Apple Seeds Third Public Beta of macOS Monterey With Universal Control

Apple today seeded the third beta of an upcoming macOS Monterey 12.3 update to its public beta testing group, with the new software coming a week after the second macOS Monterey 12.3 public beta.

macOS Monterey 2
Public beta testers can download the macOS 12.3 Monterey update from the Software Update section of the System Preferences app after installing the proper profile from Apple's beta software website.

Universal Control is the major new feature in macOS Monterey 12.3, and it is designed to allow multiple Macs and iPads to be controlled using a single mouse/trackpad and keyboard. If you have a MacBook Pro and an iPad Pro, for example, both devices can be controlled with the ‌MacBook Pro‌'s trackpad and keyboard or a keyboard attached to the iPad.


iPadOS 15.4 is required for ‌Universal Control‌ on the ‌iPad‌, and once the updates are installed on your devices, the feature just works as it is automatically enabled.

macOS Monterey also includes new Emoji 14 characters like melting face, biting lip, heart hands, and more, and plus it adds support for updating AirPods with a Mac. There's no official update interface, but your AirPods can receive firmware updates over-the-air when connected to a Mac, similar to how the update process works with an iPhone.

There are some under-the-hood changes as well. Apple is removing Python 2 from macOS with macOS 12.3 after support was suspended in January 2020, and Apple is eliminating some kernel extensions used by Dropbox and OneDrive, necessitating software updates for those apps.

Related Forum: macOS Monterey

Popular Stories

Apple Shopping Event 2025

Apple Announces 2025 Black Friday Event, Here's What You Can Get

Thursday November 20, 2025 6:28 am PST by
Apple's annual four-day Black Friday through Cyber Monday shopping event is returning on Friday, November 28 through Monday, December 1 in many countries, including the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, the United Kingdom, Belgium, the Netherlands, Sweden, Thailand, and others. During the shopping event, customers can get an Apple gift card with...
iPhone 17 Pro Cosmic Orange

10 Reasons to Wait for Next Year's iPhone 18 Pro

Wednesday November 19, 2025 4:00 am PST by
Apple's iPhone development roadmap runs several years into the future and the company is continually working with suppliers on several successive iPhone models at the same time, which is why we often get rumored features months ahead of launch. The iPhone 18 series is no different, and we already have a good idea of what to expect for the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max. One thing worth...
iOS 26

Everything New in iOS 26.2 Beta 3

Monday November 17, 2025 3:20 pm PST by
Apple provided developers with the third beta of an upcoming iOS 26.2 update, and there are still new features that are being added with each beta that we get. We've rounded up all of the changes that Apple made in beta 3. AirDrop Apple added new AirDrop functionality, providing a way for two people to share files temporarily without having to add one another as contacts. iOS 26.2...
applecare apple care banner

Apple Brings New AppleCare+ Options to India

Tuesday November 18, 2025 8:42 am PST by
Apple today announced an expansion of AppleCare+ coverage in India, with new options for monthly and annual plans, and the addition of Theft and Loss for iPhone for the first time. Options for monthly and annual AppleCare+ plans in India provide more choice and flexibility, allowing users to keep coverage for as long as they require. Apple's vice president of Worldwide iPhone Product...
ipad mini 7 feature red and blue

iPad Mini 8: Four Major New Features to Expect

Wednesday November 19, 2025 7:50 am PST by
Apple's eighth-generation iPad mini is highly likely to arrive next year, offering a significant refresh of the device with at least four major new features. OLED Display The next-generation version of the iPad mini could feature an OLED display, as part of Apple's plan to expand the display technology across many more of its devices. Apple's first OLED device was the Apple Watch in 2015, ...
iPhone 17 Pro and Air N1 Feature

iPhone 17 vs. iPhone 16 Wi-Fi Speeds: New Study Reveals the Winner

Tuesday November 18, 2025 10:53 am PST by
A new study has revealed that the iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro, iPhone 17 Pro Max, and iPhone Air achieve significantly faster average Wi-Fi speeds compared to the iPhone 16 series, thanks to Apple's custom-designed N1 chip. The study was conducted by Ookla, the company behind the popular Speedtest website and app. It said the results are based on global, crowdsourced Speedtest user data...
Apple Wallet ID Illinois

iPhone Driver's License Feature Launching in Illinois

Tuesday November 18, 2025 8:47 am PST by
In select U.S. states, residents can add their driver's license or state ID to the Wallet app on the iPhone and Apple Watch, providing a convenient and contactless way to display proof of identity or age at select airports and businesses, and in select apps. Starting this Wednesday, November 19, the feature will be available to residents of Illinois. The announcement confirmed that the...
macbook black friday

The Best Early Black Friday Mac Deals

Tuesday November 18, 2025 7:32 am PST by
We're getting closer to Black Friday, which lands next week on Friday, November 28. In the lead-up to the shopping holiday, we're tracking a few lowest-ever prices on Apple's most popular Macs, including the M4 MacBook Air and brand new M5 MacBook Pro. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment,...
Magic Keyboard Touch ID Feature

