Mac Screen Sharing: iPhone, iPad, TV & Mac
Updated October 2026 · 6 min read
The short version
macOS can share or mirror your screen to an Apple TV, an AirPlay-compatible TV, another Mac, or an iPad on your desk. It can't send a Mac screen to an iPhone, and it can't send one to an iPad in another room. Beam covers both.
Every path, and what Apple ships
"Screen mirroring" gets used for several different features. Here's where a Mac can send its display with what's built in, and where it can't.
Where a Mac screen can go
| Destination | Apple feature | Supported? |
|---|---|---|
| Apple TV | AirPlay | Yes |
| AirPlay-compatible TV | AirPlay | Yes |
| Another Mac | AirPlay Receiver | Yes |
| iPad (as a display) | Sidecar | Yes |
| HomePod | AirPlay | Audio only |
| iPhone | None | No, needs an app |
Mirroring to a TV or Apple TV
This is the path AirPlay was designed for. On your Mac, click Control Center in the menu bar, choose Screen Mirroring, and pick your Apple TV or AirPlay-compatible television. Both devices need to be on the same network. You can mirror your display or extend it, and audio follows the video.
Mirroring to another Mac
Since macOS Monterey, a Mac can act as an AirPlay receiver. On the receiving Mac, open System Settings, go to General, then AirDrop & Handoff, and switch on AirPlay Receiver. The receiving Mac then appears in the sending Mac's Screen Mirroring menu.
This is the setting that confuses people most, because it is the one that comes up when you search for Mac-to-iPhone mirroring. It only works Mac to Mac.
Using an iPad as a second display
Sidecar turns a nearby iPad into a mirrored or extended Mac display, wired or wireless. It's built into macOS and needs no extra software. Apple requires the two devices to be within about 10 meters of each other, signed in to the same Apple Account. Sidecar has never supported iPhone. If you want to see your Mac on an iPad from further away, see Beam vs Sidecar.
Mirroring a Mac to an iPhone
Apple has no feature for this at all, and the three things people usually find while searching all point the wrong way:
- AirPlay sends from an iPhone, it does not receive. An iPhone can never be an AirPlay display. See can you AirPlay from Mac to iPhone.
- Sidecar is iPad only.
- iPhone Mirroring, added in macOS Sequoia, shows your iPhone on your Mac. That is the opposite of what you want.
What works: a dedicated streaming app
Beam does this with 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. On your own Wi-Fi the stream goes straight between the two devices, with no account and no internet connection needed. You pair once with a 6-digit code. Full walkthrough in the step-by-step guide.
To reach your Mac while you're away, Beam Unlimited streams over your own Tailscale network. Tailscale connects the devices directly when it can, and through its own encrypted relay when it can't. Beam runs no servers either way. See the away-from-home guide.
Mirroring versus remote control
Mirroring means watching: your Mac screen appears on another device and you look at it. Remote control means operating: you click and type on the far device and your Mac responds. Most tools lean one way.
Beam leans toward watching. It's tuned for smooth, low-latency video with sound, and it stays useful when you need to step in: click mode gives you click, right-click, drag and scroll, the live keyboard types into the Mac, and a game controller paired with your phone reaches the Mac as a real gamepad. What it doesn't do is move files or the clipboard between devices. If you'll be working on the Mac from your phone for hours, a remote desktop like Jump Desktop, Screens or a VNC client is the better fit. Compared side by side in Beam vs Jump Desktop.
If you want your iPhone to be an extra desktop you can drag windows onto, that's a third kind of tool, covered in using an iPhone as a Mac monitor and in Beam vs Duet Display.
Frequently asked questions
Can you mirror a Mac screen to an iPhone?
Not with anything built into macOS. AirPlay can't target an iPhone, Sidecar is iPad only, and iPhone Mirroring runs the other way. An app like Beam does it over your Wi-Fi.
What is the difference between iPhone Mirroring and mirroring a Mac to an iPhone?
Opposite directions. iPhone Mirroring puts your phone on your Mac. Beam puts your Mac on your phone.
Does AirPlay work from Mac to iPhone?
No. iPhones send AirPlay, they never receive it.
Is there a free way to view my Mac screen on my iPhone?
Yes. Beam is free to download. Your first stream starts a 3-day unlimited trial. After that, the free tier gives you 30 minutes in every 24 hours on your home Wi-Fi, with no account.
Can I control my Mac from my iPhone?
Yes. Beam's click mode and live keyboard cover clicking, dragging, scrolling and typing. For long work sessions or file transfer, use a remote desktop app.
