How to mirror an Android phone to a Mac and control it

The best way to mirror Android to a Mac is scrcpy. It is free and open source, it shows the phone's screen in a window on macOS, and it lets you control the phone with the Mac's keyboard and mouse. It works over USB or Wi-Fi and installs nothing on the phone. The cost is setup: you install it from the command line and turn on a developer setting called USB debugging. Apple's iPhone Mirroring is for iPhones only, and The Relay, which publishes this guide, does not mirror the screen at all.

Publisher note: The Relay publishes this guide and is one of the products discussed. Details about other products come from each maker's own pages, checked on 1 October 2026. Prices and features change, so confirm before you buy.

Is there iPhone Mirroring for Android?

Not from Apple. Apple's page, iPhone Mirroring: Use your iPhone from your Mac, says you can "wirelessly interact with your iPhone and its apps and notifications from your Mac". It needs a Mac on macOS Sequoia 15 or later, an iPhone on iOS 18 or later, and both signed in to the same Apple Account. Apple also notes it is "currently unavailable in the European Union".

Google's casting feature points the other way. Its page, Cast your Android screen from the Google Home app, describes casting to "your Google streaming device" on the same Wi-Fi network. It does not mention casting to a computer or a Mac.

So for an Android phone and a MacBook, the answer comes from an independent project.

What is scrcpy?

scrcpy is an open-source program published by Genymobile on GitHub. Its README describes it this way: "This application mirrors Android devices (video and audio) connected via USB or TCP/IP and allows control using the computer's keyboard and mouse. It does not require root access or an app installed on the device. It works on Linux, Windows, and macOS."

What the README lists:

The version on the project page on 1 October 2026 was 4.1.

How do I install scrcpy on a Mac?

The project's macOS instructions give two routes.

With Homebrew. If you already use Homebrew, the package manager for macOS, open Terminal and run:

brew install scrcpy
brew install --cask android-platform-tools

The second line installs adb, the Android tool scrcpy uses to talk to the phone.

Without Homebrew. The same page links to ready-made downloads from the latest release: one file for aarch64, which is the build for Apple silicon Macs, and one for x86_64, for Intel Macs. Download the right one and extract the archive.

If you have never opened Terminal: it is in Applications, in the Utilities folder. You type a line, press Return, and wait for it to finish.

How do I turn on USB debugging on the phone?

scrcpy's README says USB debugging must be enabled on the device. That setting is hidden inside Developer options. Google's page Configure on-device developer options explains both steps.

1. Find Build number in Settings. Google lists where it is:
   • Google Pixel: Settings > About phone > Build number
   • Samsung Galaxy S8 and later: Settings > About phone > Software information > Build number
   • OnePlus 5T and later: Settings > About phone > Build number
2. Tap Build number seven times, until you see "You are now a developer!"
3. Go back. Open Developer options. On Android 9 and later Google gives the path as Settings > System > Advanced > Developer Options. If your phone differs, search Settings for "developer".
4. Turn on USB debugging.

On some phones there is one more switch. The scrcpy README says that on Xiaomi devices you also need "USB debugging (Security Settings)" to control the phone with the keyboard and mouse, followed by a restart.

Is USB debugging safe to leave on?

It is a powerful setting, so understand what it does. Google's adb documentation says that when you connect the phone to a computer, the phone shows a dialog asking whether to accept a key "that allows debugging through this computer", and that this "ensures that USB debugging and other adb commands cannot be executed unless you're able to unlock the device and acknowledge the dialog". A computer you approve can then run commands on the phone. Approve only your own Mac, and turn USB debugging off again if you stop using scrcpy.

How do I start mirroring?

Over USB:

1. Connect the phone to the Mac with a cable that carries data.
2. Unlock the phone. When the dialog asking whether to allow debugging from this computer appears, accept it.
3. In Terminal, type scrcpy and press Return.

A window opens showing the phone's screen. Click and type in it to control the phone.

Without the cable, scrcpy's connection guide describes a wireless mode:

1. Put the phone and the Mac on the same Wi-Fi network.
2. Connect the phone by USB once.
3. Run scrcpy --tcpip. The guide says this finds the phone's address and switches it to network mode automatically.
4. Once it has connected, unplug the cable and carry on over Wi-Fi.

The guide also notes that Android 11 and later have a wireless debugging option that avoids the first cable connection. Google's adb page has the steps for it, including pairing with a code.

To record the session to a file, the macOS page gives this example: scrcpy --no-audio --record=file.mkv. For every other option, run scrcpy --help.

What if scrcpy does not start?

Beyond these, the project's documentation and issue pages are the place to look. We have not tested scrcpy on every phone.

Are there other ways to see an Android screen on a Mac?

AirDroid Personal lists screen mirroring and remote control among its features, with a Mac client for macOS 10.11 and higher, on its product page. It works through an AirDroid account, and its pricing page lists a free plan and a paid plan at $3.99 a month or $29.99 a year, as of 1 October 2026, with screen mirroring in the feature table. Check which plan covers it before you sign up. It is an installed app with an account, not a command-line tool. See AirDroid alternatives.

Where does The Relay fit?

It does not mirror. The Relay has no screen mirroring and no remote control of the phone. If you want to see and operate the phone's screen on your Mac, use scrcpy. It is free and it is the right tool.

It is worth asking why you want mirroring, though. People often reach for it to do one of these jobs, and none of them needs the screen:

If your reasons are in the first four rows, The Relay does them without a Terminal window, wirelessly on your local network, for $19.99 paid once. It needs Android 8.0 or later and macOS 13 Ventura or later and comes from the download page. If your reason is the last row, The Relay is not a substitute, and no amount of notification syncing changes that.

The two also work side by side. Nothing stops you from running scrcpy for the screen and The Relay for the rest.

Questions people ask

Is scrcpy free?

Yes. Its README describes it as free and open-source software with no accounts and no ads.

Do I need to install an app on my phone for scrcpy?

No. The README says it does not require root access or an app installed on the device. You do need to turn on USB debugging in Developer options.

Can I mirror Android to a Mac wirelessly?

Yes. Connect by USB once, run scrcpy --tcpip, and unplug. Both devices must be on the same network. On Android 11 or later, wireless debugging can replace the first USB connection.

Does scrcpy work with a Samsung Galaxy or a Pixel?

The README's requirement is Android 5.0 or later with USB debugging enabled, whatever the brand. Google's developer options page lists where to find Build number on Pixel and Samsung Galaxy phones.

Can I mirror my Mac's screen to my Android phone instead?

That is a different job. The scrcpy README describes showing the phone on the computer, not the reverse.