macOS 12.3 Monterey Arrives with Universal Control and More, watchOS 8.5 and tvOS 15.4 Refine Things up with Bug Fixes
Alongside iOS 15.4 and iPadOS 15.4, Apple has also released macOS 12.3 Monterey for the Mac, watchOS 8.5 for Apple Watch and tvOS 15.4 for Apple TV. All of these updates are immediately available to download for those with a compatible device.
Download macOS Monterey 12.3
The key feature in the latest release of macOS Monterey is a very obvious one - Universal Control. Once enabled and in use, you can simply use your Mac’s keyboard and mouse to control your iPad as well. You can even copy and paste files between devices which is simply fantastic. Here are the complete set of changes you can expect from this update: macOS Monterey 12.3 — Restart Required macOS 12.3 adds Universal Control so you can use a single mouse and keyboard across your Mac and iPad. This release also includes new emoji, dynamic head tracking for Music, and other features and bug fixes for your Mac. Universal Control (beta)
Universal Control allows you to use a single mouse and keyboard across iPad and Mac Text can be typed on either Mac or iPad and you can drag and drop files between them
Spatial Audio
Dynamic head tracking is available in Music with supported AirPods on Mac computers with the M1 chip Customizable spatial audio settings for Off, Fixed, and Head Tracked are now in Control Center with supported AirPods on Mac computers with the M1 chip
Emoji
New emoji including faces, hand gestures, and household objects are available in emoji keyboard Handshake emoji allows you to choose separate skin tones for each hand
This release also includes the following enhancements for your Mac:
Siri now includes an additional voice, expanding the diversity of options Podcasts app adds episode filter for seasons, played, unplayed, saved, or downloaded episodes Safari webpage translation adds support for Italian and Chinese (Traditional) Shortcuts now supports adding, removing, or querying tags with Reminders Saved passwords can now include your own notes Battery capacity readings have improved accuracy
This release also includes bug fixes for your Mac:
News widgets in Today View may not open articles when clicked Audio may sound distorted while watching video in the Apple TV app Some photos and videos may be unintentionally moved when organizing albums in Photos
Some features may not be available for all regions or on all Apple devices. For information on the security content of Apple software updates, please visit this website: https://support.apple.com/kb/HT201222 In order to download the update immediately, just launch System Preference and then go to Software Update. Wait for the app to refresh and the macOS 12.3 final update will show up in a few seconds.
Download watchOS 8.5
Although Apple Watch updates aren’t exactly exciting, but they do arrive on a regular basis in order to keep things running nice and smoothly. watchOS 8.5 arrives today and brings a handful of bug fixes to the table along with a few minor changes. Here’s everything that is new with this update: watchOS 8.5 includes new features, improvements, and bug fixes, including:
- Ability to authorize Apple TV purchases and subscriptions* COVID-19 vaccination cards in Apple Wallet now support the EU Digital COVID Certificate format* Updates to irregular rhythm notifications designed to improve atrial fibrillation identification. Available in the United States, Chile, Hong Kong, South Africa and many regions where the feature is available. To determine your version visit: https://support.apple.com/kb/HT213082* Audio hints in Fitness+ provide you with audio commentary of visually demonstrated moves during workouts In order to download the update right now, place the Apple Watch on its magnetic charger and then make sure you have 50% or more battery life remaining. Now launch the Watch app on your iPhone, go to General > Software Update. Tap on Download and Install and wait for the installation to complete.
Download tvOS 15.4
Last but not the least, tvOS 15.4 is also available for the Apple TV 4K (both models) and Apple TV HD. It packs bug fixes and other improvements to make everything as smooth as possible. If you’re expecting new feature, there is one and one only - captive Wi-Fi, allowing you to use your iPhone and iPad to a Wi-Fi network that requires additional steps for signing in - for example, hotel Wi-Fi. You can download tvOS 15.4 by simply going to Settings > System > Software Update on your Apple TV and downloading the update from there. We highly recommend downloading all of these updates right away as they also contain security fixes as well. It’s always a good idea to download latest updates as they arrive since they ensure the smooth functioning of your devices. Mac users now have a solid reason to celebrate a new software release, thanks to Universal Control. This feature was announced last year and was pulled by Apple during beta stages. Then it showed up again with recent beta releases and it’s finally available for everyone to try out.
