2022 was an exciting, solid year for macOS. We found a lot of great features in macOS Ventura like universal controls, Continuity Camera, and a portfolio of accessibility settings wrapped around the new UI.
However, we can’t help but feel like this is a foundation for even better things to come.
If you’re wondering what will happen to macOS in 2023, we have some suggestions for Apple. Here, we’ve listed some of the features we were hoping for, some we’re missing, and some rumored to be coming to the Mac soon.
1. Network Priority
Now a relic of an earlier OS iteration, changing your network preferences was a feature we may have taken for granted as a macOS staple. But we were wrong. It seems that Apple has decided that we don’t get to choose our network preference anymore.
For those who don’t know what this is, it is a feature that lets you prioritize the networks that you would like your Mac to automatically connect to. If you’re on macOS Monterey or older, you can do this in System Preferences > Network > Advanced, then drag the network of your choice to the top. The next time your Mac wants to choose who to connect to, it’ll work its way down the list.
Now, while Ventura brought some new and exciting things like Continuity Camera, it removed some features Mac users have long loved, and network priority is one of them. We hope Apple brings this feature back in one of the future macOS updates in 2023.
2. Scheduled Startup and Sleep
Another feature of older macOS iterations, the Schedule section of System Preferences allowed Mac users to preset when they would like their Mac to power on and off.
This automation is beneficial for those who have set times on their desktop and for MacBook owners who frequently use their MacBook with the lid closed.
However, macOS Ventura has no scheduling section in its redesigned System Settings app, forcing users to use the Terminal app when they want to automatically start and/or shut down their Mac. Huh.
We don’t know why Apple removed this feature, and so far, we haven’t found a concrete explanation. But we expect the Cupertino-based company to bring it back sometime in 2023.
3. Move Windows with Universal Control
Universal Controls is easily the most impressive macOS feature we’ve seen in 2022. This blurs the boundary between where your Mac stops and an iPad (or even another Mac) begins. You can use the same trackpad and keyboard and even drag and drop files between your devices.
Although it is brilliant, it is still lacking. There are still immersion-breaking limits to how much you can extend your workflow with Universal Control.
Since this feature is aimed at spreading your productivity across your Apple devices, it came as a surprise that we cannot extend Windows from one device to another.
Seeking to move every window to another device might be a stretch, especially if it’s an iPad.
However, Apple could at least add a feature that allows us to move Safari tabs or windows across devices. It could really improve how much Universal Control offers day-to-day users.
4. Window Snapping
Next on the list is a feature Microsoft added to Windows over a decade ago, and we’ve gone without it on macOS for a very long time. Windows snapping is one of the main UI and productivity advantages Windows PCs hold over Macs.
With this feature, you can split your windows on the desktop by dragging the window to a corner of the screen. Not that it’s completely impossible on macOS—you can view two apps side-by-side using Split View. But it’s far more difficult and not nearly as intuitive as it should be.
If this is a big deal for you—perhaps because you didn’t move to macOS—there are a number of good third-party Mac window management tools to choose from. You may have to pay for some of these apps, but Apple should have introduced this feature years ago. Perhaps, things will change in 2023—only time will tell.
5. Focus on gaming
Macs have always suffered in the gaming department. Even the highest-end models, such as the Mac Studio and MacBook Pro, can’t outperform Windows PCs in gaming performance. Apple hasn’t prioritized the gaming market as much as it has capitalized on the phone and creative professional space.
Will this change soon? We’re not sure, but Apple’s recent moves suggest so. For example, macOS Ventura came with an accessibility feature called Buddy Controller that lets you combine input from multiple controllers when you need assistance with your games. Also, the company has invested heavily in its Apple Arcade subscription service.
Considering Apple now has complete control over the hardware with the Apple Silicon Macs, things may have changed for the better.