Sidecar not working on Big Sur and iPad OS

Same issue. On macOS Big Sur 11.0.1 and trying to connect to an iPad Pro 12.9 (3rd generation). This was working for me in Catalina through AirPlay before I updated, but now it won't work wired or wireless.

THIS SOLUTION WORKED FOR ME!

TLDR - Sign out of iCloud on your iPad and sign back in.

If you're trying to use your iPad as a 2nd monitor with a MacBook and Sidecar, sign out of iCloud on your iPad and sign back in. You'll receive prompts on your Apple devices to confirm the sign-in on the iPad. Afterwards, go to your MacBook where you should see a notification badge on your System Preferences. Click into Apple ID where you'll be prompted to enter your iPad passcode as well as your MacBook password. Once everything goes through, you should be able to go back to Sidecar in System Preferences and see your device as an option.

Hope this helps!

Applied all the suggestions I read on this page to solve the Sidecar problem and it did not work for me either. I still get the same message as above. Loggen in an out of Cloud, restart both the MacBookPro and the iPadPro, both devices on the same network, 5 cm apart from each other, to no avail.

An ex exercise in futility. Didn't change the behavior on my iPad Pro (gen 1) and MacBook Pro 15in (2019). Can use sidecar when wired but not when wifi/bluetooth are on. No change in behavior after signing out of iCloud as described above on iPad Pro. Apple states they're aware of the issue but offered no resolution.

Zathrak wrote:

Apple states they're aware of the issue but offered no resolution.

Getting Support, anybody's Support, to acknowledge awareness of an issue is always a huge leap towards a fix. Support never acknowledges a problem until all other attempts to evade have failed.

Thanks a lot, the Apple support center via chat and phone could not help me.

But this solutions works for me. Later to follow the steps you describe "sign out of iCloud on your iPad and sign" The other step I need to do was reset my iPad and my Mac an pair bluetooth between them. and Voila!

Thank a lot.

There is also a much smaller additional problem, even if it is only a matter of convenience. Even one manages to get Sidecar to work with an iPad as a second screen, connecting it with the laptop requires to open System Preferences. In Catalina, an icon appeared immediately in the in the control slip on the top of the screen; in Big Sur, I have not found any possibility to pin the icon on the control slip. IMoreover, although it appears in the control slip when Sidecar is in operation, but it is useless: there no option to "disconnect", which one actually needs occasionally. One has to open the System Preferences again. It seems that with Big Sur, Apple has simply forgotten to update SideCar properly.

Ive tried the below fix and its still now working..

Does anyone have any other advice? I really need this working - every update we get seems to mess something up - the amount this stuff costs you'd think they would just code it properly

Hi TRE757,

this was awesome, tried everything suggested on the net, including Apple's suggestions - nothing worked. This did straight away (MBP 13" M1 & iPad Pro 12,9") Thank you! Have numerous other problems with Apple over the last couple of weeks... Upgraded my iMac 27" to Big Sur, now neither the Bluetooth Keyboard nor the Mouse (both Apple) does not work anymore, so I have to boot up with the old USB keyboard. Tried bluetooth resets and so on, plus all the suggestions on the net, no success. Finally after having gotten the iPhone 12 mini and 12 Pro Max, my phone number can not be used on the mini for message and FT. It's there together with different e-mail/accounts. But you cannot select the phone number. I have dual SIM and it all worked before I upgraded to the latest os. On all the others, ie MBP's, iMac, iPad's etc. everything works. But not the mini...

This solution seemed to work but, requires you to do it every time!

APPLE get it together. Sidecar is amazing and you have made it impossible to use!!!!!!! I HATE APPLE UPGRADES. they always make something virtually impossible to use.

The ‘solution’ works for a while, then the same issue re-emerges. Has anyone determined what is going wrong here? Is something else creating a conflict and breaking the link? This makes using sidecar even hardwired an awful experience.

Hi Guys!

I have Big Sur 11.2.3 and iPad Air2 os 14.3. I can't use sidecar! Both devices are logged in the iCloud account on the same user and name. I have tried wireless connection (bluetooth connected and wifi the same network) but I can't. I have tried to use cable but it is still not working!

Moreover, I have tried to log out from iPad account and next to log in but this also not works!

Please help me!

I will appreciate that!

thanks .. I did it. But unfortunately nothing improve. Still I can't use the sidecar. I have choose the same wifi netwoork and I am connected via bluetooth.

Sorry guys but first time I have to say that iOS is ***** :(

I don't know what to do and don't know why it is not working!

First of all I would like to thank you for your help and assistance.

I will do it tomorrow and I will give ou feedback.

I hope it will works but in the past I log off and log in on the iPad Air2 os14.3 and it won't help ...