You can use your iPad as a secondary display for your Mac. Let me show you how to set it up from scratch.
Don’t Let that iPad Go to Waste, Use it as a Secondary Display for Your Mac
Have a spare iPad lying around? Want a secondary display for your Mac? Today’s your lucky day because I’m going to show you how to put that iPad to good use.
Requirements
Before you begin, there are some basic requirements which you must fulfill:
- This feature requires an iPad 6th-generation or later, iPad Air 3rd-generation or later, iPad mini 5th-generation or later or any iPad Pro model.
- You must have a Mac that supports macOS Catalina or later.
- Both devices must be connected to Wi-Fi, Bluetooth turned on and using the same Apple Account with two-factor authentication enabled.
- Handoff must be turned on as well. You can enable it on your iPad by going to Settings > General > AirPlay & Continuity > Handoff. On the Mac, go to System Settings > General > AirPlay & Handoff > Allow Handoff between this Mac and your iCloud devices.
Now, assuming everything is perfectly setup, you’re connected to Wi-Fi and Bluetooth turned on as well, follow the steps below:
Step 1. Click on the Control Center icon in the menu bar.
Step 2. Now click on Screen Mirroring.
Step 3. Find your iPad from the list and click on it.
Step 4. Your iPad will automatically turn on and you’ll see your Mac desktop. It’s up to you want to extend the Mac display or mirror the built-in one.
I will recommend turning off Sidebar and Touch Bar both to get the maximum amount of screen real estate on iPad.
You can arrange the position of the iPad display with respect to your Mac by going to System Settings > Display > Arrange.
Connect Using a Wire
If you are currently on a bad Wi-Fi network, you do have the option to use a wired connection between your Mac and iPad.
Simply connect your iPad to your Mac using a USB-C or Lightning cable. You’ll see a pop-up on your display to Trust your Mac, and then follow the steps above to turn your iPad into a secondary display for your Mac.
The wired connection is extremely handy if you find yourself outdoor more often or just want a very low-latency connection between your iPad and Mac.
