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How to check iPad and Mac Sidecar requirements

Sidecar is a slick new feature that’s arrived with macOS Catalina and iPadOS 13 that lets users turn their iPad into an external Mac display either wirelessly or wired. Follow along for how to check iPad and Mac Sidecar hardware requirements and more.

Sidecar worked with any iPad that was able to run iPadOS 13 during the developer beta period. But with the official release, only newer iPads are able to take advantage of the feature (Apple may have seen performance issues with Sidecar on older iPads or other problems).

In addition to your Mac running macOS Catalina and your iPad running iPadOS 13, read on below for what hardware you’ll need, along with a few other software requirements.

How to check iPad and Mac Sidecar requirements

  1. If you’re not sure, check what Mac and iPad model you have
  2. On Mac:  > About This Mac / On iPad: Settings > General > About
  3. Check them against the hardware requirements below
  4. Make sure Bluetooth, WiFi, and Handoff are turned on for both devices
  5. Make sure you’re using the same Apple ID for iCloud on both your iPad and Mac

To use Sidecar, on your Mac head to System Preferences > Sidecar > Connect to.

If you’re having trouble getting Sidecar to work, Apple notes two more things:

For more details on Sidecar, check out Apple’s support document here.

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macOS Catalina:

iPhone & iPad:

Apple Watch:

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