Universal Control has been broken too long

There are endless threads here and on reddit about Universal Control just disconnecting randomly and none of the updates over the last 2 years has fixed it.

The common answer given when folks exhaust all of the troubleshooting guides is that it's bluetooth interference. Maybe so, but other KVM solutions I've used never had this issue moving between my Mac Studio and MacBook Pro (both Apple Silicon). If bluetooth did get spotty, Apple should build it robust enough to try to reconnect immediately and it does not. You know how I know? Try this next time your cursor disappears from the other machine. On the host, keep "System Settings" open and click on "Displays" ....it will instantly reconnect. You will only see one machine but as soon as you click the remote machine will reappear instantly. This is an issue on Apple's end, the simple fact that I can force it into a behavior where it instantly reconnects means Apple did not build this solution robust enough. I was even exploring running a cron job to kill UC everyone couple of minutes just to keep it refreshed. PLEASE FIX THIS APPLE!!!!

[Edited by Moderator]

Mac Studio

Posted on Apr 15, 2024 7:16 AM

21 replies

imoebis Author

Level 1

35 points

Apr 15, 2024 10:39 AM in response to leroydouglas

Already did that (multiple times) and I mentioned it in my original post, but it was removed by the moderator because I mentioned the beta program.

Barney-15E

Level 10

122,372 points

May 19, 2024 5:42 AM in response to imoebis

How long do I have to be using it for it to break?

I only occasionally use it for short spans of time and it's always worked when I needed it.

AlWeir

Level 5

5,079 points

May 28, 2024 7:25 AM in response to imoebis

Here is a Reddit link about the problem. Not sure if it will work or not.

https://www.reddit.com/r/MacOS/comments/teg4e8/having_trouble_getting_universal_control_working/?rdt=62525

imoebis Author

Level 1

35 points

May 28, 2024 8:03 AM in response to AlWeir

yep, found that one too, and tried all of those steps. I even went so far as to completely wipe and reinstall both machines I was so desperate.

imoebis Author

Level 1

35 points

Jun 23, 2024 12:47 AM in response to MashedPotato

That's great news! Did they say what was causing the problem? I have long suspected it had something to do with iCloud.

Jun 27, 2024 10:25 AM in response to imoebis

I just submitted feedback to Apple in the hope SOMETHING will be done to improve UC. I can extend the display reliably--the iPad is plugged into the MBP via USB and shows up reliably. Continuity sketch and markup work fine, but UC is hardly ever available. When I does--by seeingly total chance--show up and work, it only does for a while. Just about the time you think you've got it working reliably, it stops (yet) again.

This has been an irritation for YEARS now. On the iPad side, I've tried it with all of the following: iPad Pro 13" (1st generation), iPad Mini (5th generation), iPad Pro 13" M4 (latest). On the laptop side: MacBook Pro 13" and 15" (2016, Intel), MacBook Pro 2022 (M1 MAX, ), MacBook Pro 2023 (M3 MAX). I've tried all combinations and the issue persists--it always proves to be such a hassle I have to give up on it.

What is especially frustrating is during those short periods when it does work, it is a very big productivity boost.

Apple constantly says they are serious about business users, but my experience would challenge that claim. They spend lots of attention on apps and features which have little to do with productivity (many for the "kiddies") while allowing serious flaws like this to go unresolved for ages. Very frustrating.

Also: if universal control is never going to be reliable, then how about adding the ability to switch Apple BT keyboards between multiple devices? (Yes, I've resorted to Logitech since Apple won't make one.) Even if UC worked, we are still stuck without the ability to type directly on our phone (or use a pencil for that matter). Who on earth doesn't need to be able to type with a keyboard on their phone during the working day?

This thread has been closed by the system or the community team. You may vote for any posts you find helpful, or search the Community for additional answers.

Universal Control has been broken too long