Skip to Content

Apple TV Keeps Disconnecting (Phone/iPhone/iPad/Mac/Laptop)

Apple TVs are not only able to afford you the ability to access any application imaginable, stream music, and play games, but they also give you the ability to connect to other Apple devices. What do you do if your Apple TV keeps disconnecting from those devices?

If your Apple TV keeps disconnecting from your phone, iPhone, iPad, Mac, or laptop, be sure that the WiFi is enabled on all of your devices, check that your network connection is functioning at a good speed, reset your router, and check that your device is not in sleep mode among other solutions.

Female that looks annoyed

Being able to connect all of the other smart devices in your home to your Apple TV is a great way to be able to combine content without having to start from scratch from the TV itself. These technological advancements have made the user experience for Apple TV owners much more seamless, but as it goes with many other technologies, Apple is not free of problems. Continue reading to find a solution to your Apple TV disconnection issues.

Phone/iPhone Keeps Disconnecting From Apple TV

View of the back of an iPhone

Within your phone, you have the power to access just about any application, any piece of music, any game, and any communication outlet known to man. Phones are incredibly advanced, but even more, they are used prolifically. Knowing the capabilities your tiny phone has, how could you not be excited to find that you are able to connect your device straight to your Apple TV, but what do you do if it keeps disconnecting?

If your phone or iPhone keeps disconnecting from your Apple TV, first make sure that the WiFi is enabled on your phone, which is essential for the function of AirPlay. To check if your phone is connected to WiFi, go to the settings within your phone and click on WiFi. Once you are there, open up the WiFi tab and check to see if it is either turned on or off. If it is turned off, turn it on.

Once you have confirmed that the WiFi on your phone or iPhone is turned off and you are still having trouble with it disconnected from your Apple TV, you may need to look towards the stability of your WiFi network. To fix any non-major network issues, you can restart your router. To restart the router, simply, unplug the router directly from the power source and allow it to sit for at least 60 seconds before plugging it back in and waiting for it to reboot.

Once the router has rebooted, if you are still not able to keep your phone or iPhone to your Apple TV, the TV itself may need to be updated. To update your Apple TV, go to Settings > System > Software Update > Software Updates > Update Software. If there is an update available, select ‘Download and Install” which will then start the download, then once finished, will restart your Apple TV.

When it comes to updating your Apple TV, some can hesitate because they may mistakingly believe that an update will return their TV back to its factory settings. Although a factory reset is sometimes necessary, when it comes to problems with your phone or iPhone continually disconnecting from your Apple TV, it is unlikely that a factory reset will resolve the issue. A software update is a quick fix to a small issue, such as phone connection problems.

My iPad Keeps Disconnecting From Apple TV

Finger tapping on an iPad

For the majority of those who own an Apple TV, it would not be presumptuous to assume that many own some type of phone or iPhone, making it relatively common for them to experience problems with their devices disconnecting. However, phones and iPhones are not the only devices that are capable of connecting to an Apple TV, but even more, not the only devices to encounter problems when it comes to staying connected.

If your iPad keeps disconnecting from your Apple TV it could be that your network connection is not strong enough or that too many individuals around you are using the same network channel that your Apple TV is using. To check the strength of your internet, go to Settings > General > About > and locate the option which reads “Signal Strength” that will show you if you have poor, good, or excellent signal strength.

Once you check the signal strength, if you find that the connection is poor, you will need to do a bit of adjusting to get your connection back to a strong functioning state so that your iPad will no longer disconnect from your Apple TV. Be sure that both your iPad and your Apple TV is close enough to the router without being too close as this can cause interference issues. Also, make sure no thick walls stand between the router and your TV/iPad.

Once you have confirmed that your router is in the right location and that the signal strength is strong enough and you are still having trouble with your iPad disconnecting, it may be that you are using a channel that is much too busy for uninterrupted use. If you live in a setting, such as an apartment, that has various WiFi users, many individuals can be using the same internet channels without even knowing it.

When everyone is using the same channel, it is essentially like trying to get water to go down a clogged drain. The network channel that you are using has too much traffic, which causes your iPad to disconnect, and will continue to repeat itself until the channel is changed. To change your network channel, refer back to the individual user guide that came with your router to get on a channel that is either unused or has much less traffic.

