iPhone Mirroring in macOS Sequoia and iOS 18: Everything You Need to Know

[MacRumors]

Apple is expanding how its cross-platform Continuity features work in 2024, introducing an iPhone Mirroring option in macOS Sequoia and iOS 18. As the name suggests, iPhone Mirroring lets you control your iPhone with your Mac by mirroring your iPhone's display to your Mac's display. You can manage your iPhone from your Mac with iPhone Mirroring, using your mouse, keyboard, and trackpad with iPhone apps, notifications, and more.

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This guide walks through all of the iPhone Mirroring features and explains how it works.

iPhone Mirroring Basics

After upgrading to iOS 18 and macOS Sequoia, there's a new iPhone Mirroring app in the Dock, and that's how you start an iPhone Mirroring session.

1. From your Mac's Dock, click on the iPhone Mirroring app.
2. Click on Continue at the pop-up informational screen.
3. Select the iPhone that you want to use if you have more than one iPhone.
4. Unlock your iPhone with a passcode to allow the connection.
5. Click on Get Started.
6. Use Touch ID on the Mac to authenticate (alternatively, enter your password).

When you start up iPhone Mirroring for the first time, you can opt to have it require authentication with every connection or to allow a connection automatically. If you choose automatic authentication, you will not need to authenticate with Touch ID or a password to use iPhone Mirroring when your Mac is unlocked.

Otherwise, you will need to authenticate on your Mac each time you want to use iPhone Mirroring. Note that an iPhone needs to be locked while an iPhone Mirroring session is in progress, so you can't use your iPhone while it's being mirrored to your Mac.

If your iPhone is not locked and you attempt to initiate iPhone Mirroring from your Mac, you will get a warning that the iPhone is in use.

There is no option for launching an iPhone Mirroring session from an iPhone -- it needs to be done from a Mac. While the iPhone Mirroring app icon should be in the Dock, if it's not there, you can get to it from the Launchpad or the Applications folder, because it is treated as a standard app.

iPhone Mirroring Interface

Your full iPhone interface is shown as a dedicated app on the Mac, with your wallpaper and app icons all visible and accessible. You can click in to any of your apps and use it on the Mac just like you would on the iPhone.

You can get to your Home Screen by clicking on the bottom bar, and swap between pages with the trackpad or with a click and drag gesture using a mouse. There are menu options for getting to the Home Screen and for bringing up the app switching interface, but most control is done within the iPhone Mirroring window.

iPhone Mirroring Requirements

To use iPhone Mirroring, you need a Mac that runs macOS Sequoia and that has an Apple silicon chip (M1 or later) or a T2 security chip. Macs with T2 security chips are Intel-based and include the following machines:

• 2018 and later MacBook Pro
• 2020 iMac
• iMac Pro
• 2018 Mac mini
• 2019 Mac Pro

These Macs have Apple silicon chips:

• 2020 and later Mac mini
• 2020 and later MacBook Air
• 2021 and later iMac
• 2021 and later MacBook Pro (14 and 16 inch)
• 2020 13-inch MacBook Pro
• 2022 and later Mac Studio
• 2023 Mac Pro

Any iPhone that runs iOS 18 works with iPhone Mirroring.

• All iPhone 15 models
• All iPhone 14 models
• All iPhone 13 models
• All iPhone 12 models
• All iPhone 11 models
• iPhone XS and XS Max
• iPhone XR
• iPhone SE (2nd and 3rd gen)

Your iPhone and Mac need to be signed into the same Apple ID, and two-factor authentication must be enabled for the iPhone Mirroring feature to work. You will also need to turn on Bluetooth and Wi-Fi, and the two devices will need to be near each other.

During an iPhone Mirroring session, your Mac and your iPhone need to be close to one another, essentially in the same room.

Privacy and Security

You need to be signed into the same Apple ID on your iPhone and your Mac for iPhone Mirroring to work. While iPhone Mirroring is active, your iPhone does not need to be unlocked.

Your iPhone can remain tucked away in a pocket or a bag while you control it from your Mac, so no one can access it or see what you're doing with it. You do need to have your iPhone close enough to your Mac for there to be a Bluetooth connection, likely for security purposes.

Using a Mouse and Keyboard with iPhone

Your Mac's keyboard, trackpad, and mouse can be used with your iPhone, which is useful if you need to type something lengthy in an iPhone app.

Audio, Camera, and Microphone

If you play a video on your iPhone while iPhone Mirroring is enabled, the audio comes through your Mac. You can't turn on the Camera app or use the microphone, though.

iPhone Notifications on Mac

With iPhone Mirroring turned on, incoming iPhone notifications show up right alongside your Mac notifications in the Notification Center at the upper right hand corner of the Mac's display... Click here to read rest of article

Article Link: iPhone Mirroring in macOS Sequoia and iOS 18: Everything You Need to Know

 

[MrGimper]

2018 and later MacBook Pro (13 and 15 inch) AND 16

 

[kaishockz]

Does not work in EU !!!!!

