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.

astropad slate ipad
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 Logo Zoomed

Tim Cook Teases Plans for Apple's Upcoming 50th Anniversary

Thursday February 5, 2026 12:54 pm PST by
Apple turns 50 this year, and its CEO Tim Cook has promised to celebrate the milestone. The big day falls on April 1, 2026. "I've been unusually reflective lately about Apple because we have been working on what do we do to mark this moment," Cook told employees today, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. "When you really stop and pause and think about the last 50 years, it makes your heart ...
wwdc sans text feature

Apple Rumored to Announce New Product on February 19

Thursday February 5, 2026 12:22 pm PST by
Apple plans to announce the iPhone 17e on Thursday, February 19, according to Macwelt, the German equivalent of Macworld. The report, citing industry sources, is available in English on Macworld. Apple announced the iPhone 16e on Wednesday, February 19 last year, so the iPhone 17e would be unveiled exactly one year later if this rumor is accurate. It is quite uncommon for Apple to unveil...
Finder Siri Feature

Why Apple's iOS 26.4 Siri Upgrade Will Be Bigger Than Originally Promised

Friday February 6, 2026 3:06 pm PST by
In the iOS 26.4 update that's coming this spring, Apple will introduce a new version of Siri that's going to overhaul how we interact with the personal assistant and what it's able to do. The iOS 26.4 version of Siri won't work like ChatGPT or Claude, but it will rely on large language models (LLMs) and has been updated from the ground up. Upgraded Architecture The next-generation...
iOS 26

iOS 26.3 and iOS 26.4 Will Add These New Features to Your iPhone

Tuesday February 3, 2026 7:47 am PST by
While the iOS 26.3 Release Candidate is now available ahead of a public release, the first iOS 26.4 beta is likely still at least a week away. Following beta testing, iOS 26.4 will likely be released to the general public in March or April. Below, we have recapped known or rumored iOS 26.3 and iOS 26.4 features so far. iOS 26.3 iPhone to Android Transfer Tool iOS 26.3 makes it easier...
iphone 17 pro dark blue 1

iPhone 18 Pro Max Rumored to Deliver Next-Level Battery Life

Friday February 6, 2026 5:14 am PST by
The iPhone 18 Pro Max will feature a bigger battery for continued best-in-class battery life, according to a known Weibo leaker. Citing supply chain information, the Weibo user known as "Digital Chat Station" said that the iPhone 18 Pro Max will have a battery capacity of 5,100 to 5,200 mAh. Combined with the efficiency improvements of the A20 Pro chip, made with TSMC's 2nm process, the...

Top Rated Comments

beatrixwillius Avatar
30 months ago

Hmmm… I can type faster than I write… I also have a mouse and trackpad to control the cursor. I guess it’s great for photo editing when you’re connected to a large display.
I have arthritis since 25 years and can't use a mouse at all. I've been using Wacom tablets. So the idea of using an iPad is not bad. Lag and precision would be key for the app.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
rembert Avatar
30 months ago
Nice, but no thanks as this will likely require a subscription, just like their flagship project. I only buy software which can be used “indefinitely” where it will be my choice to decide to upgrade to a newer version. They’ll have to convince me to upgrade - a subscription based solution lacks that incentive: why would they, the money is being received, why bother too much (I’m looking at you, Adobe). For instance I’ll skip the latest DxO upgrade as it doesn’t bring me anything I require. The previous version is more than capable (for me).
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
lovehateapple Avatar
30 months ago

Pretty cool. I wanted a device/functionality like this for a while.
Same here, definitely going to give it a try.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
klasma Avatar
30 months ago
They'll probably make it a subscription like Studio.

There's also Duet ('https://www.duetdisplay.com/') in that general product category.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
baryon Avatar
30 months ago
It would be so cool if MacBook trackpads could work with the Apple pencil. It could replace a Wacom in many cases.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
svish Avatar
30 months ago
Interesting idea. Wonder how the pricing will be after the beta.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)