Overview
The Apple AirPlay Policy manages which AirPlay destinations your Macs, iPhones, and iPads can use, such as Apple TVs and AirPlay-compatible displays and speakers.
You can:
Restrict AirPlay to approved destinations with an allow list, such as the Apple TVs in your meeting rooms.
Preload AirPlay passwords, so managed devices can connect to password-protected destinations without users entering the password.
A new policy with no entries doesn't change anything. Users can AirPlay to any available destination.
Important: The allow list works only on supervised iPhones and iPads. On unsupervised iPhones and iPads, the allow list has no effect and users can still see every destination. Macs don't need supervision. Passwords work on both supervised and unsupervised devices.
Supported platforms and requirements
Item | Details |
Platforms | macOS, iOS, iPadOS |
Minimum OS | macOS 10.10, iOS 7.0, iPadOS 7.0 (the allow list requires macOS 11.3 or iOS/iPadOS 14.5) |
Device ownership | Company-owned devices |
Supervision | Required for the allow list on iPhone and iPad |
This policy controls where a device can send AirPlay content. To control whether a Mac can receive AirPlay, use the Apple Control Center Policy (see the List of Apple Policies).
Settings reference
AllowList
When the list has entries, the device shows only those AirPlay destinations. Leave it empty to allow all destinations.
Field | What to enter | Used on |
Device ID | The destination's device ID, in the format | macOS 11.3–14 and iOS/iPadOS 14.5–17. Apple deprecated it in macOS 15 and iOS/iPadOS 18, and Apple TVs running tvOS 18 don't support it. |
Device name | The destination's AirPlay name, such as | macOS 15 and later, iOS/iPadOS 18 and later |
Swif requires both fields for each destination. Enter both so the entry works on older and newer devices.
Requirement | Details |
Minimum OS | macOS 11.3, iOS/iPadOS 14.5 |
Supervision | Required on iPhone and iPad |
Default | Empty (all destinations allowed) |
Passwords
Each entry stores the AirPlay password for one destination, so managed devices connect without asking the user for it.
Field | What to enter | Used on |
Device ID | The destination's device ID. | macOS before 15. Deprecated in macOS 15; not used on iPhone or iPad. |
Device name | The destination's AirPlay name. | iPhone and iPad; macOS 15 and later |
Password | The destination's AirPlay password. | All |
Requirement | Details |
Minimum OS | macOS 10.10, iOS/iPadOS 7.0 |
Supervision | Not required |
Default | Empty |
Add each destination only once. If the same destination appears more than once, in this policy or across several AirPlay policies on one device, Apple says the result is undefined. The same applies to the allow list. Keep all your AirPlay destinations in a single policy per device.
Finding a destination's name and device ID
On an Apple TV:
Name: go to Settings > General > About > Name. This is the name users see in the AirPlay menu.
Device ID: go to Settings > General > About. The Ethernet or Wi-Fi address is usually the device ID. Use the address for the network the Apple TV actually connects on.
For other AirPlay-compatible TVs and speakers, check the manufacturer's settings for the AirPlay name and network address.
Keep names stable. On newer OS versions, the allow list and passwords match destinations by name. If someone renames an Apple TV, the entry stops matching until you update the policy.
Before you start
List your approved destinations with their AirPlay names and device IDs.
Check supervision for iPhones and iPads that need the allow list.
Get the AirPlay passwords for any password-protected destinations.
Check OS versions. Devices before macOS 11.3 or iOS 14.5 ignore the allow list.
Create the policy
In Swif, go to Device Management > Policies > New Policy.
Select Apple AirPlay Policy.
Enter a clear name, such as
AirPlay – Meeting Rooms.Under AllowList, add each approved destination with its Device ID and Device name.
Under Passwords, add each password-protected destination with its Device ID, Device name, and Password.
Save the policy.
Assign it to a device group.
Test from a supervised iPhone or iPad and a Mac before a wider rollout.
Example configurations
Example 1: Office meeting rooms
Company Macs and supervised iPads can AirPlay only to the meeting room Apple TVs, and they connect without entering passwords.
AllowList
Device ID | Device name |
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Passwords
Device ID | Device name | Password |
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Example 2: Classroom iPads
Supervised student iPads can AirPlay only to the classroom display.
AllowList
Device ID | Device name |
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Example 3: Passwords only
Unsupervised company iPhones keep access to every destination, but connect automatically to the password-protected lobby display.
Passwords
Device ID | Device name | Password |
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Verify the policy
iPhone or iPad
Go to Settings > General > VPN & Device Management, open the Swif profile, and confirm that it includes AirPlay settings.
Open Control Center > Screen Mirroring. With an allow list on a supervised device, only the listed destinations should appear.
Connect to a destination with a stored password. It shouldn't ask for the password.
Mac
Open System Settings > General > Device Management and open the Swif profile. Confirm that it includes AirPlay settings.
Open Control Center > Screen Mirroring and check that only the listed destinations appear.
In Swif, open the device and confirm that the policy shows as applied.
Troubleshooting
An iPhone or iPad still shows every destination
Check that the device is supervised.
Check that it runs iOS/iPadOS 14.5 or later.
An approved destination doesn't appear
On iOS/iPadOS 18 or macOS 15 and later, check that Device name exactly matches the destination's AirPlay name.
On older versions, check the Device ID.
Confirm that the destination is on the same network and turned on.
An Apple TV on tvOS 18 doesn't match on older Macs or iPhones tvOS 18 destinations don't support device ID matching. Update the Mac to macOS 15 or later, or the iPhone or iPad to iOS/iPadOS 18 or later, so the device matches by name.
A destination still asks for a password
Check that the name (and, on macOS before 15, the device ID) matches the destination.
Check that the password is current.
AirPlay behaves unpredictably on a device The same destination may be listed more than once, in one policy or across several AirPlay policies. Keep each destination in only one entry in one policy.
Related resources
Swif
Apple