Using multiple monitors is one of the best things you can do to increase productivity By doubling your workspace, you can get more done

For laptop users, it is not always practical to carry a second monitor But carrying an iPad is easy and comfortable Most people carry an iPad, one of the best tablets available, in their bag at all times

Apple knows this, which is why they created the Sidecar feature that allows the iPad to be used seamlessly as a wireless second display If I stop by a coffee shop to write code or an article, I can immediately connect to my iPad and get on with my work

After years of using multiple monitors on my desktop, I recently started using Sidecar

Like most Apple products, Sidecar is quick and easy to get up and running as long as you have supported hardware; a MacBook with macOS Catalina or later and an iPad with iPadOS 13 or later are required Apple's support page has a complete list of supported models, but basically if you have a 6th generation or later iPad connected to a 2015 or later Mac, you can use it It can be used on both laptops and desktop Macs

Here is what you need to do to enable Sidecar and get it working on your device:

Once you have Sidecar up and running, you can use the display settings you used to reposition the screen to the left and right of the main display To do this, click Arrange and move the display to fit your position I prefer to have it on the right side of the main desktop, but this is my preference

I use Sidecar every day The first thing I do when I start working is connect my iPad to my MacBook (I use USB for this function as the battery drains quickly)

The device remembers your settings, so if you expand the display, it will revert to those settings when you connect it again

As the news editor of Tom's Guide, I use a second display to reference sources for articles With other publications, I leave pages open to review important facts and information without switching tabs The same goes for press releases, YouTube videos, and interviews

Typically, I have four tabs open on my second display: my RSS reader, Google News, a spreadsheet of news articles I am currently writing, and the source of the article I am writing That's it Everything else is organized in multiple desktops on the laptop's main display No matter how many tabs I have open to explore the information, I know that I can quickly return to those four tabs by sliding to another display and clicking on the tab I need or turning around if it's already open

If you are like me and always have multiple tabs open, having the important tabs you refer to while working on a second display is a game changer Of course, after years of using multiple displays on my desktop, this was not news to me But to be able to do that without having to carry a portable monitor is a game changer

Sidecar was introduced over five years ago, but I'm only now discovering how great it is If you own an iPad and a Mac, I hope this bit of information was enlightening to you