This way you use your iPad wirelessly as a second or third screen

If you do not use your iPad if you are working on your Mac, try it as an extra screen. It works very simple!

Use your iPad as an extra screen

In principle, you don’t buy an iPad for nothing. Yet there are many people who have a drawer unused. If you have such an iPad that you no longer use, try it wirelessly as a second or third screen.

To use your iPad as a second screen, you must meet a number of conditions:

• On both devices you have to be logged in with the same Apple ID.
• MacOS Catalina or a newer version must run on your Mac.
• You need a MacBook or MacBook Pro from 2016 or newer, a MacBook Air from 2018 or newer, an iMac or iMac Pro from 2017 or newer, a Mac Mini of 2018 or newer, a Mac Pro or a Mac Studio of 2019 or newer.
• You need iPados 13 or newer on an iPad Pro, an iPad of the 6th generation or newer, an iPad mini of the 5th generation or newer, or an iPad Air of the 3rd generation or newer.
• Both devices must be within 10 meters apart, with WiFi, Bluetooth and Handoff activated (these are switched on as standard).

It works wirelessly, but you can also use a USB cable. In that case, the battery of the MacBook will be empty faster because the iPad is automatically charged when you have connected it. In that case, make sure that you have connected the MacBook to a power source.

Enable

If you meet the above conditions, you can enable the function as follows:

You now see all the screens standing side by side. By clicking on ‘Orders’, you change the order. This way you ensure that you can move through all the screens smoothly with the mouse. Behind ‘Use as’ you determine how you want to use the iPad as an extra screen. The ‘Extensive screen’ option is probably good, but you can also make the main screen of it. Or you can duplicate another screen of your choice on your iPad.

You can also click on ‘synchronous display’ at the top of the menu bar and then choose your iPad to use as an extra screen. You can also adjust certain screen settings here. For more options, click on ‘screen settings’.

You can now drag windows between the different screens. For example, it is useful to keep an eye on something that you constantly have to keep in mind on the screen of your iPad. You then have your other screen (s) completely free to work on.

You can easily switch between the ‘normal’ screen and the Mac screen on the iPad. Just wipe up from the bottom of the iPad to display the home screen. To go back to the MAC desktop, just tap the blue icon with a MacBook and an iPad (see image above).