Is AirPlay not working on your LG TV? Being unable to cast photos and videos over Apple’s proprietary wireless technology can be a real pain in the neck, but this shouldn’t bother you much as the issue can be easily fixed.
But no worries, in this post, we’ll walk you through 10 proven fixes for your LG TV Airplay not working so you can get things going like a pro within the hour!
Why isn’t AirPlay working on your LG smart TV?
A host of reasons can cause Apple AirPlay to fumble on your LG Smart TV. Below, we’ve compiled a list of the most common causes.
- The LG TV doesn’t support AirPlay 2.
- The LG TV and Apple devices aren’t connected to the same Wi-Fi network.
- The firewall settings on your Mac are blocking the connection.
- Using your phone as a remote control causes AirPlay not to work correctly.
- The Wi-Fi network is acting up and doesn’t have an internet connection.
- The LG TV and Apple devices are using outdated software.
- AirPlay on your LG TV is disabled.
How to Fix AirPlay Not Working on LG TV
LG TV AirPlay not working can be a matter of turning switches here and there, or the issue can be more sinister. For this reason, we highly recommend you apply the 10 proven fixes below in the order they are presented so you won’t waste precious time and effort.
FIX 1. Check if your LG TV is AirPlay compatible.
AirPlay allows you to stream media such as photos, videos, and sounds wirelessly exclusively to Apple’s TVs and external audio devices. Now, the newest iteration of AirPlay supports other products outside of the Apple ecosystem.
As such, you can now use the AirPlay technology on a wide range of products, such as your LG TV. However, not all LG products have AirPlay support, so you must ensure that your TV is compatible.
You can refer to the table below for the list of LG products compatible with the newest iteration of AirPlay (AirPlay 2). This information is also available on LG’s official support page.
Model Year and Operating System | Model Series with AirPlay 2 Support |
2022 (LG webOS 22) | OLED Models: AllQNED Models: AllUHD Models: UQ Series and NANO Series |
2021 (LG webOS 6) | OLED Models: AllQNED Models: AllUHD Models: UP Series and NANO Series |
2020 (LG webOS 5) | OLED Models: BX, CX, GX, RX, WX, and ZXUHD Models: UN Series and NANO Series |
2019 (LG webOS 4.5) | OLED Models: B9, C9, E9, W9, and Z9UHD Models: UM Series and SM Series |
2018 (LG webOS 4) | OLED Models: B8, C8, E8, W8, and Z8UHD Models: UK Series and SK Series |
If your LG TV isn’t listed in the table above, you won’t be able to use AirPlay even if you tried all the troubleshooting tricks below. It’s no good news, but there are a couple of technologies you can use instead, such as Miracast screen mirroring.
Google Chromecast and Amazon FireStick can help you in this department. Or you can go wired: Use a USB cable to stream your phone pictures/videos to your LG TV.
Alternatively, if your LG TV is already old. You might consider purchasing a new LG TV with AirPlay 2 support making the most of the table above for reference.
FIX 2. Check your TV’s input source and double-check if AirPlay is enabled.
Difficulty | Very Easy ●○○○○ |
Number of Steps | 4 |
Time to Perform Fix | 15 seconds |
Thing Needed | LG TV remote control |
LG TV AirPlay not working can be due to a wrong input source selection. To ensure that your LG TV can use AirPlay, check if you’re using HDMI as an input source and unselect it.
You also need to double-check if the AirPlay feature is enabled or not. If not, you must manually enable it from your LG Smart TV dashboard.
Step 1: Press the home button on your LG TV remote, navigate to the AirPlay or Dashboard tiles, and click it. |
Step 2: Click AirPlay if you selected the Dashboard tile. |
Step 3: Select AirPlay and HomeKit Settings. |
Step 4: Select AirPlay to toggle it on. |
That should have been a breeze. Still, if the problem persists, you must move forward, as the next solution should come in handy.
FIX 3. Connect your LG TV and Apple devices to the same Wi-Fi network.
The AirPlay technology works only when your iOS or Mac device is connected to the same Wi-Fi network as your LG Smart TV. These devices can connect and stream videos, photos, and audio wirelessly.
