AirPlay Not Working On Samsung TV? 9 Ways To Fix The Issue

We all have those days when some things don’t work well, and we get frustrated. For example, you try to mirror your iPhone or iPad screen on your Samsung TV and face an issue of Samsung TV AirPlay not working. AirPlay is a great way that you can use to stream audio and video from iPhone, iPad, or Mac to Samsung TV wirelessly. But if AirPlay does not show up in the settings menu, or you have trouble using AirPlay, you won’t be able to mirror your screen using the feature. 

If you love watching Netflix as I do, this issue can be a mood spoiler for you. However, if you are also a pro at understanding Smart Entertainment systems like I am, you would know that you can fix this issue and continue your Netflix marathon as planned. But if you face the problem of AirPlay not working on Samsung TV and are not aware of how to fix it, keep reading because I have figured out this puzzle for you.

If you are looking for how to fix the issue of Samsung TV AirPlay not working, firstly, ensure that both your iOS device and the Samsung TV are connected to the same internet connection, there is no pending software update on both the devices and the AirPlay settings are turned on on your Smart TV.  Also, disable the auto protection time on your Samsung TV, and run a DNS diagnosis test. At times, changing your internet bandwidth from 5 GHz to 2.4 GHz fixes the issue for the user. If you mirror the screen from Mac/MacBook, try disabling the firewall on your iOS system. If none of these resolutions worked for you, resetting your Samsung Smart Hub or factory resetting the Samsung TV may be the last resort.

In this article, I have compiled and listed the top 9 fixes that you can try if your AirPlay won’t connect to Samsung TV.

9 Fixes To Try If Your Airplay Won’t Connect To Samsung TV

You may face several issues while attempting to mirror your iOS device screen to your Samsung TV. These AirPlay-related issues would not let you mirror your iPhone/iPad/Mac screen with your Smart TV. Some of these issues may look like this,

• AirPlay settings not available on Samsung TV
• Samsung TV not showing up on AirPlay
• AirPlay not connecting to Samsung TV
• Samsung TV not generating the AirPlay code
• AirPlay keeps disconnecting on Samsung TV
• Samsung TV not playing audio on AirPlay
• Samsung TV not playing video on AirPlay

If you follow a systemic approach to diagnose and resolve the issue with your Samsung TV Airplay, you will achieve success. Without any ado, let us dwell on the ways to fix the problem of Apple AirPlay not working on Samsung TV. I hope one of these methods will help you resolve the issues related to screen mirroring through AirPlay.

1. Check Your Internet Connection

In this smart era of Smart TVs and Smartphones, a proper internet connection is non-negotiable. Hence, as the most basic fix for your Samsung AirPlay not working, ensure that your internet connection is working correctly and that your iOS device and the Samsung TV are connected to the same internet connection.  I would recommend power cycling your wifi router to restart the internet connection and resolve network-related hiccups if any. 

Here’s how you can power cycle your wifi router,

Step 1: Unplug both your wifi router and the modem from the power outlet.

Step 2: Wait for about 30 seconds.

Step 3: Replug the modem first.

Step 4: Wait for 1-2 minutes.

Step 5: Power on the router.

Step 6: Test the internet connection once all the panel lights on your modem turn green.

Once you are done power cycling your wifi router, try mirroring your iPhone, iPad, or Mac screen. In case of a minor issue related to the internet connection, you should be able to use AirPlay on your Samsung TV post this fix. Else, try the following method to troubleshoot your Smart TV AirPlay feature.

2. Disable And Enable Your AirPlay On Your Samsung Update

Well, it may sound like another restart-fix, and to be honest, it is. But why not? Turn off and on solutions work as a temporary fix for almost all connectivity issues, whether AirPlay, Bluetooth, or the internet. If you are a new Samsung Smart TV owner, there are chances that the AirPlay is not activated on your TV already, and you have to toggle through the settings and turn the feature settings on. In my recent article about how to use AirPlay on Samsung TV, I have discussed this process in detail.

Here are the steps to reset the AirPlay settings on your Samsung TV.

Step 1: Go to the General Settings of your Samsung Smart TV.

Step 2: Navigate to the Apple AirPlay Settings.

Step 3: If the setting is still off, turn it on. If the Airplay is turned on on your Smart TV, turn it off.

Step 4: Wait for 30 seconds.

Step 5: Enable AirPlay on your Samsung TV again.

This fix will ensure that your AirPlay is turned on properly and should help you mirror your iOS screen on the Samsung TV. If you are still not able to mirror your screen, follow the steps given in the next fix.

