There are a lot of cool things you can do by pairing your iPhone to the Apple TV.
But when the 2 connect without you even asking for it…
It can get pretty annoying.
That said, sometimes it’s better to just disconnect your iPhone from the Apple TV.
And fortunately, that’s easy to do.
Continue reading to find out:
- 2 different ways to do this process.
- How to re-pair your phone to this streaming device.
- 13 quick steps to disconnect your iPhone from the Apple TV.
- And this is just the beginning…
How to disconnect iPhone from Apple TV – 13 steps
There are 2 ways to disconnect your iPhone from the Apple TV:
- By using your mobile device.
- By using your Apple TV settings.
Now, note that the first method disconnects your iPhone from all Apple TVs.
While the second only disconnects it from a specific streaming device.
That said, decide on which method works best for your needs.
And follow the instructions to do it down below.
6 steps to disconnect iPhone from Apple TV (using your mobile device)
#1: Turn ON your iPhone
“Do I need to turn ON my Apple TV too?”
For this process, you don’t.
So just ensure that your mobile device is ON and…
#2: Head to the Settings app
Find the Settings app tile on your device’s home screen.
And tap it to launch.
After doing so…
#3: Select General
Scroll down the page and select General.
And once you’re on the new window…
#4 Tap Airplay & Handoff
Now, you should be able to see these 3 options:
- Handoff.
- Transfer to Homepad.
- Automatically AirPlay to TVs.
That said, it’s time to…
#5: Select Automatically AirPlay to TVs
Wait for your phone to load the new page.
And once it does…
#6: Tap Never
On your screen, you’ll see these 3 choices:
- Ask.
- Never.
- Automatic.
So simply select Never to disconnect your phone from all Apple TVs.
Editor’s pick: Is Apple TV Worth It? 7 Pros And Cons
7 steps to disconnect iPhone from Apple TV (using your streaming device)
#1: Turn ON your Apple TV
For this process, only your streaming device needs to be ON.
So you don’t have to power up your iPhone as well.
#2: Launch the Settings app
On your Apple TV home screen…
Tap and select the Settings application.
After doing so…
#3: Select Remotes and Devices
On this new page…
You can manage all the devices that send content to your Apple TV through AirPlay.
And naturally, that also includes your iPhone device.
With that said, from here…
#4: Tap Remote App and Devices
After doing so, you’ll see all the devices you’ve paired to the Apple TV.
So from this list…
#5: Select the name of your iPhone
Now, it’s not rare for multiple iPhones to connect to the same Apple TV.
So you may be unable to figure out which device from the list is yours immediately.
But fret not. I know how you can…
Check the specific name of your iPhone:
Step 1: Turn ON your iPhone.
Note: Don’t worry if it automatically pairs up with your Apple TV. Because that won’t affect this process.
Step 2: Launch its Settings app.
Tap the Settings tile on your iPhone’s home screen.
After doing so…
Step 3: Tap General.
When you launch Settings, this should be at the bottom of your screen.
If you can’t find it…
Then scroll down a bit so you can tap General.
Step 4: Select About.
You’ll see this at the very top of the page.
Step 5: Click Name.
At this point, you should be able to see the exact name of your mobile device.
That said, if you’ve never changed this before…
Your device’s name is most likely just “iPhone.”
In that case, I highly recommend renaming your gadget with a more personalized title.
This way, you’ll have an easier time pairing your Apple TV with it in the future.
Now, once you know the current name of your iPhone…
Tap it from the list on your Apple TV. Then…
#6: Click Unpair Device
This is the only option on this page.
So you won’t have a hard time finding it.
That said, from here, the only thing left to do is…
#7: Restart both devices
For Apple TV:
- Launch Settings.
- Tap System.
- Select Restart.
For iPhone:
- Simultaneously press and hold 1 volume button and the power button of your device.
- Let go when a slider appears.
- Drag the power slider to the right.