These devices must be already connected beforehand to ensure your LG TV AirPlay is working. Once you’re certain they use the same Wi-Fi connection, you can connect your iPhone or Mac to your LG TV via AirPlay.
Below are the step-by-step instructions for connecting to your LG Smart TV using AirPlay on an iPhone or Mac device. Take note that Airplay can be used via Wi-Fi or ethernet.
Follow these steps to connect an iPhone to your LG TV via AirPlay:
Difficulty | Very Easy ●○○○○ |
Number of Steps | 5 |
Time to Perform Fix | 15 seconds |
Thing Needed | An iPhoneA working internet connection |
Step 1: Swipe down the upper-right corner of the home screen to open the control center. Note: Connect your iPhone to the same Wi-Fi network as your LG TV. |
Step 2: Click the Screen Mirroring. Note: Sometimes screen mirroring will just appear as an icon without the name. |
Step 3: Select your LG Smart TV from the list. |
Step 4: Input the AirPlay passcode displayed on your LG Smart TV screen. |
Step 5: Click OK to connect. |
If the connection was successful, there should be a check mark beside your LG Smart TV’s name on the screen mirroring window, and your iPhone display should also be streaming on the TV’s screen as well.
Follow these steps to connect a Mac to your LG TV via AirPlay:
Difficulty | Very Easy ●○○○○ |
Number of Steps | 4 |
Time to Perform Fix | 15 seconds |
Things Needed | A MacBookA working internet connection |
Step 1: Click the AirPlay icon on your Mac’s menu bar. Note: Connect your Mac to the same Wi-Fi network as your LG TV. |
Step 2: Select your LG Smart TV from the list. |
Step 3: Input the AirPlay code displayed on your LG Smart TV screen. |
Step 4: Click OK to connect. |
Still, trying to get your AirPlay going? Don’t let it bring you down; you may have to do more to complete the picture.
FIX 4. Restart your LG Smart TV and Apple device.
A quick and easy fix for the LG TV AirPlay acting up is to perform a system restart. Restarting your LG Smart TV and Apple device will refresh their respective systems and resolve any minor issues causing AirPlay to not work correctly.
Performing a restart is the fastest and safest way to fix problems on any device since it doesn’t change the settings or delete any data. We recommend using this simple troubleshooting trick before moving on to more technical solutions.
Follow these steps to restart your LG TV:
Difficulty | Very Easy ●○○○○ |
Number of Steps | 4 |
Time to Perform Fix | 25 seconds |
Things Needed | A working LG TV power button |
Step 1: Press and hold the power button on your LG TV to open the control menu and press it again repeatedly until Power Off is highlighted. |
Step 2: Press and hold the power button to select Power off. |
Step 3: Wait until your LG TV shuts down completely. |
Step 4: Press the power button to turn the TV back on. |
If your LG TV is unresponsive, you can unplug it from the power outlet and wait for 60 seconds before plugging it back in. This action will forcefully shut down and reboot your TV.
Follow these steps to restart your iPhone:
Difficulty | Very Easy ●○○○○ |
Number of Steps | 8 |
Time to Perform Fix | 30 seconds |
Things Needed | An iPhone |
Step 1: Press and release its volume up button. |
Step 2: Press and release its volume down button. |
Step 3: Press and hold its side button. |
Step 4: Swipe right on the power slider. |
Step 5: Wait for your iPhone to shut down. |
Step 6: Press and hold its side button. |
Step 7: Keep holding the side button until Apple’s logo appears. |
Step 8: Wait for your iPhone to boot up. |
Follow these steps to restart your Mac:
Difficulty | Very Easy ●○○○○ |
Number of Steps | 4 |
Time to Perform Fix | 3 minutes |
Things Needed | A MacBook |
Step 1: Click the Apple button on your Mac’s menu panel. |
Step 2: Click Restart. |
Step 3: Click Restart to confirm. |
Step 4: Wait until your Mac reboots completely. |
FIX 5. Turn off your Mac’s firewall.
