How to mirror your Android screen on a Mac
Install a mirroring app on the Mac and connect the phone. With PhoneDesq, plug the phone in once, press Screen, and the phone appears live in a Mac window that you control with your keyboard and trackpad — over the cable or, after that, your Wi-Fi. Android apps can also open in their own Mac windows.
Updated 4 November 2026
Mirror your screen with PhoneDesq
Download PhoneDesq
Get PhoneDesq for your Mac from phonedesq.com/download, open the download and drag PhoneDesq into Applications. It is free during launch.
Plug in your phone
Connect your Android phone with a USB cable that carries data (some cables only charge), unlock the phone, and tap Allow when it asks.
Follow the setup
PhoneDesq shows each step for your phone's brand the first time. After that it reconnects by itself, over the cable or your Wi-Fi.
Press Screen
Your phone's screen appears in the PhoneDesq window within a second or so. Click, type, scroll and swipe with the Mac's keyboard and trackpad.
Make it yours
Detach the screen into its own window, go full screen, drop files onto it, or take a screenshot. Unplug the cable and it carries on over Wi-Fi.
What "mirroring" gets you
Mirroring shows the phone's live screen on the Mac and sends your clicks and typing back to it. It is the quickest way to use an app that has no Mac version, type a long message with a real keyboard, show the phone on a big screen, or record and demo an app.
PhoneDesq's picture runs at up to 60 frames a second at the phone's full resolution, measured at about 30 ms from the phone's screen to the Mac's over a cable on a Galaxy S24 Ultra.
Better than mirroring: apps as Mac windows
On Android 10 or later, PhoneDesq can open any app in its own resizable Mac window, laid out like a tablet, while the phone stays dark in your pocket. Several apps can be open at once, each in its own window — WhatsApp beside your browser, for example.
Sound
On Android 11 or later, the phone's sound plays through the Mac while its screen or an app is open, and the phone stays quiet.
Why some apps show black
Banking, ID and streaming apps protect their screens from being shown anywhere else, by design. No mirroring app can show them; PhoneDesq names the app instead of leaving a mystery black window. Use those apps on the phone.
Every way to do it, compared
PhoneDesq
Good: A Mac app with guided setup, keyboard and trackpad control, cable or Wi-Fi, apps as their own Mac windows, phone sound on the Mac, plus texts, calls, files and notifications. Free during launch.
Limits: macOS 14 or later.
scrcpy
Good: Free, open source, fast and highly configurable; PhoneDesq uses its screen engine.
Limits: Run from the Terminal; installing it and going wireless take commands.
Vysor
Good: Simple to start; runs on several platforms.
Limits: The free version limits picture quality and wireless use; the best features are paid.
AirDroid Cast and similar casting apps
Good: No cable needed for viewing.
Limits: Controlling the phone from the Mac needs a paid plan.
Samsung Flow / Samsung DeX
Good: Samsung's own tools.
Limits: Samsung phones only, and DeX for Mac has been discontinued.
Questions
Can I mirror Android to a Mac for free?
Yes. PhoneDesq is free during its launch, and scrcpy is free and open source but runs from the Terminal.
Can I mirror wirelessly, without a cable?
Yes. Plug in once to set up; after that PhoneDesq connects over your home Wi-Fi by itself.
Can I control the phone with my Mac's keyboard and mouse?
Yes. Clicks, typing, scrolling and swipes go to the phone, and you can paste the Mac's clipboard straight into it.
Does Apple's iPhone Mirroring work with Android?
No. iPhone Mirroring is for iPhones only. For an Android phone you need an app such as PhoneDesq.
Is there a delay?
Over a cable, PhoneDesq measured about 30 ms from the phone's screen to the Mac's on a Galaxy S24 Ultra, which is hard to notice. Over Wi-Fi it depends on your network and is a little behind.