Sidecar Connect
Connect, disconnect, and manage Sidecar from Raycast without opening Control Center or digging through System Settings.
Sidecar Connect is built for people who already use Sidecar and want a faster workflow in Raycast. It gives you quick commands to connect to your iPad, disconnect active sessions, toggle the current state, and manage favorite or recently used devices.
Commands
- Manage Sidecar: Browse connected, available, and recently used devices. Connect, disconnect, favorite devices, remove history entries, refresh discovery, and open Display Settings.
- Quick Connect Sidecar: Instantly connect to your default or favorite iPad.
- Toggle Sidecar: Connect if Sidecar is off, or disconnect if the selected device is already connected.
- Disconnect Sidecar: Disconnect all active Sidecar sessions.
Why It Feels Fast
- Uses a bundled native Swift helper for local Sidecar discovery and connection
- No UI scripting, no Control Center clicks, and no System Settings automation
- Remembers favorites and recently used devices for quicker reconnects
Requirements
- Raycast on macOS
- A Mac and iPad that support Sidecar
- The same Apple Account on both devices
- Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and Handoff enabled on both devices
For Apple's device and OS compatibility list, see Sidecar system requirements.
Setup
- Install the extension.
- Open Manage Sidecar and confirm that your iPad appears.
- Connect once and optionally mark the device as a favorite.
- Optionally set Default Device in the extension preferences.
- Use Quick Connect Sidecar or Toggle Sidecar for everyday use.
No additional downloads are required for the store version of this extension.
Preferences
| Preference | Description |
|---|---|
| Default Device | The iPad name to prefer for Toggle Sidecar and Quick Connect Sidecar. If empty, the extension falls back to your favorite device, then another available device. |
Privacy
All device discovery and connection actions run locally on your Mac. This extension does not send Sidecar device information to any third-party service.
Troubleshooting
- No devices found: Make sure both devices support Sidecar, are signed in to the same Apple Account, and have Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and Handoff enabled.
- Connection fails: Confirm that Sidecar works from macOS Display Settings first, then retry in Raycast. If needed, toggle Bluetooth, reconnect the USB cable, or restart the iPad.
- Quick Connect chose the wrong device: Set Default Device in preferences or mark one iPad as a favorite from Manage Sidecar.
- Device name mismatch: Check the exact device name on your iPad in Settings > General > About.
- It stopped working after a macOS update: Major macOS releases can change Sidecar behavior. Check for an extension update and verify that Sidecar still works in Display Settings.
