After being first announced at the Developers' event (WWDC), the Universal Control feature finally appeared alongside iPadOS 15.4 and macOS Monterey 12.3.
Despite the delay and skepticism of some users, Universal Control has appeared and made an impression no less than its original demo at WWDC.
How does Universal Control work?
Universal Control is a feature that allows users to simultaneously control multiple iPads and Macs with a select select select player and keyboard. When using this feature, users can move the Pointer and keyboard from the Mac computer to the iPad and vice versa.
One of the most impressive things about Universal Control is that users do not need to set it up. After the device is upgraded to the latest iPadOS 15.4 and macOS Monterey 12.3, the feature is enabled by default and the only requirement for it to work is that the device must log in to the same iCloud account.
If users want to turn Universal Control on or off, just open Settings on iPad, select AirPlay & Handoff and search for the pointer and Keyboard switch button. On the Mac side, the Universal Control installation will appear in the "Show" section of the System settings.
In System settings, there are some custom options:
Changing the way of working
For Mac computers, activating Universal Control will allow users to turn their iPads into a computer side screen without many complicated connection steps. With just a keyboard and chuot, users can control both devices smoothly.
This makes controlling the iPad Pro extremely easy without having to connect and interact with the screen. Users can quickly switch to iPad and check the app, start playing videos and even pull or copy/paste files between MacBook Pro and iPad. This feature is essentially inserting an iPad into a Mac without losing the independent operation of each device.
With a wireless connection, users can even hold their iPad while working without affecting the Mac connection.
Although there is a history of leaking information about the feature and then not launching it, Universal Control is also suspected of sinking into forgetfulness. However, it was still released and is probably one of the best software features that Apple has provided for many years. Basically, this feature emphasizes the deep integration between Apple's hardware and software.