How to Enable “Universal Management” Between Your Mac and IPad
With iPadOS 15.4 and macOS 12.3, Apple has finally released an important cross-platform feature we first saw at WWDC 2021: Universal Control lets you use the same keyboard, mouse, or trackpad across multiple Macs and iPads. This means that when you place your iPad next to your Mac, you can move the cursor away from the edge of your Mac and it will appear on the iPad. From here, you can use your Mac’s keyboard and trackpad on your iPad, as well as drag and drop content between the two devices.
Although Universal Control is officially released with these latest updates, it is still marked as “beta” and you need to enable it manually on Mac. Here’s how to get started.
What do you need to run Universal Control?
Not all Macs and iPads support this feature. Here is a list of supported devices:
- MacBook Pro (2016 and newer)
- MacBook (2016 and up)
- MacBook Air (2018 and up)
- iMac (2017 and up)
- iMac (5K Retina 27-inch Late 2015)
- iMac Pro, Mac mini (2018 and up)
- Mac Pro (2019)
- All iPad Pro models
- iPad Air (3rd generation and later)
- iPad (6th generation and later)
- iPad mini (5th generation and later)
In terms of software, you’ll need iPad OS 15.4 on an iPad and macOS Monterey 12.3 on a Mac. Since this feature works wirelessly, both devices must be connected to the same Wi-Fi network and signed in with the same Apple ID with two-factor authentication turned on.
You will need to enable the Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and Handoff features. If your iPad is tethered to a Mac, this feature will not work. You can use it with a wired connection, and for this, the iPad must be a trusted device on the Mac.
How to Enable Universal Control on Mac
After updating the software, click the Apple icon in the top toolbar and choose Displays > Universal Management . Turn on the ” Allow the cursor and keyboard to move between any nearby Mac or iPad ” feature. Now it will work automatically – just place your iPad next to your Mac and unlock it.
If the iPad is not detected or if you want to change the position of the iPad, you can do so in System Preferences > Displays . If the connection drops or you want to manually disconnect or reconnect your iPad, you can do so from the Control Center. Open the Control Center and go to the Display section. Here, select your iPad under the ” Pin keyboard and mouse to ” section.