Fix Guide: Universal Control Disconnecting on macOS Tahoe 26.2
Symptom: Your mouse or keyboard cursor stops moving between your Mac and iPad, or the secondary device disappears from the Display settings.
Universal Control requires a stable iCloud handshake and a low-interference Bluetooth/Wi-Fi environment. Tahoe 26.2 has a known bug where the AWDL (Apple Wireless Direct Link) interface drops the connection during high network traffic.
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Fix 1: Re-authenticate Handoff & Continuity
A desync in your iCloud identity can break the secure tunnel used by Universal Control.
- Go to System Settings > General > AirDrop & Handoff.
- Toggle Allow Handoff between this Mac and your iCloud devices to OFF.
- Restart your Mac.
- Go back and toggle Handoff back to ON.
Fix 2: Reset the Continuity Background Service
The identityservicesd daemon manages the cross-device identity keys. Resetting it forces a new handshake.
- Open Terminal.
- Execute the following command:
killall identityservicesd
Fix 3: Remove Proximity Configuration Files
If the virtual "boundary" between your screens is corrupt, the cursor won't cross over.
- Open Terminal.
- Run:
defaults delete com.apple.universalcontrol
- Go to System Settings > Displays > Advanced and re-enable "Allow your pointer and keyboard to move between any nearby Mac or iPad."