Set up Tracello
Tracello turns your iPad and Apple Pencil into a pressure-sensitive drawing tablet for your Mac. Setup takes about five minutes.
What you need
- An iPad running iPadOS 18 or later. See compatibility for what we have tested.
- An Apple Pencil. Tracello is built and tested with Apple Pencil Pro; squeeze needs it.
- A Mac with Apple silicon running macOS 15 or later.
- A USB-C cable, or both devices on the same Wi-Fi network.
Install both apps
- On your iPad, install Tracello from the App Store.
- On your Mac, download the free Tracello companion and drag it to Applications. It lives in the menu bar.
- Open both. The Mac companion shows its status in the menu bar; the iPad shows a blank drawing surface and the side rail.
Connect
With a cable (recommended)
- Plug the iPad into the Mac with a USB-C cable and unlock the iPad.
- If the iPad asks whether to trust this computer, tap Trust.
- The first time, the iPad asks whether to pair with that Mac for Wi-Fi as well, and the Mac lists the iPad under Settings › Devices with a Pair button. Confirm on both; nothing is trusted until you do.
The cable gives the steadiest connection. Tracello uses it whenever it is plugged in.
Over Wi-Fi
- Put both devices on the same Wi-Fi network. Guest networks often block devices from seeing each other.
- On the Mac, open Tracello Settings › Devices › Pair an iPad. The Mac shows a QR code and a pairing code for two minutes.
- On the iPad, open the side rail and tap Mac. Tap Pair a Mac (or Scan or type the code once the iPad has found your Mac), then scan the QR code or type the code.
- Allow Local Network access on both devices when asked.
Over Wi-Fi, everything between your iPad and Mac is encrypted (TLS 1.3) and stays on your local network. The USB cable is a direct connection between the two devices. Once paired, the devices reconnect on their own.
Mac permissions
Tracello asks for these when a feature first needs them:
| Permission | Why Tracello needs it | When it is asked |
|---|---|---|
| Accessibility | To move the pointer and send pen pressure, tilt and clicks to your apps | During setup on the Mac |
| Local Network | To find and talk to your iPad over Wi-Fi | The first time Tracello looks for your other device |
| Screen Recording | To show your Mac screen on the iPad in Display mode (Tracello Pro, coming soon) | The first time you use Display mode |
You can change these later in System Settings › Privacy & Security. If you turn one off, Tracello pauses that feature and tells you what is missing.
Tablet and Display modes
Tablet mode
The iPad is a blank drawing surface, like a Wacom Intuos. You look at your Mac screen and draw on the iPad. Included in Tracello and Tracello Pro.
Display mode
The iPad shows your Mac screen and you draw right on it, like a Wacom Cintiq. Included in Tracello Pro, coming soon.
Screen and Mouse mapping
- Screen (default): each point on the iPad matches a point on your Mac display, like Pen mode on a Wacom tablet. Touch the top-left of the iPad and the pointer jumps to the top-left of the screen.
- Mouse: the Pencil moves the pointer from where it is, like a trackpad. Handy on large or multiple displays.
Switch between them from the side rail. The iPad draws the active area with the same shape as your display so strokes are not stretched.
Side rail and app keys
Side rail. Swipe in from the edge, or tap the handle, to open the menu: mapping, pressure, Pencil gestures, app keys, surface, Pencil test, Tracello and your Mac. It slides away when you go back to drawing.
App keys. A small button on the edge of the surface opens a wheel of your Mac apps: tap one to bring it to the front on the Mac. Choose and order the apps in App keys in the side rail. Long-press the button with a finger to drag it anywhere along the border; the wheel always opens toward the middle of the screen. Choose whether it is always visible, appears only when the Pencil is near, or appears only when you squeeze.
Apple Pencil Pro actions
- Pressure, tilt and hover reach your Mac apps as tablet input. Hovering moves the pointer without drawing.
- Squeeze (Apple Pencil Pro) opens the app keys wheel.
- Double-tap and squeeze can each be set in Pencil gestures.
Troubleshooting
The pointer does not move on the Mac
Check that Tracello is allowed under System Settings › Privacy & Security › Accessibility. If it is already on, turn it off and on again, then relaunch the companion.
The iPad does not find the Mac over Wi-Fi
- Make sure both devices are on the same network, not a guest network.
- Allow Local Network access: on the iPad in Settings › Privacy & Security › Local Network, on the Mac in System Settings › Privacy & Security › Local Network.
- Try the cable once; after pairing, Wi-Fi reconnects on its own.
The cable is plugged in but nothing happens
Unlock the iPad and tap Trust if it asks. Some charge-only cables carry no data; try another cable.
Strokes feel slow
Use the cable, or move closer to your Wi-Fi router. The Mac panel in the side rail shows how you are connected.
Pressure does not change the brush
In your drawing app, make sure the brush uses pen pressure (in Photoshop: Brush Settings › Shape Dynamics › Size Jitter › Control: Pen Pressure).
Still stuck? Get help.