Sidecar not working between Mini and iMac

Hey 13rossella,

Thanks for using Apple Support Communities. That is correct. You're not able to use your iMac as a display for your Mac mini. Only iMac models introduced in 2011, 2012, 2013, and mid 2014 can do this using target display mode as shown here: Use your iMac as a display with target display mode - Apple Support

To use the sidecar feature, you need a Mac and iPad. More details can be shown here: Use an iPad as a second display for a Mac - Apple Support

We also thought you'd find this resource helpful for connecting a display to your Mac mini: Connect a display to Mac mini - Apple Support

We hope this helps.

Take care!

13rossella wrote:

No, I want to use my iMac as a secondary display for my Mini.

When I try using sidecar from my iMac to my Mini, the display I have for my Mini becomes a secondary display for my iMac. What is the restriction that prevents a iMac to become a secondary screen for the mini?

Sidecar isn't meant to connect two Macs – just to connect a Mac to an iPad.

Apple describes AirPlay to Mac in a way that suggests that its purpose is to display video from an iPhone or iPad. That might just be sloppy writing, because Macs have been able to use AirPlay to display video on HDTVs (via an Apple TV) for some time. But assuming that AirPlay from Mac to Mac is a real thing, your 2017 iMac is too old to meet the system requirements.

The OP might be trying to use AirPlay to Mac. That's a fairly recent feature that postdates Target Display Mode (on old iMacs), Sidecar (between a Mac and an iPad), and AirPlay to a dedicated Apple TV set-top box.

macOS - Continuity - Apple

System requirements for Continuity on Mac, iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch - Apple Support

The OP says that he has a 2023 M2 Pro Mac Mini, and a 2017 iMac, both running Ventura 13.4. According to the system requirements, AirPlay to Mac "works best" with the 2023 Mini but not with the 2017 iMac. There is some ambiguity in the requirements as to whether the 2017 iMac would "work worse" or simply "not work at all."

Given that the iMac is too old to meet the recommended system requirements, the OP should count himself lucky that AirPlay to Mac works in the (iMac -> Mini) direction, even if it doesn't work the other way.

I'm confused also. To resolve our mutual confusion, am I to understand you want to use your iPad as a secondary display for your iMac? Is that correct?

As TammyW_03 explained, "you're not able to use your iMac as a display for your Mac mini."

I'm trying to connect my Mini (2023 - Apple M2 Pro - Ventura 13.4) to my iMac (2017 - 3.4 GHz Quad-Core Intel Core i5 - Ventura 13.4) with sidecar.

That is not its purpose. Use an iPad as a second display for a Mac - Apple Support describes how Sidecar works.

I'm having the same issue Rosella, the other responses weren't too helpful were they. Did you ever find a solution or did you order a Luna Display.

To reiterate I just bought a mac mini m2 pro as my 2017 iMac just didn't have enough power. However, the display of the iMac is awesome so want to use it as a second monitor. It allows me to sidecar from the iMac to the Mini but does not allow it the other way around. This seems very odd.

Let's try it this way. Which Apple Support document describes what you want to do?