Despite Thunderbolt, iPad to Mac communication is still a mess

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  • Reply 21 of 32
    rundhvidrundhvid Posts: 127member
    Big Hint: the M1 iPad Pro comes with a USB-C cable for connecting to Macs. 
    I have M1 iPad Pro. The cable is meant for charging, not data transfer. Not all Thunderbolt/USB-C cables are created equal. I also use it to connect to MacBook Pro for Sidecar because MacOS recommends it. And it works fine as Sidecar.
    It doesn’t.
    Sidecar is enabled by Wi-Fi and Bluetooth.
    You can verify this by switching the cable from your MBP to a power adapter.
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  • Reply 22 of 32
    Skepticalskeptical Posts: 183member
    Skeptical said:
    Big Hint: the M1 iPad Pro comes with a USB-C cable for connecting to Macs. 
    Yes it does but the included cable does not work for connecting to an external drive. Using the supplied cable did not work. I had to use the original cable that came with the external drive, but hey maybe I didn’t plug it in right. 
    It definitely works with connecting to drives with a USB-C port. YouTube is full of videos of people connecting to USB-C portable SSDs etc. 
    Did you read clearly what I said? I said the iPad cable does not work for connecting an external drive. When I used the original cable that came with the external drive, it works. However if I use the cable that came with my 12.9 inch iPad Pro it doesn’t work. 
    watto_cobra
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  • Reply 23 of 32
    Big Hint: the M1 iPad Pro comes with a USB-C cable for connecting to Macs. 
    I have M1 iPad Pro. The cable is meant for charging, not data transfer. Not all Thunderbolt/USB-C cables are created equal. I also use it to connect to MacBook Pro for Sidecar because MacOS recommends it. And it works fine as Sidecar.
    I use the standard cable that came with the M1 iPad Pro for backups to my Mac all the time. It works for that just like using WiFi works for backups or AirDrop works for file transfer. 
    watto_cobra
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  • Reply 24 of 32
    nhughes said:
    Big Hint: the M1 iPad Pro comes with a USB-C cable for connecting to Macs. 
    It is a cheap USB-C cable that operates at USB 2.0 speeds, which significantly undercuts the capabilities of the Thunderbolt ports on both the Mac and the iPad Pro. It’s fine for charging, but is a poor data transfer cable. 
    I've never considered it to be "poor". It only has to transfer apps/files that are new/modified, not the entirety of the storage capacity. I guess if you were constantly churning 4K video files as the majority of what was stored on your iPad it might be an issue.
    edited April 2022
    watto_cobra
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  • Reply 25 of 32
    Skeptical said:
    Skeptical said:
    Big Hint: the M1 iPad Pro comes with a USB-C cable for connecting to Macs. 
    Yes it does but the included cable does not work for connecting to an external drive. Using the supplied cable did not work. I had to use the original cable that came with the external drive, but hey maybe I didn’t plug it in right. 
    It definitely works with connecting to drives with a USB-C port. YouTube is full of videos of people connecting to USB-C portable SSDs etc. 
    Did you read clearly what I said? I said the iPad cable does not work for connecting an external drive. When I used the original cable that came with the external drive, it works. However if I use the cable that came with my 12.9 inch iPad Pro it doesn’t work. 
    My response was that it does work with USB-C drives. I've used it with USB-C SSDs. 
    watto_cobra
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  • Reply 26 of 32
    nhughesnhughes Posts: 770editor
    rundhvid said:
    Big Hint: the M1 iPad Pro comes with a USB-C cable for connecting to Macs. 
    I have M1 iPad Pro. The cable is meant for charging, not data transfer. Not all Thunderbolt/USB-C cables are created equal. I also use it to connect to MacBook Pro for Sidecar because MacOS recommends it. And it works fine as Sidecar.
    It doesn’t.
    Sidecar is enabled by Wi-Fi and Bluetooth.
    You can verify this by switching the cable from your MBP to a power adapter.
    When it’s connected (and works), SideCar operates over USB. It will automatically switch back to Wi-Fi if the USB cable is disconnected (you’ll get a prompt on the iPad screen). A wired cable is faster and more reliable… in theory. 
    edited April 2022
    ravnorodomkillroyFileMakerFellerwatto_cobraurahara
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  • Reply 27 of 32
    macplusplusmacplusplus Posts: 2,119member
    "We tested the connection issue first using Apple's Thunderbolt 4 cable included with the Studio Displayand a Satechi Thunderbolt 4 cable that was newly purchased. When either cable was used, the iPad Pro would flash in and out of Finder as if the cable was shorted or broken somehow."

