Ever wanted to share a video from your iPhone onto a TV? If you have an Apple TV then it’s easy; all it takes is a tap of your finger and photos, videos and photos will instantly appear on the big screen. First, let’s go over the basics and explain how it works. You can only stream from your iPhone to an Apple TV. These are small, black boxes that plug into your TV via a HDMI cable. Once the Apple TV has been hooked up to your Wi-Fi it can stream Netflix, trailers, sporting events and media content from your Mac or iOS device. Next, make sure your iPhone is connected to the same Wi-Fi connection as the Apple TV. This enables it to automatically recognize the Apple TV and offer the ability to stream video and music content to it. That’s all you need to do; there are no complicated configurations to set up, all the hard work is done for you. Here’s what you can stream from the iPhone to the Apple TV: – Movies and videos – Music – Photos and slideshows – Third-party apps (such as Netflix or BBC iPlayer)

Streaming video and music

To get started, turn on your Apple TV and change the input settings so the Apple TV interface is shown on-screen. Next, start to play a video or music track on your iPhone. Take a look at the on-screen controls and you’ll see the AirPlay logo next to the playback controls. Tap it, then select Apple TV from the pop-up window. Here’s what it looks like: While the video or music track is playing you can use either the iPhone or the Apple TV remote to control playback. Also note that you can put the iPhone to sleep – it will continue to stream while the screen is off. Very clever.

Sharing photos on a TV

If you’d like to share a photo or slideshow, just tap the share button in the bottom corner then select AirPlay:

Ending the stream

You can end the AirPlay stream at any time by pausing the playback, or if you have the Apple TV remove via the Back button. Here’s a handy tip: if you’re visiting friends or family who also own an Apple TV, then connect to their Wi-Fi network and you’ll be able to instantly share content to their Apple TV. The process works just the same as at home, there are no additional configuration settings to enter.