How Universal Control makes your iPad and Mac work together better than ever
With Universal Control from macOS Monterey and iPadOS 15, the iPad and Mac work even better together. Here’s what you can do with this impressive new feature.
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macOS Monterey Universal Control: how it works
Universal Control lets you use a Mac’s keyboard and trackpad to control an iPad in addition to a computer. That not only makes operating an iPad easier; it also allows you to drag and drop files from one device to another using drag & drop.
You can use an iPad as a second screen for your Mac with the SideCar function for some time, but Universal Control takes a different approach. You don’t need to set anything up for this: placing an iPad close to a MacBook or iMac is enough. The function uses bluetooth and Handoff for this: via bluetooth the devices let you know that they are close to each other.
You can do this with Universal Control
If you’re signed in with the same iCloud account, then all you need to do is drag your mouse cursor to the left or right side of the screen. As soon as you swipe the screen ‘off’, your Mac knows you want to control another device. Then the cursor will appear on the screen of your iPad.
Once the cursor reaches your iPad, it turns into a circle, making it easier to operate iPadOS. Once the cursor is on your iPad, you can also use your Mac’s keyboard. As soon as you want to go back to your Mac, drag the cursor back again.
The handy thing about Universal Control is that you can also click a file on one device and release it on another. For example, you can send a photo from your Mac to your iPad by physically dragging it from one screen to another. In addition, it is useful to quickly change something on your iPad while you are working on your Mac.
Universal Control is part of macOS Monterey and iPadOS 15, the major updates for the iPad and Mac that will be released in the fall of 2021. Want to know more about what these updates have to offer? Check out our overview with the most important macOS Monterey features and biggest iPadOS 15 features.
