Baton
macOS menu bar app
One keyboard.
Every Mac.
Baton moves your Magic Keyboard, Mouse and Trackpad from one Mac to another. Click the Mac you want. That's it.
The handoff
Click a Mac. The keyboard goes there.
You've got two Macs and one good keyboard.
A Magic Keyboard will happily pair with both, but it only talks to one at a time. So every switch means Bluetooth settings on this Mac, then Bluetooth settings on that Mac, then waiting.
Baton does that bit for you. The Mac you're leaving lets go, the Mac you're going to picks it up. If anything goes wrong, the keyboard comes back to where it was.
Setting up
Two minutes, once.
Pair the normal way
Pair each device with each Mac in Bluetooth settings, like you would anyway.
Type in one code
Baton gives you a short code. Enter it on every Mac so they can find each other.
Tick what to move
Choose which devices Baton looks after. Done.
Then it's just this
The menu lives in your menu bar. Click a Mac to send everything there, or open a device and send just that one. The tick shows what's on this Mac right now.
Good to know
- Works with any number of Macs. Two, three, the one in the office. They all show up in the menu.
- Move one thing or everything. Send the trackpad to the laptop and keep the keyboard where it is.
- Handles sleep. A sleeping Mac lets go of its devices and takes them back when it wakes.
- Nothing leaves your network. Your Macs talk to each other directly. There's no account and no server in the middle.
- Notarised by Apple. Sandboxed, and asks only for what's below.
What it asks for, and why
- Bluetooth. To connect and disconnect your keyboard, mouse and trackpad. That's the whole job.
- Local network. To find your other Macs and tell them when a device is on its way.
- Notifications. Only to tell you if a handover failed. Say no and it just stays quiet.
- Your keychain. Baton keeps your pairing code and licence key there, the same place Safari keeps passwords. It reads only its own entries, and macOS won't prompt for them unless you've had a different build of Baton on the same Mac before.
Pricing
Pay once. Use it on all your Macs.
Baton
Tax included.
- All the Macs you own
- Updates included
- Key arrives by email, no account
- 30-day refund, no questions
Not sure yet? Try it free for 14 days first.
The trial does everything the paid version does. When it ends, Baton stops switching but leaves your devices exactly where they are. Enter a key and it carries on.
Payment goes through Polar, so your card details never touch this site. If you replace a Mac, free up its slot from your Polar purchases page and activate the new one.
Questions
Which devices?
Magic Keyboard, Magic Mouse and Magic Trackpad, 2015 or newer. Other Bluetooth keyboards and mice often work but aren't supported.
Does it need the internet?
Only to activate your key. After that it runs on your own network and keeps working for a month with no connection at all.
What if the handover fails?
Baton checks the other Mac is listening before it lets go. If it still fails, the device comes back to the Mac it was on.
I lost my key.
It's in your receipt email from Polar. Can't find it? Email me from the address you paid with.
Why not the App Store?
Unpairing a Bluetooth device isn't allowed in App Store apps. So Baton is notarised by Apple and sold here instead.
Put it on both Macs tonight.
Free for 14 days. No card.