Trying to use your iPad with a Mac to extend or mirror the Mac’s display with Sidecar or share a keyboard and mouse with Universal Control and you’re out of luck? Apple has a number of requirements for each feature that must be met. Go through these checklists to see if you are missing any.
General requirements
Both features require:
- Same Apple ID: iPad and Mac must be signed into the same Apple ID account.
- Two-factor authentication: Perhaps for additional privacy protection, Apple requires the Apple ID account to have two-factor authentication enabled.
- Awakened and unlocked: Both devices should be ready for use.
- Mac models: Most Mac models released in 2016 or later are eligible for both features. (See the full list here.)
- iPad models: Apple allows both features with any iPad Pro as well as iPad 6th generation or later, iPad mini 5th generation or later, and iPad Air 3rd generation or later.
The following three apply to all Universal Control use and Sidecar wireless use:
- Wi-Fi and Bluetooth: Bluetooth and Wi-Fi must be enabled on your Mac and iPad, and they must be within 10 meters (30 feet) of each other.
- Transfer enabled: Forwarding must be enabled. In macOS, go to System Preferences > General and check “Allow transfer between this Mac and your iCloud devices”. In iPadOS, go to Settings > General > AirPlay and transfer and activate Delivery.
- No network share: An iPad cannot have active connections to the personal hotspot; a Mac cannot use Internet Sharing in the Sharing preferences pane.
Sidecar requirements
Sidecar requires the Mac to be running macOS 10.15 Catalina or later; the iPad must have iPadOS 13 or later installed.
If you’re using Sidecar over USB, you need to trust the iPad to trust the Mac when prompted the first time you plug them together. (Some devices ask repeatedly afterwards, too, without any patterns I’ve found.)
Once the general system requirements are in place and the up-to-date system versions installed, go to System Preferences > Attachclick on the Add screen menu and choose the iPad under “Mirror or extend to”.
Universal control requirements
Universal Control only works with fairly recent versions of macOS and iPadOS: macOS 12.4 Monterey or later and iPadOS 15.4 or later.
After confirming all the requirements and checking your operating system versions, go to System Preferences > Attachclick it Add a display menu, and choose the iPad under Link keyboard and mouse.
This Mac 911 article is in response to a question submitted by Macworld reader Agnès.
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