The seamless integration is one of the standout features of the Apple ecosystem, and iPhone Mirroring enhances that experience – allowing us to not just mirror our iPhone to a Mac desktop, but also take full control of it.
I’m an avid supporter of this feature and utilize it daily, but there are a few shortcomings I’d love Apple to improve upon…
iPhone Mirroring
The first opportunity for beta testers to experience iPhone Mirroring was in June, during the launch of the second beta of iOS 18 and macOS 10.15 Sequoia.
We provided an in-depth hands-on review at that time.
I regularly install iOS betas on my iPhone, but since my work and life revolve around my Mac, I steer clear of macOS betas! This meant I had to wait until the official release to access this feature.
I’m a Mac-first person
Maybe it’s not common, but I would consider myself a Mac-first individual. If I have the choice to perform a task on my iPhone, iPad, or Mac, my MacBook is always my preferred option. I mostly utilize my iPhone for simpler tasks while on the go, as well as for photography.
My preference for using a Mac over an iPhone stems from several reasons, all of which boil down to convenience and efficiency. Typing is more straightforward, the larger display is more advantageous, and with so many daily tasks requiring the simultaneous use of multiple apps, the Mac interface is simply far more effective.
Additionally, a practical factor is that I work from home, so I spend a significant amount of my day in front of my Mac. This creates a feedback loop: since I prefer my Mac, I often keep it available in the living room too, making it just as easy to reach for my MacBook as my iPhone, even outside of work hours.
Thus, I love iPhone mirroring
My inclination towards Mac means that iPhone Mirroring has become my main method of using my iPhone while at home.
This is because it offers many of the same advantages as using a Mac. I can utilize a full-sized physical keyboard for typing, the virtual screen (set to a larger size) is more expansive than the actual display, and multitasking is simpler.
Moreover, it allows me to access mobile-exclusive apps on my Mac. While these are few in number, some – such as the Oura app (as the web alternative is quite inadequate) – make it highly beneficial to access on my Mac.
However, I would like to see three enhancements …
Three enhancements I’d like for iPhone Mirroring
Eliminate the time-out
The first enhancement would be removing the aggressive time-out feature of iPhone Mirroring. If left inactive for a few minutes, it requires me to reconnect. Although it’s just a single click, it’s still a minor annoyance.
It’s perplexing why this needs to occur. While it could be argued that it’s a privacy measure in case one steps away from their Mac, it’s important to note that if I’m not locking my Mac, someone could potentially do much more damage through it than just my iPhone.
I would appreciate this being adjustable as a preference, allowing users to choose the time-out duration or turn it off altogether.
Eliminate duplicate notifications
I tend to limit notifications on my iPhone, but the ones I do permit are now duplicated when using iPhone Mirroring – coming through both the Mac app and the iPhone app.
While it’s not a monumental issue, it is somewhat irritating and doesn’t align with my inner UX sensibility. It seems odd that this oversight wasn’t caught during initial testing.
Enable Touch ID authentication
Certain iPhone apps require authentication through Face ID. However, you cannot use biometric authentication to log into an iPhone app via iPhone Mirroring. This limitation excludes some applications, like banking apps.
This seems like an easy fix. If an iPhone app mandates Face ID, then simply permit Touch ID on the Mac as an alternative.
*Or perhaps it is possible with specific apps? I might be mistaken, but I have a vague recollection of having successfully done this with one or more apps, though I can’t replicate it at this moment.
What’s your experience?
How has your experience with iPhone Mirroring been? How do you utilize it, and what improvements do you wish to see? Please feel free to share your thoughts in the comments.
Image: Apple and Jeff Benjamin/DMN
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