Airplay is a feature on Mac devices that allows casting from devices such as iPhones and Macs to TVs and monitors.
Some users report that the Apple TV Airplay is lagging and unresponsive.
We have some tips to help increase the performance of Apple TV Airplay.
How to fix Apple TV Airplay lagging
Here are some key ways that you can prevent Airplay from Lagging on Apple TVs.
- Use Wifi over Bluetooth (If available)
- Update your TV firmware
- Reset your Router
- Disconnect other devices from your Wifi network
- Soft Reset your Apple TV
- Close any apps not being used on iPhone or Mac
- Upgrade your Internet Connection
- Contact Apple Support
Use Wifi over Bluetooth (If available)
When trying to prevent Apple TV airplay lag, you should always opt for a Wifi connection over a Bluetooth connection wherever possible.
Airplay is transitioning over to Wifi from Bluetooth in its latest iterations and this is because a Wifi connection will perform better than its Bluetooth rival.
Update your Apple TV software
To ensure you get the best Airplay performance on your Apple TV, you need to ensure that your Apple TV is completely up to date.
Most Apple TVs have automatic updates enabled by default, the updates should install automatically presuming that your Apple TV is connected to the internet.
We strongly recommend that you update your Apple TV firmware to ensure that you have the latest software, access to new apps, and an improved viewing experience.
Apple is constantly improving and refining its Airplay software. To prevent Apple TV airplay buffering, you should update your Apple TV firmware now.
How to update your Apple TV firmware
Assuming your TV is already turned on, hit the settings button on the remote.
- Go to Settings > System > Software Updates and select Update Software.
- If there’s an update, select Download and Install.
- Wait for your Apple TV to download the update. Don’t disconnect or unplug your Apple TV until the update completes.
After the update downloads, your Apple TV will restart, prepare the update, then install it. When the update is complete, your Apple TV will automatically restart again.
Reset your Router
This is one of the oldest tricks in the book but it is definitely effective in giving you a faster and more responsive internet connection.
If you are using Apple TV Airplay over a Wifi network, then we highly recommend this step for increasing the quality of the Airplay picture, sound, and responsiveness.
How do I reset my router?
The easiest way to reset your router is to simply unplug it from the wall socket for 30 seconds before plugging it back in.
This action will “power-cycle” your router and provide more bandwidth to increase your ability to decrease Apple TV airplay buffering.
Why does resetting your router improve Apple TV Airplay performance?
Think of all the devices that are and have been connected to the router.
I’m sure that in today’s digital world that quite a few devices are connected to the router.
Your router is like a mini-PC and will slow down as more tasks are added.
Having all of those devices connected will reduce the bandwidth available to your iPhone or Mac and subsequently throttle your connection speed.
This throttling or network interference can affect the speed and consistency of signal over the AIrplay connection on Apple TVs.
Disconnect other devices in your home from the internet
If you are unable to reset your router for any reason, I would try and disconnect none essential devices from the internet.
Is someone in your home watching Netflix or playing Xbox?
Every device that you can disconnect from your internet connection will assist in reducing lag on Apple TV Airplay.
Soft Reset your Apple TV
Performing a soft reset of your Apple TV reduces airplay stuttering and buffering.
Unplug your Apple TV and wait 60 seconds before plugging it back in, this will power cycle the TV.
What does unplugging your Apple TV do?
When you unplug your Apple TV for around 60 seconds, it does a soft reset of the system.
When you are trying to reduce lag on Airplay for Apple TV, the soft reset of the system will clear the system cache on the TV and increase the performance.
Close any apps not being used on iPhone or Mac
To improve Apple TV airplay performance, it is advisable to close any apps that you are not using on both the source and receiving devices.
Having multiple applications open whilst using Airplay will cause lag, stuttering, buffering, and sync issues.
As most Airplay connections now occur over Wifi, this quality of the connection will only further deteriorate if those apps are also using the internet.
Upgrade your Internet Connection
Not everyone has access to high download speed through their ISP (Internet Service Provider) but for those that do, consider upgrading your internet connection.
Apple TV airplay operates by transmitting data to and from devices over your Wifi network.
If you have an older/slower internet connection, then this can cause Apple TV airplay to lag.
Contact Apple Support
If none of our tips have helped in resolving the Apple TV airplay lagging problems, then it might be time to consider contacting Apple support to help you troubleshoot the issue further.
Apple may be able to advise you of other things to try or help diagnose the root cause of the issues.
Conclusion – Apple TV Airplay Lagging
Apple TV Airplay technology is far from perfect and you have to accept that this is currently a subpar way of consuming content versus traditional wired connections.
Following the steps above, however, will give you the best chance of reducing lagging on your Airplay setup for Apple TVs.
I hope that this article helps to reduce Apple TV airplay lag.