In short: Make sure all devices are running the latest software, connected to the same Wi-Fi network, and are signed in with the same Apple ID. If Home Sharing is still not working, restart all your devices including your router.
Home Sharing is a helpful feature on the Apple Music app and Apple TV app where you can share, stream, and import media from up to five computers to other devices.
However, many people, myself included, often find the Apple Music Home Sharing not working. If you’re dealing with the same issue, take the time to do these troubleshooting steps.
Update all of your Apple devices to the latest versions
For Home Sharing to be able to share media from your computer to your other devices, all of your devices and your computer must be running the latest software versions.
Update all of your Apple devices to the latest versions of iOS, iPadOS, macOS, and tvOS. On your PC, make sure that you have the latest version of iTunes for Windows.
If one or more of your devices isn’t running the latest software version, then Apple Music Home Sharing won’t work and you won’t be able to share, stream, and import media.
It’s a good habit to keep the software of your devices up to date. Software updates come with bug fixes and many improvements that keep apps working as well as they should.
Connect all of your devices to the same Wi-Fi network
For Home Sharing to work, all of your devices must be on the same Wi-Fi network. If your MacBook is on one Wi-Fi network and your Apple TV is on another, for example, it won’t work.
Connect all of your devices to the same Wi-Fi or Ethernet network. Double-check and make sure not even one of your devices is connected to a different network.
Modern routers also offer 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz network bands, so you might see two Wi-Fi network names that have similar names, like Robert and Robert_5G, for example.
If everything is on the same Wi-Fi network, make sure none of your devices are connected to a VPN, which might interrupt the device’s ability to communicate with another device.
Make sure your devices are using the same Apple ID
Many people don’t realize it, but some of their Apple devices are not signed into their primary Apple ID. This is the biggest reason why Apple Music Home Sharing is not working.
To resolve your issue, make sure that all of your Apple devices are signed in with the same Apple ID. Your devices should also be authorized to play purchases using that Apple ID.
If you are currently signed into the same account, then let’s sign out and back in on all of your Apple devices before turning on Home Sharing and setting it back up.
You can’t use more than five computers
A maximum of five computers that are connected to the same Wi-Fi network can use Home Sharing (share, stream, and import media) at one time.
If this limit has been reached, you can choose to deauthorize one or more computers by choosing Deauthorize This Computer from the Apple Music app or Apple TV app.
Open the Apple Music app or Apple TV app. In the menu bar, navigate to Account > Authorizations, then choose the Deauthorize This Computer option.
You’ll be prompted to sign in with your Apple ID and password. Then, click on Deauthorize. Once less than five computers are connected to Home Sharing, you can add more.
Last resort: Reset your Apple devices
If you’ve done everything but Apple Music Home Sharing is still not working, then reset all of your Apple devices and everything should be up and running.
I spent almost two hours on the phone with Apple Support, who were absolutely amazing and extremely patient. At their suggestion or on my own, I tried everything.
This included turning off Home Sharing and on again, signing out of my Apple ID then signing in again, rebooting my Apple TV, uninstalling the VPN, and restarting my Wi-Fi router.
None of that worked. So, one suggestion that the Apple Support folks made, but we didn’t get to try before I had to go, was to reset my devices (my Apple TV, in particular).
After we hung up, I immediately restarted my Apple TV, and guess what – success. The weird thing is that resetting one Apple TV fixed the problem on all of my Apple TVs. Go figure.
If you’re dealing with the same problem, I recommend restarting every device that is using Home Sharing. Chances are, it should solve the issue and get Home Sharing working again.
Related articles: