Screen mirroring, as the name suggests, is a feature that allows you to mirror what’s on your phone to a larger screen. We mentioned that AirPlay allows you to mirror your screen to your selected smart TV, so you may be wondering what the difference between mirroring and casting really is. In contrast, Bluetooth and the original version of AirPlay only allow streaming to one device.ĪirPlay is a handy way for connecting to compatible smart speakers like the Apple HomePod too (Image credit: Apple) What’s the difference between screen mirroring and screen casting? You can also share video content which Bluetooth is unable to do.ĪirPlay and AirPlay 2 have a wider range than Bluetooth, which can have a hard time penetrating walls, meaning you usually have to be in the same room as your speaker for it to work.ĪirPlay 2 also lets you stream your content to multiple speakers at the same time, creating a multiform streaming system without the need for additional sender devices.

Unlike Bluetooth, AirPlay and AirPlay 2 work via a Wi-Fi connection and are capable of streaming audio at a higher quality. So once you’ve labelled a room, for example, “Living room”, you can then use Siri to control the device by simply saying “Hey Siri, play Take That greatest hits in the living room”.

(If you're using an AirPlay 2 compatible device, it will show up in your AirPlay control panel.)īecause AirPlay 2 is recognised by the Apple HomeKit, which is an app built into all newer iOS devices, you can label and rename the rooms where your AirPlay 2 devices live – and then automate the process using Siri. AirPlay 2 works with more devices including smart TVs from Samsung, LG and Sony plus smart speakers such as Google Nest Hub Max and Amazon Echo. Most of us have multiple smart speakers and devices in our homes, and AirPlay 2 allows you to create a multi-room streaming system. Apple AirPlay 2, however, is a game-changer.

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