The Rogue Streaming Destination
Modern versions of macOS include a feature called “AirPlay Receiver,” which allows your Mac to act exactly like an Apple TV or a HomePod. When enabled, anyone on the same Wi-Fi network (or even nearby, depending on your settings) can mirror their iPhone screen or cast audio directly to your Mac’s display and speakers. While useful for presentations in a conference room, it is a massive security and privacy annoyance in a shared household, an office, or a dorm room, as strangers or pranksters can suddenly hijack your Mac’s screen with unwanted content.
Revoking the Receiver Privileges
To ensure your Mac remains a private workstation and does not broadcast itself as an available casting destination to every iPhone in the building, you must completely disable the AirPlay Receiver service in the system settings.
Open the System Settings application by clicking the Apple logo in the top-left corner of your screen. Scroll down the left-hand navigation pane and select General. In the right-hand pane, click on AirDrop & Handoff. Locate the section dedicated to AirPlay. You will see a master toggle switch labelled AirPlay Receiver. Click this toggle to turn it completely Off. The change is immediate. Your Mac will instantly vanish from the AirPlay menu on all surrounding iOS and iPadOS devices, completely eliminating the risk of rogue casting while still allowing you to cast from your Mac to an actual Apple TV.