Apple’s macOS, iPadOS get Universal Control with new update

Apple has just brought a much awaited feature to stable builds of both macOS Monterey 12.3 and iPadOS 15.4. The new update allows users to seamlessly integrated movement and transfers between an iPad and a Mac or MacBook, simplifying many tasks that utilise multiple devices together. It has also rolled out iOS 15.4 for all iPhone users. Here’s all you need to know about Universal Control.
What is Universal Control?
Announced last year, Universal Control is one of the newest Apple features to hit macOS that lets you use a Mac or MacBook seamlessly with an iPad in the vicinity. With the feature, users can use a single mouse across an iPad and a Mac at the same time. The feature allows users to drag and drop files between the two connected devices. Check it out below from the WWDC 2021 video.

Universal Control requires no additional setup, and can be directly enabled moving your cursor “away” from the screen of one device towards another one until it pops up on the new device. The feature also works with up to three devices at a time.
The drag and drop feature also allows you to quickly take photos you took or drawings you created on your iPad and quickly bring them to edit on your MacBook. Users will also be able to use the MacBook keyboard and trackpad gestures on an iPad via Universal Control.

macOS Monterey 12.3: What else is new?
The new macOS update also adds a new Spatial Audio feature to supported devices that brings Dynamic head tracking. This will allow you to look left and right while wearing a Spatial Audio-compatible audio device like the AirPods Max and feel the direction of music coming from your device.

Customisable Spatial Audio settings for Off, Fixed and Head Tracked can now be found in Control Centre for supported AirPods on Mac computers with the M1 chip. The macOS Monterey 12.3 update also adds new emoji that were also added to iOS 15.4 this week. These include hand gestures, household objects and separate skin tones for each hand on the handshake emoji.
Other changes include episode filters for the Podcasts app, along with played, unplayed, saved or downloaded episodes. Visual Look Up can now recognise art, landmarks, plants and more from around the world. Safari browser now also supports Italian and Chinese for translation.
Macs with the update also get some bug fixes. These include News widgets in Today View not opening articles when clicked, audio being dorted while watching video in Apple TV, and photos and videos being unintentionally moved when organising albums in Photos.