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

iPhone Mirroring is one of the standout features of macOS Sequoia and allows you to access your iPhone and its notifications from your Mac. Here's how to set up iPhone Mirroring to mirror your iPhone screen to your Mac!

Table of Contents

• Requirements for iPhone Mirroring
• Set up iPhone Mirroring
• Navigate iPhone on Mac
• What is iPhone Mirroring used for?

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.

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 introductory information window. Read it, click Continue , and you'll be prompted to unlock your phone.

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.

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 .

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.

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 .

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.

• Swipe between Home screen pages by swiping with two fingers on the trackpad.
• Swipe up with two fingers on the Home screen to access Spotlight search — or press Command + 3 on your keyboard.
• 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.
• 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.
• You can also type using your Mac keyboard; there's no way to open the iOS keyboard.
• 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.
• Some Mac shortcuts like Command + C (copy) and Command + V (paste) work while mirroring your iPhone.

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

What is iPhone Mirroring used for?

The main reason iPhone Mirroring was created was convenience. Honestly, there aren't many novel features that you can take advantage of. However, it has become an important part of many people's workflow for the following reasons:

• Larger Phone Screen : If you make the iPhone Mirroring window larger, you can essentially have a larger screen to view iPhone apps. This makes typing in the Journal app much better.
• Reduced Distractions : Phones can be very distracting, and picking up your phone in the middle of a work session can kill your motivation and completely distract you. However, the problem is that you may still need to use your phone to get work done. iPhone Mirroring eliminates the muscle memory that takes you to TikTok or YouTube as soon as you pick up your phone.
• Accessing iPhone apps : While most apps have desktop versions or alternative websites, some look better on phones. For example, Instagram has more upload options in its mobile app than on its website, making iPhone Mirroring a great option for content creators.

iPhone Mirroring bridges the gap between your iPhone and your Mac, providing a seamless way to manage your phone’s apps and notifications from your computer. Hopefully, setting up and customizing iPhone Mirroring on your Mac was easy. Don’t forget that iPhone Mirroring is just one of the many valuable features macOS Sequoia brings.