iPhone Mirroring

 

A while back, when Apple was switching form Intel processors to Apple Silicon processors, one of the advantages of the switch that was discussed was that MacOS could more easily integrate with iOS. We already had some phone-Mac integration, with iMessages and being able to answer phone calls on the desktop. Using iCloud, searches and other workflow started on one device were carried over to the other device. But we never really had true app mirroring, until now.

When I got my Mac Studio earlier this year, the iPhone Mirroring app was one of the new apps that came with MacOS. For the first few months I didn't use the app because I wasn't sure how that would be useful. My phone is sitting right next to me on my desk, and if I need to use it I can just pick it up. However, one day a month or so ago, I decided to give it a try and found that it was useful for a variety of reasons.

There are some things that I do on my phone that I either can't replicate on my desktop or are cumbersome to replicate on my desktop. The biggest example of this is Nintendo Music. They have a great library of soundtracks from Nintendo games, and to my knowledge there is no way to access this library unless you use the Nintendo Music app on your phone. Using the Mirroring app, a small, phone shaped window appears on the desktop and allows me to play music on my desktop speakers. Sure, I could use bluetooth to do this, but then I wouldn't get the display or controls on screen. Amazon Music no longer has a MacOS app, and while you can easily access that music from a browser, it is kind of nice to have a smaller screen showing what is playing and having controls accessible.

The smaller screen off to the side is a big advantage of using this app. While there are some things that are not readily accessible on the desktop, overwhelmingly you can access what you need on the web. When I am working, my main workspace is large and takes up the majority of the screen. Even with an ultra-wide, high-resolution monitor, there isn't a lot of space left on the side. While I can access sites I need for work on the web, it is nice to be able to use the much smaller Mirroring app to access certain info through my phone's apps in order to look at it while keeping my main workspace visible on screen. It's not a life changing app by any stretch of the imagination, but I think it does enhance any workflows that utilize phone apps, as well as some workflows that don't necessarily require a phone. I use it on a weekly basis, and continue to find ways to utilize the app to enhance various workflows.