Is iPhone Mirroring Useful?
Credit: Alina / Adobe Stock
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Last year, Apple introduced iPhone Mirroring as part of macOS Sequoia and iOS 18. It’s a feature we’ve been wanting for years. Recently, we learned iPhone Mirroring still isn’t coming to EU users, even in macOS Tahoe.
After more than a year with iPhone Mirroring at our fingertips, the jury is still out as to whether or not EU users are truly missing out on a must-have Apple feature. Is iPhone Mirroring more of a niche gimmick, or is it a helpful productivity feature?
iPhone Mirroring has generally been well-received by Apple lovers. Purists love the convenience of marrying the Mac and iPhone. It’s typically a seamless integration as long as you have a solid Wi-Fi connection.
For me, iPhone Mirroring has been smooth for the most part. I’ve definitely experienced some frustrating lag, even with strong Wi-Fi and my iPhone next to my Mac. This brings me to another iPhone Mirroring quib: Your iPhone needs to be close by.
Some users enjoy the benefit of keeping their iPhone out of sight and believe iPhone Mirroring reduces distraction. However, “out of sight” is relative when it comes to iPhone Mirroring. Most users report iPhone Mirroring working with their iPhone at a maximum distance of 25-30 feet from their Mac. Mirroring also requires both Wi-Fi and Bluetooth to be enabled on both devices.
On the plus side, I’m able to connect to my AirPods to my Mac via Bluetooth and mirror my iPhone at the same time, despite Apple’s warning that using Bluetooth or Wi-Fi “intensively” for another purpose may interfere with mirroring.
My favorite use case for iPhone Mirroring is banking. I prefer my bank’s mobile app interface as opposed to the web version (there’s no Mac app). The keyboard and mouse are equally efficient as my iPhone’s touchscreen. I’m not a huge social media user, which would likely be another preference for mirroring superusers, as many of the popular social media apps are iOS only.
Teachers and business professionals also find iPhone Mirroring useful for educational purposes and presentations. On the other hand, iPhone Mirroring is not without security concerns, especially for those employees mirroring their iPhone on a work-issued Mac. Are you using iPhone Mirroring? If not, you should give it a try. If you’re a user of multiple Apple devices, you may love it.