3. Look For Any Pending Software Update On Your Samsung TV

As manufacturers figure out security flaws or bugs in their software, they make minor enhancements to programs to address the issues faced by the users. These enhancements are in the form of software updates. Updating your software ensures your device system is the most recent and bug-free version. There is the possibility that the reason why AirPlay is not connecting to Samsung TV may be a pending software update on your Smart TV.

Follow the given steps to ensure that your Samsung TV is running on the most recent version of the software and avoid facing the issue of the Samsung TV not showing up on AirPlay.

Step 1: Go to the Samsung TV Settings option.

Step 2: Select the Support option.

Step 3: Look for the Software Update option. The icon will show you an option to either Check or Update Now. Select whatever is applicable in your case.

Step 4: Wait for the software update process to complete.

Step 5: If your TV does not reboot on its own, reboot it manually.

Once the update is complete, check for the AirPlay settings again and ensure that the AirPlay feature is turned on. After that, attempt to mirror the screen of your iOS device with the Samsung TV to see if it works now.

4. Look For Any Pending Update On Your iOS Device

As mentioned above, keeping your system software updated ensures a bug-free and issue-free user experience. If your iOS or Mac device AirPlay is unable to connect to Samsung TV, and your Samsung TV software is updated to the most recent version, consider updating the software of your host device. 

Here’s how to update the software of your iPhone, iPad, or Mac.

Updating Software on iPhone or iPad

To update the software on your iPhone or iPad, follow the given steps.

Step 1: Go to the Settings option.

Step 2: Navigate the General option and select it.

Step 3: You will notice a Software Update option. In case it shows a pending update, click on Update Now.

Step 4: Wait for the software update process to finish.

Step 5: Reboot your device if it does not reboot automatically.

Updating Software on your Mac or MacBook

To update the software on your Mac or MacBook, follow the given steps.

Step 1: Go to the System Preferences. 

Step 2: Look for any pending software updates.

Step 3: If available, click on Update Now.

Step 4: Wait for the software update process to complete.

Step 5: Reboot your system if it does not reboot automatically.

Once your host system software is updated to the current version, play some content and try mirroring it on your Samsung TV using AirPlay. If you still have no luck, read and try the next fix.

5. Disable The Auto Protection Time On Your Samsung TV

The Auto Protection Time is a screen saver feature on your Samsung TV. If this feature is turned on and there is no activity happening on your Samsung TV, or your Smart TV screen remains on the same image for a longer time, the Tv goes into the screen saver mode. The downside of this feature is that this can result in your AirPlay getting disconnected. As a result, the screen mirroring will stop. 

If screen mirroring disconnects on your Samsung TV because it has the Screen Protection Time activated, you will have to reconnect to the AirPlay to resume the process. If you wish to avoid this in the future, turn off the screen saver feature from the settings. 

Here’s how,

Step 1: Go to the Settings menu on your Samsung TV.

Step 2: Select the General option and go to the System Manager.

Step 3: Scroll to find the option of Auto Protection Time and disable it.

Once you turn the feature off, try mirroring your iOS screen to the Samsung TV. If you still run into the same problem of AirPlay on Samsung TV not working, you will have to resolve it another way.

6. Run A DNS Diagnosis On Your Samsung TV

Whenever we run into a device-related issue, we often overlook the importance of a DNS server. A DNS server is hugely essential for issueless connectivity to any website. This also holds true for applications and other connectivity options like Bluetooth or AirPlay. If you face an issue of Samsung AirPlay not working, running a DNS diagnosis is worth the effort. 

Step 1: Go to the Network Settings on your Samsung TV.

Step 2: Select the IP Settings option.

Step 3: Navigate to the DNS settings.

Step 4: Click to enter the DNS manually. 

Step 5: Add these values: 8.8.8.8.

Step 6: Save the changes and restart your TV.

Google DNS is one of the best options to connect to most servers. Any DNS-related issues should be resolved using this step. Once you are done with this step, ensure reconnecting to the AirPlay and mirroring your iOS or Mac screen again to your Samsung TV.

7. Disable Firewall On Your Mac or MacBook

If you are trying to mirror your Mac or MacBook screen with your Samsung TV, the active firewall may be the reason why AirPlay is unable to connect to Samsung TV. A firewall is an excellent protection tool for network connections, but there are times when it fails to allow a specific application or access to function. To test if the firewall is the cause of the issue you are facing, disable the firewall and grant the access manually.

