Mirror iPad Air (3rd generation, 2020 Model) to MacBook Air (2020 Model)

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6 points

Mirror iPad Air (3rd generation, 2020 Model) to MacBook Air (2020 Model)

I recently bought a new MacBook Air and an iPad Air (both 2020 models). I want to use my iPad as a sketch pad (running MS OneNote on the iPad with Apple Pencil). I want the iPad screen (B) to be displayed on my MacBook Air (A). I have to teach online with my MacBook and, after having the iPad display on my MacBook, then screen-share with participants/students off my MacBook (from Zoom, Google Meet, Skype, MS Team, or whichever).

I know I can use Sidecar for mirroring etc. from A to B but I need B to A mirroring. The AirPlay solution only works for Apple TV devices, not onto my MacBook Air, I don't think. I have tried LetsView and it works OK except the mirrored iPad screen is small and recently it seems to interfere with my home Wifi and cuts me out.

Another solution seems to be using QuickTime Player off my MacBook (see link below), connect iPad Air with wire, choose File>Record New Movie>select iPadAir on drop down menu next to record button. All works ... except NO display of iPad on my MacBook as promised. See attached instructions. All six steps work but it just won't show the iPad screen and the record button seems inactive.

Then there is Reflect 3 which I haven't tried yet but ideally I'd like the QuickTime Player solution to work because with the wired connection, I am not dependent on internet. First, it would not interfere (as apparently LetsView does), and I could record iPad screens in real time but Off-Line to be posted later.

Any suggestion?

Just to be clear: I want to mirror from B to A, NOT from A to B (with, e.g., SideCar) so I can use my iPad as a Sketch Pad with Apple Pencil and get the sketch on my MacBook Air from which I have to teach my classes.

Any help is greatly appreciated! Right now I essentially cannot teach my classes. I have been working on this, with Apple's tech support, since July! Apple says they don't know why the QuickTime Player solution isn't working but they don't deal with third party suggested solutions and they have not heard of this before. (Seems like a very common situations many teachers might find themselves in with all the online teaching that is expected now.)

Thanks again.

BOP

iPad Air, iPadOS 14

Posted on Sep 30, 2020 11:14 AM

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Answer 1

Best reply

bploog Author

Level 1

6 points

Oct 1, 2020 7:53 PM in response to bploog

I finally got to talk to a very helpful expert woman at Apple about this issue. The QuickTime Player solution worked nicely. I presented it as a problem not being allowed access to camera and mic on my iPad. It turns out that one has to go into System Preferences/Security&Privacy under Quicktime and specifically allow access to mic and camera. Easy fix ... if I had known what needed to be done. This is incredibly convenient and stable (if tethering/cable is OK). I prefer cable because I don't depend on a wifi network anymore for doing my work (I can pre-record and use the iPad beautifully as a sketch pad now, off-line!) She send me an article after our talk which I think is very helpful. Here's the link: https://support.apple.com/en-nz/guide/mac-help/mchla1b1e1fe/mac

Celliott147, thank you too for having helped this along, too. I am posting all this just in case someone else at some point runs into the same problem.

Best,

BOP

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Answer 2

celliott147

Level 6

11,889 points

Sep 30, 2020 2:55 PM in response to bploog

You will need to purchase a third party software such as the one mentioned in that article (Reflection3) to mirror wirelessly or connect your iPad to your computer with a cable (tethered) and use a third party software or QuickTime player. The article's steps are spot on. If you're on Catalina, you may need to go to Finder and select your iPad and choose to trust your macOS device before the tethered method will work.

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Answer 3

bploog Author

Level 1

6 points

Sep 30, 2020 3:56 PM in response to celliott147

Thank you for your very fast reply. I really would like to make this work with QuickTime Player and a cable and I do exactly as explained step by step in the article. I haven't tried Reflect3 yet. I wouldn't mind to pay the $18 or so if it worked but I prefer a solution that does not depend on a wifi connection (having to sign in to the same wifi network). If it was just BlueTooth that'd be OK.

So for the QuickTime Player solution (I assume it's not the QuickTime Pro ... if there still is such a thing.) How do I check whether my MacBook "Trust" my iPad? I see in the iPadMacBook finder window in the sidebar (with "eject" symbol to its right). When I click on on the iPad's name (like I would when synching the iPad), the screen opens up that let's me backup, synch, manage storage, music, video, etc. of the iPad, so I assume it is trusted by my computer. I am wondering if this could be a glitch with the recent update to iPadOS 14.0? Is there anything I perhaps need to change in my System Prefs on my MacBook to allow access to camera or other input devices including the iPad? But the iPad's name shows up in the Record menu (Step 6 of the instructions).

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Answer 4

bploog Author

Level 1

6 points

Sep 30, 2020 11:15 AM in response to bploog

The link wasn't included, I don't think. Here it is again:

https://www.groovypost.com/howto/mirror-an-iphone-or-ipad-to-mac/

Thanks!

BOP

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Mirror iPad Air (3rd generation, 2020 Model) to MacBook Air (2020 Model)

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