How to Use Sidecar on Mac

Posted By Volodymyr Chubei | 19 Dec 2025

Sidecar is one of those macOS features that often goes unnoticed, even though it can make your work much easier. If you have a Mac and an iPad, you can turn your tablet into a full-fledged second screen—no wires or third-party apps required.

In this guide, we'll explain what Sidecar is on Mac, how to activate it, which devices are supported, where to find the settings, and what to do if the feature isn't working.

What is Sidecar on Mac

Sidecar is a macOS system feature that turns your iPad into a full-fledged addition to your Mac: a second screen, touch control, and precise input via Apple Pencil. Unlike a regular display extension, you can do more than just drag and drop windows—you actually get a graphics tablet integrated into the macOS environment and supported at the system level.

What exactly does Sidecar allow you to do?

Extend your desktop: Move windows between your Mac and iPad as if they were two monitors.
Mirror your Mac screen: your iPad completely duplicates your Mac's display, which is handy for presentations or demonstrations.
If you have an Apple Pencil, you can draw masks in Photoshop, draw vector lines in Illustrator, and control animation curves or timeline selection in Final Cut.
Work on Wi-Fi or via cable: the main thing is that both devices are connected to the same Apple ID and are located nearby.

The feature does not require installation — it is built into macOS and iPadOS. If the devices are compatible, everything works by default.

Important: Don't mix up Sidecar with the Universal Control feature. Sidecar turns your iPad into an additional display — you can drag windows onto it, just like a second monitor. Universal Control, on the other hand, allows you to control multiple devices with a single mouse and keyboard, but the iPad screen remains independent and is not used as a monitor.

Where Is Sidecar on Mac?

Sidecar is built into macOS, but you won't find a separate app with that name. The feature is controlled through several system sections, depending on how you want to use it: through settings, the menu bar, or AirPlay.

Where to find Sidecar:

In systems prior to macOS Ventura (e.g., Monterey, Big Sur, Catalina), Sidecar appears as a separate section in System Preferences. There, you can select your iPad from the list and configure additional settings, as shown in the screenshot.

Alt: Sidecar section in macOS Monterey System Preferences

In macOS Ventura and newer versions, Sidecar is enabled through the system display settings. Open the "Displays" section, click the button to add a new monitor, and select your iPad from the list of available devices.

Alt: Display settings in macOS Ventura

If you enter the word Sidecar in Spotlight Command+Space search, the system will prompt you to go to the display settings. A direct menu item with this name will not open, but you can quickly access the needed settings section.

Alt: Search for Sidecar via Spotlight

Click on the AirPlay icon (screen with an arrow) in the upper right corner of the macOS menu. If an iPad with Sidecar support is nearby, it will appear in the list of devices. Click on it, and the iPad will connect as a display.
On some versions of macOS, Sidecar may be available via the AirPlay item in the Control Center. Once connected, an additional menu will appear with options for screen placement and input from the iPad.

Sidecar does not work as a separate application — it is a system function that is "embedded" in the display settings section. If your iPad does not appear in the list, it is likely that the connection requirements have not been met (you can find more information about it below).

Sidecar Requirements on Macbook

macOS and iPadOS alone are not sufficient for Sidecar to work. Apple has limited support for this feature for certain device models, system versions, and connection conditions. Below is a complete list of technical requirements.

Minimum OS versions:

macOS Catalina 10.15 or later — on the Mac side.
iPadOS 13 or later — on the iPad side.

All supported models are listed in the table:

Supported Macs
Model	Year
iMac	Since 2017
iMac Retina 5K 27"	Late 2015
iMac Pro	All
MacBook	Since 2016
Pro	Since 2016
Air	Since 2018
Mac mini	Since 2018
Mac Pro	Since 2019
Mac Studio	All
Supported iPad
Model	Generation
Pro	All
iPad	From 6th
Air	3rd generation
mini	From the 5th

The current list of compatible devices and system versions is also published on the Apple website.

Technical requirements for Sidecar:

Your Mac and iPad must be linked to the same Apple ID account—otherwise, Sidecar will not launch.
Make sure Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and Handoff are enabled: these features are required even if you connect the devices with a cable.
Sidecar only works when the devices are close to each other (up to 10 meters for wireless connections, as specified in Apple's documentation).
Internet modes such as "Shared Access" or VPN, which may interfere with the connection, are disabled.
Regional and language restrictions. In rare cases, Sidecar may not be available on your system due to regional settings. Make sure that macOS and iPadOS are using compatible language and localization settings (usually US or Europe).