- Wait for 30 seconds.
- Press and hold the power button.
- Wait for your iPhone to turn ON.
Now, both your iPhone and your Apple TV won’t automatically pair with each other.
“Can I still pair them next time?”
Yes, you can.
And if you ever want re-pair your mobile device to your Apple TV…
Just follow the instructions in the next section.
You might also want to know: 3 Reasons Why Apple TV Comes With A Lightning Cable
How to re-pair iPhone with Apple TV
To re-pair your iPhone with Apple TV, you need to enable their AirPlay feature.
Unfamiliar with what this is?
Then watch this short clip to learn more about AirPlay:
That said, here are the…
7 simple steps to re-pair your iPhone with Apple TV:
#1: Turn ON your Apple TV
Plug your streaming device into its power source.
And turn it ON using your remote control.
After that…
#2: Launch its Settings app.
On your Apple TV home screen…
Tap the Settings tile and proceed to…
#3: Select AirPlay and Homekit
This is the 4th option from the top of the list.
So you won’t have a hard time spotting it.
That said, once you’re on the new page…
#4: Enter the passcode of your Apple TV (if needed)
If you’ve never set a passcode for your streaming device before…
Then you won’t see this step.
However, if you’ve set a security PIN for your Apple TV, you should input it now.
“I don’t remember my passcode.”
Then you need to factory reset your Apple TV to bypass it.
Important: This type of reset deletes all your data from the streaming device. So ensure to backup essential information on your Apple TV. And remember your account credentials.
Do that before you proceed to…
Factory reset your Apple TV (4K and HD models):
- Launch Settings.
- Select System.
- Tap Reset.
- Select Reset once more.
- Wait for the process to finish.
Factory reset your Apple TV (3rd generation or earlier):
- Head to Settings.
- Tap General > Reset.
- Click Restore.
- Wait for the process to be completed.
Note: Don’t turn OFF or unplug your Apple TV while the reset is ongoing.
And once the factory reset’s finished…
You can set up your streaming device again and redo steps 1-4 of the pairing process.
#5: Turn Airplay ON
After doing so…
#6: Turn ON your iPhone
Simply tap the power button of your mobile device.
And once it’s ON…
#7: Pair your iPhone to the Apple TV
You can do this in 2 different ways:
- Screen mirroring.
- Playing specific content only with Airplay.
“What’s the difference between them?”
Good question.
Screen Mirroring, as the name suggests, mirrors the whole screen of your iPhone.
That said, everything you see on your mobile device will also show on your Apple TV.
On the other hand, the second option only displays the media you’re playing on the TV.
So you won’t show your phone’s entire screen while using it.
That said, decide which method best suits your needs and preferences.
Then follow the exact steps to do them below.
Steps to pair your iPhone to the Apple TV through screen mirroring:
- Go to your phone’s home screen.
- Swipe down from the upper-right corner of your screen.
- This will bring up the control center.
- Tap the Screen Mirroring icon.
- This looks like 2 rectangles on top of each other.
- Wait for your iPhone to search for available devices.
- Select the name of your Apple TV.
Now, your phone’s entire screen will also be on your TV.
So you can continue enjoying this feature as you want.
“How do I turn this OFF?”
It’s easy. Just tap the Screen Mirroring icon on the control center again.
And select iPhone from the list.
Steps to pair your iPhone to the Apple TV through AirPlay:
Step 1: Turn your iPhone ON.
Step 2: Launch any media-playing app.
Here are some examples:
- Netflix.
- Spotify.
- Youtube.
Step 4: Select a video/song you want to play on your Apple TV.
Step 5: Tap the AirPlay icon.
Can’t find it?
Then tap the Cast icon instead.
Note: This looks like a rectangle with a diagonal Wifi icon at the bottom-left corner.
After doing so…
Step 6: Select the name of your Apple TV from the list.
And the content from your iPhone will automatically play on your bigger screen.