Noted

Be warned — iPadOS 15.5 beta 1 breaks Universal Control on macOS 12.3

You'll need all the betas installed to make use of Universal Control after updating an iPad.
Oliver Haslam

Universal Control Source: Bryan M. Wolfe / iMore

What you need to know

  • Apple's new iPadOS 15.5 beta requires that the macOS 12.4 beta also be installed.
  • The iPadOS 15.5 and macOS 12.4 betas were made available earlier today.

Apple recently released a raft of new beta releases including iOS 15.5, iPadOS 15.5, and macOS 12.4. While most of the updates appear to be going off without a hitch, that middle one is a concern. Especially if you're using Universal Control.

People have been loving Universal Control since its debut in iPadOS 15.4 and macOS Monterey 12.3 but anyone who installs iPadOS 15.5 could be in for a shock — they'll also need to update to macOS 12.4 to keep using Universal Control. The same applies to people who update to macOS 12.4 because they'll need iPadOS 15.5 installed, too.

The news comes via the release notes Apple shares whenever new betas are released, although it's probably fair to say that not everyone reads them — at least not before installing the update!

It is of course important to remember that these are beta releases and it's likely that issues like this will be fixed before the final updates are made available to the public. It does raise the question of why this is the case, however. Apple still lists Universal Control as a beta feature and it's possible it is making large changes beneath the surface and that those changes require a companion update on both sides — Mac, and iPad.

Some would suggest that Universal Control is one of the best iPad and Mac features to be released in some time, particularly those who previously found themselves switching between multiple input devices during the day. It'll be interesting to see if any Universal Control changes or improvements are noticed once people get the latest betas up and running on multiple devices over the coming hours and days.