How to AirPlay from iPhone or MacBook to your TV

It's easy to use AirPlay on an iPhone or a MacBook to connect to a TV, as long as the display supports AirPlay. The process is nearly identical across iOS devices, and it works similarly with any brand of TV.

Once confirmed, open the content from a compatible app on your iOS device, like Prime Video or Disney+, and select the AirPlay icon at the top right. It will look like a tiny rectangle with an upward-facing arrow. For services like YouTube, tap the cast symbol (a rectangle with Wi-Fi wave lines) and select AirPlay from there. Then, choose what device you want to link if more than one pops up.

For AirPlaying images from Photos, press the Share button first (the square with the upward-facing arrow), then choose AirPlay from that menu. This may be the sequence with some other apps, too. For music, you'll find the AirPlay icon (an upward-facing arrow with three arcs above it) within the music playback square on Control Center.

It's worth noting that if you plan to AirPlay frequently to a specific TV, you can adjust settings so this happens automatically, as long as your iPhone or iPad has the latest OS. Go to Settings , select General and then AirPlay & Continuity . Under Automatically AirPlay , you have three choices: Never (follow the manual steps noted above every time), Ask (the device will suggest when it thinks you might want to AirPlay and wait for your confirmation) or Automatic (your device will initiate an AirPlay connection without any action from you).

DenPhotos/Shutterstock While you can't AirPlay something like a document or a Safari web browser tab the same way, you can use a feature that's part of AirPlay called screen mirroring. To do this, swipe down from the top-right corner of your iPhone screen to open the Control Center window. You'll see various icons, including one with two overlapping squares. (If it isn't there, tap the "+" sign at the top left, select Add a Control from the bottom, find that Screen Mirroring icon and add it to the home view.)

Tap it, select your TV, and you might see a pairing passcode if it's the first time you're doing this. If so, confirm, and voila, whatever is displayed on your phone, including your real-time navigation movements, will be mirrored on the TV. Select the screen mirroring button again to stop once you're done.

You can also use this option for streaming video if the site you're using doesn't have AirPlay. Flip the phone horizontally and expand or find a full-screen mode button (usually looks like a square outline with four corner angles or four arrows pointing outward). You may have to adjust view settings to get it to look right, and the process may vary depending on the app.

Farknot Architect/Shutterstock For AirPlaying from your MacBook to your TV, confirm AirPlay is on for your TV and both devices are on the same Wi-Fi network, then go to System Settings on the MacBook, General and AirDrop & Continuity (it may be called AirDrop & Handoff ).