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Mirror Mac to Apple TV:
Best Solutions

Olga Weis Olga Weis Oct 2, 2022

If you want to mirror Mac to Apple TV there are several things you need to know. First of all, you need an AirPlay compatible Mac, and secondly, an Apple TV of the second generation or higher. In this article, we have gathered a detailed guide for how to mirror Mac to Apple TV as well as other useful information.

How to Screen Mirror Mac to Apple TV Natively

Lots of users buy an Apple TV box to mirror content from their Macs and iOS devices via the built-in feature AirPlay to their TVs. It’s the most common way how to mirror Mac to TV as the protocol was introduced in 2010 as part of iOS 4 and allowed performing audio, movies, photo streaming through their Apple TV device.

However, in 2018, Apple allowed TV and speaker makers to use the technology with the launch of AirPlay 2. Nowadays, the vast majority of leading TVs manufacturers are AirPlay 2 compatible, making it possible for users not only to mirror iPhone or iPad but also Mac computers’ screens to a smart TV without relying on any other device.

Mirror your content from devices to Apple TV using feature AirPlay.

So, if your TV supports AirPlay, you can mirror Mac to Apple TV in several ways:

1
Open System Preferences.
2
Select Monitor.
3
In the dialog box that appears, click the AirPlay Display menu and select the TV you want to display the screen on.
4
Your laptop will display itself on the TV screen and an options window will appear where you can change the screen optimization and brightness.

Alternatively, you can mirror Mac onto Apple TV by using the AirPlay icon (available for macOS earlier than Big Sur):

1
If you've enabled the "Show mirroring options in the menu bar when available" option, you should have an AirPlay icon in the Menu Bar.
2
All you have to do is click on the AirPlay icon and choose the TV you want to display.
3
In case the AirPlay icon was not enabled, go to System Preferences> Displays and put the tick next to "Show mirroring options in the Menu Bar when available".

On macOS Big Sur and later:

1
Click the Control Center icon in the macOS Menu Bar and choose Screen Mirroring.
2
On the screen that appears, select your device.
3
Once the connection is established, you can mirror Mac to Apple TV.

Also, keep in mind that some Apple devices are not AirPlay compatible. Check the table to know more:

AirPlay-compatible Apple TVs AirPlay-compatible Macs

Apple TV (2007) (1st generation)

Apple TV (2010) (2nd generation)

Apple TV (2012) (3rd generation)

Apple TV HD (2015) (4th generation)

Apple TV 4K (2017) (1st generation)

Apple TV 4K (2021) (2nd generation)

iMac (2011 onward)

iMac Pro (2017 onward)

Mac mini (2011 onward)

Mac Pro (2013 onward)

MacBook Air (2011 onward)

MacBook Pro (2011 onward)

MacBook (2015 onward)

Best Way to Mirror Mac to Apple TV Through JustStream

With the help of JustStream, you can not only mirror Mac to Apple TV but also turn almost any TV into the second monitor with just a couple of clicks. Despite being rather minimalistic, JustStream is a rather powerful tool for streaming and mirroring almost any media content to your TV.

JustStream
4.6 Rank based on 438 + users Reviews(227)
Requirements: macOS 10.12
Version: v2.8(543), Released 29 Jun, 2023 Release notes
Category: Video

The app can boast wide support for most common TV brands. Among the list are Samsung, LG, Sony, Panasonic, and other Smart TVs, etc. Additionally, the app supports work with Roku and Apple TV devices. You can also adjust the transferred video to match any of your TV screens in up to 4k resolution.

One of the hallmarks of JustStream is that you don’t need to use any additional equipment if you want to mirror Mac to TV. Simply install the .dmg file on your computer and enjoy the simplicity of work. You can even play and pause right from Mac without using a remote.

Besides that, JustStream provides you with the possibility to control various aspects of their content transfer. With its help, you can mirror not only the whole screen of your Mac but also a single app, a missing feature when you mirror Mac onto Apple TV via the built-in technology AirPlay.

Mirror Mac to Apple TV using JustStream app that works Samsung, LG, Sony, Panasonic, and other Smart TVs.

Display settings. Choose the active display and configure the resolution between 720p and 1080p.

Mouse cursor functionality. Ability to choose whether to show or hide the cursor as well as highlight the clicks.

How to Mirror Mac to Apple TV via JustStream

1
Download and install JustStream on your Mac.
2
Launch the app and click its icon on the Menu Bar.
3

Choose the "Wireless" icon at the bottom of the menu.

Note:

  • By default, the first available device is selected.
  • Make sure all your devices are turned on, connected to the same Wi-Fi network, as well as configured correctly.
 How to mirror Mac to TV.
4

Select the device from the "Screens" list to which you want to start mirroring and double-click it. By default, screen mirroring is muted.

If you need audio. Install JustStream Audio Driver (included with the JustStream installer) to record and transmit sound from your desktop. As well as allow access to the microphone.

