How to Set Up iPhone Mirroring to Mirror Your iPhone Screen to Your Mac

Here's how to set up iPhone Mirroring to mirror your iPhone screen to your Mac!

Requirements for iPhone Mirroring

Fortunately, iPhone Mirroring works on all iPhones that support iOS 18. However, not all Macs that can run macOS Sequoia support iPhone Mirroring. The 2019 iMac doesn't have the T2 security chip, so it doesn't have this feature.

If you have any other Macs, you can update them. Also, make sure you're signed in to both devices with the same Apple account.

Set up iPhone Mirroring

To set up iPhone Mirroring, simply click the iPhone icon in your Mac's Dock. If you don't see it there, use Spotlight search ( Command + Space ) to find and open the iPhone Mirroring app. But there are a few things you should make sure of before you can use iPhone Mirroring.

First, your iPhone must be near your Mac and locked for you to use iPhone Mirroring. If that still doesn't work, make sure you don't have a VPN turned on and that your iPhone or Mac isn't sharing its cellular or Internet connection (hotspot) or using AirPlay, Sidecar, or Continuity Camera.

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Note : You can't use your iPhone with your Mac in any other way when using iPhone Mirroring. It won't continue to function as a webcam or microphone, and it will stop playing music if you're playing music from your iPhone speakers.

The first time you open iPhone Mirroring, you'll see Apple's introduction window. Read it, click Continue , and you'll be prompted to unlock your phone.

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After unlocking your phone, you'll be asked if you want to allow notifications from your iPhone. You can select Don't Allow or Allow , depending on your preference.

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You can change this option later from your Mac by going to System Settings > Notifications > Allow notifications from iPhone and turning it off. Alternatively, you can go to the iPhone Settings app , tap Notifications , select the individual app, and turn off Show on Mac .

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Next, click Get Started and enter your Mac password or use Touch ID. After the loading screen, you'll be asked if you want to enter your user password or Touch ID every time you use iPhone Mirroring or if you want to authenticate automatically.

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This can save you an extra step if you plan to use iPhone Mirroring frequently, but it comes at the cost of a lower level of security. You can change this setting later by clicking iPhone Mirroring in the menu bar (while in the iPhone Mirroring window) and selecting Settings .

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Finally, you should set the window to a size that feels comfortable to you. While the iPhone Mirroring window is open, click View in the menu bar and choose between three preset settings: Larger , Actual Size , and Smaller .

Navigate iPhone on Mac

Now that you're all set up and ready to go, you can interact intuitively with your iPhone's windows on your Mac. If you're using a third-party mouse, you'll need to replace it with a Magic Mouse or Magic Trackpad, as most of the gestures are designed to work with them.

1. Swipe between Home screen pages by swiping with two fingers on the trackpad.
2. Swipe up with two fingers on the Home screen to access Spotlight search — or press Command + 3 on your keyboard.
3. Click the grid icon in the upper-right corner of the iPhone Mirroring window to return to the home page from any app — or click the Home Bar at the bottom — or press Command + 1 on your keyboard.
4. Click the App Switcher icon in the upper-right corner of the window to access the App Switcher. Alternatively, you can press Command + 2 on your keyboard.
5. You can also type using your Mac keyboard; there's no way to open the iOS keyboard.
6. Control-clicking (or right-clicking) will bring up the context menu while in iPhone Mirroring mode the same way as pressing and holding the phone.
7. Some Mac shortcuts like Command + C (copy) and Command + V (paste) work while mirroring your iPhone.

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Note : Although you can interact with videos and media fine, you cannot access your iPhone's microphone or camera while in iPhone Mirroring mode.

David Pac

Update 27 September 2024