With macOS 27 and iPadOS 27, you can use touch on your iPad to interact with Mac windows and menus shown there through Sidecar. First connect the iPad as an extended or mirrored Mac display, then touch the displayed content. Apple describes expanded touch support but does not publish a complete gesture list or promise identical behavior in every app.
Set up Sidecar on your Mac and iPad
- Check compatibility and account settings. Apple lists Sidecar for macOS Catalina 10.15 or later on supported Macs, and iPadOS 13 or later on supported iPads. Both devices must use the same Apple Account with two-factor authentication. The listed Mac models include MacBook Air introduced in 2018 or later, the 27-inch Retina 5K iMac from Late 2015, and other Mac models introduced in 2016 or later. Supported iPads include all iPad Pro models, iPad (6th generation or later), iPad mini (5th generation or later), and iPad Air (3rd generation or later). Check Apple’s current Sidecar requirements for your exact models.
- Choose a connection. Sidecar works wirelessly or over USB. For wireless use, turn on Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and Handoff on both devices and keep them within 10 metres (30 feet), Apple’s stated maximum proximity for wireless Sidecar. For USB, connect the iPad to the Mac and approve the trust prompt if it appears; a cable can also keep the iPad charged during use.
- Connect from the Mac. Open System Settings > Displays and add or select the iPad. You can also start from Screen Mirroring in Control Centre or the menu bar.
- Choose how to use the iPad display. Set Sidecar to extend the Mac desktop or mirror it. With an extended desktop, move a window to the iPad by dragging it across the display arrangement, or use the window’s full-screen control to move it to the iPad. Apple’s macOS 27 and iPadOS 27 guide also says you can touch and hold that control on the iPad to move a window back to the Mac.
Use touch on Mac content shown on the iPad
Once the Mac window or menu is on the iPad, touch the displayed Mac content to interact with it. This is direct touch input into the Sidecar session; it is not the same as using the iPad as a separate iPadOS app.
Apple’s English guide describes expanded touch support for Mac windows and menus, but it does not enumerate every supported gesture. The exact response can depend on the app, so do not assume that every iPad gesture or every app-specific interaction behaves the same way. Earlier Sidecar versions supported a limited set of iPad gestures, including two-finger scrolling and cut, copy, paste, and undo; those examples are not a complete macOS 27 gesture reference.
Use Apple Pencil as an optional alternative
Apple Pencil is not required for direct finger touch. It is an optional choice for tasks such as pointing, clicking, selecting, drawing, photo editing, object manipulation, and document markup on the Sidecar display. Apple documents a double-tap feature for Apple Pencil (2nd generation) or later in apps that support it, when the feature is enabled in settings.
#1 Best Overall
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- PERFORMANCE AND STORAGE — The superfast A16 chip delivers a boost in performance for your favorite activities. And with all-day battery life, iPad is perfect for playing immersive games and editing photos and videos.* Storage starts at 128GB and goes up to 512GB.*
- 11-INCH LIQUID RETINA DISPLAY — The gorgeous Liquid Retina display is an amazing way to watch movies or draw your next masterpiece.* True Tone adjusts the display to the color temperature of the room to make viewing comfortable in any light.
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- FAST WI-FI CONNECTIVITY — Wi-Fi 6 gives you fast access to your files, uploads, and downloads, and lets you seamlessly stream your favorite shows.
What Mac app developers need to change
Apple’s Technical Note TN3212 says that, in the macOS 27 Sidecar touch model, apps receive direct touch input through gesture recognizers. Sidecar touch is not delivered through the responder chain or local and global event monitors. As a result, apps that depend on event-tracking loops or mouse methods such as mouseDown(with:), mouseDragged(with:), and mouseUp(with:) are particularly affected; developers should adopt gesture recognizers for the relevant interactions.
Apple’s note also identifies nextEvent(matching:) as an area to review. It describes cancellableByScrollGesture as a way for a touch recognizer to yield to scrolling, and notes that NSScreenTouchCapabilitiesMultiTouch reports touch capability when a touch-capable Sidecar display is connected; in macOS 27, that call returns true for all displays in that situation. Subclasses implementing location(in:) should provide meaningful behavior. These details are API guidance, not a user-facing gesture list; consult Apple’s current technical note and SDK documentation before changing app code.
Quick Recap
Best Value
- Smart Connector. 3.5 mm headphone jack. Stereo speakers. On/Off - Sleep/Wake. Home/Touch ID sensor. Dual microphones. Volume up/down. Nano-SIM tray (cellular models). Lightning connector
- A10 Fusion chip.
- Touch ID fingerprint sensor,
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Rank #4
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Rank #3
- WHY IPAD — The 11-inch iPad is now more capable than ever with the superfast A16 chip, a stunning Liquid Retina display, advanced cameras, fast Wi-Fi, USB-C connector, and four gorgeous colors.* iPad delivers a powerful way to create, stay connected, and get things done.
- PERFORMANCE AND STORAGE — The superfast A16 chip delivers a boost in performance for your favorite activities. And with all-day battery life, iPad is perfect for playing immersive games and editing photos and videos.* Storage starts at 128GB and goes up to 512GB.*
- 11-INCH LIQUID RETINA DISPLAY — The gorgeous Liquid Retina display is an amazing way to watch movies or draw your next masterpiece.* True Tone adjusts the display to the color temperature of the room to make viewing comfortable in any light.
- IPADOS + APPS — iPadOS makes iPad more productive, intuitive, and versatile. With iPadOS, run multiple apps at once, use Apple Pencil to write in any text field with Scribble, and edit and share photos.* iPad comes with essential apps like Safari, Messages, and Keynote, with over a million more apps designed specifically for iPad available on the App Store.
- FAST WI-FI CONNECTIVITY — Wi-Fi 6 gives you fast access to your files, uploads, and downloads, and lets you seamlessly stream your favorite shows.
Rank #2
- WHY IPAD — The 11-inch iPad is now more capable than ever with the superfast A16 chip, a stunning Liquid Retina display, advanced cameras, fast Wi-Fi, USB-C connector, and four gorgeous colors.* iPad delivers a powerful way to create, stay connected, and get things done.
- PERFORMANCE AND STORAGE — The superfast A16 chip delivers a boost in performance for your favorite activities. And with all-day battery life, iPad is perfect for playing immersive games and editing photos and videos.* Storage starts at 128GB and goes up to 512GB.*
- 11-INCH LIQUID RETINA DISPLAY — The gorgeous Liquid Retina display is an amazing way to watch movies or draw your next masterpiece.* True Tone adjusts the display to the color temperature of the room to make viewing comfortable in any light.
- IPADOS + APPS — iPadOS makes iPad more productive, intuitive, and versatile. With iPadOS, run multiple apps at once, use Apple Pencil to write in any text field with Scribble, and edit and share photos.* iPad comes with essential apps like Safari, Messages, and Keynote, with over a million more apps designed specifically for iPad available on the App Store.
- FAST WI-FI CONNECTIVITY — Wi-Fi 6 gives you fast access to your files, uploads, and downloads, and lets you seamlessly stream your favorite shows.
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