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MacBook Pro 13' Mid 2012 --cable--> iPad Pro 11' 2gen ???

I have a question - I'd like to buy a USB-A to USB-C cable to connect my new iPad Pro 11' 2gen to MacBook Pro 13' Mid 2012.


I bought a cable once - but it probably didn't work - there was just no connection - nothing would work - the iPad wasn't even charging ...


So I'm lost ...


I just don't know which cable i have to buy - i've heard that version of usb is important, like usb 3.0 or something :/ ?


MacBook Pro 13", macOS 10.15

Posted on May 14, 2020 4:15 PM

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Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Posted on May 15, 2020 7:30 AM

Yes, the connection is still possible, and you can sync the iPad and transfer files from the Mac t it if you want. Yes, the iPad will not charge however.


One of these, and a standard USB-A cable should be all it takes: USB-C to USB Adapter - Apple


Note, the iPad will only show up in Finder to sync, or in the Photos App to transfer photos from it.

14 replies
Question marked as Top-ranking reply

May 15, 2020 7:30 AM in response to karolina257

Yes, the connection is still possible, and you can sync the iPad and transfer files from the Mac t it if you want. Yes, the iPad will not charge however.


One of these, and a standard USB-A cable should be all it takes: USB-C to USB Adapter - Apple


Note, the iPad will only show up in Finder to sync, or in the Photos App to transfer photos from it.

May 21, 2020 7:12 AM in response to karolina257

Hello everyone!


UPDATE


So...

@Phil and @QuickPost you’ve said that my iPad 11’ 2gen will not charge from my mid 2012 MacBook Pro.

False! My iPad connected with this cable is really charging :) !!!!


It also appearing now in finder.

It also pretty works with luna :)



All problem was about the cable....

The thing is - WHICH CABLE should be to work... no one could specify which and with which specifications...


Thanks

May 15, 2020 11:19 AM in response to Phil0124

Phil0124 wrote:

Yes, the connection is still possible, and you can sync the iPad and transfer files from the Mac t it if you want. Yes, the iPad will not charge however.

One of these, and a standard USB-A cable should be all it takes: USB-C to USB Adapter - Apple

Note, the iPad will only show up in Finder to sync, or in the Photos App to transfer photos from it.


Thank you Phil!


I will try to explain WHY I want to connect my old mac to new ipad.

So I ordered LUNA DISPLAY - but i wanted to connect my iPad and Mac by cable (to have a faster connection between them).

In FAQ they said, that it CANNOT BE ADAPTER - so I have to search cable, not adapter.


I ordered cable USB-C to USB-A, connected - and nothing happened.

Ipad didnt show on destkop/finder....



May 19, 2020 8:50 AM in response to Phil0124

Phil0124 wrote:

Yes, you can use the second screen feature over USB, and any USB cable will work. The adapter issue Luna reports is in relation to their own Luna dongle and how you connect it. It has nothing to do with the USB connection for the iPad. There is no problem using a USB-A to USB C adapter to connect the iPad to the Mac.


Ah ok, so there were issue with connecting luna via adapter. Ok - so this isn’t my issue - my luna is in thunderbolt.

And another issue is solved- that I can connect iPad to Mac by adapter (for example adapter usb-C to usb-a, usb-c, etc).

The iPad won't show up, unless you have the Luna dongle plugged in to the Thunderbolt port on your Mac. The Luna dongle is what makes the iPad be usable as a second screen. You need the dongle even when connecting the iPad over USB


This wasn’t my issue - Luna was connected as instructed - in thunderbolt.

Cable I used was BASEUS 100cm 3.0 5A ( http://www.baseus.com/product-315.html?lang=en-us ) - and I used it without luna first - to see if iPad will appear or charge (my problem about charging solved colleague above) - but still iPad didn’t appeared in FINDER nor APPLE MUSIC.

I tested with luna once again after restarting - same issue - didn’t appeared...

So... here we are.


If you have the Luna dongle connected, and the apps downloaded to the Mac and the iPad, then the iPad should show up in the Luna app on the Mac, and can be used to display the Mac's screen.

If its not showing up, with the current cable you are using, then it may be an issue withh that particular cable.


Yes :( And now I don’t know which cable I should use - because this one above looked very fine to me - so which I should use with which specifics ?


Pretty much any USB cable should work. Maybe one of these: https://www.amazon.com/AmazonBasics-Type-C-USB-Male-Cable/dp/B01GGKYN0A


I was afraid that any cable under $30 won’t work... so I bought https://www.apple.com/shop/product/HN8A2ZM/A/mophie-usb-a-cable-with-usb-c-connector-2-m?fnode=48e00fc18195f95b1c90cdc10a1995001f13969cb3df11a600dee6bac07ed86dd8bc734ea84438a9ea7189f855afa91e9e8addcdcf814205f17b57c319f9a10d99fd81b29c182713cfdeb1028309af2b3adacb4504599719b126038f62401703f715e9ba807272297752d52588bad6f5&fs=f%3Dcable%26fh%3D459d%252B45c4 ...


