Use iPhone as a speaker for AppleTV

Need a Username

My Bluetooth headphones are bursted and I need headphones for my AppleTV.

Is it possible to use an iPhone as speaker for the AppleTV and plug headphones in that way?

I have googled and can’t find anything about it and Apple support are no help - no matter how many times I tell them I want to get the audio FROM the AppleTV they just keep blabbing about streaming TO an AppleTV

Gregor Samsa

No, you can't do that.

Edit: Just to get technical, the Bluetooth profile that allows audio streaming is called Advanced Audio Distribution Profile (A2DP). A2DP has a source and a recipient. The iPhone is only set up to be the source, and so can't receive Bluetooth audio via A2DP.

Here's what Apple's developer article says regarding A2DP on iOS (and tvOS, watchOS, etc):

"A2DP is a stereo, output-only profile intended for higher bandwidth audio use cases, such as music playback."

https://developer.apple.com/documentation/avfaudio/avaudiosessioncategoryoptions/avaudiosessioncategoryoptionallowbluetootha2dp


Regarding AirPlay, the AppleTV can't use an iPhone (or an iPad or a Mac) as a destination.

Need a Username

Gregor Samsa wrote: »

No, you can't do that.

Edit: Just to get technical, the Bluetooth profile that allows audio streaming is called Advanced Audio Distribution Profile (A2DP). A2DP has a source and a recipient. The iPhone is only set up to be the source, and so can't receive Bluetooth audio via A2DP.

Here's what Apple's developer article says regarding A2DP on iOS (and tvOS, watchOS, etc):

"A2DP is a stereo, output-only profile intended for higher bandwidth audio use cases, such as music playback."

https://developer.apple.com/documentation/avfaudio/avaudiosessioncategoryoptions/avaudiosessioncategoryoptionallowbluetootha2dp


Regarding AirPlay, the AppleTV can't use an iPhone (or an iPad or a Mac) as a destination.

I figured I was having mad notions but had to ask to be sure.

Cheers.

Gregor Samsa

It's not a mad idea. Windows 10 can let you broadcast audio from your phone or other device to a PC and then output from speakers attached to it.

https://www.windowslatest.com/2020/06/08/enable-and-use-windows-10-bluetooth-a2dp-sink/

Just Apple don't facilitate it.