 Mirror laptop to Apple TV.
5
Click "Stop Streaming" in case you want to end the screen mirror Mac to Apple TV session.

How to AirPlay Video from an iPhone or an iPad

First of all, if you want to mirror iPhone to Mac, make sure your it supports AirPlay, and after that proceed with the steps to enable Apple iPhone screen mirroring features:

Make sure your iPhone/iPad is connected to the same Wi-Fi network as your Apple TV or AirPlay 2 compatible smart TV and after that mirror screen.
1
Make sure your iPhone/iPad is connected to the same Wi-Fi network as your Apple TV or AirPlay 2 compatible Smart TV.
2
Now open the Control Center on your iPhone.
3
Tap the Screen Mirroring icon.
4
Select an Apple TV or AirPlay-2 compatible Smart TV.
5
If you see the AirPlay passcode on the TV screen, enter the passcode on your iPhone/iPad and click OK on the pop-up window.

That’s it! Screen mirroring will start immediately and your iPhone or iPad will appear on your Smart TV. Now everything you do on your iOS device will be reflected on the TV. Check the table below to see whether your iPhone/iPad is compatible with AirPlay 2.

iPhone models compatible with AirPlay 2 iPad models compatible with AirPlay 2

iPhone 14, 14 Plus, 14 Pro, 14 Pro Max

iPhone 13, 13 mini, 13 Pro, 13 Pro Max

iPhone 12, 12 mini, 12 Pro, 12 Pro Max

iPhone SE 2, SE1

iPhone 11, 11 Pro, and 11 Pro Max

iPhone XS, XS Max and XR

iPhone 8, 8 Plus and iPhone X

iPhone 7 and 7 Plus

iPhone 6s, 6s Plus

iPhone 6, 6 Plus

iPhone 5s

iPad (2020) (eighth generation)

iPad Mini (2019) (fifth generation)

iPad (2019) (seventh generation)

iPad Pro 12.9in (third generation)

iPad Pro 12.9in (second generation)

iPad Pro 12.9in (first generation)

iPad Pro 11

iPad Pro 9.7in

iPad Pro 10.5in

iPad 2018 (sixth generation)

iPad (2017) (fifth generation)

iPad Air (2020) (fourth generation)

iPad Air (2019) (third generation)

iPad Air 2

iPad Air

iPad mini 4

iPad mini 3

iPad mini 2

How to Mirror Mac to TV Without Apple TV

If you want to mirror your Mac to a TV, it is not necessary to have Apple TV. Until you have an AirPlay compatible TV, you can enjoy screen mirroring or audio casting functionality right from your Mac. However, to have flawless work there are several points you should keep in mind, namely:

Check whether you have an AirPlay compatible TV. Nowadays lots of TV brands include AirPlay technology in their manufacture. Roku TVs, Samsung, LG, Sony, Vizio Smart TVs, etc. The list is huge and is growing day by day. You can find the list of AirPlay 2-compatible TVs on Apple’s official website.

Both devices should share the same network. If you don’t want to face AirPlay not working issue, it is better to make sure that once you have connected your Mac to TV, both devices are using the same Wi-Fi before turning on AirPlay.

Latest version of TV software. It is advisable to update your TV software before trying to mirror Mac to TV and using AirPlay. Besides that, try to keep the software always updated in order not to have any issues in the later work.

Configure AirPlay settings on TV. Depending on the TV model and brand, the location of the AirPlay setting can vary. Namely, here you can configure whether you need to insert a passcode each time you try to mirror your Mac or reset the connection as well as other things.

How to Mirror Mac to TV Without Apple TV

Conclusion

In this article we have highlighted such aspects as the Apple screen mirroring feature and how to mirror Mac to Apple TV. With the launch of AirPlay 2, it's become quite simple to mirror the contents of your macOS devices and iOS devices to a supported TV. If your TV does not support AirPlay there are many third-party solutions like JustStream – an all-in-one solution for streaming and mirroring any content to a TV. If you have other thoughts on how to mirror Mac onto Apple TV, feel free to share them in the comments below.

Frequently Asked Questions:

You can enable AirPlay by following this guide:

  • Open System Preferences > Displays.
  • Tick the option "Show mirroring options in the Menu Bar when available".
There are streaming devices like Chromecast and Roku that allow you to mirror your iPhone to Smart TV without Apple TV. And if you want to know how to Chromecast from Mac, you can read the following article.
You can use AirPlay to turn on the Apple screen mirroring feature. The detailed guide on how to turn it can be found in Question 1. Alternatively, you can use third-party apps that can mirror your Mac to almost any smart TV.

If you face AirPlay not working issue here are some steps to fix it:

  1. Make sure both devices are using the same Wi-Fi network.
  2. Check for updates.
  3. Restart both devices.
  4. Check your AirPlay settings.
JustStream
Requirements: OS X 10.12+ , 37.92MB size
Version 2.8(543) (29 Jun, 2023) Release notes
Category: Video