Apple Delays iOS 17's AirPlay in Hotel Room Feature Until 2024

Apple today updated the iOS 17 page on its website to indicate that its AirPlay feature for hotel room TVs has been delayed until next year.

airplay hotels
Apple originally said the feature was "coming later this year," but it now says it will be "coming in an update in 2024." Apple did not provide a more specific timeframe, but the feature should be added in an iOS 17 update in the first half of next year.

The feature will allow iPhone users to scan a QR code on their hotel room TV to establish an AirPlay connection, allowing them to wirelessly stream videos, photos, and music from their iPhone to the TV. Google already offers a similar feature on some hotel TVs, allowing guests to stream content from their smartphone via Chromecast.

Apple in June said Holiday Inn owner IHG Hotels & Resorts would be one of the first hotel companies to adopt the feature, while LG announced that it would be one of the first hotel room TV manufacturers to support the feature.

Related Roundups: iOS 17, iPadOS 17
Tag: AirPlay
Related Forums: iOS 17, iPadOS 17

Top Rated Comments

theguy56 Avatar
20 weeks ago
I figured this feature would have been a successful as the “gym equipment integrated with the health app” from years past. Years later and I have yet to see it.

Apple assumes big time that entire industries will integrate with them quickly and it’s almost never the case.
Score: 15 Votes (Like | Disagree)
dontwalkhand Avatar
20 weeks ago

Hah. Not a million years will I ever count on this feature being available at a hotel I'm staying at.

If I need Airplay in a hotel I'm bringing an Apple TV and an HDMI cable.
Just bring an HDMI to USB-C/Lightning adapter and play stuff directly from the phone. One less device to carry that way.
Score: 14 Votes (Like | Disagree)
kc9hzn Avatar
20 weeks ago
This seems like one of those GymKit type features that’ll notionally exist but that I forget that they exist since it depends on other businesses’ choices and not mine. I don’t see myself choosing a hotel based on “does it support AirPlay in Hotel Room” the same way I might choose a car based on its CarPlay support.
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
zorinlynx Avatar
20 weeks ago
Hah. Not a million years will I ever count on this feature being available at a hotel I'm staying at.

If I need Airplay in a hotel I'm bringing an Apple TV and an HDMI cable.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
flexwithmarius Avatar
20 weeks ago

I didn't know this would be a feature. It's actually going to be quite complicated to implement, because there are a lot of issues. Some obvious ones:
[LIST=1]
* will the connection be wifi direct? It'll have to be, to be secure. You don't want TVs on the guest-accessible network.
* will the TV also be connected to an internal hotel network?
* what kind of telemetry/logging will be available?
* if something goes wrong, what can the front desk do about it?

If it's not wifi direct and some sort of airdrop-type thing, well, that'll be harder for the OEM to implement.

But it's a good idea. I've been to a number of hotels where someone else's crews are in Netflix etc.
Usually the TVs in guest rooms are just monitors. They have an IP-based media box that connects to a head unit in the server room and property management system, enabling ordering room service, putting your name on the TV, etc.

I think, IIRC, an AC Hotel (Marriott) I stayed at had AirPlay in the room and it had you connect to a special wifi network. It was unique to your room and disappeared when the AirPlay session was ended.

I’d assume those media boxes have their own in-built diagnostics for IT to troubleshoot. And all of that IT work is usually contracted out, not done by hotel staff.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
mannyvel Avatar
20 weeks ago
I didn't know this would be a feature. It's actually going to be quite complicated to implement, because there are a lot of issues. Some obvious ones:
[LIST=1]
* will the connection be wifi direct? It'll have to be, to be secure. You don't want TVs on the guest-accessible network.
* will the TV also be connected to an internal hotel network?
* what kind of telemetry/logging will be available?
* if something goes wrong, what can the front desk do about it?

If it's not wifi direct and some sort of airdrop-type thing, well, that'll be harder for the OEM to implement.

But it's a good idea. I've been to a number of hotels where someone else's crews are in Netflix etc.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

iOS 18 Apple Music Messages and Notes Feature 1

iOS 18 Rumored to Add New Features to These 15 Apps on Your iPhone

Tuesday April 30, 2024 10:44 am PDT by
Apple is expected to announce iOS 18 during its WWDC keynote on June 10, and new features have already been rumored for many apps, including Apple Music, Apple Maps, Calculator, Messages, Notes, Safari, and others. Below, we recap iOS 18 rumors on a per-app basis, based on reports from MacRumors, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, and others: Apple Maps: At least two new Apple Maps features are...
maxresdefault

Apple Event Rumors: iPad Pro With M4 Chip and New Apple Pencil With Haptic Feedback

Sunday April 28, 2024 6:19 am PDT by
In his Power On newsletter today, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman outlined some of the new products he expects Apple to announce at its "Let Loose" event on May 7. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. First, Gurman now believes there is a "strong possibility" that the upcoming iPad Pro models will be equipped with Apple's next-generation M4 chip, rather than the M3 chip that...
iPad Pro OLED Feature 2

Apple to Use 'Best OLED Panels on the Market' for Upcoming iPad Pro

Monday April 29, 2024 10:04 am PDT by
Apple's upcoming iPad Pro models will feature "by far the best OLED tablet panels on the market," according to Display Supply Chain Consultants. Set to be announced on May 7, the OLED iPad Pro models will feature LTPO (a more power efficient form of OLED), a 120Hz ProMotion refresh rate, and a tandem stack and glass thinning that will bring "ultra-thin and light displays" that support high...
iOS 18 General Notes Feature 2

iOS 18 Rumored to 'Overhaul' Notes, Mail, Photos, and Fitness Apps

Sunday April 28, 2024 6:44 am PDT by
Bloomberg's Mark Gurman today said that iOS 18 will "overhaul" many of Apple's built-in apps, including Notes, Mail, Photos, and Fitness. Gurman did not reveal any specific new features planned for these apps. It was previously rumored that the Notes app will gain support for displaying more math equations, and a built-in option to record voice memos, but this is the first time we have...
iPad Air 5 Colors

Apple's M1 iPad Air Drops to New Low Price of $399.99 at Best Buy

Monday April 29, 2024 7:12 am PDT by
Best Buy today has discounted Apple's M1 iPad Air (64GB Wi-Fi) to a new all-time low price of $399.99 in the Starlight color option, down from $599.99. Best Buy says this deal will last through the end of the day, and it's only available in one color at this record low price. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Best Buy. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a...
maxresdefault

Apple Announces 'Let Loose' Event on May 7 Amid Rumors of New iPads

Tuesday April 23, 2024 7:11 am PDT by
Apple has announced it will be holding a special event on Tuesday, May 7 at 7 a.m. Pacific Time (10 a.m. Eastern Time), with a live stream to be available on Apple.com and on YouTube as usual. The event invitation has a tagline of "Let Loose" and shows an artistic render of an Apple Pencil, suggesting that iPads will be a focus of the event. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more ...
ios 17 5 repair state

iOS 17.5 Includes 'Repair State' Option That Doesn't Require Turning Off Find My for Service

Tuesday April 30, 2024 1:24 pm PDT by
With iOS 17.5, Apple is adding a "Repair State" feature that is designed to allow an iPhone to be sent in for service without deactivating Find My and Activation Lock. The fourth iOS 17.5 beta that came out today adds a "Remove This Device" option for all devices in Find My, and using it with an iPhone puts that iPhone into the new Repair State. Right now, sending an iPhone to Apple to be...