No one would argue that Apple’s ecosystem across iOS, iPadOS, and macOS is quite logical and consistent in its design. But, for years now, Apple has been trying to bring those devices even closer in the project it calls Continuity, although rejecting the notion that a complete merger is anywhere on the books.
With the release of iPadOS 13 and macOS Catalina, Mac and iPad owners were rejoiced to see Sidecar — a new native feature that allows iPads to act not only as screen extensions to Macs but also input devices, opening possibilities for seamless sketching and annotating experiences.
However, a Sidecar not working Mac problem became a reality for many right after the release — so if you’re having issues getting your Sidecar to operate properly, this troubleshooting guide is here to help.
The basics of Sidecar for Mac
Hello guys, I have a MacBook Pro early 2015 and is update to the latest OS, I also have iPad Pro 2017 updated with iPad OS, as I notice I cannot use Sidecar to mirror my MacBook Pro on iPad or use iPad as second screen. The Apple website states that my MacBook does not support this feature. Any one know how to get this working? Or is there any update which will get this feature working? Sidecar supports existing Multi-Touch gestures for Mac and new text editing gestures in iPadOS. Users can swipe, scroll, and pinch to zoom using gestures they are already familiar with on the Mac trackpad. For example, they can easily enlarge their artwork on iPad. Sidecar works between iPads and Macs, not Mac to Mac as you mention (MacBook to iMac.) Based on Apple’s requirements, Sidecar should work as a connection between a supported iPad and either of your Macs. Verify that your iPad meets Apple’s requirements (iPads that support the Apple pencil.) Sidecar-supported iPad models. 12.9-inch iPad Pro.
Sidecar is designed as a secondary Mac display, so it works like any other secondary display you might use with your Mac. You can drag windows from the Mac to the iPad and vice versa,.
“Why is Sidecar not showing on my Mac?” is perhaps the most frequent question related to Sidecar today. Indeed, if you haven’t upgraded to macOS Catalina, you won’t see Sidecar in your System Preferences. You also might not see Sidecar if you have an older Mac that’s outside of the compatible models specified by Apple:
![Sidecar Sidecar](/uploads/1/1/8/6/118659084/934898568.png)
- MacBook (2016 or newer)
- MacBook Air (2018 or newer)
- MacBook Pro (2016 or newer)
- Mac mini (2018 or newer)
- iMac (late 2015 or newer)
- iMac Pro (2017 or newer)
- Mac Pro (2019 or newer)
On the iPad side, you should have iPadOS 13 installed on one of these models:
- 12.9-inch iPad Pro
- 11-inch iPad Pro
- 10.5-inch iPad Pro
- 9.7-inch iPad Pro
- iPad (6th gen or newer)
- iPad mini (5th gen or newer)
- iPad Air (3rd gen or newer)
If your Mac model isn’t one of the supported ones, there’s still a secret trick that might bring Sidecar to you, but no guarantees here:
- Plug your iPad into your Mac.
- Open Terminal from your Applications ➙ Utilities folder.
- Type
defaults write com.apple.sidecar.display AllowAllDevices -bool true; defaults write com.apple.sidecar.display hasShownPref -bool true; open /System/Library/PreferencePanes/Sidecar.prefPane
- Hit Enter.
- Fill in your password if needed.
Use the same Apple ID
Sidecar 2012 Mac Mini
Now that you see Sidecar in your System Preferences, make sure you’re using the same Apple ID on all devices when trying to connect. To check:
- Go to System Preferences ➙ Apple ID on your Mac.
- Navigate to Settings ➙ [Your Name] on iPad.
Trust your Mac
Incompatibilities that result in Sidecar not working could also be caused by your iPad lacking trust verification with your Mac. To reestablish this relationship:
- On your iPad, navigate to Settings ➙ General ➙ Reset.
- Tap on Reset Location & Privacy.
- Connect your iPad to your Mac.
- Trust your Mac when prompted.
Turn Bluetooth and WiFi off and on
Since Sidecar uses both WiFi and Bluetooth for connection, an error you might be getting could be related to either of those. A simple restart of both on your Mac and iPad could resolve the issue. Additionally, you could try to reset your router as well.
Start Sidecar properly
As seamless as it is, Sidecar doesn’t start automatically. So if your iPad didn’t turn into a second screen right at the connection, don’t worry. Here’s how to launch Sidecar:
- Make sure both your Mac and your iPad are turned on.
- On your Mac, go to System Preferences ➙ Sidecar.
- Pick your iPad in the “Connect to” dropdown.
Toggle display mirroring
Sidecar is essentially just an extension of Apple’s AirPlay option, which has been responsible for external displays for years. It’s also another place for a glitch to happen. Here’s how to make sure it works properly:
- Navigate to System Preferences ➙ Displays on your Mac.
- Switch to the Arrangement tab.
- Check and then uncheck the Mirror Displays box.
Your iPad screen should go black and then enter the Sidecar mode.
Restart your Mac and iPad
If it’s the connection between devices that’s to blame, restarting both your Mac and iPad could help reestablish the correct information transfer.
To restart your Mac, simply click the Apple icon in the menu bar and then Restart. For iPad, hold the screen lock button until the screen goes black and then hold it again until it shows the Apple logo.
Allow connections in your firewall
In very rare circumstances, the problem of Sidecar not showing could be related to the incoming connections being blocked by your firewall. So if you do have your firewall turned on, check for it to allow other devices to connect to your Mac:
- Go to System Preferences ➙ Security.
- Switch to the Firewall tab and click Firewall Options.
- Uncheck the “Block all incoming connections” box.
Get rid of bugs on your Mac
While following all the steps above should resolve the Sidecar not working Mac problem, it’s quite a tedious and manual process, which might take you an hour, maybe? The truth is there’s a much faster way to do this with the help of some extraordinary software.
CleanMyMac X is a top-grade optimization utility for every Mac. With a single scan it goes through all the broken login items, user and system cache files, unused disk images, various logs, and more — all with a goal to reset your Mac to its brand new state, without losing any data.
To delete all bugs from your Mac:
Mac Sidecar No Devices
- Download a free edition of CleanMyMac X.
- Navigate to the System Junk tab under the Cleanup section.
- Click Scan.
- Review Details and then Clean when you’re ok with the changes.
Delete unneeded login items
Since lots of software today leaves behind all kinds of satellite scripts and helper extensions, some of which launch right at login, they could interfere with other apps and contribute to Sidecar not working as well.
Luckily, CleanMyMac X shows you the complete list of all applications requesting to be turned on at launch:
- Get CleanMyMac X if you haven’t yet.
- Go to the Optimization tab under Speed.
- Select View Items.
- In Launch Agents, check and remove everything you don’t absolutely need.
![Sidecar Sidecar](/uploads/1/1/8/6/118659084/371366349.jpg)
MacOS Catalina: Apple Sidecar Vs Duet Display | IMore
Just like that you can resolve any issues affecting Sidecar on Mac and iPad. Best of all, instead of trying to figure out the problem by manual trial and error, you could rely on professional software like CleanMyMac X to do it for you in seconds. For free!