2022 was another exciting year for Apple with the release of the iPhone 14 Pro, Apple Watch Ultra, and the M2 chip MacBooks—to name a few important ones.
While the company showcased impressive hardware, the software section wasn't left behind either. We saw the release of iOS 16, big improvements to macOS Monterey, and an all-new macOS iteration—macOS Ventura.
Here, we'll talk about all the cool macOS features Apple gave us in 2022. We can't put down all of them, but we can list our favorites. So, let's take a look.
Universal Control
Even though we expected Universal Control earlier, it still blew us off our feet when it came. Who knew a feature update could skyrocket how useful an iPad can be with a Mac?
For those who don't know about it, Universal Control allows you to use the same mouse/trackpad and keyboard with up to two other Macs or iPads. Here's a detailed guide on how to use Apple's Universal Control.
But it doesn't end at using the same hardware for different Apple devices. Apple also designed Universal Control to let you drag and drop files between devices, giving you a heavy productivity boost if you own an iPad (or two) in addition to the Mac.
Stage Manager
Second only to Universal Control, Stage Manager is one of the top macOS productivity features 2022 saw. For many years, users were forced to use window management tools on Macs—most of which aren't free—if they hoped to manage a messy desktop effectively. Plus, why download an app for something your Mac should come with?
Stage Manager came with macOS Ventura, so only computers that can run Ventura can enjoy this feature. Essentially, Stage Manager will layer your windows by the left of your desktop, clearing up your desktop space so you can easily navigate through.
You can easily activate it by clicking the Control Center in the menu bar and clicking Stage Manager (represented by a square beside three vertical dots).
Continuity Camera
If we could give an award for the most exciting feature of 2022, then Continuity Camera would take the prize. Instead of making the Macs bulkier with larger cameras, Apple decided it was time to put those powerful cameras behind your iPhone to use. Now, you can use your iPhone's camera to replace your Mac's webcam and get crisper video calls.
However, Apple didn't end it there with this feature. Thanks to the wide-angle lens on newer iPhones, you can show your face and desk simultaneously with the Desk View option. Apple may have singlehandedly improved a huge percentage of Mac video calls in 2022.
Moreover, Continuity Camera also lets you change your Mac's microphone input to your iPhone. This feature means that you can use your iPhone as an external microphone for your Mac.
Live Captions
Live Captions is the most useful accessibility feature that came with macOS Ventura. With this, your computer can generate captions from whatever audio source it detects and present them on the screen for you to read. It could be helpful to people with audio accessibility problems.
While it's promising, it still has a long way to go in terms of detecting words. Most of the sentences it generates are inaccurate. Apple has indicated that the feature is still in beta, and the information gathered from the app should not be relied on in emergencies.
However, an overlapping caption reading window is something new to built-in OS features, and this is definitely a step in the right direction.
Weather App
Many people may have overlooked the Weather app's addition to macOS. You might ask, "Wasn't there always a Weather app on the Mac?" But no, you must be confusing your iPhone with your Mac.
And rightfully so; the app is pretty much the same thing you have on an iPhone or iPad. The same lovely background animation reflects the outside sky in real-time. You can also check for the same category of weather details, like 10-Day Forecast, Air Quality, UV Index, etc.
But we now have all of this in macOS, and it's now available for people who don't have an iPad or iPhone. macOS Ventura can give you weather alerts, and you activate them when you learn how to use the Weather app.
Undo Send in iMessage and Mail
Since Apple waited till 2022 to add this feature to macOS, the company must have thought it was the year to undo its mistakes. Mail and iMessage now allow you to "Undo Send" your messages before they can cause any damage.
In iMessage, you just have to Control-click your message and select Undo Send. In Mail, click Undo Send in the bottom-left corner after you send an email. You only have 10 seconds before the option disappears from the Mail app window. However, you can increase the duration, as we've explained in our dedicated guide on how to unsend an email in the Mail app.
iMessage also has editing as an extra feature. You can edit messages you've sent by selecting the option from the same menu you use to unsend messages.
Background Sounds
A niche addition to macOS, but a welcome one, Background Sounds is an accessibility setting that helps improve your focus with calming sounds. These sounds can drown out unwanted noise and boost your concentration, allowing you to rest or work better.
Background sounds include static sounds, like rain, ocean spray, and a flowing stream. Even though it's another import from iOS, the option on a Mac is nice. Taking the best from the iPhone and putting that on a Mac is an indicator that Apple is nudging Macs into the spotlight.
Live Text in Videos
Live Text was first introduced in 2021 alongside iOS 15 and macOS Monterey, allowing users to extract text from pictures. However, in 2022, Apple decided to improve upon this feature and give its users the option to also copy text from videos.
As macOS has been enjoying some of the best feature updates from iOS, it's no surprise that Live Text in videos has also made its way to Macs. Now we can easily copy, share, and google texts from videos saved on our Macs, and the time you save makes this feature a game-changer for note-taking.
A Solid Year for macOS
All in all, 2022 was an interesting year for macOS. Not only did we witness a healthy revamp of Monterey in version 12.3, but we also saw a benchmark iteration in the form of macOS Ventura.
Both of these updates brought exciting additions to the Mac. However, it's clear that Apple is sailing in a new direction, and we can only guess where it's heading as the new year begins.