Apple seeded the third beta of the impending macOS Monterey 12.3 upgrade to its public beta testing group today, with the new software arriving a week after the second macOS Monterey 12.3 public beta.
After installing the appropriate profile from Apple's beta software website, public beta testers can download the macOS 12.3 Monterey update from the Software Update section of the System Preferences app.
The main new feature in macOS Monterey 12.3 is Universal Handle, which allows you to control numerous Macs and iPads with a single mouse/trackpad and keyboard. If you have a MacBook Pro and an iPad Pro, for example, you can operate both devices using the trackpad and keyboard on the MacBook Pro or a keyboard linked to the iPad.
Universal Control on the iPad requires iPadOS 15.4, and after the updates are deployed on your devices, the functionality simply works because it is immediately activated.
macOS Monterey also brings support for upgrading AirPods with a Mac, as well as new Emoji 14 characters such as melting face, biting lip, heart hands, and more. There is no official update mechanism, but your AirPods may receive firmware upgrades over-the-air while connected to a Mac, much like an iPhone.
There are also some under-the-hood adjustments. Apple is removing Python 2 from macOS with macOS 12.3 following the suspension of support in January 2020, and Apple is deleting several kernel extensions used by Dropbox and OneDrive, mandating software updates for those programmes.
