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Mirroring Your iPhone to Your Mac Is Awesome: Here's How to Set It Up
iPhone Mirroring is one of the standout features of macOS Sequoia, and it lets you access your iPhone and its notifications from your Mac. I've been playing with it since Apple released the macOS Sequoia beta, so I'll show you how to set it up.
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, which doesn't have the T2 security chip, misses out on this functionality.
If you have any other Mac, you're good to go after updating your devices. Also, make sure you've signed into both devices with the same Apple Account.
Setting Up iPhone Mirroring
To set up iPhone Mirroring, you only need to click the iPhone icon in your Mac's Dock. If you can't see it there, use Spotlight search (Command + Space) to find and open the iPhone Mirroring app. But there are some things you should ensure before you can get iPhone Mirroring to work.
Firstly, your iPhone must be near your Mac and locked for you to use iPhone Mirroring. If it still doesn't work, make sure you don't have a VPN enabled, and your iPhone or Mac isn't sharing cellular or internet connections (hotspots) or using AirPlay, Sidecar, or Continuity Camera.
You can't use your iPhone with your Mac in any other way while using iPhone Mirroring. It won't continue to function as a webcam or a mic, and it will stop playing music if you are doing so from your iPhone's speakers.
The first time you open iPhone Mirroring, you'll be greeted with 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'd like to allow notifications from your iPhone. You can choose Don't Allow or Allow, depending on your preferences. Personally, I like that I can interact with iPhone notifications on my Mac, as it automatically takes me to the relevant app in iPhone Mirroring.
You can change this option later from your Mac by going to System Settings > Notifications > Allow notifications from iPhone and toggling it off. Alternatively, you can go into your iPhone's Settings app, choose Notifications, select the individual app, and toggle off Show on Mac.
Next, click Get Started and enter your Mac's password or use Touch ID. After the loading screen, you'll be asked if you want to enter your user password or Touch ID each time you use iPhone Mirroring or if you want it to authenticate automatically.
This could save you an extra step if you plan to use iPhone Mirroring frequently but at the cost of lesser 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 at a size that's comfortable for you. While the iPhone Mirroring window is open, click View in the menu bar and choose between three presets: Larger, Actual Size, and Smaller.
Navigating Your iPhone on Your Mac
Now that you have it all set up and ready to go, you can intuitively interact with the iPhone window on your Mac. If you're using a third-party mouse, you'll have to ditch it for a Magic Mouse or Magic Trackpad since most 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 searchor press Command + 3 on your keyboard.
- Click the grid icon in the top-right corner of the iPhone Mirroring window to return home from any appor click the Home Bar at the bottomor press Command + 1 on the keyboard.
- Click the App Switcher icon at the top-right corner of the window to access the App Switcher. Alternatively, you can press Command + 2 on your keyboard.
- You can also type with your Mac's keyboard; there's no way to open the iOS keyboard.
- Control-clicking (or right-clicking) brings up the context menu while in iPhone Mirroring the same way as it would if you long-press on your phone.
- Some Mac shortcuts like Command + C (copy) and Command + V (paste) work in iPhone mirroring.
While you can interact with videos and media just fine, you can't access your iPhone's microphone or camera while in iPhone Mirroring.
What I Use iPhone Mirroring For
The primary reason for iPhone Mirroring is convenience. To be honest, there aren't many fundamentally novel features you can get out of it. That said, it has become an important part of my workflow for these reasons:
- A larger phone display: If I make the iPhone Mirroring window larger, I can basically get a bigger screen to view iPhone apps. It makes typing in the Journal app a much better experience.
- Reduce distractions: Phones can be very distracting, and taking up your phone in the middle of a work session could kill your momentum and completely derail you. The problem, though, is that you might still need to use your phone for work. iPhone Mirroring helps eliminate the muscle memory that takes me to TikTok or YouTube as soon as I grab my phone.
- Access iPhone apps: While most apps have a desktop version or alternative website, some apps just look better on phones. Instagram, for example, has more upload options in the mobile app than the website, which makes iPhone Mirroring a great option for content creators.
iPhone Mirroring bridges the gap between your iPhone and Mac, offering a seamless way to manage your phone's apps and notifications from your computer. Hopefully, you managed to effortlessly set up and personalize the iPhone Mirroring feature on your Mac. Don't forget that iPhone Mirroring is just one of the many valuable features macOS Sequoia brings to the table.