I’m biting my nails right now ... what if it doesn’t work again?

May 18, 2020 1:10 PM in response to Phil0124

hmm I don’t think you’re understand....


You can use Luna via USB CONNECTION:


As I said before the problem was that cable I bought and plugged in didn’t worked.

iPad didn’t appear in finder and didn’t appear via Apple Music....


Sooooo I was asking then WHICH cable could work... so I could connect via luna and change it to second display.....


May 17, 2020 9:48 AM in response to karolina257

The adapter issue with Luna only applies to the Luna Dongle and its Thunderbolt option through USB-C from a Mac as explained in the very link you provide above. IE you cannot use an adapter to go from the USB-C port on a Mac to the mDP port the Luna dongle uses since the adapters don't support the mDP protocol, the dongle uses.


It is not related to the way you are connecting the iPad, just the Luna Dongle.


Since your 2012 Mac does not have USB-C ports this point is moot. You are connecting the Luna dongle directly to the Thunderbolt Port on the Mac. Your Mac has the required port, it needs no adapter for it.


https://faq.lunadisplay.com/article/60-usb-ethernet-connection


Basically the USB adapter provided above should work over the standard USB connection. Once you have the Apps downloaded on both devices, and the Luna dongle connected to the TB/mDP port.


You'll need to have the Luna Apps running on both Mac and iPad. Then follow the onscreen prompts on the Luna Apps.


You cannot use the Luna USB-C dongle with non USB-C Macs.



May 17, 2020 12:23 PM in response to Phil0124

Phil0124 wrote:

The adapter issue with Luna only applies to the Luna Dongle and its Thunderbolt option through USB-C from a Mac as explained in the very link you provide above. IE you cannot use an adapter to go from the USB-C port on a Mac to the mDP port the Luna dongle uses since the adapters don't support the mDP protocol, the dongle uses.

It is not related to the way you are connecting the iPad, just the Luna Dongle.

Since your 2012 Mac does not have USB-C ports this point is moot. You are connecting the Luna dongle directly to the Thunderbolt Port on the Mac. Your Mac has the required port, it needs no adapter for it.

https://faq.lunadisplay.com/article/60-usb-ethernet-connection

Basically the USB adapter provided above should work over the standard USB connection. Once you have the Apps downloaded on both devices, and the Luna dongle connected to the TB/mDP port.

You'll need to have the Luna Apps running on both Mac and iPad. Then follow the onscreen prompts on the Luna Apps.

You cannot use the Luna USB-C dongle with non USB-C Macs.


Ok, i thought what they said was about connecting via cable..


My Luna Dongle is connected via Thunderbolt - ok. But still I want to connect iPad to Mac not via Wifi, but via USB - to speed up the connection.

As I said before I bought cable that isnt working - I looked up on the finder to find iPad (for example try to transfer some files) or via Apple Music - didnt found iPad... Last night I bought another cable (little bit more expensive, mophie, from apple.com - i will see if that works...)

I brought it up about the luna, because college above linked to adapter, not cable - so I thought maybe there will be issue too?

May 18, 2020 6:37 AM in response to karolina257

No. The Luna Adapter lets you use the iPad as a second screen for your Mac.


It has nothing to do with the direct USB connection of the iPad. The direct connection works over USB just fine.


If you are running macOS 10.15 Catalina, the iPad should appear in Finder.


Otherwise it will appear in the iTunes application.


If you want to use it a second screen for your Mac, then you need the Luna adapter, and the apps for MacOS and iPadOS.



May 19, 2020 7:29 AM in response to karolina257

Yes, you can use the second screen feature over USB, and any USB cable will work. The adapter issue Luna reports is in relation to their own Luna dongle and how you connect it. It has nothing to do with the USB connection for the iPad. There is no problem using a USB-A to USB C adapter to connect the iPad to the Mac.


The iPad won't show up, unless you have the Luna dongle plugged in to the Thunderbolt port on your Mac. The Luna dongle is what makes the iPad be usable as a second screen. You need the dongle even when connecting the iPad over USB


If you have the Luna dongle connected, and the apps downloaded to the Mac and the iPad, then the iPad should show up in the Luna app on the Mac, and can be used to display the Mac's screen.


If its not showing up, with the current cable you are using, then it may be an issue withh that particular cable.


Pretty much any USB cable should work. Maybe one of these: https://www.amazon.com/AmazonBasics-Type-C-USB-Male-Cable/dp/B01GGKYN0A



MacBook Pro 13' Mid 2012 --cable--> iPad Pro 11' 2gen ???

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