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macOS 27 Finally Brings Direct Touch Control to Sidecar

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Apple has added direct touch input to Sidecar with macOS 27 Golden Gate and iPadOS 27, allowing users to tap and interact with macOS interface elements using a finger on their iPad for the first time.

macos-sidecar.jpg

Previously, Sidecar was deliberately limited as a touch interface. While multi-touch gestures like two-finger scrolling, pinch-to-zoom, and three-finger editing gestures for copy, cut, paste, and undo have been supported for years, directly tapping to click links, open apps, or interact with macOS UI elements was not possible with a finger. Those interactions required either the Mac's connected mouse or trackpad, or an Apple Pencil.

The new Direct Touch capability closes that gap. In macOS 27, users can can now tap, swipe, and interact with macOS apps on their iPad screen using a finger, bringing Sidecar closer to how third-party tools like Luna Display have worked for some time. Apple Pencil support continues alongside the new touch capabilities.

ICYMI: You can now use touch controls on your Mac display with Sidecar on iPad! 👀 pic.twitter.com/KOErLtoZCA— BLCNYY (@BLCNYY) June 9, 2026​


The expanded Sidecar functionality requires an Apple Silicon Mac running macOS 27 Golden Gate and a compatible iPad running iPadOS 27. As with previous versions of the feature, both devices must be signed into the same Apple ID, connected to the same Wi-Fi network, and have Bluetooth enabled, with the two devices within 10 meters of each other.

The feature is likely another indication of impending touch support on the Mac, along with other features like pull-to-refresh. Apple is said to be planning to launch a "MacBook Ultra" as a new top-tier laptop with a touchscreen OLED display, an M6-series chip, the Dynamic Island, and a thinner design. Reports suggest that the device is scheduled to launch in early 2027.

Article Link: macOS 27 Finally Brings Direct Touch Control to Sidecar
 
Article Link
https://www.macrumors.com/2026/06/09/macos-27-brings-direct-touch-control-to-sidecar/
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Looks like a solid implementation. Wouldn't mind this on a Macbook Pro if it could be disabled, allowed for Apple Pencil compatibility, led to a higher level of screen glass durability & a better OLED screen, and the price wasn't too inflated (at least not over $500 more than current models).
 
sunapple said:
Apple is the kind of company that takes baby steps towards the touch screen Mac over a 20 year period while maintaining until the very end that they won't do it. And then they do and it's sold as some great innovation.
Click to expand...
But they’ll gimp the 1st release version which will require any serious needs user to also probably drop more cash for the 2nd version… which often comes with more “appropriate” specs. 🥴
 
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DHagan4755 said:
Does this mean Apple might consider allowing macOS to be installed on iPads? 🤔
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Maybe the Macbook Ultra and Ipad Ultra will be able to run either Mac OS and Ipad OS natively? Maybe even at the same time somehow? I think it could be pretty useful to have some Ipad Apps on a Macbook Pro with a touch screen. Obviously Ipads would benefit from Mac capabilities too.
 
triumvirate said:
But they’ll gimp the 1st release version which will require any serious needs user to also probably drop more cash for the 2nd version… which often comes with more “appropriate” specs. 🥴
Click to expand...
In what way would they do that? It either has a multitouch display or it doesn’t.
Everything else is just software implementation.
 
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sunapple said:
Apple is the kind of company that takes baby steps towards the touch screen Mac over a 20 year period while maintaining until the very end that they won't do it. And then they do and it's sold as some great innovation.
Click to expand...
By the time Mac is fully touch, we're already using other platforms with mind control.
 
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I first heard the term "Human Engineering" a few years ago and it always stuck with me. Every time I have a bad interaction with an object I think "That's bad human engineering". The way we interact with technology or objects should be the first concern. That being said, Human Engineering is dead. Web design, Car Interior design, MacOS, and others are all more clunky messes than what they were 15-20 years ago. The first thing I do when I get a new laptop was to get a mouse. Even as the MacBook trackpads were getting so good I still cannot stand interacting with a desktop with a flat surface. The MX master is probably the last device I held that was like, These people understood the human engineering part. Everyone begged for bigger and bigger screens in their Car. Now car interfaces are buggy messes and when the 20 inch screen dies in their 70k car, the new computer module is 15k. All I'm saying with this is that Im not entirely sure people will even use or like that their new touch support MacOS or the apple tax for replacements while begging for it for so long. Worked in an automotive store and all we got was customers saying "I never should've bought the new car, I loved the touchscreen at first now it just gets in the way". Not saying that will happen here but just an observation. I never once reached for my iPad Pro trying to click on something while in sidecar mode. I'm over here still hoping for system preferences to return.
 
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MacRumors said:


Apple has added direct touch input to Sidecar with macOS 27 Golden Gate and iPadOS 27, allowing users to tap and interact with macOS interface elements using a finger on their iPad for the first time.

macos-sidecar.jpg

Previously, Sidecar was deliberately limited as a touch interface. While multi-touch gestures like two-finger scrolling, pinch-to-zoom, and three-finger editing gestures for copy, cut, paste, and undo have been supported for years, directly tapping to click links, open apps, or interact with macOS UI elements was not possible with a finger. Those interactions required either the Mac's connected mouse or trackpad, or an Apple Pencil.

The new Direct Touch capability closes that gap. In macOS 27, users can can now tap, swipe, and interact with macOS apps on their iPad screen using a finger, bringing Sidecar closer to how third-party tools like Luna Display have worked for some time. Apple Pencil support continues alongside the new touch capabilities.

ICYMI: You can now use touch controls on your Mac display with Sidecar on iPad! 👀 pic.twitter.com/KOErLtoZCA— BLCNYY (@BLCNYY) June 9, 2026​


The expanded Sidecar functionality requires an Apple Silicon Mac running macOS 27 Golden Gate and a compatible iPad running iPadOS 27. As with previous versions of the feature, both devices must be signed into the same Apple ID, connected to the same Wi-Fi network, and have Bluetooth enabled, with the two devices within 10 meters of each other.

The feature is likely another indication of impending touch support on the Mac, along with other features like pull-to-refresh. Apple is said to be planning to launch a "MacBook Ultra" as a new top-tier laptop with a touchscreen OLED display, an M6-series chip, the Dynamic Island, and a thinner design. Reports suggest that the device is scheduled to launch in early 2027.

Article Link: macOS 27 Finally Brings Direct Touch Control to Sidecar
Click to expand...
Might we see iPad Pro finally run macOS in a couple years time?

Honestly with the Neo existing, I think it’s apples only chance to save the iPad Pro .
Why pay double for a device running a phone OS when the Neo is there at half price and gets the same macOS as a m5 max mbp?
 
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