(7 Fixes) AirPlay Not Working On Smart TV [Updated 2023]

Nowadays, everything is connected.

And Apple is no stranger to this.

With AirPlay, you can link and control every device in your home.

From your iPhone, to iPad, to MacBooks, and even smart appliances.

Well, seemingly everything except one…

For some reason, your TV can’t use AirPlay.

If that’s the case, we can help…

Keep reading to discover:

Which devices are compatible with AirPlay.
How to remove your device’s firewall so you can use AirPlay.
9 ways to fix your AirPlay when it’s not connecting to your TV.
And so much more…

Why is AirPlay not working on my smart TV?

AirPlay isn’t working on your smart TV because of restrictions or incompatibility. Your network could also be the reason for this, specifically its WMM settings. If not, then your firewall might be blocking your TV. Outdated firmware can also be the reason behind it.

AirPlay not working on smart TV: 7 fixes

#1: Remove restrictions

When you try to play something from an iPhone or iPad, does your TV ask for your password?

In that case, you most likely have your restrictions on.

Restrictions are your parental controls.

It prevents kids from:

Changing AirPlay settings.
Making purchases of any sort.
Downloading content that is age-restricted.
Playing multiplayer games in Game Center.
Playing games with inappropriate content ratings.
Watching movies or shows that have explicit content.

Sometimes, you can forget to turn this off when it’s your turn on the TV.

And, if you also forget how to turn it off, you can do it in 4 simple steps:

Open Settings on your Apple device.
Go to General.
Set your Restrictions to off.
Enter your 4-digit passcode.

What’s that? You forgot your passcode?

Again, we got you. Just:

Open Settings on your Apple device.
Go to General.
Select Restrictions.
Press Change Passcode.
Enter your new passcode.

#2: Make sure it’s compatible

Sometimes, the answer is so obvious that we don’t even think about it.

Have you checked if your smart TV is compatible with AirPlay?

Not yet? Don’t worry.

Here’s a list of smart TVs that are compatible with AirPlay:

Samsung

Note: Some people use Samsung Evolution Kits to update their older TV models. While you may get newer features from these kits, you can’t get AirPlay.

2018

2018 QLED 4K.
2018 Frame TV.
2018 4K UHD TV.
2018 Smart Full HDTV N5300.

2019

2019 8K and 4K QLED TVs.
2019 Frame, Serif, and 4K UHD TV.

2020

2020 Frame and Serif TV.
2020 8K and 4K QLED TVs.
2020 Premiere Projector and Crystal UHD TVs.

2021

2021 Frame TV.
2021 Crystal UHD TVs.
2021 8K and 4K QLED TVs.

Sony

Sony has the most TV model series that are AirPlay-enabled. These are:

2018 Model Series

A9F.
Z9F.

2019 Model Series

A9G.
Z9G.
X95G.

2020 Model Series

A8H.
A9S.
Z8H.
X80H.
X85H.
X90H.
X95H.

2021 Model Series

Z9J.
X80J.
X85J.
X90J.
X91J.
X95J

LG

For LG, all smart TV models from 2021 onwards can use AirPlay.

But, some older TVs from LG can also use this feature.

Use this table to check if your TV is compatible:

2018 5.0 webOs Version OLED model series

OLED ZX.
OLED RX.
OLED BX.
OLED CX.
OLED GX.
OLED WX.

2018 5.0 webOs Version UHD model series

UN Series.
NANA Series.

2019 4.5 webOs Version OLED model series

2019 4.5 webOs Version UHD model series

UM Series.
SM Series.

2020 4.0 webOs Version OLED model series

2020 4.0 webOs Version UHD model series

UK Series.
SK Series.

Vizio

Some Vizio TVs dating back from 2016 can use AirPlay. Just make sure that they are:

OLED.
D-Series.
E-Series.
M-Series.
P-Series.
V-Series.

Roku TV

All Roku streaming devices starting from 2013 are compatible with AirPlay.

Not only that, some TV brands that use Roku as their operating system are also AirPlay-enabled.

These brands are:

Onn.
TCL.
JVC.
AOC.
RCA.
ATVIO.
Philco.
Sharp.
Sanyo.
Philips.
Hitachi.
Hisense.
Element.
InFocus.
Magnavox.
Westinghouse.

#3: Check the network connection

Are you using AirPlay via a Wi-Fi connection?

Then, your problem might stem from your network.

Ask yourself these questions:

Can your TV connect to other Wi-Fi networks?
Can other devices connect to your Wi-Fi network?

Is your answer no for one or both of them?

If so, then you need to fix your network connection.

And in that case, the solution is often as simple as the problem.

Remove any interference

Do you happen to have any of these near your modem or TV?

Mirrors.
Microwaves.
Ceramic tiles.
Baby monitors.
A neighbor’s wifi.
Thick, concrete walls.
Aquariums filled with water.

Those objects, and many more, cause interference in Wi-Fi signals.

Remove them right now.

Or move your TV and router so that it’s not blocked by any of those.

This should take care of your signal problem.