Difficulty | Very Easy ●○○○○ |
Number of Steps | 8 |
Time to Perform Fix | 20 seconds |
Things Needed | A MacBook |
Enabling the firewall on your Mac can be the root cause of your LG TV AirPlay not working because it blocks incoming connections. In this case, disabling the firewall while you’re using your LG TV to stream content via AirPlay might be better.
You can always turn the firewall on after you’re done using AirPlay to make sure your Mac’s network security measures are up and running.
Follow these steps to turn off the firewall on your Mac:
Step 1: Click the Apple button on your Mac’s menu panel. |
Step 2: Click System Preferences. |
Step 3: Select Security & Privacy. |
Step 4: Click Firewall. |
Step 5: Click the lock symbol to change your firewall settings. |
Step 6: Click Use Password to continue. |
Step 7: Type your Mac password and click Unlock. |
Step 8: Click the switch to turn the firewall on or off. |
FIX 6. Avoid using your phone as an alternative remote.
Believe it or not, user reports are stating that the ThinQ app, which turns your phone into an alternative remote control for your LG TV, is causing AirPlay to not work properly. As such, we recommend using the LG Magic remote instead.
You should avoid using your phone as your go-to remote control to prevent any issues causing the LG TV AirPlay to stop working. You should also turn off the ThinQ app so it doesn’t interfere with the LG Magic remote.
FIX 7. Reset your paired devices.
Difficulty | Very Easy ●○○○○ |
Number of Steps | 5 |
Time to Perform Fix | 20 seconds |
Things Needed | An LG TV remote control |
Resetting your paired devices is another troubleshooting trick you can perform on your LG TV whenever AirPlay isn’t working as intended. This action will cause all previously connected devices to be removed and forgotten.
As such, you must reconnect your Apple devices to your LG Smart TV after the reset. This method effectively refreshes your AIrPlay connections and eliminates the issues causing them to malfunction.
Step 1: Press the home button on your LG TV remote and click on Home Dashboard. Step 2: Select the AirPlay tile. Step 3: Click AirPlay and HomeKit Settings. Step 4: Scroll down and click Require Code. Step 5: Scroll down and click Reset Paired Devices. |
FIX 8. Reset your Wi-Fi router.
An error with your router is a possible reason for AirPlay not to work when connecting your LG TV to your Apple devices. To test this theory, you can troubleshoot your network connection by resetting your r
On most routers, you’ll find a reset button at the back that you can press to perform a quick reset. If your router doesn’t have one, you have to unplug it from its power source instead.
Follow these steps to reset your router:
Difficulty | Very Easy ●○○○○ |
Number of Steps | 2 |
Time to Perform Fix | 1 minute and 5 seconds |
Things Needed | A WiFi routerA working power outlet |
Step 1: Unplug the router from the power outlet. |
Step 2: Wait for 1 minute and plug in the router again. |
You can test your internet connection by connecting your iPhone or Mac to your Wi-Fi and doing web searches to see if it’s working again. If the connection problems persist, you can reach out to your ISP for further assistance.
You can also reset the network settings on your iPhone or Mac to fix the connection issue in case they’re the culprit.
Follow these steps to reset the network settings on your iPhone:
Difficulty | Very Easy ●○○○○ |
Number of Steps | 7 |
Time to Perform Fix | 30 seconds |
Things Needed | An iPhone |
Step 1: Open Settings. |
Step 2: Scroll down and click General. |
Step 3: Scroll down and click Transfer or Reset iPhone. |
Step 4: Click Reset. |
Step 5: Click Reset Network Settings on the pop-up menu. |
Step 6: Enter your passcode. |
Step 7: Click Reset Network Settings. |
Follow these steps to reset the Wi-Fi settings on your Mac:
Difficulty | Very Easy ●○○○○ |
Number of Steps | 6 |
Time to Perform Fix | 30 seconds |
Things Needed | A MacBook |
Step 1: Click the Apple button on your Mac’s menu panel. |
Step 2: Click System Preferences. |
Step 3: Select Network. |
Step 4: Select your network connection and click Advanced. |
Step 5: Select TCP/IP. |
Step 6: Click Renew DHCP Lease and click OK. |
Be reminded that for your Mac to share photos and videos on your LG TV via AirPlay both devices must be on the same network. If not, you won’t be able to send data successfully to your smart TV.
