Sidecar not working on Big Sur and iPad OS

Is you iPad compatible?

Sidecar system requirements

Sidecar requires a compatible Mac using macOS Catalina or later and a compatible iPad using iPadOS 13 or later.

• iPad Pro: all models
• iPad (6th generation) or newer
• iPad mini (5th generation) or newer
• iPad Air (3rd generation) or newer

Additional requirements

• Both devices must be signed in to iCloud with the same Apple ID using two-factor authentication.
• To use Sidecar wirelessly, both devices must be within 10 meters (30 feet) of each other and have Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and Handoff turned on. Also make sure that the iPad is not sharing its cellular connection and the Mac is not sharing its Internet connection.
• To use Sidecar over USB, make sure that your iPad is set to trust your Mac.

I was getting so frustrated with this issue too. I didn't try the iCloud sign-out/in method, but did this instead:

1) Restart Macbook

2) On iPad, go to Bluetooth Settings, click on MacBook Pro, and then Forget Device

3) On Macbook, go to Bluetooth Settings and remove the iPad by clicking the x on the right side when you hover over iPad. iPad will disappear from the Devices list, but should shortly reappear with the “Connect” button

5) On iPad Bluetooth Settings, your MacBook Pro should also now show up under Other Devices. Click on it, and you should get a Connection Request pop up on your MacBook Pro. Click Connect.

6) iPad should now show up available to connect using either:

• Display options from the Menu Bar
• Sidecar Preferences or
• Display Preferences

Good luck!!

Update: This solution on its own didn't resolve the issue for me. However, it led me down the right path.

Signing out of iCloud and back in as written above didn't change the behavior on my iPad Pro and MacBook Pro 15in (2019). I can use sidecar when wired but not when wifi/bluetooth are on. Apple states they're aware of the issue but offered no resolution.

While I was in my iCloud devices list, I saw that I had two iPad Pros with the same name (it was replaced). I removed the old one of the same name and was immediately able to connect to sidecar wirelessly again.

One thing to note, this was not an issue in Catalina, only an issue immediately after the Big Sur upgrade. It's been a few months since the iPad was originally replaced and I use sidecar daily.

Hope this helps add some clarity.

I faced this issue on my M1 air . The Ipad just did not show up on the mac. I even tried signing out the apple account on both the air and the Ipad and then re logging in after a restart and no luck.

But this is what made it work like a charm or maybe I was a fool that i did not know this. Just turned on the bluetooth on both the Mac and the Ipad and it instantly showed up on the Mac for pairing.

Hope this helps someone.

Just be careful. Since Big Sur and padOS 14, you need an iPad 6th generation to use sidecar.

Apple has just made iPad 5th generation obsolete Grrrr. Thank you Apple.

I posted the requirements back in November and iPad 6th Gen has always been the requirement.

On your iPad Settings go to General-->Reset-->Reset Network Settings. It doesn't mean that you will lose your wifi, as you are just resetting the network parameters (ports etc.) back the way they were, at the time when you first started your iPad.

Hi all. Had some JOY.

Go to Iclound preferences on the computer you are using to connect to the IPAD.

scroll down the list of devices until you see the ipad.

Just click it . . . leave for a minute then go to the menu bar and connect.

just worked for me!

DEEP JOY

This helped to me.

After Sign off and Sign on into Icloud, Sidecar were working without any issue on my Ipad 6 and new Macbook Air 2020 M1.

I think problem is with Ipad OS.

It took for me about 10 min to do this.

Signing off and signing back on did work for me too.

I had to restart both my devices after I signed out and logged back in to iCloud.

Hey, thank you :-)

Tried various solutions - when I set trust your Mac it worked again

I was able to finally fix it by toggling off "Keep Today View on Home Screen" by going to Settings > Home Screen & Dock and toggling it off on my iPad Pro

Hello,

Just be careful. Since Big Sur and padOS 14, you need an iPad 6th generation to use sidecar.

Apple has just made iPad 5th generation obsolete Grrrr. Thank you Apple.

Yes. I reseted all the network settings on the iPad and after that it worked.

I reseted all the network settings on the iPad and after that it worked.