With the release of macOS 12.3, Macs provide support for two separate features called Sidecar and Universal Control that allow Macs and iPads to be used together, but in different ways. This article explains the difference between them and shows you how to use both features in concert, provided your setup allows for it. Keep reading to learn more.

With ‌Universal Control‌ in macOS 12.3 and iPadOS 15.4, if you have a Mac and an ‌iPad‌ next to each other, or even multiple Macs and iPads, you can use the keyboard and cursor on one device across all of them. So, for example, if you have a MacBook Pro and an ‌iPad‌ on your desk, the ‌MacBook Pro‌'s trackpad can be used over on the ‌‌iPad‌‌ just by swiping across, and the Mac's keyboard will become the ‌iPad‌'s input device. The same is also true of the ‌‌iPad‌‌ if you have a keyboard attached to it.

‌Sidecar‌ works differently. Announced in 2019 as part of macOS Catalina, ‌Sidecar‌ is designed to let you use an ‌iPad‌ as a secondary display for your Mac. Up to one ‌iPad‌ can be used to either mirror the content on your Mac's display or turn it into a secondary display for extra screen real estate in macOS.

Note that while ‌Universal Control‌ lets you use your Mac's keyboard and trackpad to navigate your ‌iPad‌, it functions over two different operating systems – macOS and iPadOS. It does not extend your Mac's display to the ‌iPad‌, it simply allows the keyboard and mouse/trackpad of one device to be used to control one or more other devices. If you want your Mac's content displayed on a nearby ‌iPad‌, you'll need to use ‌Sidecar‌.

With all that said, however, provided you have enough iPads and Macs, you can in fact use ‌Sidecar‌ and ‌Universal Control‌ at the same time and enjoy the best of both worlds. For example, you could connect your Mac to one ‌iPad‌ via ‌Sidecar‌ for some extra macOS screen space, and on the other side of your Mac you could control a second ‌iPad‌ or Mac using your main Mac's keyboard and trackpad. You can even switch between ‌Sidecar‌ and ‌Universal Control‌ on the same ‌iPad‌, by swiping up on the ‌Sidecar‌ "app" to reveal your ‌iPad‌'s Home Screen with active mouse/trackpad support and ‌Sidecar‌ minimized in the Dock.. The following steps show you how to set up the two features together.

  1. On your Mac, click the Apple () symbol in the menu bar and select System Preferences....
  2. Select Displays in the preferences panel.
    sys-prefs

  3. If you haven't used ‌Universal Control‌ before, click Universal Control... and make sure the boxes are checked for the functions you want to enable. (See our separate guide to setting up Universal Control for more.) Otherwise, click Add Display.
    displays

  4. In the dropdown that appears, you'll see any nearby devices signed into the same Apple ID as your Mac. Click a device listed under "Link Keyboard and Mouse" to use it in ‌Universal Control‌ mode.
    sys-prefs

  5. Click Add Display again, and in the same dropdown, this time click an ‌iPad‌ or other device listed under "Mirror or extend to" to connect your Mac to it in ‌Sidecar‌ mode.sys-prefs

That's all there is to it. You should now have your Mac linked to other nearby Macs and/or iPads via ‌Universal Control‌ while also using an additional ‌iPad‌ as extended display space via ‌Sidecar‌.

Using the Displays preference pane, you can now arrange the display of your ‌iPad‌ in ‌Sidecar‌ mode alongside the displays of any devices that are linked via ‌Universal Control‌. For additional help working with ‌Universal Control‌, be sure to check out our dedicated guide and additional troubleshooting guide.

Related Forum: macOS Monterey

Popular Stories

iOS 18

iOS 18.4 Coming Next Week With These New Features for Your iPhone

Friday February 14, 2025 6:18 am PST by
The first iOS 18.4 beta for iPhones should be just around the corner, and the update is expected to include many new features and changes. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman expects the iOS 18.4 beta to be released by next week. Below, we outline what to expect from iOS 18.4 so far. Apple Intelligence for Siri Siri is expected to get several enhancements powered by Apple Intelligence on iOS...
iPhone 17 Roundup Feature 2

iPhone Design to Change 'Significantly' This Year

Monday February 17, 2025 7:09 am PST by
Apple is set to "significantly change" the iPhone's design language later this year, according to a Weibo leaker. In a new post, the user known "Digital Chat Station" said that the iPhone's design is "starting to change significantly" this year. The "iPhone 17 Air" reportedly features a "horizontal, bar-shaped" design on the rear, likely referring to an elongated camera bump. On the other...
Apple Maps 2024

Apple Maps Might Start Showing Ads

Sunday February 16, 2025 7:22 am PST by
Apple is "exploring" the idea of showing search ads in the Apple Maps app, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Back in 2022, Gurman said software engineering was "already underway" to display ads in the Apple Maps app, but Apple did not move forward with the idea at the time. Today, he said Apple is "giving this notion more thought" again. This time around, he said Apple has yet to...
apple launch feb 2025 alt

What to Expect From the 'Apple Launch' Next Week

Thursday February 13, 2025 11:48 am PST by
Apple has yet to announce any new devices this year, but that could change starting next week. Apple CEO Tim Cook today said to "get ready" for a "launch" on Wednesday, February 19. "Get ready to meet the newest member of the family," said Cook, in a social media post. The post includes an #AppleLaunch hashtag, along with a short video featuring an animated Apple logo inside of a circle....
m2 pro mac mini

Apple is Now Selling a Refurbished Mac Mini for Just $319 (!)

Saturday February 15, 2025 9:58 am PST by
A few days ago, we reported that Apple's refurbished Mac mini pricing had a problem, and it appears that Apple has taken note. Apple was offering a refurbished Mac mini with the M2 chip, 16GB of RAM, and 256GB of storage for $559, which was $50 more than a refurbished Mac mini with the M4 chip, 16GB of RAM, and 256GB of storage. All other key specifications were equal. That's no longer...
iPhone 17 Pro Render Front Page Tech

iPhone 17 Pro With All-New Camera Bar Design Allegedly Revealed

Thursday February 13, 2025 5:49 pm PST by
Apple's next-generation iPhone 17 Pro will feature three rear cameras arranged in a familiar triangular layout, but the cameras will be housed in an all-new rectangular camera bar with rounded corners, according to YouTube channel Front Page Tech. iPhone 17 Pro camera design render created by Asher for Front Page Tech In a video uploaded today, Front Page Tech host Jon Prosser said the camera ...
Tim Cook Apple Park

10+ Announcements Apple Could Have Rolled Into a February Event

Saturday February 15, 2025 8:00 am PST by
Apple appears to have enough upcoming product announcements to justify a full event this month, yet all signs indicate these reveals will be handled through a series of press releases instead. There are a multitude of rumors from reliable sources about specific announcements in the coming weeks, so here's everything that Apple could have feasibly included in a hypothetical February event: ...
iPhone SE 4 Thumb 1

Apple's Next iPhone SE Launching on Wednesday - Here's What We Know

Friday February 14, 2025 4:04 pm PST by
Apple CEO Tim Cook teased an Apple announcement that's coming on Wednesday, February 19, and it's looking like that mystery announcement will be the next-generation iPhone SE. We've been hearing about the iPhone SE 4 for quite some time now, and we essentially know everything to expect. If you want a sneak peek at what's coming, read on. Naming Apple first introduced the iPhone SE in...