Sidecar and Universal Control are two important tools that can help you improve your workflow. Its main principle – the ability to easily connect devices to each other – is similar, but Sidecar and Universal Control offer very different functions.
What is Universal Control?
Universal Control allows you to use keyboard and mouse or touchpad from a Mac to control another Mac and/or iPad. Additional devices are not used as external displays for the controlling Mac. The devices still work separately, but with Universal Control you can switch between them as if they were a single device.
With Universal Control between a Mac and an iPad, when you move the cursor to the iPad with the mouse, a circular cursor appears on the screen so you can navigate the iPad interface as if you were using a Magic Keyboard. You can click to launch and use apps, and use the Mac keyboard to type and use keyboard shortcuts.
With Universal Control between two Macs, you can control both machines using the same keyboard and mouse. You can even connect a Mac and an iPad to the main Mac at the same time for a total of three connected platforms, all using the same input devices.
If you want to transfer files from Mac to iPad, you can drag and drop them from one screen to another. Files can be dropped onto the Mac desktop, but on iPad they must be dropped onto an app icon or the Files app, as files cannot be dropped directly onto a Home screen.
For example, if you want to share a photo, you can drag the image file from your Mac to iPad and then drop it into the Photos app.
If you want to transfer files between two Macs or from an iPad to a Mac, you can drag and drop the file anywhere, including your desktop.
Which devices can use Universal Control?
Universal Control is currently available in iPadOS 15.4 and macOS 12.3 (coming later this week). These are Macs and iPads that can run Universal Control.
Control Universal Macs
- MacBook 2016 or later
- MacBook Air 2018 or later
- MacBook Pro 2016 or later
- Mac mini 2018 or later
- 21.5-inch iMac 2017 or later
- 24-inch iMac released in 2021 or later
- 27-inch iMac late 2015 or later
- iMac Pro 2019 or later
- Mac Pro 2019 and later
Control-Universal iPads
- iPad 6th generation and later
- iPad Air 3rd generation and later
- iPad mini 5th generation and later
- iPadPro
How is Universal Control configured?
Universal Control is enabled by default on Macs running macOS 12.3. To set up an iPad or another Mac to control, go to System Preferences and select Add Display to find your iPad and connect it to your Mac. If you don’t see it, make sure Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and Handoff (Settings > General > AirPlay & Handoff > Handoff) are turned on.
Once the iPad is connected, simply hold the iPad closer to the Mac to activate Universal Control. So when you move your Mac cursor near the edge of the Mac screen (with a file or simply), a bar appears on the edge of the iPad screen. Keep moving the cursor towards the iPad and it will switch to the other screen. You can see it in action in the following video.
What is a sidecar?
Sidecar lets you use an iPad as an external display on a Mac. You don’t need to use cables, everything is done wirelessly via AirPlay. Unlike Universal Control, Sidecar doesn’t let you access the connected iPad at all: you can’t use any files or apps.
Instead, your Mac desktop will be mirrored or stretched on your iPad so you can use Multi-Touch gestures. You can even use Apple Pencil, so for example you can work in Adobe Photoshop on your Mac, use the iPad as your Photoshop workspace, open a file in that workspace, then use Apple Pencil to edit the archive .
When using Sidecar, the iPad displays a sidebar to access modifier keys such as Command, Option, and Shift. Sidecar also displays a Touch Bar at the top or bottom of the iPad that displays additional controls, much like the physical Touch Bar on older MacBook Pros.
Just like a full-size monitor, you can configure displays to mirror the first on iPad, or set iPad as a display that extends your Mac’s desktop so you can have more windows open and available at a stroke. of eye. . For example, you can have a browser open on your iPad screen and a Pages document you’re writing on your Mac home screen. The extended desktop is ideal for professional applications such as Photoshop, Final Cut Pro or Logic.
Which devices can use Sidecar?
Sidecar requires a compatible Mac running macOS Catalina or later and a compatible iPad running iPadOS 13 or later. Macs and iPads can run Sidecar.
Sidecar-Mac
- MacBook 2016 or later
- MacBook Air 2018 or later
- MacBook Pro 2016 or later
- Mac mini 2018 or later
- iMac 2015 or later
- iMac Pro 2017 or later
- Mac Pro 2019 or later
Sidecar-iPads
- iPad 6th generation or later
- iPad Air 3ª generation or later
- iPad mini 5ª generation or later
- iPadPro
How is Sidecar configured?
Setting up Sidecar only takes two steps, as long as both devices are signed into iCloud with the same Apple ID using two-factor authentication. On your Mac, select the Display arrow in the menu bar or the Screen Mirroring icon in Control Center. In the list, find the iPad you want to use as a secondary monitor and select it. This will connect your iPad to your Mac as a secondary display.
By default, your iPad will stretch your Mac’s desktop. If you’d rather mirror your Mac’s desktop, go back to the View menu and choose the Screen Mirroring option. When using iPad, you can freely use touch gestures or Apple Pencil to control apps on Mac. There are also some settings on Mac, such as Show Sidebar, Show Touch Bar, and Enable Apple Pencil Double Tap.
Should you use Universal Control or Sidecar?
Now that you know the difference, you can probably figure out for yourself when to use one over the other. If you’re still unsure, consider these scenarios:
- You have an iPad app that you prefer to use instead of a Mac app
- You have an iPad app that doesn’t have a Mac equivalent
- You want to transfer files between devices and don’t want to use AirDrop, a cloud storage service, or an external storage device
- You need to use two Macs and having a set of input devices is easier to manage
You manage hardware and need to manage another Mac or iPad
If you meet any of these criteria, you will want to use Universal Control. Although still very new, it’s a fantastic feature that could begin to bridge the gap between Mac and iPad, while respecting the integrity of each device.
However, if you work primarily on a Mac and just want to extend your desktop or use touch gestures, the Sidebar is the way to go. The Mac is usually the main production device and all your software tools are there. Having an extra screen makes work much easier.
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