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How to enable Universal Control on your Mac and iPadīefore you toggle on Universal Control in your device’s settings, there are three prerequisites you must take care of.

But at the same time, it also puts Apple in a spot and continues to make a case for a touchscreen Mac.

The effortless transitions ensure it won’t end up being a gimmick, and people will equip it even if it’s for minor tasks like copy-pasting files. Ultimately, Universal Control offers more ways for people to use their iPads and Macs. Perhaps Universal Control is the best compromise it’ll offer for those looking for a Microsoft Surface-esque best-of-both-worlds experience. That’s where the whole merge iPadOS and macOS argument comes in, but Apple has been relentlessly against that idea. Of course, many of Universal Control’s applications don’t make sense when you consider that the Mac can now run mobile apps, too. One moment, you’re illustrating on your iPad, and later when you need it on your Mac for further edits, you can simply drag it with the mouse instead of fussing with AirDrop or an online cloud service. This way, I can not only use the iPad’s superior mic and camera but also prevent Zoom from crippling my Mac’s performance by hogging its memory.Ĭreative professionals will appreciate that they can directly drag and drop files and photos between their Mac and iPad. I’ve grown used to taking video calls on the iPad via Universal Control as well. For instance, I regularly put up my music playlist or a Slack thread on the iPad in vertical orientation and control it with the mouse and keyboard while I’m at my desktop computer. Apps, in turn, work best for single-screen focused tasks like entertainment, communication, social media, and more. What is Universal Control’s top use case?įor me and I believe for many, the iPad’s system handles mobile apps much better than the Mac. People found Sidebar particularly handy because it allowed them to easily transform their iPad, which would usually lie dormant when they were working, into an external monitor for their Mac. All its executives could do at the launch was marvel at how smoothly the cursor moved between screens. But who is it for?Įven Apple, in its promotions, hasn’t demonstrated a real workflow for Universal Control.

#Apple macos monterey control ipad mac software#

The question remains, though: why would you want iPadOS while you’re busily working on your Mac? Sure, it’s a cool software trick, and it makes for a charming demo, and yes, it works seamlessly as if your devices are one. I’ve been testing Universal Control for weeks now since it was in beta, and not once have the controls stuttered or lagged. Your input peripherals link up automatically with all the devices over your Apple ID. There’s no additional pairing process, and it’s not limited to wireless accessories either. Give the cursor a final push-in, and voila, it’s hovering on the iPad. As the cursor disappears from your Mac, you’ll see it trying to break into your iPad’s display. Once it’s up and running on your machines, all you have to do is move the cursor beyond the edge of your Mac’s screen towards where your iPad or another Mac is stationed. The way Universal Control works is also delightful, especially when you try it for the very first time. Think of it as multitasking across operating systems, not just apps and windows. Your iPad’s still running iPadOS and your Mac’s on macOS.

#Apple macos monterey control ipad mac portable#

They don’t turn into extended screens for your primary Mac like with Sidebar, which allows you to employ your iPad as a portable monitor for your Mac. What truly makes Universal Control remarkable is that all the connected devices are still in their own space.