Earlier this year, Apple unveiled iPhone Mirroring, a feature available in macOS Sequoia. This innovative tool creates a mirrored view of your iPhone directly on your Mac’s desktop, allowing you to use your iPhone seamlessly without physically handling the device. With iPhone Mirroring, you can access iOS applications, send messages, adjust settings, and much more directly from your Mac.
Keep in mind that while using iPhone Mirroring, access to your iPhone’s camera and microphone is disabled. Attempting to open any app that requires these features will result in a notification indicating their unavailability. Additionally, you can only use one Continuity feature at a time; for instance, iPhone Mirroring and Continuity Camera cannot be activated simultaneously.
If you’re curious about how to effectively utilize iPhone Mirroring or want to discover tips and tricks for this excellent feature, you’re in the perfect place. This detailed guide will cover everything essential for mastering iPhone Mirroring, allowing you to maximize its potential in just a few minutes.
How to Set Up iPhone Mirroring
Setting up iPhone Mirroring is simple and primarily involves following a few prompts displayed on your Mac and iPhone.
Step 1: Open the iPhone Mirroring icon located in your Mac’s Dock, or find it in the Launchpad or Applications folder within Finder. In the window that shows up, click Continue.
Step 2: Unlock your iPhone. Back on your Mac, you’ll be prompted to enable notifications from your iPhone on your Mac. You can choose to allow or deny these notifications, and you can adjust this preference later through the System Settings app under Notifications > Allow notifications from iPhone.
Step 3: After making your notification choice, click Get Started.
Step 4: Enter your Mac’s password or use the Touch ID to unlock iPhone Mirroring on your Mac.
Step 5: Your Mac will ask you if you want to require your Mac’s passcode or Touch ID each time you log into iPhone Mirroring, or if you prefer automatic authentication when your Mac is already unlocked. This setting can be changed later via iPhone Mirroring in your Mac’s menu bar, selecting Settings.
Step 6: Your iPhone should now appear unlocked on your Mac’s desktop.
Step 7: If you pick up and unlock your physical iPhone, you’ll see a notification on your Mac indicating that the iPhone is in use, and iPhone Mirroring will pause until you lock your phone again.
Step 8: If you have multiple iPhones signed into your Apple Account, you can choose which one to mirror on your Mac. Open the System Settings app on your Mac, navigate to Desktop & Dock, and select your desired iPhone from the pop-up menu under Use iPhone widgets.
Using iPhone Apps on Your Mac via iPhone Mirroring
One of the key features of iPhone Mirroring is the ability to interact with iPhone applications on your Mac. Once you have iPhone Mirroring open and unlocked, you can use all your iPhone’s apps and settings just like you would on the actual device. Here’s how:
Step 1: With iPhone Mirroring unlocked, click on an app icon on your iPhone’s Home Screen. You can navigate through the app using gestures on your trackpad or by scrolling with your mouse’s scroll wheel.
Step 2: To interact with elements just as you would on iOS, simply click them in the iPhone Mirroring interface. For instance, tapping a button on a webpage in iOS requires a click in iPhone Mirroring. Similarly, if you long-press an item in iOS, you can hold the click in iPhone Mirroring or right-click if using a mouse.
Step 3: You can type in any text boxes or text-focused apps simply by using your Mac’s keyboard. This works across various apps, including Notes, Safari, and messaging apps like WhatsApp and X (formerly Twitter). Keyboard shortcuts are also supported, so you can copy and paste text using Command-C > Command-V.
Step 4: To return to your iPhone’s Home Screen, click the black bar at the bottom of the screen. Avoid dragging it up, as this mimics the iOS swipe gesture but won’t work in iPhone Mirroring. Alternatively, you can hover your mouse at the top of the iPhone Mirroring window and click the grid icon in the upper right corner (hovering over it reveals Home Screen). You can also use the Command-1 keyboard shortcut for this.
Step 5: Next to the Home Screen button is the App Switcher icon. Click this icon to view the iOS App Switcher, or use Command-2. You can navigate between apps using the trackpad or by clicking and dragging through the app windows with your mouse.