    That flashing in and out of Finder occurs with Lightning cables as well, and almost after every iOS/iPadOS update. Apple's suggestion was to reset Location and Privacy first, if no solution then to reset Network settings. This the old "Trust this computer/iPad/iPhone" issue. With Lightning, the use of an original or Apple-certified cable is a must.
    edited April 2022
    watto_cobrakillroy
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  • Reply 28 of 32
    genovellegenovelle Posts: 1,481member
    Here is the difference between Apple and Google, Microsoft or even Facebook when it comes to allowing employees to work from home if they want to. The other companies are software companies that sometimes try to sell hardware. Apple is a hardware company first. Not having employees in person is a huge problem for them. It’s impossible to meet with another team down the hall to see if your current version of a glitch found during your last meeting when you plug an iPad into their Mac running software the other team is working on. 


    killroywatto_cobra
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  • Reply 29 of 32
    dewmedewme Posts: 6,099member
    Curious to know what communication protocol Apple uses when connecting an iPad Pro to Mac via TB4 hardware interface. Anyone know?
    watto_cobra
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  • Reply 30 of 32
    EsquireCatsesquirecats Posts: 1,268member
    Sounds similar to the same issue iPads have when connected while using the Photos app (constantly reconnecting as if it's been plugged in anew).
    watto_cobra
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  • Reply 31 of 32
    rundhvidrundhvid Posts: 127member
    nhughes said:
    rundhvid said:
    Big Hint: the M1 iPad Pro comes with a USB-C cable for connecting to Macs. 
    I have M1 iPad Pro. The cable is meant for charging, not data transfer. Not all Thunderbolt/USB-C cables are created equal. I also use it to connect to MacBook Pro for Sidecar because MacOS recommends it. And it works fine as Sidecar.
    It doesn’t.
    Sidecar is enabled by Wi-Fi and Bluetooth.
    You can verify this by switching the cable from your MBP to a power adapter.
    When it’s connected (and works), SideCar operates over USB. It will automatically switch back to Wi-Fi if the USB cable is disconnected (you’ll get a prompt on the iPad screen). A wired cable is faster and more reliable… in theory. 

    Sidecar and Handoff require BT and Wi-Fi, as well as signing in with the same iCloud account.

    I have yet to successfully connect my M1 Mac mini to my M1 iPad Pro over Thunderbolt—either directly or via the LG 4K (TB 3) or OWC Thunderbolt dock (TB 4), using Thunderbolt 4 cables from OWC. No matter what I do, the connection is established over USB 3.1.

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  • Reply 32 of 32
    uraharaurahara Posts: 733member
    rundhvid said:
    Big Hint: the M1 iPad Pro comes with a USB-C cable for connecting to Macs. 
    I have M1 iPad Pro. The cable is meant for charging, not data transfer. Not all Thunderbolt/USB-C cables are created equal. I also use it to connect to MacBook Pro for Sidecar because MacOS recommends it. And it works fine as Sidecar.
    It doesn’t.
    Sidecar is enabled by Wi-Fi and Bluetooth.
    You can verify this by switching the cable from your MBP to a power adapter.
    You can verify your own words by switching WiFi off.
    Sidecar can work on both - WiFi and cable. If you plug-in cable while still on WiFi - it takes priority for connecting Sidecar (at least in my experience).
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