Remember Universal Control? The delayed MacOS Monterey feature is still missing

By David Matthews Published December 1, 2021

Apple today released the MacOS Monterey 12.1 beta 4 for developers (or enterprising enthusiasts). However, the beta still does not contain Universal Control, which was easily the most anticipated feature from Monterey when it was announced at The Worldwide Developers Conference.

Apple promised that feature would come “later this fall” after having missed the initial release of Monterey in late October. But here we are in December with Universal Control nowhere in sight.

Universal Control on MacOS Monterey at Apple's WWDC event. — Apple

Universal Control and SharePlay were some of the marquee features announced at WWDC 2021, but both were delayed. Universal Control allows you to share a mouse and keyboard between a Mac and an iPad, rewarding people who are deep into Apple’s ecosystem. SharePlay, meanwhile, allows everyone in a single FaceTime group chat to view or listen to the same content.

Recommended Videos

While SharePlay has been available since the first public beta, Universal Control has been conspicuously absent.

Being able to share video and audio with friends over a FaceTime is cool, but it’s technically not that unique. Disney+, Hulu, and Amazon all have official ways to form watch parties, regardless of what platform you’re on.

Universal Control, on the other hand, is something that truly takes advantage of Apple’s vertical integration across its hardware products. Third-party apps like Logitech Flow have a similar function, but only work between Windows and Macs, while Universal Control includes iPads.

Universal Control rewards those who are deep in Apple’s ecosystem.

So, what exactly is included in the 12.1 beta 4 then? It simply resolves a SwiftUI issue where “document-based apps no longer include a Save As menu item above Duplicate.” Nothing really noteworthy unless that particular bug really annoyed you. The MacOS Big Sur 11.6.2 beta also came out, which may be worth sticking with due to a memory leak issue in Monterey.

Overall, MacOS Monterey seems to be a worthwhile update and adds genuinely useful features like being able to AirPlay to your Mac, increased privacy features, and the revamped Safari browser. Frequent FaceTime users will likely enjoy the added spatial audio and, of course, SharePlay. We have a handy guide for upgrading your Mac if you haven’t done it already.

If you’re interested in installing the beta, the usual caveats apply. Try to install on a secondary device as bugs can creep into software, even for very minor updates like this one.

While Universal Control was not included on this beta, hopefully Apple can still deliver on its promise before 2022 arrives. Or you could always try your luck at a GitHub workaround.

Topics

Former Digital Trends Contributor

David is a freelance journalist based just outside of Washington D.C. specializing in consumer technology and gaming. He has…

Computing

I finally tried Apple Intelligence in macOS Sequoia to see if it lived up to the hype

The redeisgned Siri user interface in macOS Sequoia.

For the last few years, Apple’s macOS releases have been interesting, if not particularly exciting. But that’s all set to change this year with the launch of macOS Sequoia, and it’s all thanks to one feature: Apple Intelligence.

Apple’s artificial intelligence (AI) platform has the potential to completely change how you use your Mac on a daily basis. From generating images, rewriting emails, and summarizing your audio recordings to revamping Siri into a much more capable virtual assistant, Apple Intelligence could be the most significant new macOS feature in years.

Computing

You can finally try out Apple Intelligence on your Mac. Here’s how

macOS Sequoia being introduced by Apple's Craig Federighi at the Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) 2024.

The second developer beta of macOS Sequoia is open for business and it includes Apple Intelligence features. It looks like anyone can try it out as long as you're not in China. That includes people in the EU -- even though the AI features might not launch there right away. The features available for testing include Writing Tools, Siri, Safari and Mail summaries, Smart Replies, Memory Movies, transcription features, Reduce Interruptions Focus Mode, and a few more. If you want to have a look yourself, here's everything you need to do to download the beta and activate Apple Intelligence.

Before you start, make sure you've backed up your Mac with Time Machine so you can restore the previous version if anything goes wrong. You can also use a secondary device if you have another Apple silicon Mac lying around because beta versions can go wrong and you have to download them at your own risk.

Computing

I’m a Mac power user, and these are the apps I can’t live without

A person using a MacBook Air connected to two monitors.

The best Macs have a reputation for being easy to use, and as someone who switches between Windows and macOS every day, I can confirm that that reputation is well-earned. But macOS isn’t just a straightforward, easy-peasy system with about as much depth as a puddle -- it’s also a brilliant platform for power users.

A lot of that comes down to the thriving ecosystem of apps that are available on macOS. Load up your Apple computer with a few choice selections and you’ll be able to get so much more out of it than you ever thought possible, from automating tedious processes to making clever use of AI and everything in between.