The basic functionality of Airfoil is fairly straightforward. However, some more advanced features exist, and they're detailed on this page.

Menu Bar Mode

Airfoil's Display Setting

If you like, Airfoil can run exclusively in your menu bar, with no icon in the Dock or application switcher. To adjust how Airfoil displays, open the Settings. From there, you can opt to have Airfoil appear in the menu bar, in the Dock, or in both.

Airfoil's Global Menu

When you opt to show Airfoil in the menu bar, Airfoil's global menu will provide access to its settings from any application. By default, you'll see the icon for the global Airfoil menu in the upper right of your screen:

Airfoil's Global Menu Bar Icon

Clicking this icon gives you access to Airfoil's most important functions no matter what application you're currently using.

Airfoil's Global Menu in Action

As you can see, the menu also shows information on what's currently being transmitted by Airfoil. Use the global menu to adjust and control Airfoil from anywhere on your Mac.

Advanced Speaker Options

The Advanced Speaker Options window can be accessed from the Speakers menu.

Airfoil's “Advanced Speaker Options” Window

Most users will not need this window, and are advised to leave it in its default configuration. However, it will prove useful for some users with advanced needs.

Hiding Speakers

Using the Hide Speaker checkbox, you can prevent an output from appearing in Airfoil's main window. This is useful if you regularly connect to a shared network which contains device you don't control. Simply turn that checkbox on, and they will no longer clutter up the main output list.

Adjusting Sync

Airfoil automatically keeps all outputs completely in sync, delaying audio to match all devices to the highest latency device. However, there may be rare situations where you wish to adjust this. For example, if an output is connected to a receiver which adds its own latency, you may wish to reduce the latency Airfoil applies slightly. It must be stressed that most users will not need to adjust this. It is generally advised to leave the Sync sliders in the default positions.

Statistics

The Advanced Speaker Options window also displays statistics for the current audio transmission to each active output. These can be useful for debugging problems. If you see a high attempted recovery number, or a high percentage, Airfoil is having difficulty reaching that device. This occurs when there's an issue on the network itself, and you may need to move your wi-fi router, or add extenders.

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