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macOS: How to change the wallpaper on your Sidecar display

Sidecar is a fantastic feature that lets you leverage a compatible iPad as an external display for your Mac. To get a little more out of the feature, read along for how to change the wallpaper on your Sidecar display.

Your Sidecar display acts as an independent secondary desktop when it comes to wallpaper preferences. Even if you change the wallpaper on your Mac, whatever the existing wallpaper is on your iPad running Sidecar will remain (that goes for additional desktops as well).

How to change the wallpaper on your Sidecar display

  1. With Sidecar running, open System Preferences
  2. Choose Desktop & Screen Saver
  3. Now you should see a “Secondary Desktop” window on your Sidecar display to pick a wallpaper
  4. Pick a new option

This wallpaper will remain intact as you open and close Sidecar sessions on your Mac/iPad. Here’s how the process looks:

Now just look for the Secondary Desktop window on your Sidecar display to make the change.

Whether you’ve never used Sidecar or have been using it since macOS Catalina launched, check out our full guide on getting the most of the feature.

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