FIX 9. Update your LG TV’s software and your Apple device’s OS.
The AirPlay feature not working on your LG TV can also result from a software-related issue due to its outdated version of the software. Similarly, it could also be because your Apple devices are using an outdated OS.
Whatever the case is, you can simply install the latest updates on your devices to fix the issue with AirPlay not working. With your LG TV, you can either install the update directly from the internet or via a manual update using a USB stick.
WARNING: Know that using a USB stick comes with some risks. As malware and viruses can easily be transported from one device to another, we strongly recommend you scan your USB for malicious software. |
With your iPhone and Mac, you can download their respective updates directly from the internet as well. The step-by-step guide for updating your LG TV and Apple devices are as follows.
Follow these steps to install the update on your LG TV directly:
Difficulty | Easy ●●○○○ |
Number of Steps | 7 |
Time to Perform Fix | 10 minutes |
Things Needed | An LG TV remote controlA working internet connection |
start
Step 1: Press the settings button on your LG remote to open the settings panel and scroll down to open All Settings/Advanced Settings. |
Step 2: Scroll down and click General. |
Step 3: Scroll down and click About This TV. |
Step 4: Scroll down and click CHECK FOR UPDATES. |
Step 5: Click YES to download the available update. |
Step 6: Wait until your LG TV finishes downloading the update. |
Step 7: Restart your LG TV to apply the update. |
Follow these steps to update your LG TV using a USB stick:
Difficulty | Easy ●●○○○ |
Number of Steps | 13 |
Time to Perform Fix | 10 minutes |
Things Needed | An LG TV remote controlA USB stickA working internet connection |
Start
Step 1: Press the settings button on your LG remote to open the settings panel and scroll down to open All Settings/Advanced Settings. |
Step 2: Scroll down and click Network and remember your LG TV model. |
Step 3: Go back and click General. |
Step 4: Scroll down and click About This TV and remember its current software version. |
Step 5: Open an internet browser on your PC and go to your LG vendor’s website. |
Step 6: Type and search your LG TV model using the search bar. |
Step 7: Download the software update file. |
Step 8: Extract the software update file into your USB stick. |
Step 9: Rename the extracted folder as “LG_DTV.” |
Step 10: Plug the USB stick into your LG TV’s USB port and power it on. |
Step 11: Wait for your LG TV to detect the software update and click YES. |
Step 12: Click CHECK NOW to see the update’s progress. |
Step 13: Click YES to apply the software update and restart your LG TV. |
Follow these steps to update your iPhone’s OS:
Difficulty | Very Easy ●○○○○ |
Number of Steps | 9 |
Time to Perform Fix | 10 minutes |
Things Needed | An iPhoneA working internet connection |
Step 1: Open Settings. |
Step 2: Scroll down and click General. |
Step 3: Click Software Update. |
Step 4: Click Download and Install. |
Step 5: Enter your passcode. |
Step 6: Click Agree to accept Apple’s T&C. |
Step 7: Click Agree again to continue. |
Step 8: Click Use Cellular Data to initiate the download. |
Step 9: Click Install Now. |
Follow these steps to update your Mac’s OS:
Difficulty | Very Easy ●○○○○ |
Number of Steps | 6 |
Time to Perform Fix | 10 minutes |
Things Needed | A MacBookA working internet connection |
Step 1: Click the Apple button on your Mac’s menu panel. |
Step 2: Click About This Mac. |
Step 3: Click Software Update on the pop-up window. |
Step 4: Click Update Now on the next pop-up window. |
Step 5: Click Agree to continue. |
Step 6: Wait until your Mac finishes downloading the update. |
That, indeed, was quite a ride. While the steps to update your devices can seem lengthy, it’s a blessing as your devices should be working seamlessly now more than ever before.
FIX 10. Factory Reset Your LG TV
Factory resetting your LG TV should be your last resort in case the abovementioned solutions are unsuccessful. A factory will revert your TV’s settings to their initial state, just like when you removed it from its box.
