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Apple Explains Why Mac Users in the EU Can't Use iPhone Mirroring

18 points by SoKamil 1y ago

_aavaa_ 1y ago
> And the company would not like the EU regulator to require the company to tweak macOS to make it possible to mirror Android phones in addition to iPhones. What reason do they have to believe this rather than “let’s blame the EU and make it look like reasonable regulations (being allowed to install app outside Apple’s control) are evil.”?
supermatt 1y ago
If Apple do not want to provide iPhone mirroring, then so be it. But since it is obvious the capability exists, they should allow other vendors the permissions needed to offer similar functionality with their own technology. These companies have been requesting this for years for their own mirroring apps, long before Apple introduced iPhone mirroring (long before even airplay). iPhone mirroring is not innovation when you simply take your competitors product ideas and then block them from competing by giving yourself exclusive access to the very features they have been requesting for over 15 years... Apple need not worry about being forced to "tweak the feature" if users are given the option to use an alternative solution on equal terms. Unless, of course, the aim is simply to stifle competition and keep users locked in through anti-consumer practices..
- gumby271 1y ago
  I don't know this mirroring feature too well, but what's missing that a third party couldn't implement the same thing for android? Like scrcpy works. Its not as polished, but thats a ui/presentation issue. Are there features in macos that enable iOS mirroring that only Apple can use?
  - supermatt 1y ago
    I haven’t used it much (I am in the EU) so I can’t give an extensive list. But a few I noticed when I was in UK: - You can initiate from the MacBook. - you don’t need to wake and unlock the phone manually - the phone itself stays physically locked - drag/drop Basically you can keep it in your pocket/bag instead of physically holding and unlocking it. Mirroring aside there’s things like remote copy/paste, continuity with desktop apps, etc. Edit: Wow, downvotes for what exactly? Because I own an iPhone and MacBook or because I dislike Apples shitty business practices?
    - tonyedgecombe 1y ago
      I can see why Apple might be reluctant to open this technology up to third parties, it would be a nightmare to keep it secure.
      - supermatt 1y ago
        Why should that be apples decision to make? There are many software vendors with much better security track records than apple.
        tpmoney 1y ago
        Because Apple’s reputation (and customer trust in the ecosystem) depends on their security posture, and the less headlines that involve 3rd party applications on your computer being able to read the iPhone clipboard while the phone remains locked the better? Also because people should have the choice to buy a device from a vendor that is locked down if that is what they want.
        _aavaa_ 1y ago
        Nothing about providing the API for this requires that your phone automatically accept such requests. They can change it so that all first requests require confirmation with password.
        tpmoney 1y ago
        And you can secure your HTTP server and SSH server with credentials too, but if your wanting a secure internal service it’s also probably a good idea to put a firewall in place and only allow access from authorized endpoints. Security isn’t a binary thing. It comes in layers and “no publicly accessible API” is (or at least can be) more secure than “public API”.
        _aavaa_ 1y ago
        It just so happens that Apple gets to make that decision for us for “our good” and provides us with no say in the matter. Why does Apple get to dictate what is an authorized endpoint for my device?
hu3 1y ago
Does Windows Phone Link not mirror iOS screen? It does for Android. https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/sync-across-your-devices https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/sync-across-your-dev...
dpoloncsak 1y ago
"EU might actually enforce Anti-Trust laws, so we don't want to offer it to EU"

18 points by SoKamil 1y ago

> And the company would not like the EU regulator to require the company to tweak macOS to make it possible to mirror Android phones in addition to iPhones. What reason do they have to believe this rather than “let’s blame the EU and make it look like reasonable regulations (being allowed to install app outside Apple’s control) are evil.”?

supermatt 1y ago

If Apple do not want to provide iPhone mirroring, then so be it. But since it is obvious the capability exists, they should allow other vendors the permissions needed to offer similar functionality with their own technology. These companies have been requesting this for years for their own mirroring apps, long before Apple introduced iPhone mirroring (long before even airplay). iPhone mirroring is not innovation when you simply take your competitors product ideas and then block them from competing by giving yourself exclusive access to the very features they have been requesting for over 15 years... Apple need not worry about being forced to "tweak the feature" if users are given the option to use an alternative solution on equal terms. Unless, of course, the aim is simply to stifle competition and keep users locked in through anti-consumer practices..

gumby271 1y ago
I don't know this mirroring feature too well, but what's missing that a third party couldn't implement the same thing for android? Like scrcpy works. Its not as polished, but thats a ui/presentation issue. Are there features in macos that enable iOS mirroring that only Apple can use?
- supermatt 1y ago
  I haven’t used it much (I am in the EU) so I can’t give an extensive list. But a few I noticed when I was in UK: - You can initiate from the MacBook. - you don’t need to wake and unlock the phone manually - the phone itself stays physically locked - drag/drop Basically you can keep it in your pocket/bag instead of physically holding and unlocking it. Mirroring aside there’s things like remote copy/paste, continuity with desktop apps, etc. Edit: Wow, downvotes for what exactly? Because I own an iPhone and MacBook or because I dislike Apples shitty business practices?
  - tonyedgecombe 1y ago
    I can see why Apple might be reluctant to open this technology up to third parties, it would be a nightmare to keep it secure.
    - supermatt 1y ago
      Why should that be apples decision to make? There are many software vendors with much better security track records than apple.
      - tpmoney 1y ago
        Because Apple’s reputation (and customer trust in the ecosystem) depends on their security posture, and the less headlines that involve 3rd party applications on your computer being able to read the iPhone clipboard while the phone remains locked the better? Also because people should have the choice to buy a device from a vendor that is locked down if that is what they want.
        _aavaa_ 1y ago
        Nothing about providing the API for this requires that your phone automatically accept such requests. They can change it so that all first requests require confirmation with password.
        tpmoney 1y ago
        And you can secure your HTTP server and SSH server with credentials too, but if your wanting a secure internal service it’s also probably a good idea to put a firewall in place and only allow access from authorized endpoints. Security isn’t a binary thing. It comes in layers and “no publicly accessible API” is (or at least can be) more secure than “public API”.
        _aavaa_ 1y ago
        It just so happens that Apple gets to make that decision for us for “our good” and provides us with no say in the matter. Why does Apple get to dictate what is an authorized endpoint for my device?

hu3 1y ago

Does Windows Phone Link not mirror iOS screen? It does for Android. https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/sync-across-your-devices https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/sync-across-your-dev...

dpoloncsak 1y ago

"EU might actually enforce Anti-Trust laws, so we don't want to offer it to EU"