Apple in macOS Catalina introduced a new Sidecar feature that lets the iPad be used as a secondary display for a Mac, something that third-party companies have been doing for some time with products like Duet Display and Luna Display.

With ‌Sidecar‌ now available for the ‌iPad‌, Duet has adapted and introduced new functionality that's not available with ‌Sidecar‌ - namely using an additional Mac or PC as a secondary display.

duetdisplay
As of today, Duet Air, the software that turns the ‌iPad‌ into a secondary display for a Mac, also works with a second Mac or PC.

That means if you have an extra MacBook or PC, you can use Duet Air to turn it into a wireless second display or a mirrored display for your main Mac. This is functionality that's not available with Apple's ‌Sidecar‌ implementation.

Duet Air also allows iOS devices, Macs, or PCs to remote desktop into other devices from anywhere in the world, and Duet says that the update works with "minimal latency."

Over the course of the next year, Duet has pledged to continue improving its algorithms and customizability, and there are a long list of new features in the works that will make Duet Air more compelling in 2020.

Top Rated Comments

rahulda1 Avatar
65 months ago
We appreciate the kind words!

Luckily, we worked hard to add support for Windows (half of iPad users), Android (most mobile users), and desktop to desktop. We also support over a hundred million iPads & Macs even Apple does not, but we are finding a lot of people choosing us even on new hardware where Sidecar exists.

We are focused on professional customers that use the product every day, and they often prefer the additional features & customization we offer.
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)
jonplackett Avatar
65 months ago
I wish these guys lots of luck. It’s not easy pivoting to something new like that after Apple basically tries to put you out of business. These seem like genuinely useful new features.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
rahulda1 Avatar
65 months ago

Hey man,

if you’re responsible for Duet, I just wanted to stop a minute and tell you guys you do great work. Even whenever a company as big as Apple tried to offer a similar feature, you found a way to improve Duet and it’s feature set. Being a developer of original products in this era can be quite PITA, but you guys constantly bring your A game. Keep up the good work, stay golden, and keep bringing great new features.
I did create Duet but am now just a small part of the amazing team that delivers those features and is responsible for the current success. Thanks for the support and kind words...can't wait to show you what we will deliver next year.


Does this mean I can use an older iMac as a display powered by my newer MacBook pro?
Yes it does...even if you have a PC :)
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
hinleyw12 Avatar
65 months ago

We appreciate the kind words!

Luckily, we worked hard to add support for Windows (half of iPad users), Android (most mobile users), and desktop to desktop. We also support over a hundred million iPads & Macs even Apple does not, but we are finding a lot of people choosing us even on new hardware where Sidecar exists.

We are focused on professional customers that use the product every day, and they often prefer the additional features & customization we offer.
Hey man,

if you’re responsible for Duet, I just wanted to stop a minute and tell you guys you do great work. Even whenever a company as big as Apple tried to offer a similar feature, you found a way to improve Duet and it’s feature set. Being a developer of original products in this era can be quite PITA, but you guys constantly bring your A game. Keep up the good work, stay golden, and keep bringing great new features.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
rahulda1 Avatar
65 months ago

Mmmm.. I have been able do this for years with 5KPlayer (free) or AirServer (one time fee of 7.99 to 19.99 depending on license).
Both work great, no need to pay for a subscription forever.
Neither of these support remote desktop, are as cross-platform compatible, or are very fast (AirPlay is notoriously buggy and slow) among other features. I also think the main purpose is using your Mac as a mirrored display for your iOS device? Not sure why you keep writing this in the comments of every press article about Duet.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Amazing Iceman Avatar
65 months ago

Neither of these support remote desktop, are as cross-platform compatible, or are very fast (AirPlay is notoriously buggy and slow) among other features. I also think the main purpose is using your Mac as a mirrored display for your iOS device? Not sure why you keep writing this in the comments of every press article about Duet.
You are correct... I have edited my comment.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

New Things Your iPhone Can Do in iOS 18

10 New Things Your iPhone Can Do in iOS 18.2

Thursday October 31, 2024 9:42 am PDT by
Apple is set to release iOS 18.2 in December, bringing the second round of Apple Intelligence features to iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 models. This update brings several major advancements to Apple's AI integration, including completely new image generation tools and a range of Visual Intelligence-based enhancements. There are a handful of new non-AI related feature controls incoming as well. ...
best early black friday deals

The Best Early Black Friday Apple Deals

Friday November 1, 2024 8:21 am PDT by
We're officially in the month of Black Friday, which will take place on Friday, November 29 in 2024. As always, this will be the best time of the year to shop for great deals, including popular Apple products like AirPods, iPad, Apple Watch, and more. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment,...
M4 Pro on Blue

M4 Pro Chip Benchmark Results Reveal an Extremely Impressive Performance Feat

Thursday October 31, 2024 7:06 pm PDT by
The first Geekbench 6 benchmark results for the M4 Pro chip surfaced today. Impressively, the results that are available so far show that the highest-end M4 Pro chip is faster than the highest-end M2 Ultra chip in terms of peak multi-core CPU performance. Here is a comparison of the results: Mac mini with M4 Pro (14-core CPU): 22,094 multi-core score (average of 11 results) Mac Studio...
Apple iPhone SE 4 5G Modem 1

iPhone SE 4 First to Get Apple-Designed 5G Modem, iPhone 17 Pro to Add Custom Wi-Fi 7 Chip

Friday November 1, 2024 4:04 am PDT by
The iPhone SE 4 that's set to come out early next year is expected to debut Apple's first in-house 5G modem, according to Jeff Pu, an analyst who covers companies within Apple's supply chain. In a research note this week with Hong Kong-based investment firm Haitong International Securities, Pu said Apple is expected to roll out its custom-made 5G modem starting with the next-generation...
ios 18 2 chatgpt plus

iOS 18.2 Beta 2 Shows Siri ChatGPT Limit, Offers 'Plus' Upgrade Option

Monday November 4, 2024 10:54 am PST by
With the second beta of iOS 18.2 that's available for developers today, Apple has further fleshed out the ChatGPT integration that's available with Siri. In the Settings app, there's now a section that shows the ChatGPT daily limit, and offers an option to upgrade to the paid ChatGPT Plus plan. The beta includes an Advanced Capabilities section with a "Daily Limit" reading that shows up as...
M3 Pro Max vs M4 Pro Max Feature

Here's How Much Faster M4 Pro/Max Are for Graphics vs. M3 Pro/Max

Friday November 1, 2024 8:04 am PDT by
Apple's new M4 Pro and M4 Max chips are impressively fast in terms of CPU performance, topping the M2 Ultra, but what about graphics performance? The first Geekbench 6 results for GPU performance are now available for the M4 Pro and M4 Max, and the Metal scores reveal some impressive year-over-year gains. Based on the Metal scores that are available so far, the M4 Pro and M4 Max are up to...
imac video apple feature

What to Expect From Apple This November

Friday November 1, 2024 9:40 am PDT by
After a busy October in which Apple announced new Macs and Apple Intelligence launched, the calendar has now turned to November. Below, we outline what to expect from Apple this month as the slower-but-still-busy holiday season approaches. After seeding the first betas of iOS 18.2, iPadOS 18.2, and macOS Sequoia 15.2 with additional Apple Intelligence features last month, Apple will likely...