Magic Switch: Share a Magic Keyboard and Trackpad Between Two Macs Without Re-pairing
Magic Switch: Share Apple Magic keyboard/track-pad/mouse between two Macs
Magic Switch is a free, open-source macOS app that finally solves the frustration of using an Apple Magic Keyboard, Trackpad, or Mouse across two Macs. Unlike Apple's official method, it requires no shared Apple ID and no USB re-pairing dance. Built on a secure, mutually-authenticated channel with a 12-character pairing code, it adds smooth handoff, per-device control, and recovery from sleep or clamshell mode.
You can have two devices that are paired to the single peripheral, but good luck getting the peripheral to connect to the second device: you can shut off the first device or disconnect Bluetooth; it just Won’t Work™.
- calini
Since I move a bunch of USB devices between my personal and work MacBooks anyway, I just wired my Magic Keyboard and Trackpad up to the same KVM switch and that works fine. However, it wouldn’t work for a Magic Mouse if I decided to use that, so I’ll give Magic Switch a try (especially compelling since it doesn’t require the same Apple ID as Continuity does). I’d like to see if I can wire it up to switch when the KVM switches from one laptop to the other.
- aaronbrethorst
The solution I settled on was swapping between my personal and work laptops with a thunderbolt cable that connects to a dock. The dock is connected to my keyboard, trackpad, webcam, and monitor. It’s been working like a champ for the past 3+ years.
- Terretta
Fwiw, this has been helpful for a couple decades now:
https://symless.com/synergy/features
Given that even a corp Mac can now (policy permitting) allow a personal AppleID along with the corporate login, it's easy enough to do the same with just native OS controls even with 2 logins. Something magical about opening an iPad next to a MacBook and pushing the cursor across ... or, alternatively, wirelessly (or USB-C) making the iPad an extended screen.
But Synergy remains great.
If free is your bag instead of supporting the nominal cost:
https://github.com/deskflow/deskflow
They explain this here:
https://symless.com/synergy/blog/how-to-use-synergy-for-free
- nottorp
Hmm. I bought the cheapest kvm switch i could find (vga + 2 usb only) and ignored the vga ports for this. The advantage is it's cross platform.
Have to switch monitor inputs separately but it will do, considering the other box is running either windows or linux.
- Grombobulous
Apple could just have a multiple device pairing indicator and switch like every other keyboard/mouse manufacturer on the planet, but of course they’re not allowed to implement any convenience features that escape the need for the ecosystem.