Apple’s much-anticipated iPhone Mirroring feature, unveiled at WWDC earlier this month, is now available in the developer Beta 2 of iOS 18 and macOS Sequoia. Here’s how to mirror and control your iPhone screen directly from your Mac.
What Is iPhone Mirroring in macOS Sequoia
As a Mac user, you might sometimes want to quickly check your iPhone’s notifications, see if you missed any calls, or simply glance at what’s happening on your phone. Perhaps there’s even an app you use on your iPhone that you wish was available on your Mac.
With macOS Sequoia’s new iPhone Mirroring feature, all of this is now possible. Here’s everything it lets you do:
- Wirelessly mirror your iPhone screen: See your iPhone’s screen with all apps and notifications on your Mac, just as they appear on the iPhone itself.
- Control your iPhone: Use your Mac’s keyboard, mouse, or trackpad to control your iPhone and navigate through apps and the interface.
- Drag and drop files: With iPhone Mirroring open on your Mac, drag and drop to transfer files, photos, videos, and more between your iPhone and Mac.
- Your iPhone stays locked: Your iPhone remains locked during mirroring and your data stays safe.
- Notifications: Your Mac will show notifications from your iPhone. When you click on them, your Mac can open them in the mirrored iPhone interface.
The iPhone Mirroring feature on iOS 18 is similar to cross-platform alternatives like MIUI+, Motorola’s Ready For, and Samsung’s Phone Link/DeX. But, it mainly focuses on tightening the integration between iPhone and Mac.
Screen mirroring is not the same as iPhone mirroring. On your iPhone, you will find a screen mirroring option that will simply mirror your iPhone’s screen onto your Mac. You can’t control your iPhone though. Also, iPhone Mirroring needs to be enabled from your Mac. Continue reading to learn how.
Before You Begin iPhone Mirroring
Here’s everything you need to enable iPhone mirroring on your Mac:
- Your iPhone needs to run iOS 18 (Developer Beta 2) or newer.
- Your Mac needs to be on macOS Sequoia (Developer Beta 2) or newer.
- You can use an Apple Silicon Mac or an Intel Mac with a T2 security chip.
- Keep the Mac and iPhone near each other and connected to the same Wi-Fi network.
- Enable Bluetooth on both devices.
- With two-factor authentication enabled, you’ll need to signed in to the same Apple ID on both devices.
If you iPhone and Mac are already in the Developer Beta program, get these updates automatically in Settings. However, if you haven’t installed the new OS yet, you can either wait till September 2024 for the public release or enroll in Apple’s Developer program to change your software update channel to the developer beta channel on both devices.
Use iPhone Mirroring on iOS 18 and macOS Sequoia
When your Mac restarts after updating to Developer Beta 2, you will automatically get the iPhone Mirroring app icon on the dock. Click on it start to start mirroring. Here are the steps in detail:
1. Launch the iPhone Mirroring app on your Mac from the dock, Launchpad, or Spotlight Search.
2. When the ‘Your iPhone on your Mac’ window appears on your Mac, click Continue.
3. Unlock your iPhone when a prompt appears on it.
4. Click Get Started on your Mac and enter your Mac password or authenticate using Touch ID.
5. When using the feature for the first time, the iPhone will ask you to authenticate with your Mac every time you use iPhone Mirroring or authenticate automatically. Choose Ask Every Time or Authenticate Automatically.
After that, your iPhone’s screen appear mirrored in a small window on your Mac.
Resizing the iPhone Mirroring Window
With macOS Sequoia (Developer Beta 4), you can adjust the size of the iPhone Mirroring window on your Mac. Turn on iPhone mirroring and after your iPhone connects, click the View option in the top menu bar. Then, select your preferred size from the context menu.
There are three size options available: actual size (matching your iPhone’s display), smaller, and larger. Unfortunately, you cannot drag the window to resize it manually. Here’s a snapshot of how all three sizes appear (from left to right, small to large):
Controlling Your iPhone From Mac
You can use your Mac’s trackpad, mouse, and keyboard to navigate and control your iPhone when using iPhone Mirroring. Tap to open apps, long-press to bring up the context menu, and swipe with two fingers left or right (or up and down) to switch between pages or screens.
If you hover mouse pointer over the top-right corner of the mirroring window, a bar will appear that you can drag to move the window. You’ll also find two buttons: Stack to return to the home screen (since the swipe gesture doesn’t work yet) and Tiled stack to open recent apps.