 

[jz0309]

seems quite neat, wanted to try it our on my M1 MBA after installing the public beta of Sequoia only to learn that it requires an iPhone on ios18 ;(, which makes sense of course, I'm just not running a beta on my one and only iPhone .
So have to wait til Sep/Oct ...

 

[HudsonSteele]

Can the phone be turned to landscape? I have some iPhone only apps that only work on landscape?

 

[Capeto]

Juli, I gotta ask about your hard drive name.

 

[EllieCat]

How do you take a screenshot

Could this happen with the Apple Watch too in the future?

 

[pappkristof]

Does it work with iPadOS too?

 

[jsviper96]

I'm disappointed to hear this won't work while using Continuity Camera. Any indication that this limitation is part of it being a beta or that's just how it'll always be?

 

[pdaholic]

If you turn the phone to landscape, will it shift the mirroring to landscape? Most pdf’s on my phone are too difficult to read in portrait.

This sounds cool, but since most of my notifications come to my Mac and iPhone, and nearly all files can be synced through a cloud service, I am struggling to find a use case (for me).

 

[fwmireault]

I'm disappointed to hear this won't work while using Continuity Camera. Any indication that this limitation is part of it being a beta or that's just how it'll always be?

Craig Federighi hinted that Continuity Camera should work with iPhone mirroring in an interview post-WWDC. I'm unsure if he was misinformed or if that means that it is coming. I would be disappointed of this limitation

 

[dannyyankou]

I like this feature. The fact that you can get all your iPhone notifications on your Mac and click on one and go in the app is cool. My only complaint is it doesn't work with apps that require Face ID. I'm guessing they'll eventually have an "unlock with Apple Watch" option as a workaround.

 

[jole]

Have been using this feature constantly since upgrading my devices to public betas. Super useful — by itself warrants the upgrade.

Feeling sorry for Europe as this feature is not landing there for now.

 

[jole]

Awkward limitation: Does not work while mirroring the mac screen to Vision Pro. Would have been very useful there.

 

[basical]

I found no use for it, nor did I find any way to delete it - to disconnect. Screen size(window) can't be enlarged either.
No thanks.

 

[WestCoastCommodore]

What I don’t like about it is that the notifications from my phone continue to show up even when I’m not actively using the app. I haven’t found a way to disable that yet.

 

[jsviper96]

Craig Federighi hinted that Continuity Camera should work with iPhone mirroring in an interview post-WWDC. I'm unsure if he was misinformed or if that means that it is coming. I would be disappointed of this limitation

Oh interesting, thank you. Yeah, I have my iPhone mounted on my monitor during the day for video calls. It sure would be nice to have access to my iPhone apps for those tasks that aren't as easy to accomplish on my laptop.

 

[tim_apple]

Juli, I gotta ask about your hard drive name.

I think the cat is to blame!

 

[basical]

What I don’t like about it is that the notifications from my phone continue to show up even when I’m not actively using the app. I haven’t found a way to disable that yet.

It will switch it off whether you use the app or not.

 

[erihp]

"Privacy and Security

You need to be signed into the same Apple ID on your iPhone and your Mac for iPhone Mirroring to work. While iPhone Mirroring is active, you do not need to have your iPhone with you, and it does not need to be unlocked."


wow, really????

 

[robertosh]

Not for me. I have continuity disabled in all my devices, it helps me to focus and better control what I do which each device. I have different set of apps in each device, and even with different Apple ids. It seems that Apple wants us to be completely connected whatever we are doing, wherever we are, to do not miss any notification (From us!). Luckily I don’t have this hectic life any more.

 

[robertosh]

Ah, whatever is not available in Europe, probably is because privacy concerns so… enjoy!

 

[klasma]

Can the phone be turned to landscape?

Counterintuitively, you have to turn your Mac to portrait.

 

[victorvictoria]

Interesting from a hypothetical perspective. But I don't know what it could do for me.

 

[jclo]

2018 and later MacBook Pro (13 and 15 inch) AND 16

Good point, fixing that!

Can the phone be turned to landscape? I have some iPhone only apps that only work on landscape?

If there's an iPhone app that requires landscape, it will automatically go to landscape mode. So in YouTube for example, if I play a video and then expand it to take up the full screen, it will swap over to landscape mode. I can't manually put it in landscape mode, though.

Juli, I gotta ask about your hard drive name.

It was a name decided on by my cat.

How do you take a screenshot

Could this happen with the Apple Watch too in the future?

You can take a Mac screenshot of the iPhone on your Mac, but not an iPhone screenshot, as far as I'm aware.

Does it work with iPadOS too?

No, it's iPhone only.

I'm disappointed to hear this won't work while using Continuity Camera. Any indication that this limitation is part of it being a beta or that's just how it'll always be?

I'm not sure on this. When you try to use it with Continuity Camera on, it pops up an error message telling you that it doesn't work with it, so I'm not sure either way.

"Privacy and Security

You need to be signed into the same Apple ID on your iPhone and your Mac for iPhone Mirroring to work. While iPhone Mirroring is active, you do not need to have your iPhone with you, and it does not need to be unlocked."


wow, really????

This is bad wording on my part. Your iPhone doesn't need to be like on your person, but it does need to be nearby. Like in the same room. I'm going to update that.