Astropad Slate iPad App Lets You Control Your Mac With Apple Pencil
Astropad today announced a new iPad app called Astropad Slate, which can be used to control the Mac with an Apple Pencil. Astropad Slate is available as a public beta, and because it's still in testing, it is free for everyone.

There are several Mac functions that can be performed with the Apple Pencil. It works as a cursor for controlling the desktop mouse, with a tap on the screen serving as a click. Handwriting done on the iPad will be translated into typed text on the Mac. Astropad Slate supports the Apple Pencil hover gestures on newer iPads, and there is a simulated hover option on older iPads, plus you can use two-finger touch gestures for actions like scrolling and zoom.
You can also use the iPad as a pen tablet with Mac apps that support drawing, sketching, and other creative work. The Astropad Slate app basically turns the iPad into a no-screen drawing tablet so you can focus on your work on the Mac. A Mac and an iPad can be connected using Wi-Fi, Peer-to-Peer networking, or an appropriate USB cable. Requirements include iPadOS 15 or later and macOS 11 or later.
The Astropad Slate app can be accessed by signing up for the beta on the Astropad website.
Popular Stories
Apple is planning to launch at least 15 new products in 2026, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.
Gurman outlined what to expect from Apple in 2026 in the latest edition of his "Power On" newsletter. He said the company is heading "into one of its most pivotal years in recent memory," with the rollout of major new Apple Intelligence features, intense regulatory pressure on the App Store,...
Apple today released iOS 26.1, the first major update to the iOS 26 operating system that came out in September, iOS 26.1 comes over a month after iOS 26 launched. iOS 26.1 is compatible with the iPhone 11 series and later, as well as the second-generation iPhone SE.
The new software can be downloaded on eligible iPhones over-the-air by going to Settings > General >...
Following more than a month of beta testing, Apple released iOS 26.1 on Monday, November 3. The update includes a handful of new features and changes, including the ability to adjust the look of Liquid Glass and more.
Below, we outline iOS 26.1's key new features.
Liquid Glass Toggle
iOS 26.1 lets you choose your preferred look for Liquid Glass.
In the Settings app, under Display...
In his "Power On" newsletter, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman today provided an update on the status of Apple Intelligence and the plans for it in 2026.
Apple is still planning to roll out its revamped version of Siri around March of next year. The release should be accompanied by the release of a new smart home display product with speaker-base and wall-mount options. A new Apple TV and HomePod...
We're officially in the month of Black Friday, which will take place on Friday, November 28 in 2025. As always, this will be the best time of the year to shop for great deals, including popular Apple products like AirPods, iPad, Apple Watch, and more. In this article, the majority of the discounts will be found on Amazon.
Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When ...
A new Apple TV and HomePod mini could launch as soon as this month, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman today suggested.
In today's "Power On" newsletter, Gurman said that Apple retail stores are planning an overnight refresh on the evening of November 11, where changes will be made after closing, such as refreshing displays and placing new products for the following day.
The timing of the overnight...
The smarter, more capable version of Siri that Apple is developing will be powered by Google Gemini, reports Bloomberg. Apple will pay Google approximately $1 billion per year for a 1.2 trillion parameter artificial intelligence model that was developed by Google.
For context, parameters are a measure of how a model understands and responds to queries. More parameters generally means more...