Mac Guides

Beginner

5 min read 7 stepsMay 13, 2026Verified May 2026

macOS Sequoia iPhone Mirroring — Use Your iPhone From Your Mac

Apple's new iPhone Mirroring lets you control your iPhone from your Mac screen. Here is the setup and the catches.

At a Glance

Check the requirements before you start

~29s

You need: (1) A Mac with Apple Silicon (M1, M2, M3, M4) or an Intel Mac with the T2 chip, running macOS Sequoia (15) or later. To check: Apple menu (apple icon top-left) > About This Mac. (2) An iPhone running iOS 18 or later, signed in to the same Apple ID. (3) Both devices on Bluetooth and Wi-Fi, near each other (within about 30 feet). (4) Two-factor authentication on for your Apple ID. (5) The iPhone must be locked and not in StandBy mode when you start mirroring.

Open the iPhone Mirroring app

~19s

On your Mac, click the Launchpad icon (looks like a grid of dots) on the Dock. Or press Command + Space and type "iPhone Mirroring." Click the app. The first time you open it, the Mac scans for your nearby iPhone. When it finds it, you see a "Get Started" screen with your iPhone name. Click "Continue."

Allow the connection on your iPhone

~32s

Look at your iPhone. A notification asks for permission to mirror. Tap "Allow." If your iPhone is in your pocket, you may need to take it out, unlock it with Face ID, and tap Allow. Going forward, the Mac may prompt you each time, or you can choose "Automatic Authentication" on the first connection — Face ID on your Mac (or Touch ID, or password) authenticates the phone too.

Warning

Do NOT use mirroring on a shared or work Mac where someone else has the password. Anyone with Mac access can see your iPhone if mirroring is set to automatic.

Use the iPhone — what works and what does not

~38s

You see your iPhone screen in a window on your Mac. Click and drag like you would tap and swipe. Type with the Mac keyboard. Most apps work normally: Messages, Mail, Safari, Notes, Photos, third-party apps. Some things do NOT work yet: the camera (you cannot use the iPhone camera through mirroring), Apple Pay (must be done on the phone directly), and apps that require gyroscope (some games). The phone itself stays locked on its screen — anyone walking past the phone cannot see what you are doing.

Quick Tip

Quick Tip: To go back to the iPhone home screen, click the small arrow at the top of the mirroring window. It works like the swipe-up gesture.

Drag files between phone and Mac

~26s

As of macOS Sequoia 15.1 and iOS 18.1, you can drag files. To copy a photo from iPhone to Mac: open Photos in the mirrored window, click and hold a photo, drag it out of the iPhone Mirroring window and drop it on your Mac desktop. To copy something the other way: drag a file from your Mac desktop INTO the mirroring window, then release. The file appears in the iPhone's Files app or photo library, depending on type.

Get iPhone notifications on your Mac

~32s

When you set up iPhone Mirroring, the Mac asks if you want iPhone notifications on the Mac too. Say Yes. From then on, when your iPhone gets a text, alert, or app notification, it appears on the Mac's notification banner. Clicking the banner opens iPhone Mirroring and takes you to the right app. This is the part most people end up using daily.

Quick Tip

Quick Tip: To pause notifications when you do not want to be interrupted, open Control Center on the Mac and turn on Focus or Do Not Disturb. It carries over to the iPhone notifications too.

Turn it off if you change your mind

~28s

To stop a single mirroring session: close the iPhone Mirroring window on your Mac. To remove the connection entirely: on Mac open System Settings > Desktop & Dock (or Notifications) > iPhone Mirroring > select your iPhone > click "Stop Mirroring This iPhone" or "Forget This iPhone." On the iPhone: Settings > General > AirPlay & Continuity > iPhone Mirroring > turn off. The phone and Mac forget each other and have to redo the setup if you want to use mirroring again.

You Did It!

You've finished reading: macOS Sequoia iPhone Mirroring — Use Your iPhone From Your Mac

How well did this guide stick with you?

Need more help? Book a TekSure tech

iPhone Mirroring arrived with macOS Sequoia in late 2024 and is now standard on every Mac running macOS 15 or newer. It lets you see your iPhone screen on your Mac and tap, type, and swipe on it from your Mac's mouse and keyboard. Notifications from your phone also come to the Mac. And you can drag files between the phone and the Mac.

This is useful if you spend most of the day at a computer and your iPhone is across the room. You can answer texts, check an app, or copy a photo without picking up the phone. It also helps people with hand or vision issues — typing on a Mac keyboard is easier than tapping a phone screen.

The setup has a few requirements and some quirks. This guide walks through what you need, how to turn it on, what works, what does not, and how to turn it off if you change your mind.

(Sources: Apple Support — "Use iPhone Mirroring on Mac," support.apple.com/guide/mac-help/iphone-mirroring-mchla8a5f9bd/mac; macOS Sequoia features, apple.com/macos/macos-sequoia)

Watch the official demo: YouTube → "Apple macOS Sequoia iPhone Mirroring" — the Apple channel has a 90-second walkthrough.

Rate this guide

How helpful was this guide?

macos

sequoia

iphone mirroring

apple

continuity

mac

Official Resources

Apple Support How-To Geek — Mac Apple Support YouTube

Sources used to create and verify this guide. View all sources →

← Previous

Gmail Manage Subscriptions — Clean Out Your Inbox in 10 Minutes

Is My Venmo Money Insured? — FDIC Rules in 2026

Still stuck? Let a pro handle it.

A real person can walk you through this over the phone, anywhere in the US. If we can't fix it, you don't pay.

Book a Verified Tech How It Works

Learn more from official sources

Related Guides

How to Turn Your Mac On and Off

Learn the proper way to start up and shut down your Mac for everyday use.

1 min read

How to Connect to Wi-Fi on Mac

Get your Mac online by connecting to a wireless network quickly and easily.

1 min read

How to Open and Close Apps on Mac

Learn the basics of launching and quitting applications on macOS.

1 min read