iPhone Mirroring Connection Interrupted? Here’s What to Do

After updating to macOS 15 and iOS 18, I was eager to try out iPhone Mirroring. At first, everything worked flawlessly—I could mirror my iPhone to my Mac and use it without any issues. Setting up and using iPhone Mirroring was simple and straightforward.

But the next day, things didn’t go as smoothly. When I tried to connect again, the iPhone seemed to be mirroring as expected, and I could even interact with the screen for a second or two. Then, out of nowhere, an error popped up:

“iPhone Mirroring Connection Interrupted. Ensure ‘iPhone’ is near your Mac, powered on, with Bluetooth and Wi-Fi enabled.”

Even though all the settings were correct, the connection kept dropping. If you’ve run into the same issue, here’s what might be causing it and how to fix it.

We previously covered the steps to take if you encounter a timeout error.

1. Disable VPN and Security Apps

Make sure that VPN is turned off on both your iPhone and Mac, as it can interfere with the iPhone Mirroring connection. Additionally, disable any firewalls or third-party security apps on your Mac, as they may block the necessary network communication between your devices. Once disabled, try reconnecting to see if the issue is resolved.

We previously discussed whether using a VPN is necessary and also provided instructions on how to remove a VPN if needed.

2. Check and Change Private Wi-Fi Address Settings

On some networks, particularly public or secured ones, the Private Wi-Fi Address setting is set to Fixed by default for security reasons. However, iPhone Mirroring requires this setting to be Rotating to function properly. Here’s how to check and change it:

1. Open Settings on both your iPhone and Mac.
2. Navigate to Wi-Fi.
3. On your iPhone, tap the (i) icon next to your connected Wi-Fi network.
   On your Mac, click Details next to your Wi-Fi network.
4. Locate Private Wi-Fi Address and check the dropdown menu next to it.
5. If it’s set to Fixed, change it to Rotating. (If it’s already set to Rotating, this may not be the cause of your issue.)
6. Restart both your iPhone and Mac.
7. Try iPhone Mirroring again—it should now work without interruptions.

3. Manually Set the 5GHz Wi-Fi Channel

If iPhone Mirroring is still not working, the issue could be related to your Wi-Fi router’s settings. Some routers automatically select a 5GHz channel, which may cause connection issues. Manually setting the channel can help stabilize the connection. Here’s how to do it:

1. Log in to your router’s settings (usually by entering 192.168.1.1 or 192.168.0.1 in a web browser).
2. Navigate to the Wireless Settings or Wi-Fi Configuration section.
3. Locate the 5GHz band settings.
4. If the channel is set to Automatic, change it to a specific channel (e.g., 36, 40, or 44).
5. Save the changes and restart your router.
6. Try using iPhone Mirroring again to see if the issue is resolved.

Disabling VPNs, adjusting network settings, and fine-tuning your router’s configuration can often resolve the problem. If none of these fixes work, checking for software updates or resetting network settings on both devices might be the next step.