Can You Use an iPhone as a Monitor for a Mac?
Updated October 2026 · 4 min read
Short answer: not with anything Apple makes.
Sidecar is iPad only, and an iPhone can't receive AirPlay. A few third-party apps can add an iPhone to macOS as an extra display. Before you pick one, it helps to know which of two quite different things you are after.
Which one do you mean?
"Use my iPhone as a monitor" can mean more desktop space, or it can mean seeing your Mac when you are not sitting at it. Those need different tools.
Different jobs, different tools
| You want to… | That's called | Use |
|---|---|---|
| Drag windows onto the phone for more room | Extended display | Duet Display |
| See your Mac from the couch, the kitchen or bed | Screen streaming | Beam |
| Watch, and sometimes click, scroll or type | Streaming with touch control | Beam |
| Work on the Mac for hours, copy files and text back and forth | Remote desktop | Jump Desktop, Screens, VNC |
Most people asking this are in the middle rows. They don't want to squeeze a spreadsheet onto a six-inch screen next to a 27-inch one. They want to keep an eye on the Mac while they are somewhere else.
What Apple supports
Sidecar: iPad only
Sidecar turns a nearby iPad into a second Mac display, mirrored or extended, wired or wireless. It is built in and works well, but only with iPad. If you have an iPad and are choosing between the two, see Beam vs Sidecar.
AirPlay: the wrong direction
An iPhone can send AirPlay but never receive it. A Mac can AirPlay to an Apple TV, a compatible TV or another Mac, but not to a phone. More in can you AirPlay from Mac to iPhone.
iPhone Mirroring: also the wrong direction
iPhone Mirroring, added in macOS Sequoia, puts your iPhone on your Mac. Handy, but the opposite of what you're looking for.
What each Apple feature does
| Feature | Direction | Mac onto iPhone? |
|---|---|---|
| Sidecar | Mac → iPad | No |
| AirPlay | Mac → TV or another Mac | No |
| iPhone Mirroring | iPhone → Mac | No |
| Continuity Camera | iPhone → Mac | No |
| Beam | Mac → iPhone and iPad | Yes |
If you want a real extended display
Duet Display adds an iPhone to macOS as an extra display, so windows really move onto it. It is sold as a subscription. Whether a phone-sized extra desktop is worth that depends on how you work. Compared in Beam vs Duet Display.
If you want to see your Mac from somewhere else
That's what Beam does. It is two free apps: Beacon sits in your Mac's menu bar and sends the screen, and Beam plays it on your iPhone or iPad with the Mac's sound.
- Streams the whole display, or just one window you pick from the phone
- Keeps playing in Picture in Picture while you use other apps
- Up to 4K or your display's native resolution, and up to 120 fps when your phone and your Mac's display both run that fast. See the quality settings guide
- Works on your own Wi-Fi with no account and no Beam server in between
- Free with a 3-day unlimited trial, then 30 minutes in every 24 hours
- Beam Unlimited, $7.99 once, removes the limit and lets you stream away from home over your own Tailscale network
You can touch it, too
Beam started as a viewer, and watching is still most of what people do with it. Since Beam 3.4 you can also reach in. Turn on click mode and the stream works like a trackpad you touch directly: tap to click, tap twice to double-click, touch and hold then lift to right-click, touch and hold then move to drag a window or select text, and slide two fingers to scroll. The live keyboard types into the Mac, with esc, tab, the arrows, the function keys and ⌃ ⌥ ⇧ ⌘ in a row above it. A game controller paired with the phone shows up on the Mac as a real gamepad (see the controller guide).
What Beam doesn't do is move things between the phone and the Mac. There is no file transfer and no shared clipboard. Dragging a file in click mode moves it around on the Mac, the same as on its own trackpad. If you need to shuttle files and text back and forth all day, a remote desktop app is the better fit.
Step-by-step setup is in the setup guide, and every Apple option is mapped out in the complete screen sharing guide.
Frequently asked questions
Can you use an iPhone as a monitor for a Mac?
Not with anything built into macOS. Some third-party apps can. If you only want to see your Mac screen rather than add desktop space, Beam is the simpler fit.
Does Sidecar work with iPhone?
No. Sidecar is iPad only.
Is an iPhone big enough to use as a second display?
For desktop windows, rarely. For watching your Mac from across the room, it works well.
How do I see my Mac screen on my iPhone for free?
Install Beacon on the Mac and Beam on the iPhone, then pair them once on the same Wi-Fi. Your first stream starts a 3-day unlimited trial. After that, the free tier gives you 30 minutes in every 24 hours.
