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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 alliPhones that support iOS 18. However, notall Macs that can run macOS Sequoiasupport 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 theiPhone iconinyour 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, ensure 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, clickContinue,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 chooseDon’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 toSystem Settings > Notifications > Allow notifications from iPhoneand toggling it off. Alternatively, you can go into your iPhone’sSettingsapp, chooseNotifications, select the individual app, and toggle offShow on Mac.
Next, clickGet Startedand 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 clickingiPhone Mirroringin the menu bar (while in the iPhone Mirroring window) and selectingSettings.
Finally, you should set the window at a size that’s comfortable for you. While the iPhone Mirroring window is open, clickViewin the menu bar and choose between three presets:Larger,Actual Size, andSmaller.
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.
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’re able to get out of it. That said, it has become an important part of my workflow for these reasons:
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 valuablefeatures macOS Sequoia brings to the table.
