iPhone mirrors on the Mac: useful function remains closed in the EU

In the course of the increasingly stricter EU regulatory measures against Apple, users must prepare for the fact that they are withheld from further functions within the European Union. At least Apple does not make any institutions to loosen existing locks. The ban on the iPhone Mirroring function for EU customers, which has existed since last year, is retained. This was shared by the group compared to French IT magazine Numerama with.

Apple fears for the Mac

Accordingly, with the introduction of iOS 26 next September, no iPhone levels will be possible on EU MACs. Apple is afraid of running the function into regulation with the implementation of the function. This is triggered by the Digital Markets Act for the iPhone, the Mac has so far been left out due to lower sales. The EU now goes very far in its specifications for iOS, the Brussels officials make Apple’s specifications at the interfaces to be used.

Apple, in turn, argues that the further opening of its platform costs the group a lot of money, ultimately does not serve the users and endanger security. In the worst case, this amounts to the clientele that functions are not brought to the EU at all. Among other things, the Commission wants other devices than the Apple Watch to read out complete iOS notifications.

What works with the iPhone mirror

Apple had introduced the iPhone Mirroring in iOS 18 and MacOS 15 alias sequoia. The entire iPhone screen is shown on the Mac and can be operated, and notifications also go into the Mac. So you have all the devices on a screen. This is to be expanded with iOS 26. Then live activities come from the iPhone to the Mac and users can react to them directly on the mirrored iPhone.

Apple has now confirmed to Numerama that iOS 26 would not unlock iPhone mirror. The group wants to make the feature compatible, but still has significant concerns about how the EU would evaluate it. As long as this has not been clarified, it remains inactive for EU users. It can be expected that other Apple “combination functions” will also be blocked.