One of the most exciting features to come out of MacOS Catalina is its new second screen support feature, Sidecar. The new tech turns your iPad into a second screen for your Mac, as well as a drawing tablet for illustrators and designers. But to get the most out of Sidecar you’ll need to know how to set it up and what it requires to work properly.
Here’s what you’ll need get Sidecar working in MacOS Catalina, and some simple instructions about how to set it up.
1. Check your hardware
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Sidecar only works on the newer models of iPads and MacBooks. According to that same white paper Apple published about Sidecar, Catalina’s second-screen support feature does have a processor requirement for Macs: You’ll need a Mac with at least a Skylake processor or later.
The white paper also provides a list of supported Mac models that can run Sidecar which include: 2016 MacBooks or later, 2018 MacBook Airs or later, 2016 MacBook Pros or later, 2018 Mac minis or later, 2015 iMacs or later, 2017 iMac Pros or later, and 2019 Mac Pros or later. It should be noted that this is a different system requirement than Catalina itself.
Furthermore, Sidecar can only be used on iPads that support Apple Pencil. The white paper also went on to list the individual iPad models that are able to run Sidecar: Sixth-generation iPads or later, fifth-generation iPad minis, third-generation iPad Airs, and iPad Pros (9.7-inch, 10.5-inch, 11-inch, and 12.9-inch models).
2. Update to iPadOS and MacOS Catalina
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Next up is software. You will, of course, need to start by updating your Mac to Catalina. Start off by backing up your Mac, and then making sure you have at least a minimum of 12.5GB of storage (or at least 18.5GB of storage for Macs currently running OS X Yosemite or earlier). Once you’ve done all that, you’re ready to download Catalina.
Additionally, if you plan on using certain Sidecar-related features like Continuity Sketch and Markup, you’ll also need to make sure that all of your devices (in which you plan to use those features) have the right operating systems, as well. According to Apple’s white paper about Sidecar, if you want to use Continuity Sketch or Markup, you’ll need to have a Mac running Catalina, an iPad running iPadOS, and/or an iPhone running iOS 13.
3. Log-in to the same Apple ID for your devices
When using Sidecar, you’ll also need to make sure that the devices you’re pairing up (your Mac and iPad) both have the same Apple ID account assigned to them.
You won’t be able to use Sidecar with devices that each have a different Apple ID.
4. Make the connection
Once you’re all logged in, you can connect to Sidecar via the AirPlay menu on your Mac. Once you select the AirPlay menu, then select your iPad from that menu. From there, your AirPlay icon should now appear as an iPad icon. Click this icon to view your Sidecar-related options.
While it’s true that you can use the Sidecar feature by either wirelessly connecting your devices or via a wired connection, there are still two caveats worth remembering. For wireless connections, it’s important to remember that you can only use your iPad wirelessly up to 10 meters away from your Mac and, according to Apple’s white paper, both devices need to have “Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and Handoff turned on.”
For wired connections, the required cable type largely depends on which iPad model you’re using but regardless, you’ll need either a Lightning or USB-C cable.
5. Start sidecarring!
Once your Mac is connected to your iPad via Sidecar, you can start moving your Mac’s app windows to your iPad. This can be done by either dragging and dropping the window itself on your iPad by using your cursor, or via a menu option. This latter method involves hovering over the green button in the app window you want to move. Hovering over this button should open a menu. From this menu, select the Move to iPad option to move that app window to your iPad.
For the most part, Apple has said that support for Sidecar “is included at the system level for all apps.” And this support should include “both general navigation and drawing with Apple Pencil.”
However, in a press release dated Monday, October 7, Apple went on to say that for those planning on using “an iPad display for tablet input to draw, sketch or write with Apple Pencil” it would need to be done so via “any Apple or third-party Mac app that supports stylus input.” It’s also worth mentioning that Mac apps that already offer support for drawing tablets can also run Sidecar.
And Apple’s main webpage for Catalina has already listed a few apps that are compatible with Sidecar: Adobe Illustrator, Affinity Photo, Cinema 4D, Maya, and ZBrush.