With macOS Sequoia and iOS 18, Apple has a helpful new option to hop between gadgets whereas on desktop. iPhone Mirroring exhibits your telephone’s display screen in your pc; you’ll be able to even use your mouse and keyboard to work together with it. Right here’s how you can arrange and get essentially the most out of iPhone Mirroring.
Necessities
First, iPhone Mirroring has a number of situations. It solely works with Apple Silicon Macs (late 2020 and later) or Intel-based fashions with the Apple T2 Safety Chip (2018 to 2020). In fact, you’ll want to put in macOS Sequoia first to make use of the characteristic. Any iPhone operating iOS 18 will do.
The characteristic solely works when your iPhone is locked (it’s okay if it’s charging or utilizing Standby). When you unlock your iPhone whereas utilizing iPhone Mirroring, the characteristic will briefly disconnect.
Each gadgets additionally want Wi-Fi and Bluetooth turned on, and also you’ll must signal together with your Apple Account on every. Your account wants two-factor authentication (utilizing a trusted system or telephone quantity) activated. The characteristic received’t work in case your telephone’s Private Hotspot is lively otherwise you’re utilizing AirPlay, Sidecar or web sharing in your Mac.
The best way to arrange iPhone Mirroring
Open the iPhone Mirroring app in your Mac. It ought to already be in your Dock (see the screenshot above), however you may also discover it in your Functions folder.
The app begins with a welcome display screen. Faucet “Continue,” then comply with the immediate to unlock your iPhone.
Subsequent, approve iPhone notifications in your Mac. This characteristic exhibits your handset’s alerts in your Mac’s Notification Heart. (Whenever you click on an iOS alert in your Mac, it would open the corresponding app within the iPhone Mirroring app.) iPhone notifications in your Mac work even when the iPhone Mirroring app is closed or inactive, or in case your telephone isn’t close by.
After approving notifications, a last display screen will verify that iPhone Mirroring is prepared. Click on the “Get Started” button to begin. As soon as it hundreds, you’ll see your iPhone’s display screen.
Utilizing iPhone Mirroring
First, you might need to resize the iPhone Mirroring app. Apple solely provides you three choices: precise measurement, smaller and bigger. You’ll be able to change them utilizing keyboard shortcuts: bigger (Cmd +), precise measurement (Cmd 0) and smaller (Cmd -). You can too resize the window in your Mac’s menu bar below the View part. Dragging the sides of the window to resize it (like with different macOS apps) received’t work right here.
Normally, interacting together with your digital iPhone in your Mac is so simple as mimicking its normal contact gestures together with your trackpad and typing in textual content fields utilizing your Mac’s keyboard.
Swipe-based gestures for House, App Switcher and Management Heart received’t work on Mac, however they’ve shortcuts. When you transfer your pointer to the highest of the iPhone Mirroring window, a brand new space will seem, revealing buttons for the iOS House Display screen (left) and the App Switcher (proper). (See the screenshot above.) This space additionally enables you to click-hold and drag the app to reposition it.
You can too go to the House Display screen by clicking on the horizontal bar on the backside of the app’s window or utilizing the Cmd 1 keyboard shortcut. As well as, Cmd 2 prompts the App Switcher, and Cmd 3 triggers a Highlight search. Or, swipe down with two fingers in your Mac’s trackpad from the iPhone House Display screen (within the Mac app) for Highlight.
There’s no option to activate the iOS Management Heart out of your Mac. You can also’t manually change the orientation of the digital iPhone display screen, however it would rotate mechanically in the event you launch a recreation that begins by default in panorama mode:
iPhone audio will play in your Mac whereas utilizing the characteristic. Some iPhone movies will play within the iPhone Mirroring window, too. Nevertheless, copyrighted content material will probably be restricted in some instances, so some movies will solely be viewable by means of corresponding macOS apps or desktop browser home windows.
Apple’s Common Clipboard will be helpful whereas utilizing iPhone Mirroring. Copy one thing in your digital iPhone, and you may paste it in your Mac, and vice versa. You can too use AirDrop to switch recordsdata between the 2 gadgets whereas utilizing iPhone Mirroring.
iPhone Mirroring will day out in the event you don’t use the digital telephone for some time. Ditto for in the event you transfer your handset away out of your pc. If it instances out, simply comply with the app’s immediate to reconnect.
iPhone Mirroring login settings
You’ll be able to select whether or not to require authentication each time you employ iPhone Mirroring. Within the Mac app, select iPhone Mirroring > Settings within the menu bar (or kind Cmd house), and also you’ll see a barebones settings display screen.
You’ll be able to select “Ask Every Time” or “Authenticate Automatically.” The previous requires your Mac login password, Contact ID or Apple Watch affirmation to make use of your digital iPhone in your desktop. In the meantime, the latter will log into your telephone mechanically with out authenticating every time.
You can too reset iPhone entry on this settings display screen. This removes your total setup, and also you’ll want to begin the method from scratch the subsequent time you open the iPhone Mirroring app.
You probably have a couple of iPhone tied to your Apple Account, you’ll be able to select which one to make use of with iPhone Mirroring below Settings > Desktop & Dock in your Mac. If this is applicable to you, you’ll see the choice below the “Use iPhone widgets” part. (When you solely have one iPhone below your Apple Account, this feature received’t seem.)
For extra info on Apple’s newest fashions, you’ll be able to try Engadget’s evaluations of the iPhone 16 and 16 Professional sequence telephones, together with the newest MacBooks.