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

Universal Control (Image credit: 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!

Only one note in the iOS 15.5 release notes. Breaks universal control if you aren’t running the latest betas on all devices. pic.twitter.com/QjqkZgsw8tOnly one note in the iOS 15.5 release notes. Breaks universal control if you aren’t running the latest betas on all devices. pic.twitter.com/QjqkZgsw8t— Parker Ortolani (@ParkerOrtolani) April 5, 2022 April 5, 2022

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.

Oliver Haslam has written about Apple and the wider technology business for more than a decade with bylines on How-To Geek, PC Mag, iDownloadBlog, and many more. He has also been published in print for Macworld, including cover stories. At iMore, Oliver is involved in daily news coverage and, not being short of opinions, has been known to 'explain' those thoughts in more detail, too. Having grown up using PCs and spending far too much money on graphics card and flashy RAM, Oliver switched to the Mac with a G5 iMac and hasn't looked back. Since then he's seen the growth of the smartphone world, backed by iPhone, and new product categories come and go. Current expertise includes iOS, macOS, streaming services, and pretty much anything that has a battery or plugs into a wall. Oliver also covers mobile gaming for iMore, with Apple Arcade a particular focus. He's been gaming since the Atari 2600 days and still struggles to comprehend the fact he can play console quality titles on his pocket computer.