macOS Catalina and iPadOS: How the New Sidecar Feature Works to Turn an iPad Into a Secondary Mac Display

macOS Catalina and iPadOS include support for a new feature called Sidecar, designed to let you use your iPad as a secondary display for your Mac. Sidecar is quick, simple to use, and can either mirror content on your Mac or turn it into a secondary display for extra screen real estate no matter where you are.

This guide covers everything you need to know about Sidecar, from how to use it to compatibility to Apple Pencil integration.

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How to Activate Sidecar

Using Sidecar requires a compatible Mac running macOS Catalina and a compatible iPad running iOS 13. There are multiple ways to activate Sidecar, all of which can be done from Catalina.

The easiest way to get to Sidecar is to use the AirPlay interface on the Mac. When you click the AirPlay icon at the top of the Menu bar (it’s the one that looks like a screen with an arrow), if you have an iPad that’s compatible with Sidecar, it will show up in the AirPlay list.

From there, simply choose the iPad that you want to connect to and it will automatically turn on and be activated as a secondary Mac display.

You can also get to Sidecar by clicking and holding the green…