8 macOS Features We Want to Get in 2023
Reading Time: 5 minutesmacOS updates in 2022 were loaded with impressive features, but there are still many more changes and additions we’d like to see from Apple in 2023.
2022 was an exciting, solid year for macOS. We got many cool features like Universal Control, Continuity Camera, and a portfolio of accessibility settings wrapped with a new UI in macOS Ventura. However, we can’t help but feel like this is only the foundation for even better stuff in the future.
If you’re wondering what will happen to macOS in 2023, we have a few suggestions for Apple. Here, we’ve listed some features we have been expecting, some we miss, and some rumored to come to Macs soon.
1. Network Priority
Now a relic of an older OS iteration, changing your network priority was a feature we might have taken for granted as a macOS staple. But we were wrong. It seems Apple has decided that we no longer need to choose our network priority.
For those who don’t know what this is, it’s a feature that lets you prioritize the networks you’d prefer your Mac to connect to automatically. If you’re on macOS Monterey or older, you can do so in System Preferences > Network > Advanced, then drag the networks you prefer to the top. Next time your Mac wants to choose which one to connect to, it will work its way down the list.
Now, while Ventura did bring in some new and exciting stuff like Continuity Camera, it removed some features long-time Mac users 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 from older macOS iterations, the Schedule section of System Preferences allowed Mac users to predetermine when they would like their Macs to turn on and shut down. This automation is beneficial for people who have scheduled times on their desktops and for MacBook owners who often use their MacBooks with the lid closed.
However, macOS Ventura doesn’t have any scheduling section in its redesigned System Settings app, forcing users to use the Terminal app to input when they would like their Mac to start and/or shut down automatically.
We don’t know why Apple removed this feature, and so far, we haven’t received a solid explanation. But we hope that the Cupertino-based company brings it back sometime in 2023.
3. Move Windows With Universal Control
Universal Control is easily the most impressive macOS feature that 2022 saw. It blurs the border 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.
While it’s brilliant, it’s still lacking. There are still immersion-breaking limits to how much you can extend your workflow with Universal Control. Since it’s a feature aimed towards spreading your productivity across your Apple devices, it came as a surprise that we can’t extend windows from one device to the other.
It might be a stretch to demand every window to be movable to another device, 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. This could really improve how much Universal Control offers to 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 far too long on macOS without it. Windows snapping is a core UI and productivity advantage that Windows PCs hold over Macs.
With this feature, you can split your windows on the desktop simply by dragging the window to one corner of the screen. It’s not as if this is entirely 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 why you’ve not moved to macOS—there are many good third-party Mac window management tools to choose from. You might 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, like the Mac Studio and the MacBook Pro, can’t outperform Windows PCs in gaming performance. Apple has simply not 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 inputs from multiple controllers in case you need assistance with your game. Also, the company is heavily invested in its Apple Arcade subscription service.
Considering Apple now has complete control over the hardware with the Apple silicon Macs, things could change for the better. There’s no telling how long it will take for Apple to shift its focus to new territory, but let’s hope it happens in 2023.
6. Boot Camp Assistant
Before Macs started using Intel chips, there was no way to run Windows on a Mac. But soon after, Boot Camp Assistant allowed Macs to run Windows natively, and they arguably ran the OS better than most other PCs.
Boot Camp Assistant makes Macs way more valuable since you don’t need two separate computers to use both operating systems. However, with the new Apple silicon chips, Apple is no longer offering Boot Camp Assistant, meaning users will have to rely on virtualization software like Parallels to install and run Windows on the Mac.
Unfortunately, running Windows in a virtual environment is a sluggish experience, and the performance is not even close to what you get with Boot Camp. Perhaps Apple will reconsider its decision and bring Boot Camp Assistant along its new hardware journey.
7. Volume Control for Individual Apps
Windows has a feature in its sound settings that allows you to raise or lower the volume of individual apps without changing the overall system volume. And this nifty little addition is still missing in macOS, which is surprising considering the Mac is supposed to be a productivity powerhouse.
There’s no built-in way to change the volumes on each source without finding the in-app interface, assuming the app has one in the first place. We think Apple should add this to future updates so that macOS has a more robust sound control system that doesn’t rely on third-party apps.
8. Handoff for Apple Music
Handoff is an Apple Continuity feature that allows you to pick up things where you left off as you switch between your Apple devices. For example, you can start an email on your Mac and finish it on your iPhone. If you don’t know about it, you can read about how to enable handoff on your Mac.
Handoff is great, but it could be even greater if Apple extended this feature to Apple Music. It could be pretty nice to start a song on your iPhone, then move to your Mac, and your song continues as soon as your AirPods connect.
This doesn’t seem difficult to accomplish, so Apple should consider adding this to its list of macOS feature updates in 2023.
A Promising 2023 for macOS
We can’t help but feel like 2022 was simply a premise for more exciting things in macOS. Apple has set the ground for newer and more interesting integration across its spectrum of devices, with the Mac at the heart of it.
If Apple needs inspiration for where to build on this foundation, it should look to its users to avoid taking steps backward by removing features we have come to love. If Apple plays its cards right, 2023 could be promising for the Mac.