Screen Mirror over USB For Mac

With macOS Monterey, Apple added the ability to use AirPlay to mirror an iPhone or iPad’s screen to your Mac. It’s pretty simple to use, but it does come with some limitations: Monterey is required, it won’t work with some Macs, iPhones, and iPads, and screen sharing will always be full-screen on your Mac.

Screen Mirror over USB offers a great alternative. It’s just as easy to use, albeit only via USB, it allows you to resize the iPhone or iPad screen seen on your Mac, and it works with older devices as well.

When launching the app for the first time, you’ll need to give it some permissions, but everything else should be smooth sailing. Of course, you’ll have to connect your mobile device to your Mac via USB, as this app won’t work over Wi-Fi.

Once everything is connected, you will see your iPhone/iPad screen mirrored on your Mac’s display. The window can be resized and moved around freely, in contrast to Apple’s AirPlay, which is always full-screen. The dimensions and location will be remembered next time you connect to this device.

There are plenty of potential uses for an app like Screen Mirror over USB. Aside from taking advantage of a larger screen for iPhone/iPad-only content, you can look at your phone without appearing distracted during a call, share your phone screen with others, and even record app previews.

With a Bluetooth keyboard and mouse, you can even type on your phone from your Mac and control it with your mouse without having to look away from your big screen.

If you own devices that don’t support AirPlay, don’t have Monterey, or simply want to have more flexibility when mirroring your mobile device, Screen Mirror over USB is a great app to try out. It’s just as easy to use as the built-in feature, but it has more potential uses.