Salt and pepper. Peanut butter and jelly. Clark Kent and Lois Lane.
Some things in life are just meant to be together…
That’s not the case for iPhone and Apple TV.
And yet somehow, they can’t easily disconnect.
Luckily, there’s a way to solve this problem.
Keep reading to discover:
- 4 quick steps to disconnect iPhone from Apple TV.
- 3 foolproof ways to resolve connection issues between your Apple TV and iPhone.
- The reason why your iPhone sometimes can’t disconnect from your Apple TV device.
- And so much more…
How to disconnect iPhone from Apple TV – 4 steps
Step #1: Disconnect using the Control Center
Do you use your iPhone to control your Apple TV?
If so, this could be why your iPhone and Apple TV can’t disconnect.
You see, your Apple TV thinks of your iPhone as a remote. And this fact sometimes causes your iPhone to get stuck.
Now, it’s more difficult to unpair—but not impossible.
This is how you can disconnect your iPhone from the Apple TV using your Control Center:
- On your iPhone, swipe down the top right corner to bring up the Control Center.
- Tap the box on the right that has the AirPlay logo on it.
- Press the Control Other Speakers and TVs option.
- Select both your iPhone and the Apple TV.
- Click Remove to confirm.
Step #2: Power cycle your iPhone
If disconnecting using the Control Center didn’t work…
You should try power cycling your iPhone next. This is a restart process meant for fixing the glitches on your device.
For iPhones, this is how you can perform a power cycle:
- Go to the Settings page of your iPhone.
- Head to General.
- Press Shut Down.
- Wait 30 seconds.
- Turn your iPhone on again.
Those 30 seconds are the most important part of this process. It allows all residual charges from your iPhone to escape.
Your iPhone can remove all stuck tasks and processes on its system without any charges.
Alternatively, if your iPhone won’t turn off, you can force restart your smartphone. You can do this by pressing the following buttons with haste in this exact order:
Volume Up > Volume Down > Hold the Side button.
Once an Apple logo appears, let go.
Step #3: Disable AirPlay on your Apple TV
Next, let’s try changing the settings of your Apple TV.
To be exact, you need to disable AirPlay on your streaming device.
Why?
You see, AirPlay is the only way for your Apple TV and iPhone to connect.
Therefore, without it, they’ll be forced to disconnect.
So, to disable AirPlay on your Apple TV, here’s what you have to do:
- On your smart TV, switch to your Apple TV input.
- Head to the Settings menu.
- Go to AirPlay.
- Press AirPlay again.
- Switch “Allow to Airplay” to “Off.”
Alternatively, you can also set a password for your AirPlay connection. A change of password will disconnect all paired devices with the Apple TV.
Step #4: Factory reset your Apple TV
You can also try factory resetting your Apple TV as a last resort.
This type of reset is guaranteed to remove all connections on your streaming device.
But, this will also get rid of your:
- Data.
- Accounts.
- Downloaded content.
- Preferences and settings changes.
If you’re okay with losing those, you can easily do a factory reset using these steps:
- On your smart TV, switch to your Apple TV input.
- Head to the Settings menu.
- Go to System.
- Select Reset.
And you’re good to go.
However, what if your Apple TV doesn’t have internet access?
Don’t worry. You can still reset your streaming device using a laptop and these steps:
For Macbook with macOS Catalina or later
- Connect your Apple TV and the Macbook using a USB-C cable.
- Open the Finder on your Macbook.
- Choose the Apple TV option from the sidebar.
- Press Restore.
For any other PC
- Download the iTunes app on your PC. (Available on macOS and Windows).
- Connect your Apple TV and the Macbook using a USB-C cable.
- Open the iTunes app.
- Under Source, choose the Apple TV option.
- Select Restore.
If you want to learn more about the iTunes solution, you can watch this video:
How to re-pair iPhone with Apple TV
You can re-pair your iPhone to the Apple TV in 2 ways. This depends on what your Apple TV needs from your iPhone. It could be:
- To cast images.
- To use it as a remote.
Don’t fret. I’ll teach you how to do both:
To mirror your iPhone display
- Connect your Apple TV and iPhone to the same network.
- Open the Control Center on your iPhone.
- Press Screen Mirroring.
- Select your Apple TV from the list of devices.
- Enter the passcode on your Apple TV to the prompt on your iPhone.
To use your iPhone as a remote
- Connect your Apple TV and iPhone to the same network.
- Open the Control Center on your iPhone.
- Press Apple TV remote.
- Select your Apple TV from the list of devices.
- Follow the on-screen instructions to finalize the connection.
You may also be interested in: How To Connect Apple TV To WiFi W/O Remote
What to do if you can’t pair
If you’re having trouble with connecting your iPhone and Apple TV…
Here’s what you have to do:
Ensure that they’re connected to the same network
First, you must ensure that both your devices use the same Wi-Fi.
Think of it this way:
Your iPhone and Apple TV use your Wi-Fi router as their meeting point.
Without it, they can’t transmit data to one another unless you’re using Peer-to-Peer technology.
That’s why the Wi-Fi network is always the first thing you look at.
Update your iPhone and Apple TV
Next, you’ll have to update both your iPhone and Apple TV.
This can patch out all errors on both devices.
You can perform a software update using these steps:
iPhone
- Head to the Settings page on your iPhone.
- Go to the General tab.
- Select Software Update.
- If applicable, choose the update you want.
- Tap Install Now to confirm.
Apple TV
- Press the Settings button on your Apple TV remote.
- Go to the System tab.
- Tap Software Updates.
- Under Update Software, select Download or Install.
Contact Apple
Lastly, you can also contact Apple for further questions and personal consultation.