MacOS Sonoma Live Activities: iOS 18 Compatibility
- Apple's upcoming macOS Tahoe 26 will introduce Live Activities to Mac users, offering a streamlined experience between iPhones and Macs.
- The Live Activities will appear in the macOS menu bar, mirroring the functionality of the iPhone's Dynamic Island.
- Furthermore, selecting the expanded view initiates iPhone Mirroring, providing immediate access to the corresponding app running on the iPhone directly from the mac.
MacOS Tahoe is bringing Live Activities to your Mac, offering enhanced iPhone compatibility with iOS 18 or later. This means seamless integration, allowing you to view and interact with your iPhone’s dynamic updates directly on your Mac’s menu bar without needing to update to iOS 26. Expanding the view launches iPhone Mirroring, granting instant access to apps running on your iPhone. Existing apps with these Live Activity features require no code changes, ensuring a smooth experience for users and developers alike. News Directory 3 is your source for such breaking tech news, keeping you informed on the latest developments from WWDC25. Discover what’s next in Apple’s ecosystem.
macOS Tahoe to Support iPhone Live Activities on Older iOS Versions
Updated June 16, 2025
Apple’s upcoming macOS Tahoe 26 will introduce Live Activities to Mac users, offering a streamlined experience between iPhones and Macs. A key detail revealed at WWDC25 is that iPhones paired with Macs running macOS Tahoe 26 do not need to be updated to iOS 26 to utilize this feature. Compatibility starts with iOS 18.
The Live Activities will appear in the macOS menu bar, mirroring the functionality of the iPhone’s Dynamic Island. A simple click expands the view, displaying the iPhone’s lock screen presentation directly on the Mac.
Furthermore, selecting the expanded view initiates iPhone Mirroring, providing immediate access to the corresponding app running on the iPhone directly from the mac. This iPhone compatibility extends to all existing Live Activity-enabled applications without requiring developers to alter their code.
Apple explained the feature during its WWDC25 session:
Live Activities from a paired iPhone will now appear in macOS Tahoe. Just like in the Dynamic Island on iPhone, my coffee order tracker Live Activity presents the leading and trailing views together in the menu bar.When the Live Activity is selected, the lock screen presentation from iPhone will appear. Clicking on the lock screen presentation will launch the associated app using iPhone Mirroring. Live Activities on macOS can be provided by iPhones running iOS 18 and later. There are no code changes required, and just like iPhone widgets on macOS, they support interaction and deep links.
What’s next
Users planning to upgrade their Macs to macOS Tahoe 26 can rest assured that the Live Activities feature will function seamlessly, even if they are not immediately able to update their iPhones to iOS 26.