Step 6: There are multiple ways to open Spotlight in iPhone Mirroring. Click the Search box located at the bottom of your Home Screen, press Command-3 on your keyboard, swipe downward with two fingers on the iOS Home Screen, or scroll down using your mouse’s scroll wheel (though this last method can be a bit touchy).
Step 7: While using iPhone Mirroring, any audio from your iPhone is routed through your Mac’s speakers, and you can control the sound using your Mac’s volume controls.
Step 8: If you’re watching a video in landscape mode and click the full-screen button, the iPhone Mirroring app will automatically switch to landscape orientation for your video. Exiting full-screen mode will revert back to the standard orientation. This applies to landscape-oriented games and other apps as well.
Transferring Files Between Your iPhone and Mac with iPhone Mirroring
One of the standout features of iPhone Mirroring is its ability to facilitate seamless file transfers between your Mac and iPhone through simple drag-and-drop actions. This minimizes the need for complicated methods of sharing files between devices. You can drag items directly into applications (like a video editor’s timeline) or into storage applications like Files.
Step 1: To transfer a file from your Mac to your iPhone, first open the app in iPhone Mirroring that you wish to send the item to. Then, access a Finder window on your Mac where the file is located and drag the file from Finder to the open application in iPhone Mirroring. You will see a green plus (+) sign next to your cursor, indicating that the file can be added to the app.
Step 2: For transferring a file from your iPhone to your Mac, simply reverse the process. Open the file location in iPhone Mirroring, click and drag the item out of the iPhone Mirroring interface onto your Mac’s destination, be it the desktop, Finder window, or another application.
Adjusting and Resizing the iPhone Mirroring Window
The iPhone Mirroring application is not fixed in size; you can easily adjust its dimensions and position on your Mac’s desktop.
Step 1: Move the iPhone Mirroring window around your Mac’s desktop. When connected, simply position your mouse pointer above the iPhone Mirroring window, and you’ll see a bar with standard controls for closing or minimizing the app (note that full-screen mode is not available). Click and drag anywhere in this bar to reposition the iPhone Mirroring window. Alternatively, when paused or disconnected, you can click anywhere inside the window to move it.
Step 2: Resizing the iPhone Mirroring window is also possible, though options are somewhat limited. Select View from the menu bar, then choose either Larger or Smaller (or use Command along with the plus key or minus key). You can revert to the standard size by selecting Actual Size from the View menu or pressing Command-0.
Managing Notifications in iPhone Mirroring
Receiving notifications from your iOS device on your Mac allows you to manage alerts without switching devices. Notifications from your iPhone will appear in the top-right corner of your Mac’s display like standard macOS notifications, complete with an iPhone badge on the app icons for easy identification.
Step 1: After connecting iPhone Mirroring, you will start seeing iOS notifications on your Mac. If your iPhone is nearby, clicking on a notification will open the corresponding app in iPhone Mirroring.
Step 2: Once set up, you’ll continue to receive iOS notifications on your Mac, even if iPhone Mirroring isn’t actively being used.
Step 3: You can disable iOS notifications in a couple of ways. On your Mac, go to the System Settings app and navigate to Notifications > Allow notifications from iPhone, then toggle off Allow notifications from iPhone. Alternatively, you can disable notifications for individual apps listed below. To manage this on your iPhone, go to the Settings app, select Notifications, pick the app, and then turn off Allow Notifications to stop all notifications (this does so for both devices) or disable notifications from showing on your Mac by toggling off Show on Mac.
Disabling iPhone Mirroring
If you decide to turn off iPhone Mirroring, the process is quick and straightforward.
Step 1: On your iPhone, access the Settings app, then navigate to General > AirPlay & Continuity > iPhone Mirroring. Here, you can see which Macs are connected to your iPhone via iPhone Mirroring.
Step 2: To disconnect your iPhone from your Mac, either select Edit or swipe the Mac’s name from right to left, and then tap the red delete button followed by Delete.
Step 3: To reactivate iPhone Mirroring, simply launch the iPhone Mirroring app and follow the initial setup steps outlined above.
Apple’s iPhone Mirroring app is an incredibly useful tool for sharing files between devices and engaging with iOS applications without needing your iPhone close at hand. It’s easy to use and surprisingly versatile given its straightforward concept. Once you get the hang of it, you may find yourself incorporating it into your routine frequently.
