The big picture: Apple’s new mirroring feature is now available to developers trialing beta versions of iOS and macOS. The feature allows you to completely control your iPhone and all of its apps with your Mac, but it’s currently restricted to developers only. An open beta will be available to the public in a few weeks, while the full operating systems are set to release later this fall.
A beta version of Apple’s upcoming macOS Sequoia has been released that lets developers try out a handy new iPhone mirroring feature that all users will eventually get access to. The feature allows iPhone users to mirror their iPhone screen directly onto their Mac. iPhone apps can be launched and run from your Mac, even allowing easy file transfers between the two devices on the fly, swipe through pages on the Home Screen, and launch apps using the Mac’s trackpad.
In other words, it looks like a nifty built-in remote desktop connection feature for your phone, as long as you are on Apple’s ecosystem.
Mirroring was announced alongside the macOS Sequoia update a few weeks ago at WWDC24, where Apple demonstrated a use case for how mirroring can work by illustrating how a video clip being edited in Final Cut Pro could be quickly ported over to iPhone for further video editing on the go. Video editing seems to be one of the key features Apple was marketing at the reveal, with the company releasing numerous Final Cut products and updates across both Mac and iOS ready for this interoperability.
Handily, users won’t even have to unlock their phones to use mirroring, and iPhone notifications will even display on the mirrored Mac screen. This means increased productivity and less hassle when you sit down at your desk because you’ll be able to see and respond to events on your phone without ever removing it from your pocket, according to Apple.
Those worrying about security should note that your iPhone will remain locked while it’s being mirrored, which means that somebody can’t just grab your phone and wreak havoc. Mirroring also coincides with new SharePlay features that allow you to do things like draw on another person’s screen and even control their device (if you choose to allow them).
Early hands-on reports of the new feature have been positive, with 9to5Mac saying that the mirroring works seamlessly and shows why the Mac ecosystem remains strong.
While the new iOS and Mac betas that support mirroring are restricted to developers trialing iOS 18 beta 2 and macOS Sequoia beta 2 for now, a public beta is expected to launch in a few weeks’ time. The full launch of the new operating systems is set for this fall, if all goes to plan.