How to Set Up Mac Sidecar

If the devices are supported and all connection requirements are met, setting up Sidecar takes less than a minute. Below are step-by-step instructions on how to do this on macOS Ventura and newer (the interface is slightly different in earlier versions, but the logic is the same).

Step 1. Make sure everything is ready to connect

Your iPad should be near your Mac, within range of a stable Bluetooth signal. Both devices should be authorized under the same Apple ID, with Wi-Fi and Bluetooth turned on.

Step 2. Open the display settings

Open System Preferences, go to Displays, and then:

Click the "+" in the lower right corner of the window.
Select your iPad from the list that appears.

After a few seconds, the iPad screen will start working as an additional display

Step 3. Configure the screen operation

After connecting, a display layout diagram will appear. You can drag the iPad to the left or right of the main screen, depending on the location of your devices.

The following options are also available in this section:

Mode: Mirror or Extend Desktop
Bar position: display the menu bar on the iPad or leave it only on the Mac
Resolution and scale: can be adjusted for a clearer display

Alternative: Connect via AirPlay

Click on the AirPlay icon in the menu bar (screen with an arrow) and then follow these steps:

Select your iPad from the list.
The device will automatically connect as a display.

You can quickly disable Sidecar through the same menu.

When working with Sidecar on your iPad, an additional panel appears with control keys such as Command, Shift, Undo, and other system buttons. It is fixed on the side and allows you to perform basic commands without a keyboard.

5 ways to use Sidecar on Mac

Sidecar is not just a way to extend your screen. It is a tool that can be adapted to specific tasks, from graphics and editing to coding and business correspondence. Below are practical scenarios where Sidecar really saves time and simplifies your work.

1. An extra screen for multitasking

Sidecar turns your iPad into a full-fledged second macOS display—with the support for dragging and dropping windows, just like on a regular monitor. This is convenient when working in a limited space, such as on a laptop. You can move Slack, your calendar, Zoom, Twitter, music player, Trello, or browser tabs to your iPad — anything that doesn't require active interaction but needs to be in front of your eyes. The mouse cursor moves between screens without delay, just like on two monitors.

2. Drawing and working with graphics using Apple Pencil

Sidecar turns your iPad into a touchscreen tablet with precise positioning — without the need for third-party devices. Pencil support works in graphics applications that are integrated with macOS:

Photoshop — working with brushes, retouching, drawing masks;
Illustrator / Affinity Designer — creating vector elements by hand;
Pixelmator / Sketch / Figma — for rough sketches, graphical interfaces, and UI layouts.

Important: unlike simple image output, Sidecar supports direct drawing with pressure (if using a 2nd generation Pencil) and tilt.

3. Video editing and preview

In Sidecar, you can display a preview window from Final Cut Pro, DaVinci Resolve, or Adobe Premiere, freeing up the main screen for the timeline, effects, libraries, and control panel. You can also use your iPad for color correction: display scopes or waveforms separately. Sidecar transmits video without noticeable lag and supports high resolution, including Retina. This is especially useful on a MacBook, where there is not enough screen space for full-fledged editing.

4. Development and terminal

For developers, Sidecar is a way to bring up auxiliary windows:

terminal with logs;
documentation or API specifications;
live preview of web pages (e.g., in Safari or Chrome DevTools);
markdown file or database editor.

Sidecar supports hardware acceleration, so even when working with heavy IDEs (Xcode, VS Code, WebStorm), performance remains steady. And the iPad can be placed vertically, which is convenient when reading code or logs.

5. Digital signature and PDF editing

Sidecar + Apple Pencil = an easy way to sign documents right from the screen. This works in the standard Preview app, PDF Expert, Adobe Acrobat Reader, and other editors where annotation is available. Using this feature yYou can:

sign contracts or invoices by hand;
make notes in the margins;
highlight or comment on text fragments;
insert shapes, arrows, and signatures.

All changes are saved in the PDF and displayed correctly on the other devices. This is convenient if you regularly need to process paper documents digitally — without printing them out.

