How to use Home Sharing to Share Media Files With Other Macs or PCs

It can be very convenient to have access to all of your essential media files available on every device you own. There are several ways to accomplish this, but some are more difficult than others.

Home Sharing, the native remote sharing method for Mac, is a simple and fast way to share files with other computers on your Wi-Fi network. In this article, we’ll go over what Home Sharing is and how to set it up. You’ll also learn how you can use Home Sharing to share media files with other Macs or Windows PCs seamlessly.

What Exactly Is Home Sharing?

Home Sharing is Apple’s default method for transferring media files between devices linked to the same Wi-Fi network. It was first introduced in 2009 and has undergone numerous changes since then.

Home Sharing was originally part of iTunes, but after iTunes discontinued macOS Catalina, it was quietly stashed away in the System Preferences (now System Settings) panel.

You can use Home Sharing to easily share music, movies, and TV shows with other devices without using AirPlay. Before using the feature, consider the following prerequisites:

• You must update your Apple device. Ensure that iTunes for Windows is running at the most recent version on your PC.
• Your devices must all be linked to the same Wi-Fi network.
• The Apple IDs on your devices must match.

How Can I Set Up Home Sharing on a Mac or PC?

Home Sharing needs to be configured on your Mac or PC before you can use it. Here’s how to setup Home Sharing on a Mac for sharing files with other computers:

• Select  Apple menu > System Settings, then General in the sidebar.
• On the right, click Sharing
• Turn on Media Sharing and then tap the Info button
• Enter your Apple ID after choosing Home Sharing, and then tap Turn on Home Sharing.
• Use the same Apple ID on all computers and devices connected to your Home Sharing network..

Here’s how to setup Home Sharing on a PC for sharing files with other computers:

• Start up iTunes for Windows.
• Sign in with your Apple ID if you’re yet to sign in. Use the same Apple ID on all computers and devices connected to your Home Sharing network.
• Click on File > Home Sharing > Turn on Home Sharing from the menu bar at the iTunes window top.

How Can I Use Home Sharing to Share Media Files With Another Mac or PC?

It’s easy to use Home Sharing to share media files with another Mac or PC. You just need to ensure that the other devices are linked to the same Wi-Fi network, and also log in using the same Apple ID.

How to Share Media Files Using Home Sharing on a Mac

To access the media library and share files with Home Sharing on a Mac, follow these steps:

• Launch the Music app.
• Sign in with your Apple ID if you’re yet to sign in. Use the same Apple ID on all computers and devices connected to your Home Sharing network.
• Click Library in the sidebar.
• Navigate to the media library.
• By selecting thecheckbox next to Share media with guests, you can also share your media files with other people. It is important to note that they must be connected to the same Wi-Fi network as you for this to work.
• Your media libraries will now be visible on other Macs connected to the same Wi-Fi network.

How to Share Media Files Using Home Sharing on a PC

From one authorized computer to another, you can use Home Sharing to stream music, movies, and TV shows. Just make sure that iTunes for Windows or the Music app is open on all of your computers and that they are turned on and functional.

In the iTunes window’supper-left corner, click Music to access all of your shared libraries.

With the instructions in this guide, you can share your media files with other Macs and even Windows PCs using Apple’s native Home Sharing feature. You won’t need to use AirPlay or physically transfer the media files.

In conclusion, we hope this guide will help you use Home Sharing to share media files with another Mac or PC more effectively.