INTRODUCING UNIVERSAL CONTROL
When Apple announced macOS 12 and iPadOS
15 at last year’s WWDC, one of the most hotly
anticipated features was Universal Control, and
despite some delays due to COVID-19 and bug
fixes, it’s now available as part of the macOS
Monterey 12.3 and iPadOS 15.4 developer betas,
with a public release expected in the coming
weeks. The feature serves as a bridge between
Macs and iPads, ensuring that both devices can
play a central role in the work of professionals,
without having to choose one or the other in
the office and on the go.
Universal Control allows Mac and iPad owners
to use a single mouse and keyboard across both
an iPad and a Mac at the same time, to drag and
drop content between the two. So, for example,
you can send photographs and video clips from
your iPad to your laptop and then back, without
needing to rely on AirDrop. Perhaps one of the
most exciting things is that the feature needs
no set-up - you just need to log into both a Mac
and an iPad using the same Apple ID, and you’re
good to go. Place your devices close together
and then when you drag a laptop cursor to the
edge of the screen, it’ll jump over to your iPad.
You can then use all of the mouse gestures
you’re familiar with from the Mac on your iPad,
and it’ll act as both a second screen, a tablet, and
a separate device at the same time. The reverse
works, too: simply plug a mouse into your iPad
(or connect via Bluetooth) and push the icon
across that ‘invisible bridge’ to begin working
on your Mac. Although there are virtually
limitless options and use cases for such features,
creatives will no doubt benefit the most from
the new tech.