Use a keyboard and mouse or trackpad across your Mac and iPad with Universal Control

With Universal Control, you can use the keyboard and mouse or trackpad connected to your Mac to work across your Mac and iPad when they’re near each other. For example, you can open and use apps, enter text, and drag items across devices. If an external keyboard and mouse or trackpad are connected to your iPad, you can use them to work across both devices too.

To use Universal Control, make sure of the following:

You’re using supported models of Mac and iPad.
Your Mac has macOS 12.3 or later installed, and your iPad has iPadOS 15.4 or later installed.
You’re signed in with the same Apple ID using two-factor authentication on both devices.
You have Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and Handoff turned on in System Preferences (on your Mac) and in Settings (on your iPad).

Connect your Mac and iPad to use Universal Control

Do one of the following:

On your Mac, use your mouse or trackpad to move the pointer to right or left edge of the screen closest to your iPad, pause, then move the pointer slightly past the edge of the screen. When a border appears at the edge of the iPad screen, continue moving the pointer to the iPad screen.
On your Mac, choose Apple menu > System Preferences, click Displays , click Add Display, then select your iPad from the list below Link Keyboard and Mouse. Use your mouse or trackpad to move the pointer past the edge of the Mac screen until it appears on your iPad.
On your Mac, click Control Center in the menu bar, click Display, then choose your iPad (below “Link keyboard and mouse to”). Use your mouse or trackpad to move the pointer past the edge of the Mac screen until it appears on your iPad.

After you establish a connection, you can move the pointer across screens until one of your devices goes to sleep or you disconnect them.

Many actions and gestures supported by iPad for external mouse devices and trackpads work with your Mac mouse or trackpad. See Mouse actions and gestures for iPad and Trackpad gestures for iPad. With your Mac keyboard, you can also use many features supported by iPad for external keyboards. See the keyboard topics in the Accessories chapter, beginning with Switch between keyboards with iPad.

Change the screen arrangement

The direction in which you move the pointer when establishing the Universal Control connection determines which side of the display you use to move the pointer across devices. You can adjust this by changing the arrangement of the devices in Displays preferences.

On your Mac, choose Apple menu > System Preferences, then click Displays .
Drag the iPad image to the desired position.

Disconnect Universal Control between your Mac and iPad

Do one of the following:

Press the top button on your iPad to put it to sleep.
On your Mac, choose Apple menu > System Preferences, then click Displays . Click the Add Display pop-up menu, then choose the device you want to disconnect.

When they’re nearby and their screens are unlocked, your Mac and iPad automatically reconnect. To prevent this, on your Mac choose Apple menu > System Preferences, click Displays , click Universal Control, then deselect the “Automatically reconnect to any nearby Mac or iPad” checkbox.

Turn off Universal Control

On your Mac, you can turn off Universal Control to prevent the use of your Mac keyboard and mouse or trackpad across devices.

Choose Apple menu > System Preferences, then click Displays .
Click Universal Control, then do one of the following:
- Turn off all Universal Control connections: Deselect the “Allow your pointer and keyboard to move between any nearby Mac or iPad” checkbox.
- Prevent a connection when moving the pointer to the edge of the screen: Deselect the “Push through the edge of a display to connect to a nearby Mac or iPad” checkbox.

To prevent connecting your iPad keyboard and mouse or trackpad to your Mac, on iPad go to Settings > General > AirPlay & Handoff, then turn off Cursor and Keyboard.

With Universal Control, you can work across up to three devices.

See Use your keyboard, mouse, and trackpad across devices with Universal Control on Mac in the macOS User Guide.

Helpful?

iPad User Guide

Use a keyboard and mouse or trackpad across your Mac and iPad with Universal Control

Connect your Mac and iPad to use Universal Control

Change the screen arrangement

Disconnect Universal Control between your Mac and iPad

Turn off Universal Control