Beyond 10 meters
Does Sidecar work over the internet?
Updated September 30, 2026 · Checked against Apple Support (page dated September 14, 2026)
No, not according to Apple. Sidecar needs your iPad within about 10 meters (30 feet) of your Mac, with Bluetooth, Wi‑Fi and Handoff turned on, or a USB cable.1 Universal Control and Mac Virtual Display are also made for nearby devices. When your iPad and your Mac are in different places, a remote desktop like PocketRocket fills the gap.
What is Sidecar good at?At your desk: Sidecar.
Sidecar turns an iPad near your Mac into a display that extends or mirrors your desktop. Since iPadOS 27 and macOS 27 it offers much broader touch control, and it supports Apple Pencil and a sidebar with ⌘, ⌥, ⌃ and ⇧. It’s built in, costs nothing extra and works with many Mac computers from 2016 onward.
Why doesn’t Sidecar work away from home?Where Sidecar stops.
Because it’s designed for devices side by side. Apple lists a wireless range of about 10 meters, the same Apple Account with two-factor authentication, and Bluetooth, Wi‑Fi and Handoff turned on; your iPad can’t be sharing its cellular connection. The Apple documentation doesn’t describe using Sidecar over the internet.
How can I use my Mac on iPad when I’m in another city? — Everywhere else: PocketRocket.
Use a remote desktop. With PocketRocket, your Mac appears on your iPad over the internet—through your local network, a VPN, a direct connection or a relay—without router setup. Your Mac gets a virtual display shaped like your iPad window, and the displays of your Mac go dark. It shows your Mac rather than extending it.
- Local network
- VPN
- Direct connection
- Relay
An important difference.
PocketRocket doesn’t add a second display the way Sidecar does. It shows the desktop of your Mac on your iPad, on a virtual display made for it.
Side by side.
| Criterion | Sidecar1 | Universal Control2 | PocketRocket |
|---|---|---|---|
| What it does | Uses an iPad as a display that extends or mirrors your Mac | One Mac keyboard, mouse or trackpad controls up to two other nearby Mac or iPad devices; each shows its own screen | See and control your Mac from another Apple device |
| Use it from | iPad | Mac, iPad | iPhone, iPad, Apple Vision Pro, Mac |
| Distance (per documentation) | Within about 10 m (30 ft) wirelessly, or USB | Within about 10 m (30 ft) | Anywhere with an internet connection; tested on 5G and hotel Wi‑Fi abroad |
| Over the internet | No—made for devices nearby or USB | No—made for devices nearby | Yes—local network, VPN, direct connection or relay |
| Screen shape and size | Not documented | — (doesn’t share a screen) | Virtual display with the exact proportions of your window; iPad Pro 13″: 2752 × 2064; Apple Vision Pro: 16:9 windows from 1600 × 900 to 9600 × 5400 pt |
| Input | Touch (greatly expanded in iPadOS 27 and macOS 27), Apple Pencil, keyboard, mouse, trackpad, sidebar with ⌘ ⌥ ⌃ ⇧ | Shared keyboard, mouse or trackpad | Touch and Touchpad modes, key bar, keyboard, mouse and trackpad on iPad, pinch to zoom |
| Physical displays of the Mac | Extends or mirrors the desktop | — (each device keeps its own screen) | Go dark during the session, restored afterward |
| Account and trust | Same Apple Account with two-factor authentication | Same Apple Account with two-factor authentication | Same Apple Account via iCloud; no pairing codes |
Before you start.
Does Sidecar work over the internet?
Not according to Apple: Sidecar needs your iPad within about 10 meters (30 feet) of your Mac, or a USB cable.
Apple also lists the same Apple Account with two-factor authentication, and Bluetooth, Wi‑Fi and Handoff turned on. When your iPad and your Mac are in different places, a remote desktop like PocketRocket fills the gap.
What’s the difference between Sidecar and Universal Control?
Sidecar makes your iPad a display for your Mac, while Universal Control lets one Mac keyboard and pointer control up to two other nearby Mac or iPad devices, each showing its own screen.
Both are built in and made for devices close together—within about 10 meters (30 feet), according to Apple.
Is PocketRocket an alternative to Sidecar?
Only when your iPad is away from your Mac: PocketRocket shows your Mac on iPad over the internet, but it doesn’t add a second display the way Sidecar does.
If your iPad sits next to your Mac, Sidecar is built in. PocketRocket gives your Mac a virtual display shaped like your iPad window, and the displays of your Mac go dark.
Can I use my iPad as a screen for my Mac when I’m away from home?
Yes, with a remote desktop such as PocketRocket: your Mac appears on your iPad over the internet, on a virtual display shaped like your iPad window.
Sources.
- Apple Support: Sidecar support.apple.com/en-us/102597page dated September 14, 2026 · retrieved September 29, 2026
- Apple Support: Universal Control support.apple.com/en-us/102459page dated July 15, 2026 · retrieved September 29, 2026
- Apple: Continuity www.apple.com/macos/continuityretrieved September 29, 2026
Leave your Mac at home. Take it everywhere.
Install PocketRocket Host
On the Mac you want to reach. It lives in the menu bar.
Get the PocketRocket app
On iPhone, iPad, Apple Vision Pro or another Mac.
Tap your Mac
Use the same Apple Account, and your Mac shows up on its own.
PocketRocket Host needs a Mac with Apple silicon and macOS 26.1 or later. The PocketRocket app is coming soon to the App Store.