Does Universal Control work between Mac and iPad?How to fix it

Universal Control has kept my fantasy since its first introduction in WWDC2021. And I have to say that moving quickly between the iPad and Mac, or between the Mac and iMac is a magical sensation. However, if you can’t experience this feeling because Universal Control isn’t working on your Mac or iPad, we can help fix this issue.

How to fix Universal Control not working on Mac or iPad

Before you start troubleshooting, first make sure that all the basic requirements of Universal Control are met.

1. Check all requirements for universal control

If you are new to / exploring universal controls, please refer to the step-by-step guide to understand how universal controls work. On the other hand, here’s a quick checklist to make sure all your systems are working properly:

• Are you using a supported device and the appropriate iPad OS?
  • Currently only available in beta, Mac and iPad must be running macOS Monterey 12.3 beta and iPadOS 15.4 beta, respectively.
  • Supported Mac models – MacBook Pro (2016 or later), MacBook (2016 or later), MacBook Air (2018 or later), iMac (2017 or later), iMac (5K Retina 27 inch, late 2015), iMac Pro, Mac mini (2018 or later), Mac Pro (2019)
  • Supported iPad models – IPad Pro, iPad Air (3rd generation or later), iPad (6th generation or later), iPad mini (5th generation or later)
• Is your Apple ID correct? – All devices must have two-factor authentication enabled and logged in to the same Apple ID.
  • Mac OS -Go to System Preferences → Apple ID
  • iPadOS -Go to Configuration → profile
• Is the handoff turned on? – Universal Control requires handoff to be enabled on all devices.
  • Mac OS -Go to System Preferences → Universal → Select the check box next to it Allow handoff between this Mac and iCloud device.

    

  • iPadOS -Go to Configuration → AirPlay and handoff → Switch on hand over When Cursor and keyboard (beta)..
• Are Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connected? – This feature communicates between Apple devices using Bluetooth and Wi-Fi. Therefore, make sure that all devices have Bluetooth turned on and share the same Wi-Fi network.
• How far are the devices? – Universal controls are designed for nearby devices that are usually on the same desk. Therefore, make sure the devices are within 30 feet (10 meters) of each other.
• Do not share cellular connection – For Universal Control to work, do not connect your Mac to your iPad via Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, or USB‌. Therefore, disable personal hotspots on your iPad and remove all wired connections between them.
• Is there a Mac involved – Universal Control supports multiple devices, but requires at least one Mac in the loop. In other words, you can’t have two iPads that use this feature alone. macOS device is required.

2. Turn off the sidecar

Users who use Sidecar to mirror their Mac display to the iPad (with or without cables) usually face problems with using Universal Control. For some reason, both features don’t interact well in beta. Hopefully it will be resolved soon.

For now, the easiest solution is to temporarily turn off the sidecar from your Mac’s control center via the display panel.

3. Basic troubleshooting methods you can try

If Universal Control still doesn’t work on your Mac / iPad, you can fix the problem using the following methods.

• Disable and then enable Bluetooth and Wi-Fi
  • For Mac – Open Control panel → Click to switch off Wifi → Click to switch off Bluetooth → Switch both settings after a few minutes.
  • For iPad – Open Control center → Enable Airplane mode → Disable Airplane mode After a few minutes.

• Force a reboot of all devices – In many cases, a quick restart can fix many underlying issues. Therefore, shut down and restart all related devices. Hopefully this should solve all the problems.

Special tips

Enables automatic reconnection with nearby Macs and iPads for a smoother universal control connection. For Mac Apple icon → System Preferences → display → Altitude → Select the check box next to it Automatically reconnect to a nearby Mac or iPad

Universal control function is not working properly

Universal controls provide several useful features, from drag and drop, copy / paste to mouse / trackpad sharing. However, if for some reason one or more of these features do not work, follow these fixes.

I. If you can’t drag and drop

If you have multiple Macs, you can easily drag and drop any file type between Macs. The same is true if you move something from your iPad to your Mac desktop. However, if you want to move something from your Mac to your iPad, you’ll need to open the corresponding app on your iPad.

For example, if you want to move photos from Mac to iPad, you need to open the Photos app on your iPad and then drop them. Dropping a photo on my iPad desktop doesn’t work. Similarly, you need to open the Files app and drop the document on your iPad.

II.If you can’t copy and paste

Universal control supports Cmd + C When Cmd + V Between devices as long as you’re using a single keyboard and an app that supports text input. However, it does not run smoothly on certain apps such as Safari and Chrome.

This can be a beta hazard. Unfortunately, nothing can be done to resolve the situation. We just keep crossing our fingers and hope the public release will improve the functionality.

III.Unable to use gestures and keyboard shortcuts correctly

Both macOS and iPadOS support slightly different trackpad gestures and keyboard shortcuts. For example, swiping with 3/4 fingers will bring up Mission Control on the Mac and App Switcher on the iPad.

And it all depends on the cursor position. When the cursor is on the iPad screen, the trackpad and keyboard are registered and respond to gestures and shortcuts supported by the iPad OS. Simply put, not all Mac shortcuts and gestures work on the iPad.

There is a little learning curve, but if you get the hang of the differences and similarities, everything will go smoothly and smoothly.

IV.If the cursor is on the wrong screen

In rare cases, the cursor may not match the device placement. Imagine your iPad sitting on the left side of your Mac.

Now when you move the cursor off your Mac, it will reappear on the other side, that is, on the right side of the iPad instead of the left side. The problem is pretty basic. Universal Control incorrectly reads the display layout. That is, it does not know which device is deployed.

To solve this, on Mac[表示]section([システム環境設定]or[コントロールパネル]Go to). Now, if you rearrange the display arrangement, everything will work.

V. Keyboard, trackpad, or Apple Pencil isn’t working

Universal Control does not work with Apple Pencils that are out of the equation. Also, as long as the keyboard, trackpad / mouse is connected to one of the devices. It should work on other devices as well.

The only condition is that the click and input are registered on the screen with the cursor. But if that’s not done properly, do the following:

• If you’re using your Mac’s keyboard and trackpad, restart your Mac.
• If you use a third-party keyboard, trackpad, and mouse (wired or wireless), disconnect and then reconnect.

Wait for a stable OS version

If none of the above methods work, it’s just unlucky. Beta may do what you need and can’t solve the problem. And I know Apple has already significantly delayed Universal Control, but hopefully a public release is imminent. And we can all quickly explore and enjoy this feature.

Until then, here’s a list of other interesting Apple ecosystem features you can enjoy.