iOS 18 just got its second developer beta, which brings with it two more features that debuted at WWDC 2024 two weeks ago, but weren't present in the original beta, according to reports from current users.
Those two features are iPhone Mirroring and SharePlay screen sharing, which we saw demoed at the Apple software event. iPhone Mirroring is a new crossover feature between iOS 18 and macOS Sequoia that allows you to open up your iPhone screen on your Mac, giving you access to your apps and files while keeping the iPhone itself locked or in StandBy mode. It's one of the biggest upgrades Apple's making to its products' software this year, so safe to say we're a little excited.
SharePlay screen sharing meanwhile is a FaceTime tool that enables remote control of another device. You can annotate the screen too, which would be a handy way for you to teach (or be taught) how to do something in a particular app or just on the iPhone, iPad or Mac generally, or go through a document or other project you and someone else are collaborating on.
Hopefully going public soon
While these features are only in the developer beta of iOS 18 — meaning you require a paid account to access it — the presence of iPhone Mirroring and SharePlay screen sharing is exciting for we regular iPhone-using folk as well. Since public betas are normally a previous developer beta but more stable, we should hopefully see the first iOS 18 public beta become available soon on all compatible iPhones, even if you don't have an Apple Developer account
In an odd coincidence, these two features just happen to be ones that won't be available in the E.U. if Apple's complaints about security can't be squared with the bloc's competition laws. This dispute also affects Apple Intelligence-powered features, except nobody will be able to try those until later this year, and even then only on certain devices when set to U.S. English.
You can prepare to try out some mirroring and screen sharing by checking our guide on how to download the iOS 18 beta, or learn about the other features coming soon to recent Apple devices in our iOS 18, iPadOS 18 and macOS Sequoia hubs. If downloading unfinished software's not your thing, then you'll be waiting for the stable release of these updates, which should arrive in September alongside the much-anticipated iPhone 16 series.
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