WARNING: Back up your data and take note of your TV configuration before doing a factory reset. All your personal preferences and stored data will be lost once you do one. |
Once it’s done, you must set up your LG TV from scratch again, including all of your preferred settings and network connections. It will also delete your account settings along with your installed apps so you have to reinstall them once more.
Via an LG TV Remote
Difficulty | Easy ●●○○○ |
Number of Steps | 5 |
Time to Perform Fix | 10 minutes |
Things Needed | An LG TV remote control |
Step 1: Press the gear button on your LG remote to open an options panel on your TV screen. |
Step 2: Scroll down and open All Settings/Advanced Settings. |
Step 3: Scroll down and click General. |
Step 4: Scroll down and click Reset to Initial Settings. |
Step 5: Click OK on the confirmation pop-up to start the factory reset. |
If you lost or broke your LG magic remote, you can still perform a factory reset using the LG ThinQ that’s available for Android and iOS phones. This app will turn your phone into a temporary remote control so you can access your TV’s options.
Via the LG ThinQ app
Difficulty | Easy ●●○○○ |
Number of Steps | 17 |
Time to Perform Fix | 12 minutes |
Things Needed | Smartphone with Google Play or Apple App StoreA working internet connection |
Step 1: Open the Google Play or Apple App Store on your smartphone. |
Step 2: Click the search bar. |
Step 3: Type and search for “ThinQ.” |
Step 4: Click Install. |
Step 5: Click Open to launch the ThinQ app. |
Step 6: Click Sign in with LG. Note: If you don’t have an LG account, it’s free to create one by simply following the on-screen instructions. |
Step 7: Fill out your sign-in credentials and click Sign in. |
Step 8: Click Add a Device. |
Step 9: Click Select Device and click Next. |
Step 10: Click TV on the product list. |
Step 11: Select/click your LG TV. |
Step 12: Enter the pin code displayed on the TV and click Next. |
Step 13: Click Skip to continue. |
Step 14: Click Move to Home once you’re done with the registration. |
Step 15: Select “TV” to use the remote control. |
Step 16: Use the buttons on the app to control your LG TV. |
Step 17: Follow the previously-mentioned steps to factory reset your LG TV. Note: Your phone must be connected to your TV’s Wi-Fi network to link the LG ThinQ app. |
Aside from the LG ThinQ app, you can plug in a keyboard on your TV’s USB port to navigate the menus and options.
FAQs about Using AirPlay with LG TV
How do you use AirPlay on an older LG TV?
AirPlay works the same way regardless of your LG TV’s age. However, if the older LG TV you’re using isn’t compatible with AirPlay 2, there’s no way for you to make use of this feature.
The only thing you can do is buy a new LG TV that has AirPlay 2 support.
How do I use AirPlay on my iPhone and LG Smart TV without Wi-Fi?
There are two ways to mirror your iPhone to your LG TV via AirPlay without connecting to a Wi-Fi network. First, connect both devices using an Apple “Lightning to HDMI” adapter.
Second, you can instead use peer-to-peer AirPlay by disconnecting both devices to a Wi-Fi network while keeping the service on. From there, you can connect both devices via Bluetooth to mirror the screen using AirPlay.
How do I mirror my iPhone to an LG TV without AirPlay?
Use the AirBeamTV app to mirror your iPhone screen to your LG TV. This screen mirroring app is fully compatible with LG TVs allowing you to mirror your iPhone without using AirPlay.
How do you use screen mirroring on an LG TV?
Depending on your connecting device, there are three ways to use screen mirroring on LG TVs. Android devices can use the screen sharing or Smart View feature to connect to a nearby LG TV.
You can use the AirPlay feature on Apple devices to mirror the screen while they’re connected to the same Wi-Fi network as your LG TV.
On a Windows PC, you can go to Settings > System > Display > Multiple displays > Connect to a wireless display. Your Windows PC must also be connected to the same Wi-Fi network as your LG TV for it to work.
Is mirroring and AirPlay the same?
AirPlay is a mirroring technology. However, mirroring doesn’t only refer to AirPlay as other technologies such as MiraCast exist so while both are related, they’re not referring to the same technology.