Work in separate apps on two computers
Use input sharing when a Mac runs your documents and a Windows computer runs another application. Each machine renders its own screen while you move the keyboard and mouse between them.
Share One Keyboard and Mouse Between Mac and Windows
Keep your MacBook and Windows computer running their own apps while using one keyboard and mouse. Any Display’s Share keyboard & mouse mode moves input between the two computers at a chosen screen edge. Each computer keeps its own display; this mode does not stream video.
Key points
- Use two macOS or Windows computers on a reachable local network.
- Choose a switching edge and monitor, then adapt key mappings to your workflow.
- Computer display connections are a separate feature. This is not direct USB linking or mobile-device input sharing.
- 1
Open Any Display on both computers
Install the desktop app on each Mac or Windows computer and connect them to the same local network. Keep both awake. A tablet companion app is not needed for sharing input between computers.
- 2
Select the other computer in Share keyboard & mouse
Start on the computer with the keyboard and mouse you want to use. Open Share keyboard & mouse, select the other computer and check which machine will supply input. Send the request and accept it on the other computer after checking its identity.
- 3
Match the edge to your desk layout
Choose left, right, top or bottom according to where the other screen sits. With several monitors, select the switching monitor as well. Changing the edge or switching monitor requires reconnecting for the new layout to take effect.
- 4
Check Mac permission and key mappings
If macOS requests Accessibility permission, allow Any Display. In Advanced, review modifier mappings when moving between Mac and Windows. If input-language switching behaves differently, check the language-switch key and test in a text editor.
- 5
Test switching and emergency return
Move across the chosen monitor edge and type into a blank document on the other computer. Test copying plain text too. Use Ctrl+Alt+Shift+Esc if you need to force control back locally. End the session from Share keyboard & mouse when finished.
Choose input sharing or a display connection
See the other computer’s screen here
Choose the separate computer display feature to view or send a screen. Turning on input sharing alone does not make the remote display appear on this computer.
Add a tablet workspace
Tablet Extend or Mirror is another connection. It has a different purpose from computer input sharing and does not mean this KVM mode controls native Android or iPad apps.
- Can I share between Mac and Windows?
- Yes. Install Any Display on both and connect over the local network. Mac-to-Mac and Windows-to-Windows input sharing use the same feature.
- Does clipboard sharing include files and images?
- Copy text on one computer and paste it on the other. File drag-and-drop and image clipboard transfer are not included in this feature.
- Can I switch to Linux or iPad?
- Use it between macOS and Windows computers. For native iPad apps, check Apple Universal Control; for a setup that includes Linux, check a supported tool such as Synergy.
- What if an invitation times out?
- Open the app on the other computer and check sleep state, local-network reachability and firewall access. Reopen both apps after changing Wi-Fi. If it persists, send support the two app versions and exact error.