Mac Keeps Disconnecting From Apple TV

Computer, keyboard, mouse on a white table top

If you own an Apple TV, it is likely that you have joined the Apple team and most of your home devices host this world-famous brand’s logo. For those of you who have chosen to step away from the PC and are now in the world of Macs, you know the convenience they can afford you by keeping viruses away, giving you the ability to update software easily, and get work down efficiently and without fuss, but what do you do if it keeps disconnecting from your Apple TV?

If your Mac keeps disconnecting from your Apple TV be sure that your device is turned on and active. For Macs, once actively unused for a certain amount of time, they will go into what is called “sleep mode” which causes them to get into a sort of power-saving mode without completely turning off. To wake up your Mac, all you need to do is either open the screen, press a button, or move your finger over the mouse pad.

If you know that your Mac is not in sleep mode and you are, thus, still having trouble with your Mac disconnecting from your Apple TV, be sure that your Mac is placed in an area that will allow it to connect with ease. If you are two rooms over from the room in which your TV is located, this can be the biggest culprit of disconnection problems. Try to keep your Mac in the same room as your Apple TV, if possible, to allow for the greatest connection.

If your Mac is still disconnecting from your Apple TV, it may be helpful to check for any updates within your computer. To check for updates on your Mac, choose System Preferences from the Apple Menu then click ‘Software Update’. If there are any updates available, they will appear and you will then click ‘Update Now’ to begin installing them which will cause your Mac to restart once the update has been completed.

Once the update has been processed with your Mac, if you are still experiencing problems with disconnection issues, check to make sure that your computer and your Apple TV are both connected to the same network. Even within one household, there can be multiple networks (for those homes that are larger and need a variety of ranges) which cause your Mac to connect to one network while your Apple TV is connected to another.

Laptop Keeps Disconnecting From Apple TV

A male's eyes peering over a laptop

For many Apple TV owners, they also have other apple products which make the connection to their Apple TV relatively seamless. However, there are plenty of individuals out there who still prefer the functions of a PC that vary from those of a Mac. If you are a PC owner and have an Apple TV, you likely still want to be able to connect your device to the TV, but what do you do if your laptop constantly disconnects?

If your laptop keeps disconnecting from your Apple TV, be sure that the HDMI cord is properly connected to both your laptop and your Apple TV. Without the ability to use AirPlay (which newer Apple products host) the use of an HDMI cord is essential in getting your laptop to work with your Apple TV. If the cord is loose, is not inserted securely on either end, or is awkwardly bent, it can cause disconnection.

If you test and see that the HDMI cable is inserted as it should be on both ends, but you are still experiencing problems with your laptop disconnected from your Apple TV, it may be that a replacement HDMI cable is needed. If the cable has any type of damage or it is one that is relatively old, this can cause problems with transmissions which go from your computer to your TV. Simply purchase a high-quality HDMI cable and replace it to resolve this issue.

For those of you that are using a new HDMI cable and know that an old or damaged cable is not the problem, it simply could be that the HDMI port you are using on your Apple TV needs to be changed. For most laptops, any HDMI port will work just fine for connection, therefore, remove the HDMI cord from the back of the TV and insert it securely to another HDMI port. Once you have it inserted, try once more to see if disconnection issues persist.

If your laptop is still disconnecting from your Apple TV after troubleshooting these solutions, the problems could lie within the network itself. Network issues can be resolved by restarting your router, moving the router, and changing the network channel that your Apple TV and laptop run on. For a more detailed explanation, see the previous articles “My iPad Keeps Disconnecting From Apple TV” and “Phone/iPhone Keeps Disconnecting from Apple TV.”

Why Does My Phones/iPad/Mac/Laptop Keep Disconnecting From Apple TV?

Close up laptop keyboard

For owners of Apple TVs, there are so many different devices that you can connect to your TV which expands the use of those devices and your TV as well. Operations are broadened and the functions of your phone, iPhone, Mac, or laptop are all enhanced by being able to sync them with your Apple TV. This is an incredible feature that Apple has made possible, by what causes these devices to disconnect out of the blue?

