Apple released macOS Monterey in macOS Monterey back in October 2021, but development hasn’t finished yet. The company continues to fix bugs and add new features, including some features that were announced back in June 2021, but haven’t yet made it into the final version.
On 27 January 2021 Apple released the first beta of macOS 12.3 alongside the first beta of iOS 15.4. The best news is that this beta version finally supports Universal Control, indicating that Apple should be able to introduce this long awaited feature soon.
macOS 12.3 Release Date
With regards to iOS 15.4 we have predicted that it won’t arrive until April 2022. This is based on the amount of time Apple spent developing the iOS 14.5 beta in 2021.
Of course we could see macOS 12.3 sooner than iOS 14.5, but it seems likely that they will all arrive in tandem. So an April launch looks likely, but there is a chance we could see the new features in March.
How to get macOS 12.3
Currently, the macOS 12.3 beta is only available to registered developers, Apple will probably make it available to public beta testers on 28 January, or in the days following.
If you’d like to join the Apple beta program to test the new software read this: How to join the Apple beta program.
Always back up your device before installing new beta versions and use a device that is not your system critical computer.
We explain how to download the macOS beta and how to install macOS separately.
What’s in macOS 12.3?
After a rather boring update in macOS 12.2 that was mainly security fixes, macOS 12.3 looks set to bring one long-awaited feature that Apple announced for macOS 12, but hasn’t yet been included: Universal Control. That’s not the only new feature though, as you will see if you read on.
Universal Control
One of the most eagerly awaited and as yet unavailable features is Universal Control, which will make it possible to use the same mouse or trackpad to select your Mac screen, type on your Mac with the keyboard, and then select your iPad screen with the same mouse and type there.
Apple had initially said that feature would arrive in the fall/autumn, but then it officially delayed Universal Control until the spring of 2022.
Now it looks like Universal Control will finally make an appearance. It is present in the beta of macOS 12.3.
Not all Macs will be able to take advantage of this new feature when it does arrive. Read: Some Monterey features don’t work on Intel Macs.
New emoji
There are new emoji coming in macOS 12.3. These include a melting face, a saluting face, biting the lip, a jar, the beans, X-ray, and bubbles. The blog emojipedia has a first look at these new emoji.
Log in without passwords
In the beta you will find the traces of Passkey Preview Technology. Basically, users will need a security key to log in with their ID and password on supporting pages run on appropriate hardware.
The technology simplifies iCloud Keychain for the user. It means that instead of verifying themselves with Face ID or Touch ID to add the correct password to a website or service, the user logs directly in with his own key. Read more about Apple’s plans to retire passwords.
Dropbox and OneDrive support
Apple is retiring kernel extensions that were responsible for Dropbox and OneDrive synchronization. It appears both Dropbox and Microsoft are testing a newer alternative for this.
New settings for screen recordings
Apple has provided a new interface for video conferencing programs. ScreenCaptureKit will give the user more control over the content that viewers see during a video stream. The new software distinguishes shareable content by screen, program and individual window from these programs.
AirPods updates via the Mac
Previously if you wanted to keep your AirPods up to date, Apple’s headphones had to connect to an iPhone or iPad from time to time, because the firmware updates were provided by the developer via iOS and iPadOS. Now it appears that it will be possible to update the AirPod firmware via macOS 12.3.
