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# AVRouting

Display custom destinations to stream media in the system route picker.

## Overview

Use the AVRouting framework to add third-party devices and protocols to <doc://com.apple.documentation/documentation/AVKit/AVRoutePickerView>. This enables a user to stream AV content through a third-party protocol using the same system menu as AirPlay.

When the user taps the view, the system presents a popover that lists the available media receivers. If your app’s bundle includes an extension with the <doc://com.apple.documentation/documentation/BundleResources/Entitlements/com.apple.developer.media-device-discovery-extension> entitlement, the system runs the extension and adds its associated third-party protocol to the picker, if the device resides nearby.

![A screenshot of a popover with a list of items. The top item is an iPad icon with a check mark to the right. Below that is the title Speakers and TVs with a list of six subitems. The first subitem says Third-party device, followed by AirPlay and Third-party protocol. The remaining subitems are Sunset Beach with an Apple TV icon on the left, Link with TV code with a globe icon on the left, and Show more. ](images/com.apple.avrouting/media-4084674@2x.png)

### Add a custom route to the system device-picker view

To indicate your app’s intent to search for a nearby third-party media receiver, set a custom routing controller ([`AVCustomRoutingController`](/documentation/AVRouting/AVCustomRoutingController)) on the view.

```swift
struct DevicePickerView: UIViewRepresentable {
    func makeUIView(context: Context) -> UIView {
        let routePickerView = AVRoutePickerView()
        routePickerView.delegate = context.coordinator
        routePickerView.customRoutingController = RouteManager.shared.customRoutingController
```

Next, let the view know which particular device your app intends to add. Each device requires a unique device discovery extension, which distinguishes itself through a uniform type identifier in its `Info.plist` file. Add a custom routing action ([`AVCustomRoutingActionItem`](/documentation/AVRouting/AVCustomRoutingActionItem)) with [`type`](/documentation/AVRouting/AVCustomRoutingActionItem/type) set to the identifier and pass the item to the controller’s [`customActionItems`](/documentation/AVRouting/AVCustomRoutingController/customActionItems).

```swift
func routePickerViewWillBeginPresentingRoutes(_ routePickerView: AVRoutePickerView) {
    if let type = UTType("com.example.apple-DataAccessDemo.menu") {
        let customRow1 = AVCustomRoutingActionItem()
        customRow1.type = type
        RouteManager.shared.customRoutingController?.customActionItems = [customRow1]
    }
}
```

If the extension finds the device at runtime, it passes the device to the system for display in the picker. See <doc://com.apple.documentation/documentation/DeviceDiscoveryExtension/discovering-a-third-party-media-streaming-device> for a complete sample code project that routes media through a custom protocol.

## Topics

### Media routing

[`AVCustomRoutingController`](/documentation/AVRouting/AVCustomRoutingController)

An object that manages the connection from a device to a destination.

[`AVCustomRoutingControllerDelegate`](/documentation/AVRouting/AVCustomRoutingControllerDelegate)

A protocol for delegates of a custom routing controller.

[`AVCustomRoutingEvent`](/documentation/AVRouting/AVCustomRoutingEvent)

An object that represents an event that occurs on a route.

[`AVCustomRoutingActionItem`](/documentation/AVRouting/AVCustomRoutingActionItem)

An object that represents a custom action item to display in a device route picker.

### Playback arbitration

[`AVRoutingPlaybackArbiter`](/documentation/AVRouting/AVRoutingPlaybackArbiter)

An object that manages playback routing preferences.

[`AVRoutingPlaybackParticipant`](/documentation/AVRouting/AVRoutingPlaybackParticipant)

A protocol for objects that participate in playback routing arbitration.


---

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