Playbeam

Almost always one of these, in order of likelihood:

• The phone is on a guest network, or your router has client isolation (sometimes “AP isolation”) switched on. That setting exists to stop devices seeing each other, which is exactly what Playbeam needs. Put both devices on the main network, or turn the setting off in your router.
• A VPN is on, on the phone or the Mac. Most VPN profiles route everything away from your local network, so the other device becomes unreachable. Turn it off on both and reload.
• The macOS firewall prompt was dismissed. Open System Settings › Network › Firewall › Options and allow incoming connections for Playbeam.
• The two devices are on different networks — for example one on 5 GHz guest and one on a mesh extender that isolates clients.

No browser can play them — that is a limitation of MKV and AVI, not of Playbeam. You have two ways round it: open VLC, Infuse or your smart TV and find Playbeam under “Local Network”, where the file plays normally; or use the Download button on the watch page and open it in whatever player you like.

Video apps remember the list they last loaded from your Mac. Back out and open Playbeam again — in VLC, leave the folder and re-enter it; in Infuse, go back to the Add Files menu. The new video is there. Nothing needs restarting.

That’s how “Local Network” browsing works in every video app, with any media server: the list is only re-read when you open it, so a video swapped out on the Mac won’t appear in a list that’s already on screen.

And if you quit Playbeam while a share was running, its entry can sit in that list for up to half an hour before the app notices it’s gone. It clears itself.

If your Mac changed Wi‑Fi networks, Playbeam stops the share deliberately, so your video isn’t left being served on a network you just joined. Press Restart to share again on the new network.

If you haven’t unlocked yet, it may also be the free daily allowance running out — the popover says so, and it resets tomorrow.

While a share is running and “Discoverable on your network” is on, yes — anyone on that same network can find it in their video app and watch it. That is what makes it work without typing a link. On public or shared Wi‑Fi, turn that switch off in Settings, or simply stop the share when you’re done.

No. The video opens in the browser that’s already on the device. A video app like VLC or Infuse is only needed for MKV and AVI, which no browser can play.

Yes. Playbeam streams over your local network, not the internet, so it can’t send a video to someone in another building. The upside is that it works with no internet connection at all — the Wi‑Fi network on its own is enough.

No. It is served straight from your Mac to the other device. There is no cloud, no account, no tracking, and no data is collected. Nothing leaves your network.

Drop one or more .srt or .vtt files onto Playbeam along with the video. Each becomes a subtitle track named after its file, and you pick one from the player’s own captions menu.

Subtitles don’t travel over AirPlay: the AirPlay button sends the video file itself, and separate subtitle files aren’t part of it. Watch in the browser, or through “Local Network”, if you need them. Infuse is another exception — it doesn’t support subtitles over DLNA at all, so files opened through its “Local Network” list won’t show them. That’s a limitation on Infuse’s end, not Playbeam’s.

MP4, MOV and M4V, to an Apple TV or an AirPlay-compatible TV. Other formats don’t appear with an AirPlay button because macOS can’t send them — those reach a TV through “Local Network” in your TV or video app instead.

No. It is one payment and it never renews. Buy it once and it is yours.

Everything, for 10 minutes of sharing a day. The unlock removes that limit — it doesn’t add features. The free version exists so you can confirm Playbeam works on your own network and your own devices before spending anything.

Open Settings in Playbeam and click Restore Purchase. The unlock is tied to your Apple ID, and it supports Family Sharing.

Try the connection answers above first — most problems are the router or a VPN rather than the app, and they take a minute to fix. Those are your network’s settings, so I can’t fix them for you, but email me if something looks like an actual bug and I’ll look into it. Purchases are handled by Apple, so refunds are requested through them at reportaproblem.apple.com.