In recent years, iOS and macOS have become much closer in terms of features, with new features often appearing first on the iPhone and iPad. However, despite the significant progress, there are some functional gaps, especially in the settings area. Here are a few innovations that appeared on the iPhone and iPad but have not yet been fully implemented on the Mac.
Lock Screen Settings
With iOS 16 (and iPadOS 17), Apple added the ability to customize the lock screen on iPhone and iPad by adding widgets and fonts. This made it possible to significantly personalize devices, but a similar opportunity for Mac has not yet appeared. While macOS Sonoma has brought some changes to the lock screen, they haven't reached the same level as on mobile devices. It would be great to see more flexible lock screen settings for Mac in the future.
App Icon Settings
With iOS and iPadOS 18, Apple introduced the ability to change themes and application icon tints to personalize the home screen. In addition, before this, developers could allow changing the default app icons. In macOS, there is an option to change the application icon, but this option was used much less often. It would be interesting to see more icon settings for the Mac, similar to those found on the iPhone and iPad.
Control Center Settings
In iOS 18 and iPadOS 18, Apple has made significant changes to the Control Center, allowing third-party app switches to be added and providing more options for personalization. However, macOS does not have this level of customization. Although the Control Center appeared in macOS Big Sur, its functionality remained largely unchanged. It would be nice to see more detailed setup of Control Center on Mac in future updates.