iPad Pro Sidecar constantly disconnects from M1 MBP (M2 iPad Pro).

[miamialley]

Sidecar disconnects every minute to 10 minutes. Really frustrating. I don’t see any solutions other than to connect via USB-C, which is not a fix. Does anyone else use sidecar without these issues? What can be done? My iPad is 3 inches from my MBP when I’m using them.

 

[Slartibart]

Try:

1. Go to Settings > Privacy & Security (or Privacy) > Location Services.
2. Turn on Location Services (if not already ON)
3. Scroll to the bottom of the list, then tap System Services.
4. Turn OFF Networking & Wireless (or Wi-Fi Networking).

From here on the Wifi connection should be stable.

 

[miamialley]

Try:

1. Go to Settings > Privacy & Security (or Privacy) > Location Services.
2. Turn on Location Services (if not already ON)
3. Scroll to the bottom of the list, then tap System Services.
4. Turn OFF Networking & Wireless (or Wi-Fi Networking).

From here on the Wifi connection should be stable.

Can you explain how setting would impact the sidecar setting? What are the drawbacks off turning this off?

 

[Slartibart]

Here is some general information about location services. How individual apps in their functionality are affected by turning these off, depends on the app.

For the moment - iPadOS 16.1 - there are a few problems caused by the location services affecting Wifi connections in some scenarios (Macbooks, routers, printers; to be clear, there are other sources for Wifi-related problems like e.g. private relay affecting router Wifi connectivity).

If you want to see what’s exactly happening when you use SideCar between iPP and MBP I suggest monitoring the connection using e.g. Wireshark.

Just anectdotically: I encountered periodical Wifi drops and reconnects after updating different iPPs to iPadOS 16.1 and traced some down inspecting packages sent. In my case the location services sends a huge amount of unsolicited packages, which in the end let the “peer” e.g. a router or MBP reset the connection. And if “auto connect” is turned on in iPadOS for Wifi-connections, the iPad reconnects, establishes a connection, packages are sent, the peer resets the connection at some point, and so on… periodical fun!

 

[abgtfh]

Try:

1. Go to Settings > Privacy & Security (or Privacy) > Location Services.
2. Turn on Location Services (if not already ON)
3. Scroll to the bottom of the list, then tap System Services.
4. Turn OFF Networking & Wireless (or Wi-Fi Networking).

From here on the Wifi connection should be stable.

That unfortunately did not make the problem go away or improve in any way

 

[miamialley]

That unfortunately did not make the problem go away or improve in any way

Same. However, for whatever reason (even after leaving that setting on), I'm no longer having the issue anymore. At least in the last week or so I have no disconnections.

 

[MultiFinder17]

Your M1 Mac is upset about your iPad having a better chip in it

 

[Oggy]

Same. However, for whatever reason (even after leaving that setting on), I'm no longer having the issue anymore. At least in the last week or so I have no disconnections.

This helped me. I turned ON Location services and inside it turned ON Networking & Wireless. Both for MacBook and iPad (7th gen) and now the connection is stable.