Apple Releases New Firmware for 140W USB-C Power Adapter, Magic Keyboard and Magic Trackpad

Tuesday November 18, 2025 1:05 pm PST by
Apple today released updated firmware for several accessories, including the 140W USB-C Power Adapter, the Magic Trackpad 2, the Magic Trackpad USB-C, the Magic Keyboard with Touch ID, and the Magic Keyboard with Touch ID and Numeric Keypad. There is no word on what's included in the updated firmware at this time, but it could offer performance improvements and security updates. Accessory...
watchos 26 workout app

Apple Watch Users Claim Workout App Is Now Worse in Every Way

Thursday November 20, 2025 7:01 am PST by
Apple Watch owners have been voicing their frustration online over changes to the Workout app that Apple introduced in watchOS 26, with many finding the redesigned interface makes starting exercises difficult and exasperating. When Apple launched watchOS 26 in September, the Workout app went from large, easily tapped workout tiles to a scrolling, corner-button interface. Instead of tapping a ...

Top Rated Comments

BWhaler Avatar
49 months ago
Really looking forward to Universal Control. My guess is it’s a game changer.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Kissmo1980 Avatar
49 months ago

This is going to significantly improve my workflow. I only have one mac and one iPad. What's the verdict? Is this beta stable enough?

PS I know betas are betas
I used to jump on Beta trains... not anymore.
You probably can live without the features for 2-3 more weeks.

It's up to you- it's not the stability fo the system - the junk remaining afterwards when you decide you don't want betas anymore.

Either way - it's not a dead end. You can always cleanup and start fresh.
It's a matter of time, mood and willing to do this.... maybe I've gotten old. I rather spend some time doing something away from the Mac than spend too much time tweaking it.

It used to be fun - it faded out for me :) Others may still enjoy it - I'm not judging.

Cheers mate!
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
mxrider88 Avatar
49 months ago

Really looking forward to Universal Control. My guess is it’s a game changer.
I’m struggling to see it man.. probably just another half baked feature that turns out to be a gimmick. Like continuity, that never works with messages or personal hotspot that when you need it, it is not discoverable and you need to toggle it off and on.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
biglipps66 Avatar
49 months ago
I just want them to fix my mouse scroll being busted every damn time I wake my new MacBook
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
brilliantthings Avatar
49 months ago
This is going to significantly improve my workflow. I only have one mac and one iPad. What's the verdict? Is this beta stable enough?

PS I know betas are betas
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
MigC Avatar
49 months ago

('https://www.macrumors.com/2022/02/16/apple-macos-monterey-12-3-public-beta-3/')

Apple today seeded the third beta of an upcoming macOS Monterey 12.3 update to its public beta testing group, with the new software coming a week after the second macOS Monterey 12.3 public beta ('https://www.macrumors.com/2022/02/09/macos-monterey-12-3-public-beta-2/').



Public beta testers can download the macOS 12.3 Monterey update from the Software Update section of the System Preferences app after installing the proper profile from Apple's beta software website ('https://beta.apple.com/sp/betaprogram/').

Universal Control is the major new feature ('https://www.macrumors.com/2022/01/27/hands-on-universal-control/') in macOS Monterey 12.3, and it is designed to allow multiple Macs and iPads to be controlled using a single mouse/trackpad and keyboard. If you have a MacBook Pro and an iPad Pro, for example, both devices can be controlled with the MacBook Pro's trackpad and keyboard or a keyboard attached to the iPad.



iPadOS 15.4 is required for Universal Control on the iPad, and once the updates are installed on your devices, the feature just works as it is automatically enabled.

macOS Monterey also includes new Emoji 14 characters ('https://www.macrumors.com/2022/01/27/ios-15-4-emoji/') like melting face, biting lip, heart hands, and more, and plus it adds support for updating AirPods with a Mac. There's no official update interface, but your AirPods can receive firmware updates over-the-air when connected to a Mac, similar to how the update process works with an iPhone ('https://www.macrumors.com/how-to/update-airpods/').

There are some under-the-hood changes as well. Apple is removing Python 2 ('https://www.macrumors.com/2022/01/28/apple-removing-python-2-in-macos-12-3/') from macOS with macOS 12.3 after support was suspended in January 2020, and Apple is eliminating some kernel extensions ('https://www.macrumors.com/2022/01/27/macos-12-3-deprecates-dropbox-onedrive-kexts/') used by Dropbox and OneDrive, necessitating software updates for those apps.

Article Link: Apple Seeds Third Public Beta of macOS Monterey With Universal Control ('https://www.macrumors.com/2022/02/16/apple-macos-monterey-12-3-public-beta-3/')
Not mentioned anywhere but worth a note: reworked Metal drivers for Intel/AMD platforms introduced with beta3 now enabling the use of GPU Metal in Blender 3.1 beta + 3.2 alpha.Nice to see Apple catering to their long standing pro user base (mostly still on older platforms) and contributing financially and with manpower to devepment of open software.Good times ahead. Ty Apple.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)