Apple rolls out macOS 12.3 with Universal Control in beta, 40+ new emoji, a new Siri voice, dynamic head tracking for Spatial Audio in some AirPods, and more
Universal Control was introduced with Monterey as a way to move one cursor across Macs and iPads, then surfaced in the iPadOS 15.4 and macOS 12.3 betas after a delay. Its arrival in the public macOS release turns a headline feature of Monterey's original rollout into an available, if still beta, cross-device workflow.
The same release extends Apple’s software bundle beyond device control, adding Siri and Spatial Audio changes alongside routine emoji additions. That combination matters because the update touches the Mac, nearby iPads, and eligible AirPods rather than treating macOS as a standalone endpoint.
First-order effects
Mac and iPad users can begin using one mouse and keyboard across nearby Apple devices through Universal Control, with beta status signaling that the workflow is not yet final.
Owners of supported AirPods receive dynamic head tracking for Spatial Audio, while macOS users gain a new Siri voice and more than 40 emoji.
Second-order effects
Apple makes owning a Mac alongside an iPad more useful in day-to-day work, because the new control feature depends on those devices operating together.
AirPods become more tightly connected to the Mac experience as audio features arrive through the operating-system update rather than as a separate hardware change.
Third-order effects
If Apple continues to ship cross-device controls and accessory features through platform updates, differentiation shifts toward the combined Apple-device experience rather than any single Mac, iPad, or AirPods product.
The trend: Apple is using OS releases to make its devices and accessories function as a more integrated ambient computing layer.
Okay, now with all my devices updated, I'm here to confirm that macOS -> iOS ‘Universal Control’ is legitimately the most holy-shit, mind-blowing thing Apple has pulled off in years. Honestly, maybe ever. It's that well done.
It's one of those things that seems like it can't possibly work as well as it does. And yet it does. It's the promise of “it just works” epitomized. It's something that probably a hundred little bits of software have made possible over years of tweaks to macOS and iOS. It's WILD.
Universal control on my Mac to my iPad is insanity. So seamless.... And no this is not an ad just an observation. Now let's see if I actually use the feature.
When you describe it, it can sound ho-hum. So... a second monitor? But it's a second monitor that runs iOS (or macOS as it works both ways!). And you can just instantly and seamlessly navigate the two. It breaks your brain not because it's complex but because it's so simple.
There's no winning the developer mindshare (hello!) when your best bet for your bugs to be fixed is OS level updates that are also tied to hardware updates.
“December 23, 2020: I discovered the issue and reported it to Apple's security team ... March 15, 2022: macOS 12.3 released with a complete fix” https://rambo.codes/...
(As I type this, I'm editing on an HDR mini-LED display on my MacBook Pro, with an HDR mini-LED display on the iPad Pro as a second screen, that I can now use as Sidecar for Final Cut or with Universal Control for every iPad app. It's silly terrific.) https://twitter.com/...
It is pretty damned cool. I was slinging my iMac cursor across the screens of my iPad and MacBook Pro. I just wish I could control my Macs with my iPhone. But no. Maybe in iOS 16....? https://twitter.com/...
Universal Control is rather neat. Unfortunately dragged UIColors don't automatically map to NSColors on macOS, so Pastel for iOS can't drag into an AppKit app for example, but you *can* drag from Pastel for iOS into Pastel for macOS (which supports both)
iOS 8 brought Extensibility and Continuity. At the time, I thought they were the most important developments for Apple OS since iOS I may have been underestimating them https://twitter.com/...