Using Universal Control Across Macs and iPads

Universal Control is a new feature of macOS 12.3 and iPadOS 15.4 that lets you control all of the Macs and iPads on your desk with one keyboard and mouse or trackpad. You can even drag-and-drop and copy and paste between devices.

Check out Using Universal Control Across Macs and iPads at YouTube for closed captioning and more options.

Video Transcript: Hi, this is Gary with MacMost.com. Let's take a look at using Universal Control between a Mac and an iPad and another Mac.
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So Universal Control is a new feature of macOS 12.3 and also iPad OS 15.4. So you need to update to those new versions of the operating system to use this. The basic idea is that you could use one trackpad or mouse and one keyboard and control multiple Macs and also iPads with them. So if you have a MacBook Pro next to your iMac you don't actually have to reach and use two different trackpads and two different keyboards. You could use one set of trackpad and keyboard and move the cursor across all those screens. It's not sharing the screens. Each device has its own separate display. You just don't have to move your hands to new controls to control both at the same time. You could also do something like Drag and Drop and Copy and Paste to go between the machines. 
Okay. So this shows you my setup. I've got a MacPro with two big screens, one in portrait mode. Those are both always connected and always going on my MacPro. But I also have here my iPad and I've got a MacPro here. Those are separate machines, and I've got this one set of controls, a mouse and keyboard. Now to get this going I want to go to System Preferences and then Displays. Then the first thing I need to do is Universal Control and make sure I turn on Universal Control and select the other options that I want like being able to push through the sides of the display to connect another device. So once I've got that going then I'll see on display the same things I always see. Just my two regular displays. To add something else like the iPad Mini I'd go here and I'll see two different sets here. I'll see the iPad Mini and MacPro under the Universal Controls. I'll also see the displays I could use. Mostly Apple TV's here though also I've got the ability to use Sidecar to connect, of course, to the iPad. This is not Sidecar. We're not actually sharing screens. We're just sharing Controls. 
So I'm going to add the iPad Mini right here. There you see it appears. Notice how it's detached from the other two screens. So kind of indicating that it's only control that's being extended to the screen, not the actual use of the screen itself. It's not part of the displays for my Mac.
Now that I've got that I can use the Trackpad here and the keyboard across both. This map here shows me where I can find the iPad Mini. I'm going to keep it there on the left. I could put it anywhere I want. If I move the pointer all the way across and out the side you can see now it appears on the iPad Mini. I can use it as a pointer there like I was using the Trackpad on the iPad Mini. It can go over buttons and kind of merges with the buttons in the way that it works if you use a Trackpad with the iPad. I can also click and then type. Of course you use the keyboard on my Mac. Notice how the virtual keyboard goes away when it recognizes I'm using my Mac keyboard. I can type right there. I can select text. I can do everything I can as if I had a Trackpad and keyboard hooked up to the iPad. I can Copy, Command C, move back to my Mac and go into TextEdit there and Paste. Copy and Paste works very well between these. I can even do it right here where I can type some more in TextEdit, Select All, Copy and then I'm going to go over back into Notes on the iPad and Paste in here. There you go. So Copy and Paste works great. 
Now let's go and add the Mac, the MacBook, there as another device. So if I go over here, and note that I have turned on Universal Control on the MacBook Pro as well. So I will see it here. I'll turn that on here and add that as a third device. I'll see it appear. There it is. I can drag that into any position I want. I'll put it right there next to the iPad Mini. So now I can drag across the two screens of my Mac Pro, the iPad Mini, all the way to the MacBook Pro. I can use the keyboard that's here for my MacPro to type and in this case Paste in what I have copied before. I can go all the way back and forth between all of these screens, four screens on three different devices. Notice what happens here if I use the Trackpad and keyboard on the MacBook Pro. It splits them and I get control back from my MacBook Pro. But now my MacBook Pro I can go and scroll across and take over my MacPro with the Trackpad of my MacBook Pro. So it kind of works really naturally. If you grab one keyboard and Trackpad and start using it, it will split them and then it instantly kind of joins them together again no matter which one you're using as you drag the pointer. 
Here's another view of all this. I'm going to Drag and Drop some files. I'm going to Drag and Drop a file from my MacPro all the way over to my MacBook Pro. I'm going to Drag one from the MacBook Pro all the way across over to my MacPro. I'm going to Drag this image onto the iPad. I'm in the Notes App. I'm going to Drop it into a note there. You can see how it seamlessly Drag and Drop works with Universal Control. 
So not only is it nice to be able to use one keyboard and Trackpad for multiple devices that happen to be sitting on your desk but it makes sharing things between those devices really super easy thanks to Copy and Paste and Drag and Drop. So if you have devices that have been updated to use the latest versions of the Operating System give this a try. See if it's something that could be useful to you and make you more productive. Thanks for watching.

Comments: 15 Responses to “Using Universal Control Across Macs and iPads”

Russell Tolman

11 months ago

My question is can I us this toped an app on my iPad?
I have this setup and the cursor shows up but I am unable to open any apps on the iPad?

thanks for the help.

Gary Rosenzweig

Russell: If you mean move the pointer to the iPad and click on an app icon to launch the app, then yes. That definitely works.

Brian Silverio

Gary, thank you so much. I have been wanting to try this but didn't have time to do the research. You saved the day!

Razvan Mihai

Gary: Thanks for the tutorial and for prompting that the Univeral Control feature is finally out. I wondered if there is a way to use this feature in a scenario where, while in an online call (e.g., Zoom), I can use my iPad to quickly sketch a diagram that can be shared with an audience.

Razvan: I'm not sure how UC would apply in that case. Just use your iPad as normal to sketch. Then save it to iCloud Drive and bring it up in Zoom on your Mac.

Bill Vilberg

Amazing. You are such a good explainer. I, as others, had heard of this and was wondering if I might find it useful. Your demonstration was EXACTLY what I needed. I upgraded my iPad yesterday, and I expect to update my MBP today. Then I will turn Universal Control on. Thanks for taking the time to demo and share this!

jan-fantl@me.com

... this far over my head. This is so 3D I dont follow.
'd appreciate if u d do this for dummies

Chris Klemmer

I understand my 2015 MacBook Air is too old to run Universal Control. Yet, Activity Monitor shows the task Universal Control is always running. This is confusing. Please explain.

Chris: My guess is that it is a part of macOS so the process is there whether or not the system can use it or it is being used. It probably isn't doing anything or using any resources. Maybe a future version of macOS will be "optimized" and you won't see it there. There are probably lots of things listed in Activity Monitor that you aren't using.

Jeanne Bragg

This blows my mind.
I can think of so many uses.
Thanks, as always, Gary for the wonderful video and it was an extra bonus to see your "home base."

charlie

4 months ago

Is there a shortcut key to switch between devices?

Charlie: no shortcut as the pointer flows between both so just move the pointer.

Tugrul Temel

3 months ago

I have MacStudio Monterey and a MacBook Pro Monterey. I have a simple mouse that I like to use in both computers sitting next to each other. I try to use Universal Control but My Universal Control in MacStudio nor in MacBook Pro does not show the option "Add Display". So I cannot use my mouse across the two computers. My question is why I cannot see the option "Add Display". Note that my mouse is a very simple mouse connected to MacStudio by cable.

Tugrul: Try restarting both and see if you get the option a few minutes later. If not, call Apple Support.

Tugrul

Thanks for your info. I will try your suggestion.

Using Universal Control Across Macs and iPads

Comments: 15 Responses to “Using Universal Control Across Macs and iPads”

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