If you have an iPhone with iOS 18 or later and a MacBook or any other computer with macOS version 15 or later, you can use a new useful built-in feature — iPhone Video Replay, which allows you to fully control your phone from your Mac computer.
This guide provides detailed information on how to set up iPhone Video Mirroring, how to use it, its limitations, and how to disable iPhone Video Mirroring if necessary.
Setup
To start using iPhone Screen Mirroring, the following conditions must be met:
- Your Mac must have an Apple Silicon processor (M1-M4 and others) or a T2 security chip, as well as MacOS version 15 (Sequoia) or higher.
- Your iPhone must have iOS version 18 or higher installed.
- Both devices must be logged into the same Apple account with two-factor authentication enabled.
- Wi-Fi and Bluetooth must be enabled on both devices.
If all conditions are met, simply follow these steps to connect:
- Launch the iPhone Video Replay app on your Mac and unlock your phone.
- Wait for the connection to be established, then confirm that you trust your Mac on your iPhone.
- Allow or disable notifications from your iPhone on your Mac.
- Click the “Get Started” button to start using the feature.
- When you first launch the app, you will need to enter your Mac password, then choose whether to ask for it on subsequent connections or to log in automatically (fingerprint login is also possible).
Now, when your phone is locked and not in use, but Wi-Fi and Bluetooth are enabled, you can always control it in the iPhone Video Replay app:
If you have connection problems:
- Make sure your devices meet the minimum requirements mentioned above.
- Install the latest OS updates on your Mac and iPhone.
- Disable any tools that may interfere with the operation of network interfaces in macOS and iOS.
- Active use of Bluetooth or Wi-Fi for other purposes while connected may cause connection issues with iPhone Video Replay.
- In some cases, restarting your devices and signing out of your Apple account and then signing back in may help.
Using the feature
Some useful information about using iPhone video playback:
- The feature only works when the iPhone is locked and not in use.
- To transfer files between devices, you can simply drag and drop them between the Apple Video Replay window (including in applications such as Messenger) and your Mac screen. You can also use the universal clipboard or AirDrop.
- Basic gestures: tapping and swiping can be performed with the mouse in the same way as you would with your finger.
- You can type text using your Mac keyboard, but keep in mind that if you have configured a language switch other than the dedicated language switch key, the language in the iPhone Mirroring window will switch in the standard way, not the way you have configured it.
- To go to the home screen in the iPhone Screen Mirroring window, move the mouse pointer to the top of the window and click the home screen icon, or click the bar at the bottom of the screen, or press the Command+1 keys.
- To open the list of running applications, use the menu that appears when you move the mouse pointer to the top of the window, or press the key combination Command+2.
- The key combination Command+3 will bring up the Spotlight search window.
- You can adjust the screen size using the key combinations Command + Plus or Command + Minus.
- If you have more than one iPhone, you can select the one to use for video mirroring in the “Desktop & Dock” section of System Preferences (this option will only appear if multiple iPhones are detected with the same account).
- iPhone video mirroring can only be used between one iPhone and one Mac at a time.
How to disable iPhone video mirroring
If you have tried the new feature but do not like how it works for some reason, you can disconnect and disable iPhone video mirroring in the following ways:
- Launch the iPhone Screen Mirroring app on your Mac, open the app menu (click on its name in the menu bar), select “Settings,” and then use the “Revoke Access to Device” button.
- On your iPhone: go to “Settings” — ‘General’ — “AirPlay and Continuity” — “iPhone Video Mirroring,” then remove your Mac from the list using the “Edit” button or by swiping left.
