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Universal Control Not Working — Keyboard and Mouse Not Sharing Between Macs

Warningsystem

Overview

Fix Universal Control failing to share keyboard and mouse between multiple Macs or between Mac and iPad placed next to each other.

Key Details

  • Universal Control lets you use one keyboard and mouse across multiple Macs and iPads
  • Move the cursor to the edge of one screen and it continues onto the adjacent device
  • Drag and drop files between devices and type on any device with a single keyboard
  • Supports up to 3 devices simultaneously (any combination of Mac and iPad)
  • Requires macOS Monterey 12.3+ and iPadOS 15.4+ with same Apple ID and two-factor authentication

Common Causes

  • Universal Control feature not enabled in System Settings > Displays
  • Devices not signed into the same Apple ID with two-factor authentication
  • Bluetooth or WiFi disabled on one of the devices
  • Devices running older OS versions that do not support Universal Control

Steps

  1. 1Enable Universal Control: System Settings > Displays > Advanced > enable all three Universal Control options
  2. 2Ensure all devices are on the same Apple ID with two-factor authentication
  3. 3Enable Bluetooth and WiFi on all devices
  4. 4Place devices within 30 feet of each other and push your cursor to the screen edge toward the other device
  5. 5If not auto-detected: System Settings > Displays > click + button to add the nearby display manually

Tags

universal-controlkeyboardmousemulti-devicecontinuity

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Frequently Asked Questions

Sidecar extends your Mac's display to the iPad (same Mac, extra screen). Universal Control keeps each device's own screen but shares one keyboard and mouse across all devices (separate computers, shared input).