Unknown iPhones on your television? Protect AirPlay from strangers!

Are you constantly harassed with notifications on your television that someone wants to send something to your TV via AirPlay? Or is your film interrupted by content that you did not set up yourself? That is bloody irritating, but luckily there is something to do about it.

If you are just watching your favorite series, it is suddenly interrupted by the neighbor, whether or not accidentally, trying to stream something to your TV via AirPlay. Whether you use the new Apple TV 4K or stick to an older version; that’s how you solve it.

Shield Apple TV

By default, anyone within your Wi-Fi range can find your Apple TV and try to send something to it via AirPlay. To prevent this, you only need to make a small adjustment. Either way, it will save you a lot of frustration in the future.

First of all, it is useful to give the device a unique name. This way it is clearer to your neighbors that it is not their own device, but yours. You can think of a name like “Sabine’s Apple TV,” or something more playful like “This isn’t your Apple TV.”

This is how you set it up

Open the Settings within the app and select there AirPlay and HomeKit. Here you can specify who can stream AirPlay content to your Apple TV. You have the choice Everybody, Everyone on the same network, Only people in this house and Require password.

The status is currently on Everybody, then it is useful to adjust that in any case. The other options mean that anyone connected to your Wi-Fi network can stream content via AirPlay. The other choices ensure that only people you’ve added in the Home app can stream to your Apple TV. With a password you are of course completely safe.