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Apple TV Mirroring Not Working (Disconnecting/No Video or Sound)

The mirroring feature of an Apple TV is one of those incredible perks that allows owners to not only use their TV in an advantageous way, but it also allows them to mirror other smart devices right to its screen. What then do you do if your Apple TV mirroring is not working?

If your Apple TV mirroring is not working, is disconnecting, or has no video or sound, be sure that all devices are on and near the TV, update your Apple TV and the device you are trying to mirror with, and ensure your Apple TV is selected on the device you are using, among other solutions.

Phone and TV mirroring

Being able to mirror other smart devices to the screen of your Apple TV allows you to use your devices in a way that connects all of your favorite technology to one individual screen. This feature gives users so much freedom and fluidity when it comes to using two devices at once, however, problems do arise at times when it comes to the use of mirroring technology. Continue reading to find your Apple TV mirroring problem and a solution to fix it.

Apple TV Mirroring Not Working

As with any type of technological issue, there are going to be problems that are more general, then there are going to be problems that are more specific. Mirroring allows Apple TV owners to display the exact screen which is displayed on another smart device within their home, allowing them to use that device on their Apple TV seamlessly. However, if you own an Apple TV and the mirroring feature is generally not working, what do you do?

If your Apple TV mirroring is not working, first be sure that your devices are on and near enough to the TV to be connected. For any devices that are AirPlay-compatible, they need to be turned on completely to be capable of mirroring. If your TV is in sleep mode and uses Ethernet rather than WiFi, the TV should be woken up by using your remote control (press any button to make this happen).

If all of your devices are on and your Apple TV is not in sleep mode, but you are still experiencing problems with your Apple TV not mirroring, it may be beneficial to restart the devices you are trying to mirror with. These devices include iPhones, iPads, iPod touches, HomePods, Macs, and you will also need to restart your Apple TV. By restarting these devices, it may help them to reset simplistically without having to do a factory reset.

Apple TV Mirroring Keeps Disconnecting or Turning Off

Male holding phone and watching TV

Whether you are using an iPad, iPhone, iPod Touch, Mac, or any other smart device to mirror with your Apple TV, it always feels like a successful venture when you are able to get them to connect without any trouble. Once the mirroring process is successful, you may be surprised when all of the sudden the mirroring feature starts to disconnect repeatedly or turns off without your prompting. How do you stop this from continuing?

If your Apple TV mirroring keeps disconnecting or turning off, it may be that either your Apple TV needs to be updated, the device you are trying to mirror to your Apple TV needs to be updated, or both could use an update. To update your Apple TV, go to Settings > System > Software Updates > Select Update Software Update > then select Download and Install if an update is available.

To update any other device that you may be trying to mirror to your Apple TV (such as an iPhone, iPad, iTouch, or Mac) follow each individual device’s instructions to find and complete an update. Once both devices have been updated and have restarted on their own, then go back to the device you were previously trying to mirror to your Apple TV. If the connection holds and random turning off ceases, your problem has been resolved.

Apple TV Mirroring No Sound

Blurry TV screen

If the mirroring feature on your Apple TV is working perfectly as soon as you enable it from your other smart device, it would not be abnormal to think that any potential problems have been bypassed due to the feature working so quickly. However, if mirroring works on your Apple TV and you then go to turn up the sound, but hear nothing, this can be a major problem. Although picture is essential, sound is just as necessary, so, what do you do?

If your Apple TV mirroring is producing no sound, it is oftentimes a very simple explanation of one of your devices audio being turned off. You first want to make sure that the volume on your Apple TV is turned up and is not muted. Once you have confirmed this, if you are mirroring from an iPhone or iPad, be sure that the Ring/Silent switch on the side of the device is not set to silent.

If either of those devices is switched to silent, you will see an orange line within the area of the button, so be sure to switch it in a direction where you can see no orange. If the volume on all of your devices is turned on, it may be that your Apple TV is not selected on the device you are trying to mirror. Different steps are needed for different devices, but most generally, go to System Preferences > Sounds > and select Apple TV on your device.

Apple TV Mirroring No Video

Hand with TV remote extended to TV

The sound on any TV may seem like a secondary concern, but you have to have sound in order to enjoy the content displayed on your screen. Therefore, when you mirror a device to your Apple TV and hear the sound fine, what do you do when there is no video displayed? This may be ok for times when you simply want to listen to music, but when you need a visual display, no video can be a huge problem.

If your Apple TV mirroring is showing no video, it may be that your TV needs to be restarted by a more in-depth process. To do this, you will need to remove every cord from the back of your Apple TV and allow it to sit for at least 30 seconds. Once the 30 seconds have passed, plug each cord back into your Apple TV and try mirroring the same device again to see if the video display works.

If you reset your TV through this method and there is still no video displaying when you are using the mirroring feature of your Apple TV, it may be that your Apple TV is in sleep mode (see the previous article, “Apple TV Mirroring Not Working), in which you should wake the TV up. If this is not the case, it could be beneficial to restart both your Apple TV and the device you are trying to mirror.

Apple TV Mirroring Not Full Screen

Back of female showing her watching TV

The whole purpose of mirroring another device to your Apple TV is to increase the surface area in which you are able to view content. It would be pointless to mirror an iPhone to another iPhone, therefore, it is just as pointless to mirror your Mac, iPhone, iPad, or other smart devices to your Apple TV when the display is not full screen. How do you fix the problem of a screen that is too small when using the mirroring feature of an Apple TV?

If your Apple TV mirroring is not full screen, first, be sure to check the underscan feature on your Apple TV. For those with an Apple TV 4K or Apple TV HD you will navigate to Settings > Airplay > then select Airplay Display Underscan. For those with Apple TV 2nd or 3rd Generation you will go to Settings > Audio & Video > then navigate to Adjust for AirPlay Overscan.

Once you get to this setting, you should be able to adjust the screen to fit the size of your Apple TV as you like it. However, if this does not work, it could be that the screen ratio on your Apple TV and smart device is not set properly. This can be adjusted by using the Underscan option previously mentioned, but you will know this is the problem if the content you are trying to mirror has black bars surrounding it.

Apple TV Mirror Video Lag

Finger using phone mirroring to TV

Once you finally have your devices connected and successfully mirrored to your Apple TV, the video is working, and the sound is coming out just fine, you may be breathing a sigh of relief that all things are working as they should. As often as this scenario occurs, some Apple TV owners have experienced problems with the video lagging while they are using the mirroring feature on their Apple TV. What causes this and how can you fix it?

If your Apple TV mirroring feature is experiencing video lag, the most common problem is a weak WiFi signal. For the most effective solution, you can plug your Apple TV directly into your router by using an Ethernet cable. This helps to stabilize your connection and oftentimes helps to decrease any interference that your WiFi was previously experiencing, which relayed into a lagged video.

For some Apple TV owners though, using an Ethernet cable simply is not an option, so they must find other ways to stop the video lagging while mirroring. To do this, you can restart your router by unplugging it for 60 seconds, plugging it back in, and allowing it to restart before trying to mirror again. Or, you can remove any other devices close to your Apple TV that emit a radio signal, which can cause interference in your internet connection.

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ReadyToDIY is the owner of this article. This post was published on May 7, 2021.

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