---
title: "AirExtend use cases: glasses, night films, many phones"
description: "What AirExtend by 278labs is for: smart glasses and earbuds on a Mac, quiet night films, a phone as the Mac’s mic, many phones in sync, silent TVs and venues."
url: https://airextend.278labs.co.uk/use-cases/
language: en
---

AirExtend · by [278labs](https://278labs.co.uk/)

# What AirExtend is for.

Short scenarios, from smart glasses on a Mac to a silent TV in a gym. Each one works on your own Wi-Fi, with no cloud and no account.

[AirExtend home](https://airextend.278labs.co.uk/) [For conferences](https://airextend.278labs.co.uk/conferences/)

## Headsets, glasses and earbuds

## Home and night

## Work and study

## Venues, shops and events

## Questions

### The sound is choppy on a weak Wi-Fi network. What helps?

On the listener’s page choose Low data (AAC, 128 kb/s) or WebRTC (Opus), which survives lost packets and adapts to the link. Move closer to the router or use USB tethering if you can. Music mode adds a bigger buffer when delay does not matter.

### How do I connect Ray-Ban Meta glasses to a MacBook without disconnecting them from my iPhone?

Leave the glasses paired with the iPhone and install AirExtend on the Mac. In Communicator mode the iPhone plays the Mac’s sound and passes it on to the glasses. The Mac never pairs with the glasses. Bluetooth adds about 120 to 250 ms, which suits music, calls and podcasts; for video, enter that delay in Broadcast mode or watch the Mac’s screen on the phone.

### Can AirPods work with a Mac and an iPhone at the same time?

Yes through AirExtend. The AirPods stay connected to the iPhone, and the iPhone plays the Mac’s sound over Wi-Fi. The phone’s microphone comes back to the Mac as AirExtend Mic.

### How can I watch a film at night without waking anyone?

Play it on the Mac and listen on headphones through a phone, with wired earphones for the lowest delay. Or send the Mac’s screen to the phone: picture and sound are kept in step there. The Mac’s speakers stay off.

### Can I use my phone as a microphone for the Mac?

Yes. In Communicator mode the phone’s microphone appears on the Mac as an input called AirExtend Mic. Pick it in any app that records or calls.

### Can I play my Mac’s sound on several phones at once, in sync?

Yes. Broadcast mode adds one shared delay of 0.3 to 60 seconds, and every phone, tablet and TV plays the same moment. Auto-sync measures each device with the Mac’s microphone and corrects it.

### Does it work on Android, Windows and smart TVs?

Any current browser can play the Mac’s sound and show its screen, including Android, Windows and TV browsers. Android TV and LG webOS apps are being tested and need the next Mac update.

### Does it work without internet?

Yes. Everything stays on the local network. A router without internet, a phone hotspot or USB tethering is enough.

### Is it an AirPlay alternative?

It does a different job: AirPlay sends sound to one speaker or TV, while AirExtend sends it to any number of phones, tablets, TVs and browsers, in sync if you want, and brings the phone’s microphone back.

### Is there a delay with Bluetooth headphones?

Bluetooth adds 120 to 250 ms of its own, which no app can remove. AirExtend adds about 20 ms in Communicator mode. In Broadcast mode you can enter the Bluetooth delay for that device so that it lines up with the others.

AirExtend is an independent app by 278labs. It is not made, sponsored or endorsed by Apple, Meta, EssilorLuxottica, Ray-Ban, LG, Google or any other brand named here. Names are used only to say what works with what. Apple, Mac, MacBook, iPhone, iPad, AirPods and AirPlay are trademarks of Apple Inc.; Ray-Ban and Meta are trademarks of their owners; webOS and LG are trademarks of LG Electronics.