Mirror Apple devices to Windows 11 and 10: what works

Windows has no built-in AirPlay receiver, in Windows 11 or Windows 10. An iPhone, iPad or Mac therefore does not list a Windows PC in Screen Mirroring until a receiver app is running on it. With one installed, the PC behaves much like an Apple TV on your network.

What Windows has built in

Windows can receive a screen with Projecting to this PC, using the optional Wireless Display feature. That uses Miracast, which Windows laptops and many Android phones send. Apple devices send AirPlay instead, so they cannot use it. Microsoft documents the Wireless Display setup on its support site.

What a receiver app adds

An AirPlay receiver for Windows announces the PC on the local network as a screen mirroring target, then receives the screen and sound and shows them in a window. With Castpane:

iPhone and iPad use Screen Mirroring in Control Center.
Macs use Screen Mirroring in Control Center or the menu bar.
Sound plays through the PC, or you can use audio-only mode to turn the PC into a speaker.

Set it up

Install Castpane from the Microsoft Store and open it.
When Windows asks about network access, allow it on private networks.
Make sure the PC's network is set to Private: Settings, Network & internet, your Wi-Fi or Ethernet, then Private network. On a Public network Windows blocks the traffic that devices use to find the PC.
Put the iPhone, iPad or Mac on the same network and open Screen Mirroring. The PC appears under its Castpane name.

Step by step guides: iPhone, iPad. On Mac, if the PC is missing on office or school Wi-Fi, the free Castpane Link helper fixes the common one-way case.

What works and what does not

Use	With Castpane on Windows
Screen Mirroring from iPhone, iPad and Mac	Works, with sound
Music and other audio	Works, also in audio-only mode
The AirPlay button inside the YouTube app	Being tested, not promised yet
Netflix, Disney+, the Apple TV app	Does not work on any third-party receiver (why)
Hotel and guest Wi-Fi with client isolation	Blocked by the network; use a phone hotspot

Choosing a receiver

Several AirPlay receivers exist for Windows, with very different price models: yearly subscriptions, one-time licences, time-limited trials and free versions with limits. Some also receive Google Cast and Miracast. Compare the main ones before you pay for anything.

Is it safe?

Mirroring stays on your local network: the picture goes from your device straight to the PC. Castpane only opens its firewall rules on private networks, so it stays invisible on café and airport Wi-Fi, and it has no account and no analytics. Details are in the privacy policy.

Questions

Does Windows 11 support AirPlay?

Not on its own. Windows 11 can receive Miracast through Projecting to this PC, but not AirPlay. A receiver app such as Castpane adds it.

Can I AirPlay from my iPhone to my laptop?

Yes, if the laptop runs Windows 10 or 11 with a receiver app and both are on the same network. Then pick the laptop in Screen Mirroring on the iPhone.

Last updated October 16, 2026. Still stuck? Contact support.