But not every time.

So, test your network connection on your TV first.

And if it doesn’t work, let’s now turn to…

Use an ethernet cable

Go analog and buy an ethernet cable.

An ethernet cable can make sure that your TV is always connected to the internet.

Besides, it has a ton of other advantages too. Including:

Consistency.
Less latency.
Better security.
Faster download speed.
No dropped connections.

Sound good?

Now, secure a cable and connect it to your device and router.

Once your TV tells you that it’s successfully connected to the internet, you’re good to go.

#4: Power cycle both devices

The most important tool of an electronics repairman?

No, not the screwdriver.

The power button. That’s because it lets you power cycle your device.

What’s that?

Power cycling allows you to remove any residual charge on your devices.

Which then allows your internal systems to fully restart.

How can you power cycle a device?

Simple…

For TVs

Power cycling in TVs isn’t that different for each manufacturer.

All you have to do is:

Turn your TV off.
Unplug it from the socket.
Leave it like that for 30 seconds.
Turn it back on.

For other devices

If you’re using AirPlay from an unplugged source, like an iPhone or iPad…

Just simply turn it off for 30 seconds.

It’s that easy.

#5: Remove your firewall

Are you using AirPlay to connect the TV to your MacBook?

If so, you probably have your firewall turned on.

But, what is a firewall? Let me explain…

Think of it as a door.

Your door exists to block anything that may do something bad to your home. From intruders, to rainstorms, to your pesky in-laws. (Kidding!)

But, sometimes, the firewall can also block things that you need to use.

To prevent it from doing so, disable your firewall in 7 quick steps:

On your MacBook, open System Preferences.
Under Security & Privacy, go to Firewall.
Click the padlock icon and enter your password.
Open Firewall Options.
Untick ‘Block Incoming Connections’.
Turn on ‘Automatically allow built-in software to receive incoming connections’.
Restart your MacBook.

Do you find our explanation to be lacking a visual demonstration? You can also watch:

#6: Change router settings

This one is a little more complicated.

But when you experience lag when mirroring your iPhone to the TV…

Maybe the problem is with your router’s settings.

In particular, with its Wi-Fi Multimedia setting or WMM.

WMM allows the devices that are connected to your Wi-Fi to have priority in network traffic.

That’s a mouthful, but it just means that it can give a device a faster download speed.

By default, Apple devices that are connected to your router have high priority.

You might ask:

“Shouldn’t that mean I’ll be able to mirror my device without lag since it has a faster speed?”

Not all the time.

Most times, it just makes the network multitask, and it ends up doing the opposite.

Especially when your TV and Apple device have different priorities.

Resulting in buffering when transmitting data from one device to another through Wi-Fi.

Which is what mirroring is.

But don’t panic yet. You can change this setting in 3 steps:

Note: These instructions are for Cisco routers only.

Step #1: Figure out your IP address

To edit your WMM settings, you need to access your router’s web interface.

And to do that, you need your IP address.

By default, these are the two most common addresses:

192.168.0.1.
192.168.1.1.

However, just to be sure, you need to:

On a PC connected to your network, open Command Prompt.
Type and enter ‘ipconfig/all’.
Look for Default Gateway.

The 4 numbers separated by 3 dots are your local IP address.

Next…

Step #2: Go to Cisco’s web interface

You need to access your web interface.

To do this:

Open a web browser.
Type and enter your IP address in the address bar.
Enter your username and password.

And you’re in.

Now you can…

Step #3: Change its settings

Under Wireless, go to Basic Settings.
In the table, select your Apple device.
Click Edit WMM.
Untick the WMM Enable box.

#7: Update firmware

When’s the last time you’ve updated your TV?

You’re not sure? That’s okay.

Besides, most smart TVs update their firmware automatically.

But, just to be sure, you can update it manually.

And here’s how:

For Samsung

Click the Home button on your remote.
Go to Settings.
Select Support.
Press Software Update.
Confirm by selecting Update Now.

For Sony

Click the Apps button on your remote.
Press the Help application.
Go to Status & Diagnostics.
Select System Software Update.
Press Software Update.

For LG

There are a few ways to update your LG TV.

However, the easiest of which is through your settings.

All you need to do is:

Click the Settings button on your remote.
Go to All Settings.
Press General.
Select About This TV.
Press Check for Updates.

If a new update is available, your TV will ask for confirmation to install it.

For Apple TV

Note: Since Apple TV is a streaming device and not a TV, it technically doesn’t have firmware.

However, its operating system software can still be updated.

Just follow these steps:

On your menu, scroll down until you see your settings menu.
Go to System.
Under maintenance, select Software Updates.
If a new update is available, press Update Software.

Under Update Software, there’s also an option for Automatically Update.

Just toggle that on if you don’t want the hassle of manually updating your Apple TV.

You might also be interested in: Is There A Monthly Fee For Apple TV? Is It Worth It?

BONUS: Contact Apple

If all else fails, there’s one thing left to do.

And that’s to call in the professionals.

You can get top-notch personalized support from Apple themselves here.