The Mac computer just got a powerful new feature known as Universal Control that connects the computer to an iPad in a remarkably seamless way, allowing the best use of both Apple products. Apple's Continuity features often work silently in the background to smooth every interaction between devices. Universal Control, however, is immediately apparent whenever the mouse pointer slides to an edge, revealing its presence with no other effort needed.

Universal Control was among the most impressive demonstrations shown at Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference in June of 2021. When the mouse pointer is moved to the edge of a Mac or MacBook's display it appears on a nearby iPad's screen. When the Mac keyboard is used the text appears on the iPad. The effect is subtle because it makes sense but serves as an amazing example of the tight integration between Apple products. Initially, the release was expected before the end of 2021 but Universal Control didn't launch until the middle of March 2022.

Related: What Is Continuity & Why It Is Critical To Apple's Ecosystem

With iPadOS 15.4 and macOS 12.3 finally out, the long-awaited Universal Control is now available to everyone. While it mostly seems to be one of those features that 'just works,' some bugs seem to be present. Using a MacBook and an iPad, dragging a finger across the trackpad moves the mouse pointer from one device to the next, almost seamlessly. While mouse input on an iPad isn't new, being able to share a single mouse or trackpad between two devices is quite convenient. The iPad is primarily a touch-based device so it still feels more natural to put a finger on the screen to tap buttons and drag things. However, text selection is much easier with a mouse. Even more impressive is using the Mac keyboard on the iPad. After clicking the Mac's mouse in a document or text box on the iPad, the Mac keyboard sends everything to the iPad. In most cases, the experience is just as Apple demonstrated in 2021, and it works great.

Mac Universal Control Bugs

Apple Universal Control Logo For Mac And iPad

Unfortunately, there are a few bugs remaining in Universal Control despite the long delay that users have already endured. Even developers and beta testers have only had limited functionality for a few months, so this was a tough feature to implement. Despite a few glitches, it is worth the wait. The problems are relatively minor and sometimes can be resolved by sleeping and waking the iPad or restarting.

For example, there is a very slight hesitation at the screen edge that's almost not worth mentioning. A more troubling glitch happens sometimes when using a Bluetooth mouse that's connected to the MacBook. When the mouse pointer is pushed to the edge of the MacBook with a mouse, the pointer disappears but never reappears on the iPad and can't be moved back either. The solution is to use the trackpad. On the next use, the Bluetooth mouse worked without any issues. Overall, and although impressive, Mac's Universal Control will need a little more work to improve reliability.

Next: How To Use An Apple Pencil With A Mac Computer

Source: Apple