How to Fix: AirPlay Not Working on Samsung TV

Tijana Kargovska

Written by Tijana Kargovska Streaming

Linkedin Twitter Published 8 months ago / updated 2 days ago - 8 min read

Apple’s AirPlay feature makes it possible for Apple products such as iPhones, iPads, and Macs to share photos, videos, music, and much more to another smart device - such as the Samsung TV.

Ever since the feature got launched, it rarely happens for an Apple user to not use it for multimedia content sharing.

Watching videos on your phone, or even scrolling through social media channels on your phone gets your eyes tired quite fast, so why not do it on the big screen?

However, since the AirPlay feature requires a wireless connection, all sorts of interference might cause the AirPlay feature not to work properly.

This issue can be due to multiple reasons - either of the gadgets running on older software, network interference, dysfunctional AirPlay code, and several more.

Hence, if you’re having trouble with AirPlay not working on your Samsung TV, check out our fixing methods listed below to learn how to resolve the issue, and discover what was causing the problem in the first place.

Check out: How to Turn Off AirPlay on iPhone and Mac.

Why is AirPlay not working on my Samsung TV and how do I fix it?

1. Network Connection issues

Most Samsung TVs have a feature that allows you to reconnect and refresh your connection named ‘Retry Network Connection’. This feature usually resolves any glitches and connection errors, which can be the cause of the AirPlay feature not working.

Follow these steps:

1. On your Samsung TV, open ‘Settings’.
2. Click on ‘General Settings’ and find the ‘Network’ section.
3. Under the ‘Network’ setting, find the ‘Retry’ button, select it, and wait for a few minutes.
4. Reconnect to the Wi-Fi network on both the Samsung TV and your iOS device.

2. Disable and enable AirPlay again

Disabling and enabling the AirPlay feature is similar to restarting any device. In case there are any network issues, this can help establish a more stable connection, and ultimately resolve the problem you’re having.

Samsung smart TVs have an AirPlay feature. Follow these steps to toggle the button off and on:

1. Open ‘Settings’ on your TV, and click on ‘General’.
2. Locate the ‘Apple AirPlay Settings’ feature. On some Samsung TVs, the switch will show up right next to the ‘Apple AirPlay’ feature, but on some, you’ll need to open this section and toggle the switch from there.
3. Click on ‘Disable’, and restart both the Apple device and your Samsung Smart TV.

3. AirPlay Code Requirement

In order to use AirPlay and establish a connection between the two devices, you’ll either need to enter an AirPlay code each time you try to connect them or provide a password.

If you have set the AirPlay code, which is the most commonly used option, and the settings are incorrectly set up, you might experience trouble with this option.

Follow these steps:

1. Open ‘Settings’ on your TV, and click on ‘General’.
2. Find the ‘Apple AirPlay’ settings, and click on it.
3. Here, you’ll see the ‘Require Code’ feature.
4. A list of options will show up, such as ‘Every Time’, ‘One Time’, etc.
5. If you have it set as ‘Every Time’, make sure to switch to ‘One Time’ instead. This makes the connecting process quicker and simpler.

4. Performing a Software Update

The AirPlay feature often glitches, especially since AirPlay was designed for Apple devices - like the Apple TV.

However, regular software updates are released for any smart gadget, your Samsung TV included. Additionally, since you’re trying to connect your Samsung TV using an Apple device, make sure the software on your Apple device is up-to-date as well.

Follow these steps to update your Samsung TV:

1. Open ‘Settings’ on your TV, and click on ‘Support’.
2. Scroll through the options, and find ‘Software Update’.
3. Next to it, you’ll either see ‘Update Now’ or ‘Check’. Both are functional.
4. If there are any updates available, download and install them.

Note: Update the software on your Apple device as well. If there are any temporary glitches and bugs with the feature on the Apple device, software updates nearly always resolve them.

5. Disabling Auto Protection Time

The screen saver feature on Samsung TVs is named ‘Auto Protection Time’. If your TV is running without any activity for a longer period of time, it activates automatically.

Consequently, once this feature gets activated, AirPlay disconnects.

Follow these steps to disable Auto Protection Time:

1. Open ‘Settings’ on your Samsung TV. Click on ‘General’, and find the ‘System Manager’ feature.
2. Locate ‘Auto Protection Time’, and set it as ‘Disabled’.

6. Using the IP Remote

Depending on which Samsung TV you have, you might need to enable ‘IP Remote’ for the AirPlay feature to work properly.

Follow these steps:

1. Open ‘Settings’ on your TV, and click on ‘General’.
2. Open the ‘Network’ settings, and click on ‘Expert Settings’.
3. Find the ‘IP Remote’, click on it, and make sure to set it as ‘Enabled’.

7. DNS Diagnosis

DNS servers translate domain names into IP addresses, which is crucial in order to avoid connectivity issues to any website. Make sure you have a WiFi connection for the following fixing method.

Since you’re having trouble with the AirPlay feature, and there are no evident WiFi network issues, try out this method:

1. Open ‘Settings’ on your TV, and click on ‘General’.
2. Click on ‘Network Settings’, and then click on ‘Network Status’.
3. Locate the option named ‘IP Settings’, and click on ‘DNS Settings’ from the options.
4. Open the Google DNS.
5. Click to enter the DNS manually, and enter the following ‘8.8.8.8.’
6. Restart your TV after, and see whether the issue has been resolved.

8. Changing the connection’s Bandwidth

Network connectivity nowadays works with 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz settings. The latter is a high-speed setting, which makes data travel fast. However, this will cut down the range. The former, however, has a much bigger range, but lower speed.

AirPlay would still be functional with both options. However, switching to 2.4 GHz might be a better option to fix the issue you’re having.

To make these adjustments, follow the steps listed in this article by Microsoft.

👉 Read also: How to Clear Cache on Samsung TV

Wrapping up

The fixing methods listed above about AirPlay not working on Samsung TV should have helped you resolve your issue.

If you didn’t manage to get the AirPlay feature to function properly on your Samsung TV, consider contacting Samsung Customer Service and Support.