Apple is putting Universal Control in the beta versions of the latest editions of iPadOS and macOS. The feature lets you control an iPad seamlessly with a computer’s mouse and keyboard.
With a bit of a delay, Apple is launching a beta for Universal Control. That differs in the developer versions of iPadOS and macOS Monterey. Universal Control is a feature where your iPad automatically connects to your Mac’s keyboard and mouse when you put the tablet next to it. Thus, the tablet becomes a sort of external screen with its own apps. You then control the thing by moving along the side of your computer’s screen with the mouse toward the iPad.
Delayed rollout
Apple originally wanted to roll out Universal Control before the end of 2021, but that proved too ambitious. Now general availability is scheduled for sometime in the spring. Those who have installed the betas of iPadOS 15.4 and macOS Monterey 12.3 can automatically get started with Universal Control.
The functionality is a nice illustration of the dense integration of Apple’s hardware and software. It’s especially clever that, in theory, you don’t have to connect two devices together. That would happen automatically, once they are close enough to each other.