(Credit: PCMag / Apple)
Apple's AirPlay allows you to play content from an iPhone on your TV, but viewing your phone screen on a computer? That's a different story entirely. There are probably times when you don't want to be juggling multiple devices, so Apple has simplified its iPhone mirroring feature so that your iPhone and Mac function as one machine.
How you do it comes down to which devices you own and what software they have running. An iPhone connects seamlessly to a Mac because Apple has developed built-in functionality to connect the two platforms. But it's a bit more complicated connecting to a Windows device, since you'll likely need to pay for a third-party app. Here's how to get things working.
How to Use iPhone Mirroring on a Mac
Apple has made screen mirroring incredibly easy, as long as you meet the minimum requirements. If your phone and Mac are signed into the same Apple Account, Bluetooth and Wi-Fi are turned on, and Handoff is enabled, you can mirror the screen between devices. If you're running macOS Sequoia or later and iOS 18 or higher, you can do it in just a few clicks.
(Credit: PCMag / Apple)To mirror your iPhone screen, all you have to do is click the iPhone Mirroring icon in the Dock—it looks like a small iPhone. Authenticate your phone and set your preferred notification settings. Click Get Started on the Mac and enter your macOS credentials. You can then choose Ask Every Time to require this sign-in for each session or Authenticate Automatically to permanently trust this Mac.
(Credit: PCMag / Apple)Once the initial setup is out of the way, the computer will show your iPhone's Home screen. Note that screen mirroring will pause if you open the phone—you'll only have control over the iPhone as long as the device's screen remains off.
(Credit: PCMag / Apple)From here, you can navigate the phone using a mouse or trackpad—click to open apps, use secondary clicks to simulate long presses, and swipe will navigate between screens and open menus. You can also hover the mouse directly above the top of the iPhone screen to access buttons to view the Home screen and open the App Switcher.
Screen mirroring also allows you to transfer files, photos, and videos between devices using supported apps. For example, dragging a photo from your computer onto the Apple Photos app in the simulated screen will add it to the phone. Alternatively, open the Files app on your iPhone screen and pull a file onto your desktop to transfer it over.
(Credit: PCMag / Apple)How to Mirror Your iPhone Screen With AirPlay
For those on an Intel-based Mac with a T2 security chip or an iPhone X and older, there is still hope if you're at least running iOS 14 and macOS Monterey. Make sure AirPlay Receiver is enabled under System Settings > General > AirDrop & Handoff on your Mac. If both devices are under the same account, set Allow AirPlay for to Current User. However, it may be easier to make it Anyone on the Same Network or Everyone.
(Credit: PCMag / Apple)On your iPhone, open the Control Center and tap the Screen Mirroring icon (it looks like two rectangles), then select the Mac that will be on the receiving end. An AirPlay notice should pop up on the Mac screen; click Accept. An AirPlay code may appear on the screen, which you can then enter on the iPhone.
(Credit: PCMag / Apple)Once the connection is made, the iPhone screen will take over the Mac screen, allowing you to freely interact with the phone and see it on the computer. When finished, open the Screen Mirroring menu on the iPhone again and tap Stop Mirroring to sever the connection.
(Credit: PCMag / Apple)How to Mirror Your iPhone Screen With QuickTime Player
(Credit: PCMag / Apple)As a physical alternative, plug the iPhone into your Mac. If you haven't done this in a while, you may need to tap the Trust prompt that appears on your iPhone before continuing. Once connected, open Launchpad and select QuickTime Player, then head to File > New Movie Recording.
(Credit: PCMag / Apple)In the new window, click the down arrow next to the Record button, and you should see your iPhone appear in the drop-down under Camera. Select the phone from the list, and its screen will appear on your Mac. For new setups, this will turn on the phone's camera, so you next have to choose the phone under the Screen option in the menu to make the iPhone screen appear.
Can I Mirror iPhone to Windows PC?
Thanks to Apple's walled garden ecosystem, iPhone users will need to do a lot of extra work to get their phone screen to show up on a Windows system. Microsoft's new Phone Link app allows for some interoperability between iOS and Windows 11, though the functionality is limited to texts, calls, and notifications.
To see the phone screen, you'll need a third-party tool. It's essentially software that tricks your phone into thinking it's casting to an AirPlay device, and there are plenty of tools that offer this functionality. We previously recommended LonelyScreen as a simple and free casting solution, but the app now requires a subscription. Other paid options include AirParrot, ApowerMirror, and Reflector.