How can i check if my iPhone has the AirPlay receiver enabled and change its settings?
Executive summary
An iPhone primarily functions as an AirPlay sender, but iOS provides controls that govern when and how it finds and connects to nearby AirPlay receivers; those controls live at Settings > General > AirPlay & Continuity where the “Automatically AirPlay” menu offers Automatic, Ask, or Never (so checking and changing behavior is done there) [1][2]. True “AirPlay receiver” roles—where a device accepts incoming AirPlay streams—are explicitly supported on Macs and devices like Apple Vision Pro (which have their own receiver toggles and passcode options), and third‑party or jailbroken apps claim receiver capability but are not native Apple features [3][4][5].
1. What “AirPlay enabled” usually means on an iPhone
Most Apple documentation treats an iPhone as the sender of AirPlay streams (streaming video/audio or mirroring the screen to Apple TV, smart TVs or a Mac) and gives settings that control whether the iPhone will automatically discover and connect to receivers; the relevant setting is found in Settings > General > AirPlay & Continuity > Automatically AirPlay with choices Automatic, Never, or Ask [1][2].
2. How to check the iPhone’s AirPlay behavior right now
Open Settings, tap General, then AirPlay & Continuity and inspect the “Automatically AirPlay” pop‑up: if set to Automatic the iPhone can suggest or auto‑connect to devices you use with AirPlay, Ask will prompt before connecting, and Never prevents automatic suggestions/connections [2]. This is the Apple‑documented control for discovery/auto‑connection behavior on iPhone and iPad [1][6].
3. How to change the iPhone’s AirPlay settings step‑by‑step
Go to Settings > General > AirPlay & Continuity, tap the Automatically AirPlay menu and choose Automatic, Ask, or Never to change how the device finds and connects to receivers; for active streaming or mirroring, open Control Center and use the Screen Mirroring or AirPlay buttons to select or stop a receiver [2][6][7].
4. When an iPhone can act as a receiver — and when it cannot
Apple’s official guidance focuses on Macs, Apple Vision Pro, Apple TV and AirPlay‑compatible TVs as AirPlay receivers: on a Mac the receiver is enabled via System/Settings (AirPlay Receiver or AirDrop & Handoff options), and on Vision Pro the AirPlay Receiver toggle is handled in the Vision Pro app with controls for who can mirror and passcodes [3][4]. Apple’s support pages do not present an iPhone as a built‑in generic AirPlay receiver in the same way a Mac or Apple TV is, so claims that a stock iPhone can be turned into a full AirPlay receiver are not supported by Apple’s documentation [3][4].
5. Third‑party apps and jailbreaking: alternative routes and caveats
There are third‑party apps and jailbreak tweaks that advertise turning iOS devices into audio or video AirPlay receivers (AirView, AirFloat, AirSpeaker, etc.), but these are outside official Apple support, may require jailbreaking, and carry security, stability, and compatibility tradeoffs; Apple documentation does not endorse these approaches [5].
6. Troubleshooting and context — network, device support, and permissions
For AirPlay to work reliably both sender and receiver must generally be on the same Wi‑Fi network and meet device compatibility requirements (AirPlay 2 needs newer firmware and supported hardware), and some receivers (like Apple TV) have their own AirPlay toggles under their Settings > AirPlay and HomeKit that can be turned off or on [2][8]. Community threads and vendor docs note that older Macs or unsupported hardware will not act as receivers even if settings are present, which can produce confusion when the iPhone doesn’t see expected targets [9].
7. Bottom line and limits of available reporting
To check and change whether an iPhone will find and auto‑connect to AirPlay receivers use Settings > General > AirPlay & Continuity > Automatically AirPlay and the Control Center’s Screen Mirroring/AirPlay buttons for active sessions; enabling a stock iPhone to act as a general AirPlay receiver like a Mac or Apple TV is not described in Apple’s official support documents, while Vision Pro and Macs have explicit receiver toggles and third‑party/jailbreak methods exist but carry risks [1][2][3][4][5].