The third beta of macOS Monterey 12.3 brings changes that make it easier to access and configure the various Universal Control settings on your Mac.
- Setting up Universal Control is more accessible in the third beta of macOS Monterey
- The upcoming update makes it easier to configure the feature in System Preferences
- These options were harder to discover as they were hidden under the Advanced tab
How to access the Universal Control settings on your Mac
The third beta of macOS Monterey 12.3 brings changes that make setting up and configuring the Universal Control feature on your Mac a lot easier.
Now you can adjust the Universal Control settings in one place by launching the System Preferences app from your Mac’s Dock (or click “System Preferences” in the Apple menu) and clicking the Displays settings. In your Displays settings, hit a dedicated Universal Control button to reveal all the options pertaining to the Universal Control feature.
- Open System Preferences on your Mac with macOS Monterey 12.3 or later
- In the System Preferences window, click the Displays preference pane
- In the Displays settings, click the “Universal Control” button
- From there, choose between the following adjustments:
- Allow your cursor and keyboard to move between any nearby Mac or iPad: Your cursor and keyboard can be used on any nearby Mac or iPad signed in to your iCloud account.
- Push through the edge of a display to connect to a nearby Mac or iPad: Allow the cursor to connect to a nearby Mac or iPad by pushing against the edge of the display.
- Automatically reconnect to any nearby Mac or iPad: Allow this Mac to automatically reconnect to any nearby Mac or iPad you’ve previously connected to.
Before this change, the Universal Control setting were hidden behind the “Advanced” button in the Displays settings. The “Advanced” button has been removed from macOS Monterey 12.3 beta 3 to help reduce confusion and make it clear to the user where to click to open the Universal Control settings.
“This makes the options more accessible, especially for users who might not think to dive into the Advanced menu to adjust Universal Control,” notes 9to5Mac which spotted the change.
What is Universal Control and how does it work?
Universal Control makes controlling the pointer across multiple iPad and Mac devices as easy as pushing the mouse pointer beyond the left or right side of the screen.
Here’s how Apple pitches the Universal Control feature on its website:
A single keyboard and mouse or trackpad now work seamlessly between your Mac and iPad—they’ll even connect to more than one Mac or iPad. Move your cursor from your Mac to your iPad, type on your Mac and watch the words show up on your iPad, or even drag and drop content from one Mac to another.
Universal Control requires that Bluetooth, Wi-Fi and Handoff be turned on across all iPad and Mac devices. The devices must be within ten meters (30 feet) of each other to use Universal Control wirelessly. Also, your iPad and Mac must not be sharing a cellular and internet connection. The feature is supported on 2016 Macs and newer, iPad Pro, iPad Air 3 iPad 6 and iPad mini 5 and later.
When will Apple launch Universal Control?
As to when everyone will be permitted to use Universal Control, Apple is still testing the macOS Monterey 12.3 and iPadOS 15.4 software with beta testers. These software updates are required for Universal Control to work. Universal Control was originally unveiled alongside other new iOS 15 features at WWDC21, but was delayed as it was too rough around the edges. Read: How to manage settings for external displays on your Mac
iPadOS 15.4 and macOS Monterey 12.3 are currently being tested, with a few more betas to go before the software updates are ready for prime time. It’s therefore safe to conclude that Universal Control will become available around the spring when iPadOS 15.4 and macOS Monterey 12.3 arrive for public consumption.
For what it’s worth, Apple says that Universal Control will launch “this spring.”