Universal Control Disconnecting when MacBook is in Clamshell Mode

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Level 1

61 points

Universal Control Disconnecting when MacBook is in Clamshell Mode

I am having issues with universal control randomly disconnecting from my iPad whenever it is in clamshell mode and connected to my external monitor. Has anyone found a fix for this connection issue? I know that it is a known problem and has been for a while, so I'm hoping someone has found an answer because I'm all out of guesses.

I found that by toggling off the Handoff, Push through the edge, etc. settings, rebooting each device, and then turning the settings back on, it would work temporarily but after 15 minutes or so it would turn back off. However, not even this method works any longer.

When connected to the monitor and in clamshell, Sidecar still works as it should other than the occasional freezing of the iPad. It is important to note that when the MacBook isn't connected to the monitor or in clamshell mode, Universal Control works flawlessly.

Technical specs:

iPad 9 running iPadOS 16.6 with both "Handoff" and "Cursor and Keyboard" toggled on
2017 MacBook Pro 15 running Ventura 13.5.1 with "Allow Handoff between this Mac and your iCloud devices" toggled on and all settings under Display > Advanced > Link to Mac or iPad are toggled on.
Both devices are connected to the same iCloud account and the same WiFi network.

MacBook Pro 15″, macOS 13.5

Posted on Sep 3, 2023 8:31 AM

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Answer 1

Top-ranking reply

MichaelT912

Level 1

20 points

Jan 16, 2024 10:58 AM in response to jmcmaster2

Try this: On the primary device, go to network settings - firewall - options. Remove the Universal Control incoming connection (yes, delete it). Click ok, then restart the primary device. This worked for me yesterday after having the same issues with a MacBook Air and an M1 iPad Pro and it hasn't dropped since.

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Answer 2

Omar_A1

Community Specialist

Sep 4, 2023 8:05 AM in response to jmcmaster2

Hello jmcmaster2,

Thank you for reaching out to Apple Support Communities.

Let's test to see if the issue persists while in safe mode. This will allow us to determine if this is a software limitation:

"Start up your Intel-based Mac in safe mode

Turn on or restart your Mac, then immediately press and hold the Shift key until you see the login window.
Log in to your Mac.
You might be asked to log in again.
On either the first or second login window, you should see “Safe Boot” in the menu bar."

Additional details can be found here: Start up your Mac in safe mode

If the issue persists, can you provide a few more details? When did you first notice this? Also, are you noticing any other issues while using clamshell mode?

Cheers!

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Answer 3

Miche11e_P

Community Specialist

Sep 4, 2023 9:00 AM in response to jmcmaster2

Hi jmcmaster2,

When you start your Mac in safe mode, it prevents certain software from loading on your Mac as well as checks your startup disk for any errors. It also tells us if this behavior is isolated to one user account or if this behavior is system wide. You can learn more about the functionality of safe mode on your Mac here: Use safe mode on your Mac - Apple Support

"What does safe mode do?

Safe mode prevents certain software from loading as your Mac starts up. This includes login items, system extensions that aren't required by macOS, and fonts that weren't installed by macOS.

It also performs a basic check of your startup disk, similar to the more comprehensive check performed by the First Aid feature of Disk Utility.

And it clears some system caches, including font caches and the kernel cache. These are automatically created again as needed."

We hope this helps answer your question.

Kind regards.

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Answer 4

jmcmaster2 Author

Level 1

61 points

Sep 4, 2023 8:13 AM in response to Omar_A1

Can you help me understand what that is going to show us? I am in the middle of writing a 10-page case study, so I don't have time to shut down and do something that extensive at the moment, but I am willing to give it a shot once I am caught up.

In the meantime, I have figured out that if I connect the iPad directly to the MacBook with the cable, it goes back to working as it should with zero interruptions, so I am patching it like this for now to finish my research. I do want to get it working as it should afterward, though.

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Answer 5

rollerk

Level 1

8 points

Mar 4, 2024 4:30 PM in response to MichaelT912

I also tried your suggestion here but after a restart of the MacBook the connection item goes back to the firewall list. Any further idea?

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Universal Control Disconnecting when MacBook is in Clamshell Mode

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