Does Universal Control work when one Mac is asleep?

[paulisme]

I have two MacBook Pros, one for work and one for personal use. I have a Thunderbolt Display where my keyboard, audio interface, etc. are connected, and when I switch between the two MacBooks, I disconnect one and connect the other, letting the disconnected one go into sleep mode (I don't use both machines simultaneously, and I always use them in clamshell mode). The biggest pain point I have with this setup is that I only have one Magic Touchpad, so I have to go into Bluetooth settings of the Mac I'm disconnecting, disconnect it from the Touchpad, disconnect it from the monitor, open the Mac I'm connecting, connect the Touchpad, then close it back up and connect it to the monitor. Will Universal Control fix this scenario? In other words, if I have Universal Control enabled on both Macs, will my Touchpad work with whichever one is currently "awake" without having to do the disconnect/connect dance?

 

[BigBlur]

No, Universal Control won't solve this problem with your current workflow. Universal Control is more about using multiple devices at once/simultaneously. If you were to leave one MacBook off to the side and open so you can see its display, and both devices are signed into the same Apple ID - then yes, you could control both with the same Trackpad. This would have to be your new workflow though. Both would have to remain on and awake as well.

Perhaps a workaround would be to just have the Trackpad plugged into your monitor (or plug it into the MacBook when you switch displays). The wired connection will make it pair with the MacBook automatically and no need to fuss with the Bluetooth settings. This is how my friend does it. He leaves it plugged into his docking station so that it'll work right away for anyone who docks at his desk.

 

[paulisme]

Bummer. I'm using the original Magic Trackpad that takes AA batteries, so there's no wired connection. I could swap it out with my iMac which has the newer Trackpad, but then I'd have a wire connected all the time. Sounds like there's no ideal solution here then.