Ever run into the annoyance of not being able to switch keyboards while mirroring your iPhone on a MacBook? It’s kind of weird, but some folks find that when they mirror — whether it’s for controlling or just viewing — the keyboard selection gets a little wonky. The good news is, there’s a decent workaround that doesn’t require too much fuss, and it’s surprisingly simple to pull off. Basically, if you set things up right, switching between multiple keyboards, especially for different languages, can become a lot smoother, even during mirroring sessions. It’s a lifesaver for folks who need that flexibility on the fly.
How to Fix Keyboard Switching Issues During iPhone Mirroring on MacBook
Method 1: Use the Fn key to toggle keyboards during mirroring
This shortcut is kind of a hidden gem. When you mirror your iPhone and want to switch keyboards on the fly, pressing the Fn key (or the 🌐 key on some MacBooks) from your MacBook keyboard pulls up a keyboard selector menu on the mirrored device. Interestingly, this works because macOS treats this shortcut as a way to get quick access to the keyboard language options, which then get forwarded to the mirrored iPhone’s display.
Why it helps: It bypasses the usual restrictions where changing the keyboard language directly on your iPhone doesn’t feel instant or even possible sometimes during mirroring. When you press that shortcut, you see all available keyboards on your Mac, and you can switch instantly.
When it applies: If the keyboard toggle on your iPhone doesn’t switch languages or layouts smoothly while mirrored, give this a try. Expect to see a list of keyboard options pop up on the mirrored device after pressing the shortcut.
What to expect: On some setups, it might take a second for the menu to load after pressing the key, but once it’s up, switching is pretty straightforward. It’s kind of weird that it works like this, but hey, it saves a bunch of headaches.
Side note: On some MacBooks, especially with newer macOS versions, this shortcut might behave differently or sometimes fail to load the menu initially. On those setups, a reboot or re-connection could help. Also, make sure your macOS and iPhone are both updated; sometimes, bugs in system updates mess with these shortcuts.
Method 2: Updating macOS to fix system bugs
This one’s more about keeping everything running smoothly. Apparently, there’s a bug introduced in the recent Sequoia 15.5 update on some MacBooks which breaks the Fn/🌐 toggle for keyboard languages during Mirroring. The good news: Apple tends to patch these bugs in subsequent updates.
Why it helps: If the toggle used to work but suddenly stops after a system update, updating macOS can fix the glitch that’s causing it.
When it applies: You’ll notice that pressing the Fn key or the Globe key doesn’t pop up the keyboard list anymore, especially after a recent macOS update.
What to expect: Once updated, the toggle should resume working properly, making switching between language keyboards during mirroring seamless again. Worked on one MacBook here — on another, it took a reinstall of the update before it fully cleared up, so don’t lose patience if it’s slow or buggy at first.
How to update: Open System Settings, then head over to General, then click on Software Update. Hit Check for Updates. If an update pops up, install it — it might just fix the issue.
Extra tip: If the update doesn’t seem to fix it right away, a restart sometimes helps. Also, ensure your keyboard shortcuts are enabled in System Settings > Keyboard > Shortcuts > Input Sources. This way, everything is configured correctly to recognize your language toggles.
Because of course, macOS has to make it harder than necessary sometimes. But with these tips, switching languages during mirroring should get a bit easier.
Fix 3: Check your mirroring and keyboard settings
If neither of those fixes work, it’s worth double-checking your mirroring settings and keyboard preferences. Sometimes, certain configurations or third-party apps can interfere. Make sure in System Settings > Displays, your mirroring setup is proper, and that your keyboard input sources are correctly configured in System Settings > Keyboard > Input Sources. Having multiple keyboards enabled and set to show in the menu bar can save a lot of hassle down the line.
On one setup I fiddled with, toggling the “Show Input menu in menu bar” option helped me switch faster during mirroring. Because, of course, macOS is picky about those little details.
Anything else? Sometimes, third-party apps like BetterTouchTool or custom keyboard remappers can mess with the default shortcuts, so disabling those temporarily can help troubleshoot.
Summary
- Press Fn or 🌐 to invoke the keyboard selector on your mirrored iPhone display.
- Make sure your macOS is up to date—bug fixes might be lurking in the latest patches.
- Check your keyboard input sources and mirroring setup if things seem out of sync.
- Reboot or reconnect if things aren’t cooperating after updates or setting changes.
Wrap-up
All in all, it’s kind of a weird workaround, but pressing the Fn key and updating your system fixes should cover most issues with switching keyboards during mirroring. Not every time it works flawlessly, but on a lot of setups, this gets the job done pretty quick. Hopefully, this shaves off a few hours for someone. Tech takes patience, huh?