MacHabitsiPhone Mirroring lets you see and use your iPhone in a window on your Mac. On macOS 27 Golden Gate, Apple's support page still says the feature is currently unavailable in the European Union, and suggests AirPlay if you only want to view the screen. This week, a popular Reddit thread asked a fair question: why can an app on the same Mac mirror an iPhone in the EU when iPhone Mirroring cannot?
The app is Device Hub, part of the Xcode developer suite. Here is what is known, how to try it, and what to use if you would rather not.
Where things stand
Apple first tied the EU block to uncertainty over the Digital Markets Act. At WWDC25 it said it was worried that regulators could eventually require changes to macOS, such as supporting mirroring for non-Apple phones, and that it would hold features back in the EU rather than risk that. Nothing in Apple's current support page suggests that has changed.
In mid-September, developers noticed that Device Hub, which ships with Xcode, can show and control a connected iPhone on a Mac in the EU. One developer joked that Apple probably forgot to add the region check there, while noting that the iPhone Mirroring app itself still does not work. Apple has not commented on whether Device Hub's behavior is intentional.
iPhone Mirroring vs Device Hub
| iPhone Mirroring | Device Hub | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | Consumer Continuity feature | Developer tool inside Xcode |
| Works in the EU | No, per Apple | Reported to work |
| Apple support | Documented and supported | Not documented as a mirroring feature |
| Setup | Built into macOS 27 and iOS 27 | Requires installing Xcode |
| Notifications on Mac | Part of the feature | Not part of it |
Device Hub is not a drop-in replacement. Think of it as a developer window onto your phone that happens to be usable like a mirror.
How to try Device Hub
This route was found by developers rather than documented by Apple, so menu names can differ between Xcode versions.
- Install Xcode from the Mac App Store. It is free, but it is a multi-gigabyte download, so check your free space first.
- Connect your iPhone to the Mac with a cable and tap Trust on the phone when asked. Starting with a cable is the most reliable.
- Enable Developer Mode on the iPhone if prompted: Settings > Privacy & Security > Developer Mode, then restart the phone. Xcode generally needs this to work with a device.
- Open Xcode, choose your iPhone from the run destination list at the top of a project window, then open the list again and pick Manage Devices.
- A Device Hub tab should open showing your phone, and you can interact with it from the Mac.
When you are done, you can switch Developer Mode off again on the iPhone. It is off by default for a reason: it loosens some of iOS's protections, so there is no benefit in leaving it on if you do not develop apps.
What not to do
Since iPhone Mirroring launched in 2024, workarounds have circulated that patch system files, change the Apple Account region, or use a VPN. We do not recommend any of them:
- System patching scripts modify protected files and tend to be broken or removed by Apple in later updates.
- Region or Apple Account switching can affect purchases, subscriptions, banking apps, and Continuity features, and can be awkward to undo.
- Random scripts from GitHub run with your privileges. See how to verify an app is genuine before running anything like that.
Alternatives that work in the EU
- AirPlay to your Mac (view only). This is Apple's own suggestion. Turn on the AirPlay Receiver setting on the Mac (in General > AirDrop & Handoff on recent versions), then use Screen Mirroring from your iPhone's Control Center. You can show the screen but not control the phone from the Mac.
- QuickTime Player. Connect the iPhone by cable, open QuickTime Player, choose File > New Movie Recording, and pick your iPhone as the camera source to see and record its screen. This is also view only.
- Handoff, Universal Clipboard, and AirDrop. These still cover many of the reasons people want mirroring: continuing a task, copying text or images between devices, and moving files.
- Apps with Mac versions. If you are mirroring to use an app, check whether it has a Mac or web version first.
Will Apple enable it in the EU?
There is no announced timeline. Apple's support page describes the feature as currently unavailable in the EU, and its stated reason has been regulatory uncertainty, which is not something a software update fixes on its own. Check Apple's iPhone Mirroring support page for changes rather than relying on rumors.
The short version
- iPhone Mirroring is still unavailable in the EU on macOS 27, according to Apple.
- Device Hub in Xcode reportedly lets you view and control a connected iPhone in the EU. It is an unofficial route and may disappear.
- Skip region tricks and system-patching scripts.
- For view-only needs, AirPlay and QuickTime Player work without Xcode or Developer Mode.