Problems Mirroring iPhone Screen to Mac? Here’s How to Fix It

The new iOS 18 and macOS Sequoia bring a very useful iPhone Mirroring feature that lets you use your iPhone from your Mac’s screen. It’s one of my favorite macOS Sequoia features that provides a more connected experience on my devices. However, there are times when iPhone mirroring isn’t working and you don’t know what to do. This is quite common as there are a whole set of prerequisites for your iPhone screen to appear on your Mac. Don’t worry, we are here to help you enable and use iPhone mirroring on your MacBook. We have mentioned 9 tested and proven methods that should help you fix iPhone mirroring issues. Without further ado, let’s get started!

Method 1: Check device compatibility

If you can’t use iPhone Mirroring on your Mac, you’ll first need to make sure that your devices are compatible with the feature. It’s important to know that iPhone Mirroring is a feature of macOS Sequoia and is only available on the latest devices that support iOS 18 and macOS Sequoia. So, you’ll need a Mac with an Apple Silicon chip or T2 Security Chip and a supported iPhone model. If you don’t have a compatible device, iPhone Mirroring won’t work for you.

Method 2: Make sure you have iOS 18 and macOS 15 installed

The iPhone mirroring feature requires an iPhone running iOS 18 and a Mac running macOS Sequoia. If you are using iOS 17 or macOS 14 Sonoma, you cannot use iPhone mirroring on your devices. Therefore, you must update both your devices to access this brand new feature.

After months of beta testing, stable versions of iOS 18 and macOS Sequoia are now generally available. On your iPhone, go to Settings -> General -> Software Update and download iOS 18. On your Mac, go to System Settings -> General -> Software Update to download and install the latest version of macOS 15 Sequoia.

Once your devices are updated, you should be able to use your iPhone on your Mac wirelessly, without even needing your iPhone nearby.

Method 3: Verify your Apple ID

Once you are sure that your devices are running the latest operating systems, the next thing you need to do is to check that your iPhone and Mac are signed in with the same Apple ID and have two-factor authentication enabled. Yes, this is one of the prerequisites for using the iPhone mirroring feature. Well, if you are the primary user and have set up both the devices yourself, you must have signed in with the same Apple ID.

If you use multiple Apple IDs for multiple devices, or if you’re using a MacBook that belongs to a family member, you may need to switch Apple IDs. You’re allowed to switch between multiple Apple IDs, but doing so will erase and replace all iCloud data each time, which doesn’t seem convenient.

Here’s how to quickly check if you’re using the same Apple ID on your iPhone and Mac:

• On your iPhone, open the Settings application, press your name from the top, and check your Apple ID.

• On your Mac, go to System SettingsClick on your name and check if the Apple ID (email address) is the same as the one you use on your iPhone.

• If you see the same Apple ID on both your devices, then you’re all set!
• If you see a different ID, you need to scroll down the Apple Account screen and tap Log out on the device where you signed in with an unwanted Apple ID.
• Once done, you need to sign in with the same Apple ID on both your iPhone and Mac.

For more details, you can refer to our guide on how to change Apple ID on iPhone and iPad.

Method 4: Enable Bluetooth and Wi-Fi on both devices

Another thing you can do to fix iPhone mirroring not working issues is to check if you have enabled Bluetooth on both devices and connected them to the same Wi-Fi network. To enable iPhone mirroring in macOS Sequoia, you need to enable Bluetooth and Wi-Fi on both your iPhone and Mac, and both devices need to be close to each other for the initial connection. Once you have enabled iPhone mirroring, you can fully access your iPhone right on your Mac’s screen, without needing your iPhone nearby.

For added security, do the following:

• On your iPhone, swipe down from the top right corner to reveal the Control center. Here, check if Bluetooth is turned on and your device is connected to a Wi-Fi network.
• On your Mac, go to the top Menu bar and click on the Control Center icon. Again, make sure Bluetooth is turned on and your Mac is connected to the same Wi-Fi as your iPhone.

Method 5: Check if your iPhone is locked

It is important to know that iPhone mirroring only works when your iPhone is locked and not in use. If you unlock your iPhone, iPhone mirroring will automatically stop and will not work until you lock your iPhone.

In fact, you will see a message on your Mac that the iPhone is in use and it will advise you to lock your iPhone and click Try again to continue mirroring the iPhone screen. When you lock your phone and iPhone mirroring starts, your iPhone will display a message saying “iPhone in use”.

Method 6: Make sure you are not using AirPlay or Sidecar

The iPhone mirroring app on macOS Sequoia won’t work if you’re using AirPlay or Sidecar. So, if you’re using AirPlay to stream video or mirror your iPhone screen to your Apple TV or Mac, you’ll need to disconnect AirPlay first and then try again. Similarly, if you’re using the Sidecar Continuity feature to use your iPad as a second display for your Mac, you can’t enable iPhone mirroring on macOS Sequoia. To avoid any issues, make sure you’re not using AirPlay or Sidecar on your MacBook.

Method 7: Select the right devices

There may be times when you have multiple iPhones signed in with an Apple ID and you want to pair them specifically with your Mac. In this case, you need to set up the iPhone you want to use with iPhone Mirroring. If you have selected a different iPhone, you might feel like iPhone Mirroring isn’t working for you. However, that’s not the case. To check, go to System Settings -> Desktop & Docking on your Mac and scroll down to Widgets section. Here you will see a drop-down list for iPhone. Select the iPhone you want to use for iPhone mirroring.

Similarly, if you want to use the iPhone mirroring feature on another Mac, you can do that too. Just head over to Settings -> General -> AirPlay & Continuity -> iPhone Mirroring and choose a Mac running macOS Sequoia.

Method 8: Check iPhone Mirroring List

It is possible that you have removed your Mac from the list of devices that are allowed to mirror your iPhone, and that is the reason why you are unable to use the iPhone mirroring feature. You may have done this accidentally or on purpose by lending your Mac to a friend or family member. To check if this is the case, you need to go to Settings -> General -> AirPlay & Continuity -> iPhone Mirroring and check if you can see your Mac’s name. If not, it means your Mac is not authorized to mirror your iPhone. In such a case, you need to re-enable iPhone mirroring.

For complete steps, you can check our guide on how to set up and use iPhone mirroring feature iOS 18.

Method 9: Restart your devices

If you’ve checked all the basics and you’re still wondering why iPhone mirroring isn’t working, you can try restarting your devices. Sometimes, some minor software bugs and glitches can prevent you from wirelessly mirroring your iPhone to your Mac. Luckily, you can fix these issues with a simple restart. So, make sure to restart both your iPhone and Mac, and try using the iPhone mirroring feature. In most cases, this should help you fix the problem.

It’s important to know that Apple hasn’t added drag and drop functionality to the iPhone mirroring feature yet. So, if you can’t move your photos, videos, and files between your iPhone and Mac, don’t worry. Apple plans to add the new feature later this year.

We hope this article helped you fix iPhone mirroring not working issues and now you can mirror your iPhone to your Mac. Which trick worked for you? Don’t forget to share your experiences in the comments below.