Last week, Apple seeded macOS Ventura beta 5 to developers and beta testers. Six Colors found that the tech company has removed the “Network Locations” feature from the latest beta update.
Released in macOS 10.0 update in 2001, the Network Locations feature has been used to easily switch between different network configuration preferences in different environments. For example, Mac users can select Wi-Fi, Ethernet, or other network settings suitable to their location like work, library, or home.
Apple says the new System Preferences app on macOS Ventura beta 5 “works as currently designed” without the Network Locations feature
According to the report, Tyler Loch reached out to Apple to know if the Network Locations feature is removed accidentally or gone for good from the new System Preferences app on macOS Ventura.
Responding to his feedback submission, the company marked it as “works as currently designed.”
Earlier it was also discovered that Apple has removed the Hide My Email support for third-party apps and websites from macOS Ventura beta 5 update. Currently, only available on Apple’s native apps, the privacy feature protects users’ email by generating random emails.
Six Colors also added that termination of an OG feature creates an opportunity for a third-party developer to offer the feature to those who regularly use Network Locations on macOS.
Length of service in macOS is not reason enough to keep any feature around, but I’ve heard from several people who say they still use this feature and are upset that it’s seemingly been terminated. It’s useful in business situations where different networks have different properties. One colleague of mine says he uses the feature to debug network problems without messing up existing settings and to connect to specific devices when visiting a relative’s house.
If Apple’s truly done with this feature, it seems ripe for a third-party developer to jump in with a replacement.
macOS Ventura will be arriving to all users in September, along with iOS 16, watchOS 9, tvOS 16, and other software updates. It is also rumored that iPadOS 16 might be delayed by a month because a few apps are facing performance issues.