Why does your phone, iPhone, iPad, Mac, and laptop keep disconnecting from your Apple TV? The most general and common problem that causes this disconnection is a problem with your internet connection. Many times, a simple fix to your network can quickly resolve any disconnection issue. This may include steps like resetting your router or changing the network channel your devices are connected to.

For phones and iPhones, these are more specific devices which allow the ability to narrow down what could be causing the devices to disconnect rather than offering a general solution. If you have a phone, or more specifically, an iPhone that regularly disconnects from your Apple TV, this could be happening due to your devices not having WiFi enabled on them. The WiFi must be enabled to connect to your Apple TV, so be sure this is on.

For iPads, it is just as easy to connect this device as it is to connect your iPhone using AirPlay. Of course, as with phones and iPhones, WiFi must be enabled, but it could also be caused by a network signal that is too weak. If the signal of your network is poor, there will not be enough signal strength to keep your Apple TV running while also keeping your iPad connected, thus, causing it to constantly disconnect.

When it comes to Macs that are experiencing disconnection issues, the same issues can cause disconnection to occur as with phones, iPhones, and iPads, but it can also be caused through a specific function that only Macs have: sleep mode. If you are not using your Mac for a certain amount of time, it will go into sleep mode which causes the computer to go into a power-saving mode without fully shutting down. This can cause the Mac to disconnect.

For those of you that are using laptops that are not Macs, such as PCs, it can be a bit more confusing when it comes to disconnection issues because you are not able to use AirPlay as other Apple devices are. However, through the use of an HDMI cord, you should have no trouble connecting. If the cord is damaged, is not securely inserted into both your Apple TV and your laptop, or if it is quite old, this could be the main cause of your laptop disconnecting.

iPhone Won’t Disconnect From Apple TV

A backside view of an iPhone

The bulk of this article has discussed what to do when your devices are having problems disconnecting from your Apple TV when they should be connected without issue. On the opposite end of the disconnection spectrum though, falls the problem of iPhones refusing to disconnect when users want them to work independently from the TV. What do you do if you find that your iPhone will not disconnect from your Apple TV?

If your iPhone will not disconnect from your Apple TV, you can try a quick fix that should be able to disconnect your iPhone from the TV. You will first turn off your iPhone and allow it to completely shut down. Once the screen is totally black, turn your phone back on and try again to ensure AirPlay to connect back to your TV. Once it has connected, turn your iPhone off again which should disconnect the device.

If this does not work for you, be sure that you have tried to properly turn off either AirPlay or screen mirroring (whichever you are using to connect your iPhone to your Apple TV). to do this, you will open up the application that is using AirPlay on your iPhone and you will either tap the AirPlay icon or open the Control Center and tap ‘Screen Mirroring.’ You will then tap your iOS device from the list which should cause it to immediately disconnect.

If you know that you have gone through the proper steps to disconnect, you may need to try a workaround to get your iPhone disconnected from your Apple TV. On your iPhone, swipe up to bring up your control center and click on the device icon that appears within the media control. Once this has been clicked, the media control will expand and you will see two rectangles: one larter and one smaller.

The larger rectangle is what represents your Apple TV control and the smaller rectangle should read “____’s iPhone.” You will click on the smaller rectangle that indicates your individual iPhone which will cause the size to change. This should cause your iPhone to disconnect from your Apple TV and you should be able to easily use it for other purposes such as Bluetooth.

Apple TV Keeps Disconnecting From HDMI


If your Apple TV keeps disconnecting from HDMI, it might be due to a faulty HDMI cable. Try using a different HDMI cable to connect your Apple TV to the television. Ensure the cable is fully inserted into both the Apple TV and the TV’s HDMI port for a stable connection.

Copyright article owner is ReadyToDiy.com for this article. This post was first published on April 2, 2021.

Another possible reason is the HDMI port itself. Sometimes, ports can become loose or malfunction. Try connecting your Apple TV to a different HDMI port on your TV. If this resolves the issue, the original port may need repair or replacement.

Related Articles

Apple TV App Not Working on Samsung TV

Apple TV Not Working On Sony TV

Apple TV Light Keeps Blinking

Apple TV WiFi/Internet (Keeps Disconnecting/Won’t Connect)

ReadyToDIY is the owner of this article. This post was published on April 2, 2021.

Apple TV Remote Won’t Connect, Keeps Disconnecting/Unpairing