Since I updated from ElCapitain to Sierra the AirPlay symbol in the menubar is always visible and not just if there is a an AirPlay device nearby.
Is there an option to reset this or is this a bug which has to be adressed by
MacBook Pro with Retina display, macOS Sierra (10.12.3)
Without no bluetooth and no WiFi it can not pick up any AirPlay devices, am I right?
Problem is that the system thinks there is AirPlay display connected so I get this symbol everywhere (Safari, Quicktime, iTunes, ....) this is quite annoying. When I turn the option in the settings of the problem is not really solved. Seems more like a bug for me.
System Preferences->Displays->"Show Mirroring Options in the menu bar when available" try unchecking it and checking it again.
And make sure there is no device to AirPlay to appearing in the menu.
You are right the picture is from YouTube.
This is a picture from QuickTime, same issue (sorry for the german menu). Like you can see the system can also not find any AirPlay device.
Due to the fact, that I do not own an AirPlay device and I'm the admin of the network I know for sure the system can not pick up any AirPlay device. Like I said this fact is quite annoying, because it is not meant to work this way. For me it is the same, as would my phone continuous show me the option to share my screen to a GoogleCast device also if there is none.
How is it with your system is this symbol always there?
If you open system preferences > click on Display and check the box of show mirroring options in the menu bar when available the Air play icon is shown on the top menu bar .
To delete it from top menu bar hold command key and drag & drop the air play icon on desktop it goes away from top menu bar .
If you are getting a small computer icon superimposed on other icons on the Dock at the bottom, that has nothing to do with Airplay, it's a feature called Handoff. AirPlay will show up on the menu bar at the top only. Not on icons on the dock.
For Handoff, as long as you have an internet connection, be it wired ethernet or wifi, and it can pickup other devices nearby using your Apple ID it will show it.
You can turn if off by following the steps here:
Use Continuity to connect your Mac, iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, and Apple Watch - Apple Support
That seems to be Youtube. Since youtube requires you to have an internet connection that means you are connected to a network that may have other devices it may be able to Airplay to which is why its there.
As long as it can pick them up it it will show the icon. There is nothing wrong with that, and as long as you don't select a device to AirPlay to, then you won't be Airplaying.
Also if you let the video load, and then disconnect from any network you were connected to, the AirPlay icon will still be there, but there will be nothing to AirPlay to in the menu.
Why is the existence of that icon an issue? Unless you are actually using it, it is doing absolutely nothing.
Yes its always there for me. Whether there is something to airplay to or not. Personally it does not affect me either way.
When disconnected and there is nothing to Airplay to it will just say "Searching" and the options will be grayed out. How is that in any way annoying? You can simply ignore it when you don't use it.
It's like being annoyed that the clock is there when I don't want to know the time.
Maybe you are right but to catch up with you example. The clock shows the time, thats what the clock should be doing. If the clock would always show the wrong time, wouldn't that be annoying for you too.
The AirPlay symbol shows me an option which is simply not available and therefor I should not see it. For me it is like a button without a function. To say it with Dieter Rams' or Jony Ive's words "A button without a function should not be there and is a design mistake".
This is not the usual way Apple tends to go, please correct me if I'm wrong.
SnowGepard wrote:
The AirPlay symbol shows me an option which is simply not available and therefor I should not see it. For me it is like a button without a function. To say it with Dieter Rams' or Jony Ive's words "A button without a function should not be there and is a design mistake".
This is not the usual way Apple tends to go, please correct me if I'm wrong.
FWIW, The button does have a function for everyone with AirPlay devices. Rather than writing code to see if specific users have AirPlay devices and toggling the icon on and off, or having the user toggle it on and off, it is always at hand.
If you don't want to see the icon in YouTube videos, use Firefox or Chrome. Of course Chrome has it's own button to connect to Chromecast.
If you would prefer not to see the icon in QuickTime, use VLC or another player of your choice without the icon.
Thanks for the answer. I just wonder why in ElCapitan it works as a toggle on/toggle off function and now it is visible all time. Just trusting the text of the setting a toggle on/toggle off would make more sense.
Could be that this is just my opinion.
I forgot to mention, if the AirPlay icon is causing undue stress, you can let Apple know here…
Hey Phil0124,
already done this as well as PRAM and SMC Reset nothing changes. Also if I turn of WiFi and Bluetooth the Symbol will be there.
Are you certain its not picking up any AirPlay device?
If nothing works, you can uncheck the option and the icon should go away permanently.
Beyond that, what's wrong with having the icon there?
YouTube is responsible for that icon, not Apple. Contact Google for support.
Airplay Symbol always visible
