At the WWDC 2021 event, Apple dazzled everyone with the SharePlay and Universal Control features in the newly released macOS Monterey beta. Apple showed you how you can use a single keyboard and mouse to control other macOS and iPadOS devices. That said, the technology has been around for a while, and apps like Synergy and Barrier have been doing it for years. However, if you want to learn how to get macOS Monterey Universal Control on older versions of Windows, Linux, and macOS, this guide will help you get it set up in a few simple steps. So, without further ado, let’s get straight to the point.
Get macOS Monterey’s Universal Control Feature on Windows and Linux (2021)
In this tutorial, we will use Barrier, an open source applicationallows you to share your mouse and keyboard between Windows, Linux and macOS devices. Its functionality is similar to the Universal Control feature in macOS Monterey. The best part is that Barrier is completely free to use and also offers clipboard sharing and keyboard shortcuts. Synergy is also an excellent alternative, but it’s a paid app ($29).
For this feature to work, both your participation devices must be turned on same Wi-Fi network. Also, in this guide, I show the steps using a Mac and Windows 10 PC, but the steps are the same for Linux. As for the installation steps for Linux, I will mention it at the bottom. Here’s how to do it.
Set up Barrier on macOS to Use Universal Control
1. First of all, Open GitHub page Barrier and download latest DMG file.
2. Next, open the DMG file, you will find the Barrier app. Copy andApplications” directory.
3. Now, Open the Barrier appand you will get a security prompt.
4. To override the prompt, open System Preferences and click “Security and Privacy“. Here, Click “Open Anyway” It’s under the “General” section.
5. Then, “Open” in the security prompt.
6. Finally, the Barrier will open on your Mac. Here the Mac will act as a server. Like this Note down the IP address mentioned above. Finally, click “Reload” and minimize the app.
Set up Barrier on Windows to Use macOS Monterey Universal Control
1. On Windows, the installation process is quite simple. Open GitHub page Barrier and download latest EXE file.
2. After that, double click EXE file and install the application.
3. Once installed, open the Barrier and click “Customer” checkbox. After that, uncheck the “AutoConfig” box and enter the IP address of the Mac you noted in step 6 above.
4. Now, write down the “Display name” of your Windows 10 PC and click “reload“. You will get a prompt in a few seconds. Click “Allow/Yes”.
Share Mouse and Keyboard Similar to MacOS Monterey’s Universal Control
1. You are almost done and ready to share a mouse and keyboard between two computers. Before interacting with multiple systems using a single mouse and keyboard, you must configure one final step. Go back to your Mac and Click “Configure Server”.
2. Next, drag the monitor icon from the top right corner to where your PC actually is – relative to your Mac. It allows you to seamlessly move your cursor from one screen to another.
3. After that, double click the monitor icon and exactly the same Display name you noted in step 4 above. After that, click “OK” twice.
4. Now, Reload the barrier both on your Mac and Windows PC. And voila, you’ll also be able to use your Mac’s keyboard and mouse to control your PC. It worked effortlessly in my experience and you can check out a quick demo here:
5. Note that Barrier also offers drag-and-drop file transfers, just like the new Universal Control feature in macOS Monterey. But I couldn’t get it to work on my side. Transferring files using the traditional copy-paste method didn’t work for me either. However, clipboard sharing worked Really good. And no flickering when moving between different screens. You can configure these options in “Configure Server -> Advanced Server Settings”.
Install Barrier on Linux
Barrier can be easily installed on Ubuntu via the Software Center. Also available from: Snap Store in Ubuntu. On other Debian-based operating systems, simply run this command to install the software.
sudo apt install barrier
Control Multiple Systems with One Keyboard and Mouse
So you can experience Universal Control not only on your Mac devices, but also between computers running different operating systems. And the best part is that you can add as many devices as you want within the Barrier network. Anyway, that’s it for us in this alternative guide for the Universal Control feature of macOS Monterey.
Also, if you want to get iCloud’s Hide My Email feature on Windows and Android, head over to our linked guide and give it a try. Also, we have prepared a simple tutorial to make FaceTime calls between iPhone and Android, which is now possible. If you have any questions about mouse and keyboard sharing, let us know in the comment section below.