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Want to increase your workspace but don’t have an extra screen or don’t want to spend money on one? No worries – your iPad can now be used as a second screen for your Mac. Apple has finally made it possible through macOS Catalina, but there are also third-party options available for older Macs.
Sidecar in macOS Catalina
macOS Catalina, released in October 2019, allows you to use your iPad as a second screen for your Mac – either by mirroring what is on your Mac or by extending your screen to fit more windows. You can connect your iPad directly to your Mac or wirelessly using Bluetooth and continuity (within a 10m range).
What You Need
- A compatible Mac with macOS Catalina (most Macs since 2012 can use Catalina, but not all will work with Sidecar)
- An iPad with iPadOS 13
- Both devices must be logged into the same iCloud account
- If connecting wirelessly, you must be within 10m of your Mac
iPads that work with Sidecar include:
- 12.9-inch iPad Pro
- 11-inch iPad Pro
- 10.5-inch iPad Pro
- 9.7-inch iPad Pro
- iPad (6th generation or later)
- iPad mini (5th generation)
- iPad Air (3rd generation)
Macs that work with Sidecar include:
- MacBook Pro (2016 or later)
- MacBook (2016 or later)
- MacBook Air (2018 or later)
- iMac (2017 or later, including 27-inch iMac 5K, late 2015)
- iMac Pro
- Mac mini (2018 or later)
- Mac Pro (2019)
How to Use Your iPad as a Second Screen on macOS Catalina
Connecting your iPad to your Mac to use as a second screen is easy:
- Connect your iPad with your charging cable, or use Bluetooth if within a 10m range.
- Click on the AirPlay icon at the top right of your screen (a square with a triangle).
- Select your iPad, and your Mac’s screen will appear on the iPad.
- To mirror your Mac’s screen on the iPad, click on the new screen icon (it should have replaced the AirPlay icon) and switch from “Use as a separate view” to “Mirror built-in Retina view”.
- Connect via the Sidecar option in System Preferences as another alternative.
Other Features of Sidecar
Sidecar offers more than just extending your workspace:
- A virtual Touch Bar on the iPad that brings Touch Bar features to other Macs
- The ability to use an Apple Pencil to turn your iPad into a graphics tablet (with iPad models specified below)
The following iPads can be used as graphics tablets (with Apple Pencil) in macOS Catalina:
- 12.9-inch iPad Pro
- 11-inch iPad Pro
- 10.5-inch iPad Pro
- 9.7-inch iPad Pro
Using Your iPad as a Second Screen on Older Macs
For older Macs, third-party apps are available to use your iPad as a second screen.
What You Need
- A Lightning to USB cable
- An iPad
- Third-party software such as Duet Display, iDisplay, or AirDisplay
- A Mac running macOS 10.13.3 or earlier (unfortunately, macOS 10.13.4 broke some of the DisplayLink functionality these apps rely on)
Issues
These third-party apps use DisplayLink USB graphics technology to connect computers and displays via USB, Ethernet, or WiFi. Unfortunately, macOS 10.13.4 broke DisplayLink, which means apps like Duet Display and those mentioned above may not work if you’ve installed the update to High Sierra. This issue has been resolved with the release of macOS Mojave 10.14.2, so try upgrading your operating system if you’re currently using High Sierra 10.13.4.
Using Duet Display
Duet Display, developed by ex-Apple engineers, is a popular choice among the third-party apps. It allows you to use your iPad or iPhone as a second screen for both Macs and PCs.
Duet Display also offers limited touchscreen support, which means you can tap and swipe in macOS. This makes it more efficient than having to keep moving your mouse between screens, especially when using a trackpad.
Here’s a summary of how to set up your iPad as a second screen with Duet Display:
- On your iPad, install Duet Display from the App Store (at the time of writing, it costs £9.99/$9.99).
- On your Mac or PC, go to the Duet Display website and download the Duet for Mac/Windows app.
- Install the Duet app for Mac or PC, following the installation instructions and restarting your Mac to complete the installation.
- Open the Duet Display app on your iPad and connect to your Mac or PC using a Lightning cable (or 30-pin cable if using an older iPad).
- The iPad should be recognized by the accompanying Duet app, and your desktop should span both screens.
If you’re using your Mac with an external display and want to close the lid of your MacBook, here’s how to use MacBook with the lid closed. For more Mac tips, check out our Mac tips, tricks, and time savings.
FAQs
Can I use my iPad as a second screen with a Windows computer?
Yes, using third-party software like Duet Display, iDisplay, or AirDisplay.
Does my iPad need to have a cellular or Wi-Fi connection to be used as a second screen?
Yes, a Wi-Fi connection is needed for both the iPad and the Mac for the Sidecar feature. For third-party apps like Duet Display, you can connect directly via a cable, but a Wi-Fi connection is still required for certain features.