Apple is bringing some good enhancements to iPhone Display screen Mirroring in macOS Tahoe 26 this yr, however sadly, of us within the European Union will nonetheless be lacking out on this helpful characteristic — and even a number of the new issues that include it, like Stay Actions.
In the event you haven’t tried it but, iPhone Mirroring is a really helpful characteristic launched in iOS 18 and macOS Sequoia final yr that allows you to successfully take management of your iPhone out of your Mac, even whereas it’s in your pocket or sitting within the subsequent room. Regardless of using the phrase “mirroring,” this occurs whereas your iPhone stays safely locked so no person else can get at your iPhone or see what you’re doing on it.
That is tied to a brand new notification characteristic that Apple added final yr that not solely enables you to see your iPhone notifications in your Mac, but additionally reply to them. Clicking on a notification out of your iPhone will routinely open iPhone Mirroring and take you proper into the suitable app, identical to it could in the event you tapped it in your iPhone.
That’s additionally the place Stay Actions are available in. With macOS Tahoe, you’ll be capable to see any Stay Exercise out of your iPhone introduced in your Mac, so that you gained’t have to maintain your iPhone helpful to know when your Uber Eats supply is exhibiting up, or verify the most recent rating out of your favourite crew for a sport in progress. Nevertheless, the connection between Stay Actions and display screen mirroring is probably going why these gained’t be a part of the bundle for European customers.
Final yr, Apple pointedly excluded Apple Intelligence, iPhone Mirroring, and SharePlay Display screen Sharing from units within the European Union because of the complexities of the EU’s Digital Markets Act (DMA). This is identical laws that pressured Apple to open up app distribution in Europe, and is now pushing Apple to open up options like AirPlay, AirDrop, and notifications to third-party machine makers.
Whereas Apple hasn’t gone into any element on how EU laws may have an effect on these options, it’s not arduous to fill within the blanks. iPhone Mirroring and SharePlay Display screen Sharing solely work between Apple units. That lets Apple management all of the privateness and safety points of those options on each ends. With the EU already pushing for issues like AirDrop to be open to different platforms, Apple may doubtless discover itself confronted with a requirement to let Home windows, Linux, Android, and others totally take part in iPhone Mirroring. The simplest strategy to keep away from being pressured to try this is to exclude these options from the EU.
Apple ultimately discovered the best way to match Apple Intelligence into the EU’s regulatory framework, however the opposite two options remained lacking at the same time as Apple’s AI options landed on European shores. We weren’t holding our breath for iOS 26 and macOS Tahoe to alter this. Nevertheless, now Apple has confirmed that it’s nonetheless holding these options again within the European Union because of the persevering with regulatory uncertainties.
In brief, it appears to be like like little has modified since final yr when these options first rolled out. French web site Numerama was among the many first to report after final yr’s Worldwide Builders Convention (WWDC) that these options wouldn’t be coming to the EU. Whereas attending WWDC25, it requested a number of Apple executives whether or not that might change in iOS 26, and was advised that Apple “nonetheless has too many doubts about how the European Union may decide its capabilities” (Translated from French).
In accordance with Numerama’s Nicolas Lellouche, the difficulty may not merely be one in every of openness. Whereas European regulators take into account the iPhone and iPad to be “gatekeeper” units below the phrases of the DMA, the Mac shouldn’t be due to its considerably smaller person base. Lellouche posits that Apple is likely to be involved that if the Mac can emulate iOS via options like mirroring, display screen sharing, and Stay Actions, which may trigger it to qualify as a “gatekeeper,” bringing it below the identical regulatory umbrella because the iPhone and iPad.