It’s been a little less than two weeks since Apple released macOS Monterey Beta 4, but the company is back with Beta 5. After seeing a slew of changes to how Safari looks and functions, this latest beta release is a bit more subdued. At least a first glance.
Currently, macOS Monterey Beta 5 is rolling out to those on the macOS Developer Beta. This means that if you’re running the Public Beta, you likely will have to wait for another day or two.
What’s a bit surprising about this release is that Apple released the latest iOS and iPadOS 15 developer beta yesterday. So instead of just pushing all of the beta updates at the same time, Apple opts to break things up a bit.
After seeing Universal Control mentioned and removed in the Beta 4 release notes, there was a lot of hope that it would arrive in Beta 5. Unfortunately, that does not seem to be the case, as the Apple Developer Release Notes have no mention of this at all. In fact, there really don’t seem to be too many user-facing changes at all.
There are, however, some new features available for SwiftUI developers. These include a an improved modifier for “fine-grained control over different kinds of shapes”. A new openURL value can also be used to customize how URL’s are handled.
Again, these really aren’t user-facing so you’re unlikely to notice any of the changes until developers update their apps. We’ll definitely be keeping an eye out for any other changes so stay tuned.
Where’s Universal Control?
Normally, we wouldn’t be too concerned about a feature missing from an macOS beta release. However, since we’re now into August, and Monterey is slated to release this fall, the omission of Universal Control is a little concerning.
Universal Control is a Continuity feature that allows you to use a single mouse and keyboard between your Mac and iPad. Without needing any additional setup, you can drag and drop files and content between devices. It’s set to be a game-changer whenever it finally arrives, as you can use this with something like an iMac Mini, MacBook Air, and iPad to move files around.
We really don’t know what has happened to Universal Control. Aside from the mention in Beta 4’s release notes, Apple has not provided any indication as to when this will arrive. Let’s just hope it actually makes it to macOS Monterey and isn’t delayed or outright cancelled.
How to Download macOS Monterey Beta 5
Although today’s release of macOS Monterey is for developers, Apple is likely to release the Public Beta version in the coming days. For those who want to jump on the hype train and get Monterey on your device, here’s how to sign up for the Public Beta:
Sign up for the Public Beta by following the on-screen prompts. If you’ve already signed up for the program, click Enroll Your Devices at the top-right corner of the webpage.
Select macOS on the next page.
Scroll down and click the Download the macOS Public Beta Access Utility button.
Open the System Preferences app on your Mac.
Navigate to the Software Update section to install the beta. If enrolled, a message saying “This Mac is enrolled in the Apple Beta Software Program”.
Of course, following these steps installs Public Beta 4. But it ensures that you’re ready for when Public Beta 5 is released.
Andrew is a freelance writer based on the East Coast of the US.
He has written for a variety of sites over the years, including iMore, Android Central, Phandroid, and a few others. Now, he spends his days working for an HVAC company, while moonlighting as a freelance writer at night.
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