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Sidecar showing no devices

I have a new MacBook Pro 2020 and an iPad Pro 11 inch 2018. I can't get sidecar to connect or even show my iPad as an option. I've logged in and out of both (with the same account), restarted both, turned on and off bluetooth and wifi, two factor authentication is on along with handoff, and they're both up to date. I can't figure out what I'm doing wrong.

MacBook Pro 13″, macOS 10.15

Posted on Jul 25, 2020 6:40 PM

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Posted on Jul 27, 2020 4:18 PM

I finally figured it out. I tried to connect wirelessly and my iPad finally showed up. I still got a device timed out error though. So I went into my finder and went to the iPad. I had to "trust" the computer for it to work. It works wired and wirelessly now.

6 replies

Jul 27, 2020 10:35 AM in response to katiemarie2013

katiemarie2013:


You wrote: "I only have one wifi ID".


So, does your WiFi not have two WiFi frequency bands (~2.5 GHz and 5 GHz)?


Or, have you set the WiFi IDs on both bands to be the same? (Supposedly that is the preferred configuration.)


You wrote: "I only have … one Apple ID."


So, you only have one Mac account, using the one Apple ID? The same Apple ID used on the "iPad Pro 11 inch 2018"?


I found that my problem was that when I had run a test, earlier, with my other Mac account, using a different Apple ID (which had successfully found the iPad with that same Apple ID), I had left that account open, in that state of having found that iPad!


So. My Mac mini was sort of "blocking" itself.


(I also found that the Mac mini "could not" connect to that other iPad because it wasn't set up for "two factor authentication." But that was expressed to me by an error dialogue box, which you haven't mentioned.)


Another thing that may have escaped your attention—because it had escaped mine, until just now (when going back to the other account, for further testing): The Mac will only "see" the iPad if the iPad is "awake"! (It may need to be unlocked [passcode, Touch ID, Face ID], as well.)

Jul 27, 2020 12:59 PM in response to Halliday

I only have one wifi, yes. I turned the option off for the slower one when I first got it. I only have one apple ID that I use for both devices. I don't have another to try and see if it works. I have two factor on for both devices. I've also made sure both devices are on and unlocked. Someone has suggested to me to try a wired connection to use it and then try wireless the next time. I'll have to give that a go.

Sidecar showing no devices

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