Keep the Screen Mirroring icon in your Mac's menu bar

Why it happens

Screen Mirroring can be set to appear only while you're mirroring, or not at all, so it often seems to come and go. With Always Show, the icon stays in the menu bar and you can start mirroring to a TV or display with one click.

How to fix it

1. Choose Apple menu > System Settings and click Menu Bar in the sidebar.

2. Under Menu Bar Controls, tick Screen Mirroring.

   Menu Bar›Menu Bar Controls›Screen Mirroring

3. Open the pop-up menu next to it and choose Always Show. Show When Active only shows the icon while you're mirroring.

4. Click the Screen Mirroring icon at the top right of your screen. Nearby TVs and displays that can receive AirPlay appear in the list.

Still not fixed?

1. The icon is there but your TV isn't listed? Make sure the TV or Apple TV is switched on, awake and on the same Wi-Fi network as your Mac.

2. Don't want the icon at all? Screen Mirroring is always in Control Center too. Click Control Center at the top right of your screen to find it.

3. Ticked but not showing? On a MacBook with a camera notch, icons that don't fit are hidden. Hold Command and drag icons you don't need off the menu bar.

4. If your TV still doesn't appear after restarting both the TV and the Mac, check the TV's own AirPlay setting or contact its maker. If no AirPlay device ever shows on your Mac, contact Apple Support.