Examples of apps where Sidecar and Apple Pencil work:

Category	Applications	Sidecar features
Graphics	Photoshop, Illustrator, Affinity Designer	Drawing, retouching, vector
Video editing	Final Cut Pro, DaVinci Resolve	Preview, timeline
Music	Logic Pro X, GarageBand	Visual track control
Development	Xcode, Visual Studio Code, WebStorm	Terminal, preview
Documents	Preview, PDF Expert, Acrobat Reader	Captions, annotations

Why isn’t Sidecar Working on Mac?

If your iPad doesn't appear in the list of devices, won't connect, or Sidecar isn't available at all, the reason almost always lies in settings, incompatibility, or technical limitations. Below are the most common situations when the feature doesn't work and what to do about it.

1. Devices do not meet compatibility requirements

The first thing to check is whether your Mac and iPad are on the list of compatible models. For example, if you have a 2015 MacBook, Sidecar is simply not supported on it, even if the system is updated. The same applies to older iPads.

What to do: check the compatibility table and make sure your devices are compatible (see above).

2. Different Apple IDs

Sidecar only works if your Mac and iPad are authorized under the same Apple ID account. This is a mandatory requirement.

What to do: Open iCloud settings on both devices and check that the same Apple ID is used.

3. Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, or Handoff are disabled

All three technologies must be active. Even if the devices are close to each other and connected via cable, Sidecar will not start without Bluetooth and Handoff.

What to do:

On your Mac, open System Preferences, go to General, then AirDrop & Handoff — all three features must be enabled: Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and Handoff.
On your iPad, go to Settings, open General, and find AirPlay and Handoff — check that Handoff is enabled.

It is also advisable to disable modem mode and VPN.

4. Cable problems

If you connect via a cable, make sure you use an original or certified cable (USB-C or Lightning). Some cheap options do not transmit the correct type of signal, and Sidecar won’t work.

5. Local restrictions

In rare cases, the problem lies in regional settings or corporate restrictions (if the Mac is used in a business environment). For example, an administrator may block Handoff or AirPlay.

What to do: Check if any MDM profiles or restrictions are in place. Change the language and region of macOS and iPadOS to the US or UK — this sometimes helps.

6. System crashes

Updating macOS or iPadOS may cause a conflict. Sometimes Sidecar disappears from the interface after an update or does not work consistently.

What you can do:

Restart both devices.
Sign out of iCloud and sign back in.
Remove all connected displays in the settings and connect the iPad as a new one.
Check for system updates, especially if you use beta versions.

If Sidecar launches but is unstable or sluggish, check the system load. Sometimes the cause is the processor or graphics card overload.

Useful utilities:

Activity Monitor (built-in macOS app): check CPU, GPU, and RAM usage.
iStat Menus: displays temperature, load, and network activity in the menu bar.
Mac Fan Control: allows you to control cooling if your Mac overheats.
EtreCheck: system diagnostics, displays conflicts and errors in the background.

It is also useful to limit the number of resource-intensive background processes, especially if you have a Mac with an Intel processor without discrete graphics.

Conclusion

Sidecar is not an "additional" feature, but a full-fledged tool that gives your Mac more flexibility. It works quickly, natively, and does not require complex configuration if the devices are compatible and properly connected. But as it depends on a bunch of system components—Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, Handoff, Apple ID—it's often the little things that get in the way. So, before you start looking for alternatives, it's worth going through the checklist.

And if everything works, Sidecar really changes the way you work, especially if you're a designer, developer, video editor, or just often work in multitasking mode.

Visit TechToro.io for a selection of proven Mac accessories, from SSDs and coolers to cables and screens. Refurbished MacBooks are also available, with a warranty and full inspection.

FAQ

1. How do I turn on Sidecar on my Mac?

Open the display settings on your Mac, click the add screen button, and select your iPad from the list. You can also connect it via the AirPlay icon.

2. Which macOS has Sidecar?

The feature is available starting with macOS Catalina 10.15 and newer, provided that your Mac and iPad meet the requirements.

3. Why is there no Sidecar on my Mac?

Most likely, your Mac or iPad is not on the list of supported models, or the requirements are not met: different Apple IDs, Handoff is disabled, outdated system.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Volodymyr Chubei
Computer Repair Specialist at TechToro.io

Volodymyr was born in Ukraine and has found his passion for electronics from his childhood. At the age of 13, he was capable of soldering some basic elements of a logic board and today he is one of the co-founders of TechToro.io