Here are the steps to change the firewall settings on your Mac or MacBook,

Step 1: Go to the Security And Privacy option on your Mac or MacBook.

Step 2: Look for the Firewall option and click on Padlock.

Step 3: Provide your Admin Password.

Step 4: Enable ‘Automatically Allow Built-in Software to Receive Incoming Connections.’

If this does not allow AirPlay to mirror the screen on your Samsung TV, disable the firewall and attempt mirroring. If you still have no good luck, the last resort is to factory reset your Samsung TV.

8. Reset The Samsung Smart Hub On Your Samsung TV

Most Samsung TV models from 2018 or later come with a Samsung Smart Hub, which allows the system to download various third-party applications. Samsung users can access a non-Samsung product like AirPlay because of the Samsung Smart Hub. If Samsung Smart Hub won’t function properly, there is a high possibility that AirPlay won’t connect to your Samsung TV. Hence, you may have to reset the Samsung Smart Hub on your Samsung TV. Since resetting Samsung Smart Hub is the same as resetting the Samsung Tv, I recommend backing up any crucial data and files. 

Here’s how you can reset Samsung Smart Hub on your Samsung TV.

Step 1: Go to the Settings option on your Samsung TV.

Step 2: Click on the Support Option and select the Device Care option.

Step 3: Scroll to the Self Diagnostics option.

Step 4: Finally, select the Reset Smart Hub option. Provide the PIN if prompted.

Following the above steps, you will be able to reset the Smart Hub on your Samsung TV. The process may take a little while, so you will have to wait patiently till it finishes. Once the Samsung Smart Hub is reset, you will have to set up the entire TV again.

9. Factory Reset Your Samsung TV

While I mentioned that resetting Samsung Smart Hub is almost the same as resetting the Samsung TV, resetting Smart Hub is not the solution for an issue like Firmware corruption. In such cases, I would recommend factory resetting your Samsung TV. This method is the last resort to fix the problem if screen mirroring from iOS or Mac to Samsung TV is not working.

One of my friends faced an issue with the Samsung 7 series AirPlay not working and tried almost all the possible ways to fix it. Just when he was about to give up on mirroring the screen to his Samsung TV, he factory reset his Smart TV and, to his surprise, the issue was resolved. 

Here’s how you can reset your Samsung Smart TV.

Step 1: Go to the Settings option on your Samsung TV.

Step 2: Click on the Support option.

Step 3: Go to the Self Diagnostics icon and click on it.

Step 4: Select the Reset option.

Step 5: Provide the PIN if asked.

Wait for the reset process to complete. Once done, you will have to set up your entire TV again as this process deletes all the apps and resets all the settings on your Smart TV. Here is more on resetting the Samsung TV.

After that, try to mirror your iOS or Mac screen to the Samsung TV to see if the issue is resolved. In most cases, you will find that the problem has now been resolved.

FAQs

Q1. Can I mirror the screen on my Samsung TV without AirPlay?

Answer – If your Samsung TV is not compatible with Airplay, it may still be possible for you to mirror your phone screen with the TV using a lightning-to-HDMI adapter. A lightning-to-HDMI adapter is a device that lets you connect your iPhone/iPad directly to your Smart TV using an HDMI cable.

Q2. Are all Samsung TVs compatible with AirPlay?

Answer – If you own a Samsung TV model from 2018 or later, your Smart TV will have a built-in AirPlay feature. However, if your Samsung TV model is older than 2018, you will not have access to the AirPlay feature.

Q3. I can mirror my iPhone screen on my Samsung TV, but not the Mac screen. What are the possible reasons for the issue, and how to fix it?

Answer – If you are to perfectly mirror your iPhone screen to your Samsung Tv but not the Mac screen, the reason could be the active firewall. A firewall is an excellent protection tool for network connections, but there are times when it fails to allow a specific application or access to function. Follow the steps given in the article to change the firewall settings and see if you can do screen mirroring or not.

Conclusion

AirPlay feature on Samsung TV boon for the iOs or Mac users. Just a few clicks, and your smaller screen replicates on your Smart TV. Screen mirroring on Samsung TV is definitely an easy task for iOs or Mac users using AirPlay. While the AirPlay feature on Samsung TV sounds exciting, if you end up facing issues with the feature. However, reading this article should have relieved you of this headache and would have helped you fix the problem of AirPlay not working on Samsung TV. Write to me in the comment if any of these troubleshooting steps worked for you.