If you have You can use the iPad on your desk next to your MacBook or Mac, you can make good use of Apple’s Multi-Control feature, which is available in the latest versions of MacOS Monterey and iPadOS. Unlike Sidecar, that strictly turned Your iPad As a wireless secondary display when connected to your Mac, Multi-controller lets you interact between your devices while maintaining their respective operating systems — you can even control them with a keyboard, trackpad, or mouse and stream content back and forth.
Multi-controller is an easy-to-use yet powerful feature that allows for more efficient work station. Here, we explain all the steps to set it up on your Mac and iPad. However, this feature is still in beta, so you may encounter some issues.
Is your device compatible?
Universal Control can be used with up to two other devices, in addition to a Mac. That means you can use it with one Mac and two iPads, two Macs and one iPad, or three Macs (look at you!). First, if you haven’t updated your machines, you should check that they are compatible with MacOS Monterey 12.3 and iPadOS 15.4.
The following Macs support MacOS Monterey:
The following iPads support iPadOS 15:
Update your Mac and iPad
If your setup supports Universal Controls, the next step is to make sure all devices are running the latest versions of their respective operating systems. Do not forget back up your files before you update.
To see the exact version your Mac is running, click the Apple icon in the left corner of the screen, then click About this Mac, and you will see the current version listed below MacOS Monterey. You can also go to System Preferences > Software Update—If you are already using version 12.3 or later, it will indicate that your Mac is up to date. Otherwise you will see an option to click Update now (or Upgrade now). After you click on it, it will start downloading and installing.
To check which version your iPad is running, go to Settings > General > Software Update. Tap the latest version (minimum iPadOS 15.4) and select Download and install.
How to set up common controls
macOS via Brenda Stolyar
Before enabling Multi-Control, you need to check some additional requirements. First, make sure that each device you’re using is signed in with the same Apple ID with two-factor authentication. Devices must also be within 30 feet (10 meters) of each other, have Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and Handoff has been turned on. Finally, it’s important that your Mac doesn’t share your internet connection with other devices (and your iPad doesn’t share your cellular connection as a hotspot).
