When macOS Sequoia was announced at the start of June during Apple’s WWDC 2024 keynote, one feature, aside from Apple Intelligence, stood out: iPhone Mirroring.
At first, I questioned why anyone would want to control their iPhone from their Mac, but as the demo went on showcasing how your iPhone can stay in StandBy while you use it via your Mac, I started to get it.
Now, with the launch of iOS 18 beta 2 and macOS Sequoia beta 2, iPhone Mirroring is finally here and after using it for 24 hours, I can easily say that this is one of the biggest new features coming to the Apple ecosystem later this year, and one of the best upgrades to Mac in a long time
Mirror mirror on the Mac
iOS 18 and macOS Sequoia are still in development, so I don’t want to focus too much on the performance of this feature and more on what it’s like to use. Essentially, iPhone Mirroring connects your iPhone and Mac via Bluetooth and Wi-Fi, just like Universal Clipboard. From there, you can use your iPhone as normal, but on your Mac’s display.
So far from my testing, it feels incredibly intuitive: You have an iPhone icon in your Mac’s dock that when clicked lets you access everything as you would from your smartphone. The feature only works when your iPhone isn’t in use, allowing you to be sure that no one is looking at your screen when using your iPhone via iPhone Mirroring.
As someone who works at a desk every single day, iOS 17’s StandBy mode was incredibly enticing when it launched last year. Nearly 12 months later I never use it because it stops you from having access to your iPhone. iPhone Mirroring feels like the feature that should’ve launched alongside StandBy as it allows you to set your iPhone on one of the best MagSafe charging stands while using the device via your Mac.
While using iPhone Mirroring your iPhone’s notifications appear on your Mac and you don’t ever need to reach for your iPhone, it’s completely seamless.
A touchscreen Mac in the future?
It’s very seldom that a new feature gets added to such an established operating system and it just clicks with users, leaving you wondering how you ever lived without it. But with iPhone Mirroring, I feel like in a few months' time everyone that has one of the best Macs and one of the best iPhones compatible with the latest software will be using it.
In the same way after a day’s use StandBy now makes sense to me, I do wonder how the masses will react to using their iPhone with a mouse via Mac. For many, it might not be intuitive but it does sprinkle a few hints of a future with touchscreen Macs. If Apple sees the next generation of workstations with users charging their iPhones in StandBy mode as they use their smartphones on a Mac’s display then it feels like only a matter of time until we see touch input on Apple’s computers. Until then, iPhone Mirroring will have to do, and do it will.
This is an incredible feature that makes you reassess how you use your devices within the Apple ecosystem — after just a day, I already think it’s essential.
