Use your iPad as a second screen with Sidecar

Why it happens

Sidecar sends your Mac's screen to an iPad over Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, or over a cable. It only offers an iPad signed in to the same Apple Account, close by, with Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and Handoff on. If any one of those is missing, the iPad doesn't appear or the connection times out.

How to fix it

1. On both devices, turn on Wi-Fi and Bluetooth and check they're signed in to the same Apple Account. Keep the iPad within about 10 metres (30 feet) of the Mac, awake and on its Home Screen.

2. On the Mac, turn on Allow Handoff between this Mac and your iCloud devices.

   General›AirDrop & Continuity

3. On the iPad, open Settings, then General, then AirPlay & Continuity, and turn on Handoff. On older iPadOS versions the section is called AirPlay & Handoff.

4. On the Mac, click Control Center in the menu bar, then Screen Mirroring, and choose your iPad.

   Menu bar›Control Center›Screen Mirroring

5. To choose whether the iPad copies your screen or adds space, open Displays, select the iPad and change Use as.

   Displays›Use as

6. To stop, open Screen Mirroring again and click the iPad.

Still not fixed?

1. If you see 'the device timed out', turn Wi-Fi and Bluetooth off and on again on both devices, then restart both. Also turn off Personal Hotspot on the iPad and Internet Sharing on the Mac, because Sidecar won't work while either is sharing a connection.

2. Connect the iPad to the Mac with a USB cable and tap Trust on the iPad if asked. Sidecar can then run over the cable, which is steadier and charges the iPad.

3. Check that your iPad can use Sidecar: it needs to be an iPad Pro, an iPad Air (3rd generation or later), an iPad (6th generation or later) or an iPad mini (5th generation or later). Update both devices to their latest software.

4. If you only want to use your Mac's keyboard and mouse on the iPad, that's Universal Control, a different feature. Turn it on in Displays, then Advanced.

   Displays›Advanced…

5. If the iPad still never appears, sign out of your Apple Account on the iPad and back in, or contact Apple Support. On a work or school Mac, Sidecar may be turned off by whoever manages it.