the platform’s launch. With iOS 26, showcased at WWDC25, the tech giant introduced AirPlay video functionality for CarPlay. So you can stream video from apps in the car — but only when you’re parked.

Dio Node speakers connect to your Wi-Fi network and let you easily stream music, podcasts and more from your iPhone or Mac. Thanks to support for AirPlay, virtually any audio on the device can stream to one or more of these speakers.

I put an array of Node speakers to the test in my house. They invite an immediate comparison to HomePod mini, given the features and price, so I put them up against Apple’s smart speaker, too.

AirDrop and AirPlay are the latest Apple technologies the European Union wants to make more interoperable. This would give third-party developers, including rival handset makers, access to the tech.

But Apple is pushing back hard. Apple has made the jaw-dropping claim that opening up AirDrop and AirPlay would allow companies like Meta (which owns Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp) to read all your emails, messages, photos and even passwords!

The long wait for easy access to AirPlay in hotel rooms is over. Sort of. Apple announced Thursday that a hotel chain is supporting the feature that allows iPhone and iPad users to wirelessly stream content to hotel TVs.

It’s a limited rollout, so travelers are left hoping there’ll be wider adoption.

It couldn’t be easier to set up HomePod or HomePod mini. Learn how to get started, use Siri, and exclude your kids’ music from your listening history.

The wait goes on for two features that Apple promised to add to iOS 17. The iPhone-maker committed itself to collaborative music playlists and AirPlay in hotel rooms but now says these won’t be available before 2024.

These are the last significant additions expected for iOS 17.

Want to create an immersive cinematic experience almost anywhere? Now you can with the GV31 Portable Projector BenQ released earlier this month.

With built-in Netflix and Android TV among other streaming options, the 1080p projector can stream on walls or ceilings via AirPlay from your Mac, iPad or iPhone, or from Android devices via ChromeCast.

Apple finally plans to make playing music from third-party sources easier on HomePods. Starting with iOS 17, you can ask Siri to play music on your HomePod from music apps installed on your iPhone.

Despite Apple providing the necessary apps, only a handful of music streaming services natively support HomePod. This change from Apple in iOS 17 is an excellent workaround to this problem.

Sending video from iPhones to TVs over AirPlay will get easier in iOS 17, according to a tipster. The goal is supposedly to simplify sending video to other people’s TVs. The improvement will almost certainly be extended to iPad, too.

This is one of numerous small changes expected when iOS 17 is unveiled at WWDC23 in early June.

With AirPlay, you can wirelessly stream video from your Apple devices to a large-screen TV. It’ll let you enjoy Ted Lasso or share a TikTok video with a group of friends on a big screen, not your iPhone’s relatively small one.

If this handy option is new to you, Apple made an explainer video. Watch it now.

If you want to get the most out of your desktop audio — the sound you get from your computer, other devices, speakers, headphones, wireless earbuds and more — an interesting new jack-of-all-trades tool arrived on the last day of February.

That’s when FiiO quietly launched its R7 high-resolution audio player, streamer and headphone amplifier. It packs a lot of functionality into a small package you might expect to cost more than it does.

Comcast customers can now wirelessly send cable channels to any TV over AirPlay. The Xfinity Stream application has been updated with Apple’s streaming video tech.

The app already supported Chromecast, but this latest addition is a better fit for iPhone and Mac users.

The Arylic A50+ Wireless Multiroom Stereo Amplifier lets you wirelessly send music to wired speakers from computers and phones. It uses Apple’s AirPlay, which has multiple advantages over Bluetooth, though it offers that too. And DLNA, Spotify Connect and more.

It pumps out 50W*2 with 4Ω passive speakers at 24V, with Sub Out for powered subwoofers.

I tested the capabilities of this digital stereo amp with the help of a friend who’s a bit of an audiophile. Here’s what we found out.

The $1,599 price for the new Apple Studio Display makes it somewhat controversial. Samsung’s response is the $700 Smart Monitor M8, which measures 32 inches and has a UHD resolution.

Samsung clearly has its eye on Mac users. It built Apple AirPlay 2 into the screen. And an image of the display playing Apple TV+ is a prominent part of the press release.

You don’t need cables to stream video from your iPhone or iPad to a TV. Apple’s AirPlay 2 system is wireless and easy to use. That’s been true for years — what’s changed is the necessary equipment has become very affordable.

Here is what you need.

You don’t have to splash out on an Apple TV to enjoy Apple TV+ and Apple Music alongside all your other favorite streaming services. They’re now available on a whole host of brilliant third-party devices — many of which are on sale now.

Unlike Apple, the likes of Amazon and Roku are offering big Black Friday discounts that are already live. Here are our picks of the best Apple TV alternatives that you can buy today from just $19.99.

macOS Monterey gives newer Apple computers the ability to send content to a second Mac over AirPlay. You can also use the feature for screen mirroring, turning a spare machine into an external display.

What’s more, unlike on your TV, AirPlay in Monterey lets you connect two macOS devices with a USB cable, greatly reducing latency and removing the requirement for a wireless network.

The audio limitations of Bluetooth have been much in the news lately, so Belkin picked the perfect time to launch Soundform Connect. The wireless adapter allows iPhone users to communicate to any speaker over AirPlay 2… that’s Wi-Fi and high-quality audio.

The release of Roku OS 10 brings support for Apple’s AirPlay 2 and HomeKit to several more Roku streaming devices and smart TVs. These streaming options were once reserved for pricey settop boxes but are now available on very affordable devices.

The Sonos Roam is a new high-end smart speaker with support for Apple AirPlay 2, so it plays nicely with iPhone or other Apple computers.

The tubular accessory weights in just under a pound, but Sonos says, “precision-engineered acoustics deliver the clarity, depth, and fullness you would expect from a much larger speaker.”

Samsung’s new Smart Monitor lineup combines productivity and entertainment in new ways to make your work-from-home setup even better. The M5 and M7 ship with Smart Hub — which includes an Apple TV app and AirPlay 2 compatibility — built-in.

Did you know that you can transfer your music from iPhone to HomePod — and vice-versa — in just a tap? It’s quick and simple and works amazingly well, and we’ll show you how to set it up.

Roku has begun rolling out AirPlay 2 and HomeKit support for smart TVs and streaming devices.

The update, Roku OS 9.4, gives users the ability to control their Roku using the Home app on iPhone and iPad, and to send content from Mac and iOS devices to their TV via the Roku platform.

LG took the wraps off a dozen large-screen TVs on Thursday, all of which support Apple’s AirPlay 2 and HomeKit so they can be integrated into an iPhone-controlled smart home. Screen sizes for these 2020 TVs range from 49 inches all the way up to 86 inches.