Although they seem the same, they really are not. Universal Control and Sidecar are two features of Mac and iPad that allow you to join both devices to increase productivity during use. However, there are more than appreciable differences between them and that show that they are not the same. The first proof of this is that both functions will coexist when Universal Control is official, although there are more obvious signs of their differences.
Regarding its operation
Sidecar was the first to arrive more specifically in 2019, its main function being to use the iPad as a second Mac monitor and making macOS adapt to the tablet screen, leaving iPadOS completely aside. It even allows, in certain programs, to use the Apple Pencil to perform some action, although in most cases it is still a second screen as if you were using any monitor.
For its part, the operation of Universal Control allows you to use both devices with the same keyboard and mouse , in this case being the Mac. In other words, you can move the pointer from the Mac screen to the iPad screen and perform all kinds of actions and even dragging an image from one device to another, all without iPadOS going away. Another noticeable change here is that while Sidecar is always from a Mac to an iPad, Universal Control works from Mac to iPad, but also from Mac to Mac if one is an iMac and the other is a MacBook.
Sidecar (top) and Universal Control (bottom)
What both functions do share is that they are completely native and therefore free. In the same way that it is not necessary to connect both devices by cable, allowing in the settings to configure the positions of each one so that when moving the pointer the displacement is correct.
The compatibility is the same
First off at the operating system level, Sidecar requires macOS 10.15 (and later) and iPadOS 13 (and later). For their part, those who want to use Universal Control will need macOS 10.3 (and later) and iPadOS 15.4 (and later) .
If we go to see specific models of Mac and iPad that support it, we find this compatibility list:
- Mac:
- iMac (21.5″) from 2017 and later
- iMac (24″) from 2021 and later
- iMac (27″) Late 2015 and newer
- iMacPro
- Mac mini from 2018 and later
- Mac Pro from 2019 and later
- MacBook from 2016 and later
- MacBook Air from 2018 and later
- MacBook Pro from 2016 and later
- iPad:
- iPad 6th generation and later
- iPad mini 5th generation and later
- iPad Air 3rd generation and later
- iPad Pro (any model)
It should be noted that Universal Control is not yet officially available , being reserved for developers who install the beta on their respective devices. And although Apple has not confirmed the date on which it will release the software versions that support it, it is expected that they could be released in March or April for the general public and, of course, including those devices that will support this compatibility.