iOS 16 improves one of the most useful features, particularly if you are still sticking on an old Apple TV model. This ensures that you are no longer able to stream most content from your iPhone to your Apple TV. This only applies to the second and third-generation Apple TV models, which were released in 2010 and 2012.
This appears to be the majority of the DRM-restricted content, according to iCreate. This includes pretty much every streaming service, such as Netflix, Disney+, Apple TV+, Hulu, and others. This has been discussed among many Apple TV 2 and Apple TV 3 users on Reddit.
Notes on iCreate:
Another AirPlay feature remains compatible: synchronous playback. This allows you to display the image from your iPhone or iPad one on one on your television. However, as soon as you open a movie from a streaming service in this mode, the above error message will appear again. It appears to be a bug that only affects protected content (with DRM).
If you attempt to AirPlay a movie or television show from one of these services to an Apple TV 2 or Apple TV 3, youll be presented with a vague error message. Try again later. AirPlay still works with the Apple TV 2 and Apple TV 3, even with DRM-restricted content.
This is still the case for Apple with a future software update, but it is still present in iOS 16.0.3 this week. However, for Apple TV users, it is unlikely to a deliberate change that relates to stringent DRM restrictions.
Apple''s last software update for the Apple TV 3, which was Apple TV Software 7.9, was released on March 14 of this year (via Aaron).
In a similar vein, a number of Apple TV apps have dropped support, including YouTube, CBS All Access, Crunchyroll, and MLB At Bat. In fact, when these apps were discontinued, the businesses said to using AirPlay as a strategy. This is no longer possible thanks to iOS 16.
This is not a surprising change, given the 2012 and 2013 release dates. In fact, it''s shocking that support continued for this long in the first place. However, Apple sold the third-generation Apple TV until late 2016, resulting in it being sold for $69, making it an attractive option for people who desired an Apple TV without paying more than $200.
There are still a ton of Apple TV 3 in the wild, and they are often key parts of a user home theater setup. Losing a key feature like AirPlay, with no acknowledgment from Apple directly, is a major drawback for those users.
Are you still keeping an Apple TV 2 or Apple TV 3 on the verge of becoming a TV? If so, it might be time to upgrade. Fortunately, there are more options than ever to add an AirPlay-compatible TV the Roku Streaming Stick 4K with Amazon support for over $20.