How-To Connect Your AppleTV Without WiFi - AppleToolBox (2023)

Peer-to-peer AirPlay connects your iPhone or iPad to your Apple TV, without requiring them to be connected to the same WiFi network or even connected to ANY WiFi network. Your iDeviceturns into a temporary WiFi hotspot, and your Apple TV connects to it andAirPlays your videos, photos, and music.

So yes, you can connect to apple tv without wifi–how cool is that?

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Advantages of Peer-to-Peer AirPlay

Peer-to-Peermakes sharing media contents with friends and family a breeze at home ANDguests do not have to log onto yourhome WiFi network. Your guests simplypull out their iPhones or other iDevices (and even MacBooks), select AirPlay and stream directly to yourApple TV.

So everyone is quickly able to show their pictures, videos, and even play music–all without logging into your home network.

Peer to Peer Airplay works by using Bluetooth for queries and discovery and then creates a point-to-point WiFi connection for data transfer, independent of any network.

AirPlay Without Internet Access

The idea is to connect to peer-to-peer airplaywhen you’re not on WiFi or at times when connecting to WiFi is hard (need password etc.) Like when you’reat a friend’s house or visiting a business. This way you can AirPlay without having to connect to that WiFinetwork.

And for folks that travel for business or teachers and professors, peer-to-peermakes presentations unbelievably simple. It’s easy to get your presentation on the big screen (or at least larger screen) without plugging into your clients’ network.

So this feature is particularly useful for iFolks (and their families) on the road, who conduct presentations, and others who need to showcase something on the big screen.

Peer-to-Peer AirPlay Uses

• Sales Representatives delivering presentations. Justbring your AppleTV to a client site and connect it to the customer’s projector. Then justgive yourpresentation wirelessly from your iPhone oriPad
• Conference Room and lecture presentations are easy with AppleTVs. Anyone, from teachers to students, employees, and even clients tocontractors can display their iDevice screens wirelessly without connecting to the company’s WiFinetwork and even when offline
• Distract your kids, your grandparents, and others in yourback seats with movies and other downloaded media by usingpeer-to-peer Airplay to linkyour iPad to an AppleTV that’s connected to yourcar video/aux input! Just remember to download all your content before the trip and get ready to screenmovies while on the road
• Invite your friends over for a multiplayer iDeviceGame Night! All without ever needing to connect to your home’s WiFinetwork. So no more dealing with sharing and entering passwords and other security worries

Requirements forPeer-to-Peer AirPlay

Peer-to-peer AirPlay requires an iDevice with iOS 8 andlater or a mac (2012 or later)withOS X Yosemite v10.10 or later. And an Apple TV that’s 4th generation and higher (the 3rd generation Rev A model A1469, March 2013 also works.) And you must run your Apple TV with tvOS 7.0 andlater.

If you don’t know your model number, just flip your Apple TV over and look at the bottom ofyour Apple TV. Or check the model number for your Apple TV by choosing Settings > General > About.

How-To Set-Up Peer to Peer Airplay Without Wifi

1. Forget WiFi networks on your iDevice or Mac
2. Forget Wifi Networks on AppleTV
3. Make sure WiFiand Bluetooth are turned ONfor BOTH AppleTV andiDevices or Mac (do this even if not connected to any networks)
4. Restart both your AppleTV andiDevices or Mac
5. AirPlay feature should now work on the iDevice or Mac
   1. Connect your iDevice or Mac to AppleTV
      1. For Macs, choose your AppleTV from the AirPlay status menu (screen icon with an upwards arrow) in the upper right screen menu bar
      2. For iDevices useControl Center to connect to AirPlay. Look for Airplay’s icon (screen icon with an upwards arrow)
6. If your Apple TV asks for a code for airplay, enter that code
7. If this is the first time you connect using peer-to-peer, it might take several minutes. Be patient!

Peer-to-Peer Airplay Tips

If you use peer-to-peer AirPlay,all devicesneed to have BOTH WiFi and Bluetooth toggledON. You don’t have to connectto WiFi routerorevenpairvia Bluetooth. But youmust have bothswitchedONinyourControl Center.

If your AppleTV and youriDevice or Mac are on thesame WiFi network, peer-to-peer mirroringwill not work.They default to using the available WiFi network to AirPlay and AirPlay Mirror. So keep them OFF the same network!

TroubleshootingPeer-to-Peer Airplay

If you’re experiencing problems connecting,try these steps

1. Turn on Bluetooth for AppleTV
2. Turn on Wi-Fi and Bluetooth on your iOS device
3. Restart your Apple TV.
4. Pull up your control panel on your iOS device and select AppleTV mirroring

You may also need to change the “Require Device Verification” setting to ONfor your AppleTV (Settings > Airplay)

If that tip didn’t work for you, another reader found success with the following

• Update all your iDevices and AppleTV to the latest operating systems–iOS and TVOS
• Then reboot your AppleTV and the iDevice. KeepWiFi and Bluetooth ‘on’
• Enable AirPlay on yourAppleTV, then activate WiFiand next Bluetooth on the iPad or another iDevice
• Disconnect from your WiFi network on your device but keep the WiFion
  • You may need youriPad to “forget” the home network.
• You won’t have an internet connection, but you’ll be able to airplay

When you log into the same iCloud account on both devices, there will appear to be no security to keep random strangers from streaming to your TV from outside your house.

When not logged into iCloud, or when logged in as a different user on each device, streaming requires you to enter a four-digit PIN onyourAppleTV.

Want to Disable Peer to Peer Airplay?

• Try turning Bluetooth OFF. Settings > General > Bluetooth
• Turn ON Require Device Verification
• Require a preset password for AirPlay

Set an AirPlay password

Creates a password for AirPlay-enabled devices to connect using AirPlay on your Apple TV.

Use this setting for devices that will need permanent access, and you only want to enter the password once. Go toSettings > AirPlay > Security OR Settings > AirPlay > Password > [set password]

Set an AirPlay Onscreen Code (Older tvOS and AppleTV models)

Create a specific code to AirPlay to the Apple TV. When an AirPlay-enabled device attempts to connect to an Apple TV with Onscreen Code enabled, you must enter the passcode shown on the TV into the device that’s attempting to connect to the Apple TV.

Go toSettings > AirPlay > Onscreen Code > On

Seeing Neighbor’s AppleTV?

Change the name of your Apple TV to something different and uniquely YOU. Go to Settings > AirPlay > Apple TV Name > Custom Name.

Thisnaming ensures that you and your neighbor(s) can tell your devices apart.

And, if you’re not using any Bluetooth devices on your iOS device, try turning off Bluetooth so that you won’t see any of your neighbors’ Apple TVs.

Wrapping It Up

With peer-to-peer AirPlay, connecting your iDevice to an AppleTV is easy! So start up your AppleTV, and it automatically shows up on your iDevice’s AirPlay Menu–all without setup.

Share a presentation at work or on a client visit by wirelessly connecting your iDevice to any AppleTV. Or toss up a movie for the kids on that long drive by connecting an Apple TV and an iDeviceto your car’s video screen.

However, there are some limitations.Peer-to-peer AirPlay does not work with videos fromYouTube, Netflix, Amazon Instant Video, HBO GO, Showtime, Crackle. Facebook and BBC videos work as long as they arenot YouTube links.

But the good news is that Peer-to-Peer works for any content that’s already stored on youriDevice or Mac such as downloadedvideos, pictures, presentations, or music.

So upload and download content BEFORE you engage Peer-to-Peer Airplay for a seamless and trouble-free experience.