Apple optimizes iPhone mirroring on the Mac – but not in the EU
Apple will deliver important features for its mirroring function for mobile devices in macOS 15.1 and iOS 18.1. Europeans will still have to stay outside.
iPhone Mirroring on the Mac: Much more practical from macOS 15.1 and iOS 18.1.
(Image: Apple)
With iPhone Mirroring, Apple enables its users from macOS 15 onwards to control an iPhone running iOS 18 that is assigned to the same Apple account directly from the Mac. This can be very convenient if the phone is not immediately accessible, for example because it is lying in the hallway – and it helps to consolidate data on the Mac, for example during working hours.
The function already works properly with macOS 15.0. Notifications are forwarded to the Mac. However, Apple will only add a central function with macOS 15.1, as beta testers report.
Pleasant shifting back and forth
This involves dragging and dropping content. The feature, which is available from iOS 18.1 Developer Beta 5, works in both directions: For example, a web page that has been opened in the Safari browser on the iPhone can be moved directly to the Mac. Any other content that can be moved on the iPhone is also accessible – for example parts of notes, entire photos or videos, even from third-party apps. It is also possible to insert images from the Mac into a Keynote presentation on the iPhone.
With drag & drop, iPhone mirroring is actually fully implemented. The only thing missing is the ability to drag individual apps directly onto the Mac desktop, but this would not correspond to the current operating concept, in which the entire iPhone is always displayed under macOS. However, the window size can be changed. Before Drag & Drop, copying was rather annoying: you could only use the universal clipboard (the simplest solution), AirDrop or iCloud Drive.
The biggest drawback remains
As nice as all this is: Users in the EU get nothing out of it. This is because Apple is currently blocking the function, as will Apple Intelligence in the near future. Mirroring and another new function, remote access, are inactive because Apple fears it will fall under the EU regulatory regime.
iPhone mirroring can only be used if the App Store account is based in the USA. Otherwise, an error message appears stating that the connection to the iPhone is not possible, that it is "not available in your country or region". It is unclear whether Apple will reach an agreement with the EU Commission in the near future.
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