With macOS Sequoia and iOS 18, Apple has given you a convenient new way to move between devices on your desktop. iPhone mirroring displays your phone’s screen on your computer. You can also operate using the mouse and keyboard. Here’s how to set up iPhone mirroring and get the most out of it.
requirements
First of all, there are some conditions for iPhone mirroring. Works only with Apple Silicon Macs (late 2020 and later) or Intel-based models with the Apple T2 security chip (2018-2020). Of course, to use this feature you first need to install macOS Sequoia. Works with any iPhone running iOS 18.
This feature only works when your iPhone is locked (not when it’s charging or on standby). If you unlock your iPhone while using iPhone Mirroring, the feature will be temporarily disconnected.
Both devices must have Wi-Fi and Bluetooth turned on, and each must be signed with an Apple account. Your account must have two-factor authentication (using a trusted device or phone number) activated. This feature won’t work if your phone’s personal hotspot is active or if you use AirPlay, Sidecar, or Internet Sharing on your Mac.
How to set up iPhone mirroring
Screenshot by Will Shanklin for Engadget
Open the iPhone Mirroring app on your Mac. It should already be in your Dock (see screenshot above), but it’s also in your Applications folder.
The app starts with a welcome screen. Tap Continue and follow the prompts to unlock your iPhone.
Next, accept your iPhone notifications on your Mac. This feature displays handset alerts in your Mac’s Notification Center. (Clicking an iOS alert on Mac opens the corresponding app in the iPhone Mirroring app.) iPhone notifications on Mac work even when the iPhone Mirroring app is closed or inactive, or when your phone is not nearby I will.
Once you accept the notification, you’ll see a final screen confirming that your iPhone mirroring is ready. Click the “Get Started” button to get started. Once loaded, you will see your iPhone screen.
Using iPhone mirroring
First, you can resize the iPhone mirroring app. Apple only offers three options: actual size, small size, and large size. You can change it using keyboard shortcuts: Make it bigger (Cmd +), Actual size (Cmd 0), Make it smaller (Cmd -). You can also resize windows in the View section of your Mac’s menu bar. You can’t resize it here (as with other macOS apps) by dragging the edges of the window.
In most cases, controlling your virtual iPhone on your Mac is as simple as mimicking normal touch gestures on your trackpad and typing in text fields using your Mac’s keyboard.
Screenshot by Will Shanklin for Engadget
Swipe-based gestures in Home, App Switcher, and Control Center don’t work on Mac, but shortcuts are available. When you move your pointer to the top of the iPhone mirroring window, a new area appears with buttons for the iOS home screen (left) and app switcher (right). (See screenshot above.) In this area, you can also click and hold the app and drag it to reposition it.
You can also go to the home screen by clicking the horizontal bar at the bottom of the app’s window or using the Cmd 1 keyboard shortcut. Additionally, Cmd 2 activates App Switcher and Cmd 3 triggers Spotlight search. Or, swipe down with two fingers on your Mac’s trackpad from your iPhone’s home screen (inside the Mac app) to display Spotlight.
There is no way to activate iOS Control Center from your Mac. Also, while you can’t manually change the orientation of your virtual iPhone screen, it will automatically rotate when you launch a game that starts in landscape mode by default.
Screenshot by Will Shanklin for Engadget
While using this feature, audio from your iPhone will play on your Mac. Some iPhone videos will also play in the iPhone mirroring window. However, copyrighted content is sometimes restricted, so some videos can only be viewed in a compatible macOS app or desktop browser window.
Apple’s Universal Clipboard comes in handy when using iPhone mirroring. You can copy what you copy to your virtual iPhone and paste it to your Mac, and vice versa. While using iPhone Mirroring, you can also use AirDrop to transfer files between the two devices.
iPhone mirroring will time out if you don’t use your virtual phone for a while. The same is true if you move the handset away from the computer. If it times out, follow the app’s prompts to reconnect.
iPhone mirroring login settings
Screenshot by Will Shanklin for Engadget
You can choose whether to require authentication every time you use iPhone Mirroring. In the Mac app, select (iPhone Mirroring) > (Settings) in the menu bar (or type Cmd space) to display the barebones settings screen.
You can select “Ask me every time” or “Authenticate automatically”. The former requires a Mac login password, Touch ID, or Apple Watch verification to use a virtual iPhone on your desktop. The latter, on the other hand, automatically logs you into your phone without authenticating each time.
You can also reset access to your iPhone from this settings screen. This will remove the entire setup, so you’ll have to start the process from scratch the next time you open the iPhone Mirroring app.
If you have multiple iPhones associated with your Apple account, you can choose which one to use for iPhone mirroring in Settings > Desktop & Dock on your Mac. If this applies to you, you’ll see an option in the “Use iPhone widgets” section. (If you only have one iPhone in your Apple account, you won’t see this option.)
For more information on Apple’s latest models, check out Engadget’s reviews of the iPhone 16 and 16 Pro series phones and the latest MacBooks.
