iPhone Mirroring, one of the more notable features arriving in Apple’s upcoming operating systems, is now available to developers testing the beta versions of iOS 18 and macOS Sequoia. The latest beta releases include support for mirroring your iPhone directly on the Mac, so you can use your phone on your computer, including launching and running iPhone apps, and even moving files between the Mac and iPhone.
First announced at Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) earlier in June, iPhone Mirroring makes it easier for consumers to use Mac apps and iPhone apps alongside one another. In a demo at the event, for example, Apple showed how a video clip edited with Final Cut Pro could be dropped into a template for further edits on the iPhone. In preparation for this interoperability, Apple released Final Cut Pro for iPad 2 and Final Cut Camera, along with updates for Final Cut Pro for Mac.
Another use case for iPhone Mirroring is the ability to use your iPhone apps without having to unlock your phone. With the mirroring feature, iPhone notifications are also displayed on the Mac desktop so that you can respond to incoming alerts in various apps. The iPhone’s audio will also come through on the Mac, Apple said at WWDC.
Developers who often demo their apps to others over video calls or during live presentations will also be able to switch to their iPhones more easily.
When the iPhone is being mirrored on the Mac, the physical device remains locked so there’s no risk of someone accessing the phone without your permission, even if you left it in a bag across the room.
The feature also works with Standby mode, so you can see information at a glance when mirroring, Apple said.
Though public betas are still weeks away and the official launches of the new operating systems aren’t due until later this fall, iPhone Mirroring is now available to developers testing the iOS 18 beta 2 and macOS Sequoia beta 2.
Consumers are warned about installing developer betas on their main device as they are often not stable and still fairly buggy. That appears to be true with the second beta, as well, as testers are reporting issues with battery life, phones heating up and other crashes.
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