How to Customize Universal Control & Add It to Mac Menu Bar

Universal Control is an excellent multitasking tool that lets you control other Macs and iPads from your Mac. With Universal Control, you can use one keyboard, mouse, and trackpad to control up to three devices via your Mac. What makes it even better is that you can customize it and add Universal Control settings to your Mac’s Menu Bar. You may also find our article on how to set up Universal Control helpful.

What's in This Guide:

• How to Customize Universal Control
• How to Add Universal Control Settings to Your Menu Bar

How to Customize Universal Control

You can pick which side of your Mac display to control the iPad or other Mac from. To do this:

1. Click on your Mac’s Apple icon.
2. Select System Preferences.
3. Click Displays.
4. You will see the displays of your controlled devices in relation to your Mac's display.
5. Drag the other iPad or Mac to the side of the Mac that you wish for it to be on.

Pro Tip: If you don't see any options for step 4, you may be running old software. Make sure to update all Macs and iPads involved and try again.

Your settings will save automatically. Click the red X to close the settings window. I recommend adding Display settings to your Menu Bar for quicker access. For more tips like this, don't forget to sign up for our free Tip of the Day newsletter.

How to Add Universal Control Settings to Your Menu Bar

1. Click on your Mac's Apple icon.
2. Select System Preferences.
3. Click on Dock & Menu Bar.
4. Click on Display.
5. Make sure Show in Menu Bar is checked.
6. Click on the drop-down menu and select Always.
7. Your settings will save automatically. Click the red X to close the settings window.
8. The monitor icon should appear next to your battery icon.

With Universal Control customized to your needs and the Universal Control Settings easy to access in your Mac’s Menu Bar, you are ready to start multitasking. To learn more about Universal Control, read our articles on the different ways you can use Universal Control and how to turn off Universal Control if you get sick of it. Finally, check out these Universal Control troubleshooting tricks if you have any problems Don’t forget to listen to our Why We’re Wild for Universal Control podcast episode.