While Universal Control doesn't do that, it makes the devices feel so much more connected. Macs are overdue for some touchscreen experiences, too. I still think iPadOS should evolve into MacOS or add a Mac layer, especially for pro-level iPads. And with a monitor connected to the MacBook Air, plus the iPad nearby, it's now a three-screen system of sorts that I control with one keyboard/trackpad. And sometimes, controlling the iPad or Mac from the other device, it feels like mind-reading. And while the MacBook Air's trackpad seems to work fine on the iPad Pro, the iPad Pro's Magic Keyboard trackpad seems to track slowly on the Mac.īut, is it fun to leap across both devices with one keyboard and trackpad? Yes, yes it is. The iPad needs to have "cursor and keyboard (beta)" enabled in the Airplay and Handoff part of settings, too.Īfter that, it seems to work, but sometimes I find when I wake devices up from sleep they don't automatically seem to activate. You can add the iPad as a display after that, and rearrange the two displays like any set of monitors with a Mac. For the Mac, in Display settings, Universal Control has three particular settings that need to be checked off, all listed as "beta" features, allowing the Mac to have its cursor/keyboard extend, push through the edge of the display and reconnect to a nearby device. Instead, you need to make sure both devices have Bluetooth on, are on the same Wi-Fi network, are near each other and have some particular settings toggled on. It doesn't "just work" when you update your OS. Universal Control isn't intuitive to set up, though. Not just for Apple, but for tech in general. But, even if you don't ever wear an Apple VR/AR headset, expanding the ways that iPhones, iPads, Macs and Apple TVs feel like interlinked nodes of one ambient super-device seems like the way forward. In fact, cross-device relationships are at the heart of what the current metaverse hype cycle is all about. With all of Apple's expected visions of AR, including a reported headset sometime in the next year, being able to remotely access and dovetail devices will be critical. Or, your VR headset can interface with your computer desktop and become a head-worn second screen. In Horizon Workrooms, a computer can control VR. Meta's own Horizon Workrooms app, and a handful of other apps, can pair with a MacBook or a few other keyboards to make it feel like your device has suddenly leapt into your VR headset. And weirdly, of all things this relationship reminds me of right now, it makes me think of VR… and what Meta has been doing with its Quest headsets and computers. Universal Control feels like another step. It mimics how trackpads and keyboards and mice already work on iPadOS.īefore this, Apple already had Sidecar, which also let iPads act as Pencil-compatible second screens for Macs. Over in iPad-Land, the cursor becomes larger and morphs into the apps it hovers near. What makes it uncanny is that iPadOS runs differently. Yes, just like you can do with any other connected secondary monitor. My MacBook cursor, when approaching the edge of my display, just leaps off and enters the iPad. The idea isn't that wild in concept, but trying it out does feel like the most magical thing I've seen in recent versions of iPadOS. I've tried it on a 12-inch iPad Pro and the latest iPad Air so far, alongside an M1 MacBook Air. Basically, it allows any nearby keyboard, seemingly, to control all devices. The feature allows a Mac keyboard and trackpad/mouse to also control a nearby iPad - or vice versa, if you're using an iPad keyboard or accessory. But a common thread runs through both: Literally, it's the cursor that jumps between my iPad and MacBook on my desk right now.Īpple's Universal Control, a much-anticipated feature that's live as a beta in iPadOS 15.4 and MacOS 12.3, is uncanny at times, invisible at others. I've wanted iPads and Macs to fuse for years.
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