Alternatively, you can use keyboard shortcuts for quick navigation. These shortcuts are also available under the View option in the menu bar at the top.
- Home Screen: Command + 1
- App Switcher: Command + 2
- Spotlight: Command + 3
While mirroring is active, your iPhone will display the ‘iPhone in Use’ notification to prevent others from using your iPhone without your knowledge and to remind you that it’s being mirrored.
If you happen to unlock your iPhone and start using it again, iPhone mirroring will automatically end on your Mac. A message, ‘iPhone in Use – screen mirroring has ended due to iPhone in use’ will appear on your Mac. To reconnect, lock your iPhone and click Try Again on your Mac.
Use Cases for iPhone Mirroring
iPhone Mirroring is different from screen mirroring because it also lets you control the phone. You can quickly reply to messages using your Mac, watch Instagram Reels on a larger screen, and enjoy iPhone games without downloading them again, albeit with limited controls.
Your iPhone will automatically switch to landscape mode for games and video apps like watching YouTube in full-screen mode, Netflix, Prime Video, etc. However, you cannot manually force landscape orientation for apps.
It also makes working with documents, photos, and videos easier. Simply drag and drop them from your iPhone to your Mac. Then, you can edit them on your Mac and drop them back to your iPhone before you send them to others without even touching your iPhone.
You can view photos and videos from your iPhone directly on your Mac’s larger display. You also control YouTube Music or Spotify directly from your Mac while mirroring; just open the app in the mirrored window and you’re good to go.
Troubleshooting iPhone Mirroring
If you want to change the MacBook you’re mirroring to, or remove previously added devices, go to Settings > General > AirPlay & Handoff > iPhone Mirroring. You can choose a different Mac or remove existing ones. Ensure your Mac is running macOS Sonoma or later.
Similarly, your Mac will always send you iPhone notifications once paired, whether you’re actively using iPhone Mirroring or not. If you want to turn off notifications from your iPhone, go to Settings > Notifications > Allow Notifications from iPhone and toggle it to Off.
Things That Do Not Work in iPhone Mirroring Yet
Update: With the latest iOS 18 (Developer Beta 4) update, locked apps function seamlessly with iPhone Mirroring. On the Mac, you’ll be prompted to authenticate using your fingerprint when accessing these apps.
iOS 18 introduced the ability to lock apps with Face ID or Touch ID. However, this feature does not currently work with iPhone Mirroring on Mac. When attempting to open a locked app on your Mac via mirroring, it will require Face ID, which your Mac does not have. Unlocking your iPhone to attempt authentication will only pause the mirroring session.
Similarly, apps that rely solely on Face ID for authentication, such as the App Lock feature in WhatsApp, certain banking apps, or even downloading apps from the App Store, will not work with iPhone Mirroring.
Also, iPhone Mirroring on Mac does not allow access to the Control Center, Notification Center, or Siri on your iPhone.
Not only that, the mirroring session doesn’t let you wirelessly tether your iPhone’s camera to Mac. That means, opening the Camera app or using it in WhatsApp, Snapchat, or Instagram will show a black screen. Additionally, you cannot pick up VoIP calls from WhatsApp or Telegram, although regular phone calls and FaceTime still work due to existing Continuity feature support.
iPhone Mirroring: Beyond the Mirror
While iPhone Mirroring shows promise and is expected to improve with future updates, here are a few key areas we hoep to see when iOS 18 releases publicly to everyone:
- Face ID and locked app compatibility: Fixing the current limitations with Face ID authentication for locked apps would ensure a smoother experience (update: Apple has fixed it now).
- Game control customization: Allowing users to customize game controls to utilize their Mac’s keyboard and mouse (e.g., using WASD for movement in FPS games) would greatly enhance gaming.
- Camera integration: Allowing apps to use Mac’s front camera or iPhone’s lenses (similar to Continuity Camera) would let you take video calls from iPhone directly on your Mac.
- Improved gesture controls: Implementing intuitive gestures within the mirrored window (e.g., a three-finger swipe to go back or a four-finger pinch to return home) could make it easier to navigate. However, this would currently conflict with existing Mac gestures.
These refinements can make iPhone Mirroring one of the best features for iPhone and Mac users. What would you use screen mirroring the most for? Let us know in the comments.
