How to use Universal Control to access your iPad

[lisajohn]

When Apple unveiled macOS Monterey at WWDC (World Wide Developers Conference) in June 2021, they showed off a feature called Universal Control. This feature allows multiple macOS and iPadOS devices to be simultaneously controlled by one another—essentially creating a wireless KVM (Keyboard, Video, Mouse) controller for macOS and iOS similar to products like those offered by Synergy; however, this functionality has never before been available across iPadOS and macOS.


With Universal Control enabled, you can use a single keyboard and mouse to control the screens of other connected devices regardless of if they are Mac or iPad. Have a file on your iPad? Mouse over to the iPad, then drag and drop the file from the iPad into the Mac using the same input device.

When macOS Monterey was released to the public in Fall 2021, notably missing was the Universal Control feature; however, Apple noted that it would be coming in a future release.

That time is now as Apple has released betas of macOS 12.3 and iOS 15.4 that adds this functionality into macOS and iPadOS, allowing you to finally control your iPad from your Mac (or multiple iPads and Macs) and vice versa. In this tutorial, we’ll walk through setting up this functionality if you’re running the betas of iOS and macOS.

[Guest]

If you own an iPad, you're probably familiar with the universal control center that Apple provides. This convenient tool allows you to access all of your devices by simply pressing a button. In this article, we'll show you how to use universal control to access your iPad.

[Mohit Rana]

Universal Control is a feature introduced by Apple that allows you to seamlessly control multiple Apple devices with a single mouse and keyboard. To use Universal Control to access your iPad, follow these steps:

1. Ensure Compatibility: Make sure all your Apple devices support Universal Control. This includes Macs running macOS Monterey or later and iPads running iPadOS 15 or later.
2. Enable Bluetooth and Wi-Fi: Make sure Bluetooth and Wi-Fi are enabled on all devices you want to use with Universal Control.
3. Sign in with the Same Apple ID: Make sure you're signed in to all devices with the same Apple ID.
4. Proximity: Place the devices within close proximity of each other. They need to be near enough for Universal Control to work smoothly.
5. Start Universal Control: Move your mouse cursor to the edge of your Mac's screen in the direction of the iPad. You should see a faint outline indicating the iPad's position. Continue moving the cursor to the iPad until it transitions to the iPad's screen.
6. Pair Devices (if needed): If this is the first time you're using Universal Control between these devices, you may need to pair them. Follow the on-screen instructions to do so.
7. Control Your iPad: Once connected, you can use your Mac's mouse and keyboard to control your iPad as if it were an extended display of your Mac. You can drag files between the devices, copy and paste text, and use apps on your iPad.
8. Exit Universal Control: To exit Universal Control, move your mouse cursor to the edge of the iPad's screen towards your Mac. The cursor should transition back to your Mac's screen.