This article is about our legacy Mirror app, which will be deprecated in early 2023.
We’ve built a new iPhone app from the ground up. Built to work seamlessly with your Sketch Workspace it lets you view Workspace documents on the go, test prototypes, and mirror documents as you update them in the Mac app. Mirror support will end in early 2023. When this happens, the legacy Mirror app will no longer work with the latest Sketch Mac app version and it will no longer be available for download on the App Store. Learn more about Mirror deprecation here.
Typically, all you need to start using Mirror is to connect your iOS device and your macOS to the same WiFi network. However, sometimes issues arise, and Mirror won’t connect. We’ve listed here the common causes and their solutions. If, after trying them, you still cannot connect, please get in touch with our Customer Support Team.
Can I continue to use Mirror?
Sketch supports Mirror and you can keep using it, but please note that Mirror support will end in early 2023. When this happens, the legacy Mirror app will no longer work with the latest Sketch Mac app version and it will no longer be available for download on the App Store. If you previously downloaded Mirror, you’ll still be able to download it from your App Store purchase history.
Why can’t I connect Mirror to the Mac app?
If you’re having issues with your connection, here are a few things to check:
Common solutions
- Check that both devices, iOS phone and macOS computer, are connected to the same WiFi network.
- Quit both Sketch and Mirror. Then relaunch Sketch first and Mirror second.
- Restart your Mac and repeat step 2.
- Check that you’re running the latest versions of the Mac app and Mirror. If you updated Sketch or Mirror, quit, relaunch and retry.
Alternatively, you can connect to Mirror through USB; you’ll need a USB cable that matches your device and computer physical ports or an adapter.
If the problem persists
If you can’t connect to Mirror over your WiFi or USB, here are some steps you can take:
- Make sure that it’s not a local network issue; for example, your device may be connected to a router but without access to the internet. To do so, you can reboot your network devices (routers and/or APs) and your iOS and macOS devices.
- Ensure your network is not configured to block devices from connecting to each other. This is usually the case with public WiFi.
- Check that you are running the latest versions of iOS, macOS, the Mac app, and Mirror.
- If you’re still seeing the same issue after updating your software and devices, see the question below.
After you’ve tried all of the above solutions but still can’t connect, some settings in your network may need some adjustment.
If you’re in an office environment, you may need to ask your network administrator to check the following:
- Is Bonjour (sometimes called MDNS or Multi Cast) enabled on your router and Mac?
- Is UPnP enabled on your router?
- Is TCP Port 58005 allowing a connection between your iOS device and Mac?
- Is your Mac blocking or disabling your Websocket connection? Mirror needs this to work.
How can I make sure my firewall allows Mirror traffic?
If you’re using a corporate or campus network, they are usually firewalled, and the required traffic for Mirror is sometimes blocked by default. You may have to ask your network admin to add a rule to allow _sketchmirror._tcp.local traffic in the network.
Can I change the connection port for Mirror?
By default, Mirror connects to a random port each time you open it, but you can change this to a fixed port with the following Terminal command. To set the connection port to port 8080, for example, type the following in Terminal:
defaults write com.bohemiancoding.sketch4.plist mirrorWebPort -int 8080
Why can’t I see any Artboards visible in Mirror when connected via USB?
If you’re having trouble connecting to Mirror via USB, here are some steps you should take:
- Update to the latest version of Mirror on your iOS device.
- If, after updating, the Artboards are still not visible in Mirror, you may need to delete the app from your iOS device and install it again.
- If the problem persists after reinstalling Mirror, a restart of your iOS device can help. Follow these instructions on the Apple Support website. This action won’t delete any information or apps on your device.
Is Mirror available for Android?
There is no official Android version of Mirror, but other people have built apps for Android that work well with our Mac app such as Crystal.
Crystal works very similarly to Mirror: You need to put your Mac and your Android device on the same WiFi network, launch Sketch, launch Crystal and accept the notification in the Mac app to connect to Crystal.
Once you’ve accepted the connection request, you’ll need to select an Artboard for it to display in the Crystal app.