Using iPad Pro as primary display for an M4 Mac mini

[rogerogden]

Hi folks,

I apologize if this has been asked, but I didn't see anything obvious after a cursory search. I have an iPad Pro that I'd like to use as the primary monitor for my Mac mini via Sidecar. I have an Apple Studio Display that I plug my "primary" computer in to (either my work laptop during working hours, or my Mac mini in the evening), but I'd like if I could use my iPad Pro as a display for my Mac mini during working hours.

Is this possible? Thanks!

[waydabber]

I think it is possible but the problem obviously is how to let Sidecar start. If you have an other computer or shell access, you should be able to start things up that way. The app can connect/disconnect sidecar displays and the functionality is accessible using betterdisplaycli (maybe you also need to connect a virtual screen first as Sidecar might not work these days without at least one other display, not sure). So if you set all things up first properly and then have a means to start up the connection with some script or a way to trigger the script (an elegant solution would be to detect the presence of the iPad), then it could certainly be done.

But honestly I did not experiment with this at all, so I don't have a definite answer.