In fact, cross-device relationships are at the heart of what the current metaverse hype cycle is all about. With all of Apple's expected visions of AR, including a reported headset sometime in the next year, being able to remotely access and dovetail devices will be critical. Or, your VR headset can interface with your computer desktop and become a head-worn second screen. In Horizon Workrooms, a computer can control VR. Meta's own Horizon Workrooms app, and a handful of other apps, can pair with a MacBook or a few other keyboards to make it feel like your device has suddenly leapt into your VR headset. And weirdly, of all things this relationship reminds me of right now, it makes me think of VR… and what Meta has been doing with its Quest headsets and computers. Universal Control feels like another step. It mimics how trackpads and keyboards and mice already work on iPadOS.īefore this, Apple already had Sidecar, which also let iPads act as Pencil-compatible second screens for Macs. Over in iPad-Land, the cursor becomes larger and morphs into the apps it hovers near. What makes it uncanny is that iPadOS runs differently. Yes, just like you can do with any other connected secondary monitor. My MacBook cursor, when approaching the edge of my display, just leaps off and enters the iPad. The idea isn't that wild in concept, but trying it out does feel like the most magical thing I've seen in recent versions of iPadOS. I've tried it on a 12-inch iPad Pro and the latest iPad Air so far, alongside an M1 MacBook Air. Basically, it allows any nearby keyboard, seemingly, to control all devices.

The feature allows a Mac keyboard and trackpad/mouse to also control a nearby iPad - or vice versa, if you're using an iPad keyboard or accessory. But a common thread runs through both: Literally, it's the cursor that jumps between my iPad and MacBook on my desk right now.Īpple's Universal Control, a much-anticipated feature that's live as a beta in iPadOS 15.4 and MacOS 12.3, is uncanny at times, invisible at others. I've wanted iPads and Macs to fuse for years.

Remote control for macbook pro os