title: “How To Use Universal Control For Apple Devices” ShowToc: true date: “2022-12-08” author: “Craig Dean”
How to Use Universal Control for Apple Devices
To use Universal Control, you need to have a Mac running at least macOS Monterey (11.7) and an iPad running iPadOS 15.4 or later. The feature isn’t available with earlier versions of either operating system. If you have a compatible Mac and iPad, you can enable Universal Control by adjusting settings on both.
Here’s how to enable and use Universal Control:
On your Mac, select System Preferences from the Apple menu. Click Displays. Choose Universal Control. Click the box next to Allow your cursor and keyboard to move between any nearby Mac or iPad. If this box is already checked, you do not need to click it. On your iPad, open Settings. Tap General. Select AirPlay & Handoff. Tap the Cursor and Keyboard toggle to turn it on. Place your iPad near your Mac. On your Mac, move your mouse pointer to one edge of the screen, and keep moving it in that direction. A bar will appear on the side of the display, indicating a connection has been established. Keep moving the mouse in the same direction until it appears on the iPad screen. When the mouse cursor is present on the iPad screen, your keyboard and mouse will work on the iPad. To use your mouse and keyboard with your Mac, move the mouse cursor back to the edge of the screen, and keep moving it in that same direction until it appears on your Mac display. Repeat this process with up to two additional iPads. Universal Control can remember up to three iPads, and moving your cursor off the screen on your Mac will automatically move it to whichever iPad you have most recently used.
What Is Universal Control?
Universal Control is a feature built on top of the Continuity and Handoff features present in macOS and iOS for a while. In addition to the existing functionality of those features, Universal Control lets you share a single mouse and keyboard between a Mac and one or more iPads.
You can share the built-in keyboard and touchpad of a MacBook with your iPad, the wireless Magic Keyboard and Magic Mouse 2 from your iMac to your iPad, or any other keyboard and mouse combination that’s connected to a compatible Mac.
How Does Universal Control Work on Apple Devices?
Once you’ve enabled Universal Control on your Mac and at least one iPad, moving the iPad into proximity with the Mac will cause the two to connect behind the scenes. At that point, you can move your mouse cursor to one side of the display and keep moving it until it appears on your iPad. It works a lot like moving your mouse between displays if you have multiple monitors, except it’s wireless and automatic.
Once your mouse cursor appears on your iPad, you can also use your Mac’s keyboard with the iPad as well. Then when you’re ready to start using the Mac again, all you have to do is move the mouse cursor to the edge of your iPad display and keep moving it until it appears back on your Mac display. The mouse and keyboard will then return to working with the Mac.
Dragging and dropping files between devices works the same way, except you have to click and drag a file before moving your mouse to the edge of the screen. Then, when the mouse appears on the other device, you can drop the file, and a copy will appear on the other device.
Universal Control uses proximity to determine connectivity, and you can have multiple devices connected. When you have multiple devices set up to use Universal Control, it will move your cursor to the device you used most recently. So if you have multiple iPads connected to the same Mac through Universal Control, you can choose which one to send your mouse cursor to by waking it up or tapping the touch screen before moving your mouse.
