The late adaptation of the Mac operating system is called macOS Monterey . macOS 12 was enter at WWDC21 and issue to the general public on October 2021 .
This is our macOS Monterey FAQs and feature template including how - tos , tips , and the latest intelligence about new feature . We covermacOS Monterey : recent version , problem & fixesin a freestanding article .
macOS Monterey: Should you wait to upgrade?
It ’s easy to stick out in on all the inflammation of a new operating organization . But waiting could be a sassy determination . We have an article that goes over thereasons why you should raise now and why you should wait . We also compareBig Sur vs Monterey .
macOS Monterey: How to install the update
If you still have n’t update to Monterey it ’s commonly an easy process to update ( if you encounter problems readWhat to do if macOS Monterey wo n’t instal ) . The update is detached and you only ask to be tie in to the internet . The installation will take several minutes ( plan on about 30 hour ) and your Mac needs to resume . Here are the footfall to do the installation :
macOS Monterey: Latest version
The latest version ismacOS Monterey 12.5 , which came out in July 2022 . This is likely the last version of Monterey to be loose , except for vital security updates . The next major release calledmacOS Venturawill ship this fall .
macOS Monterey: All of the new features
The macOS Monterey operating arrangement update comes with lots of new feature of speech , design changes , and improvements . We ’ve compiled a list ofall the major new features , below is a sum-up .
Universal Control
Many years ago Apple introduced various persistence features that made it possible to unite iPhones , Macs , and iPad so that you could easily reach Off between equipment , cut and glue from Mac to iPhone and back , AirDrop , and other useful features such as the ability to respond telephone set call on your Mac . These are the kinds of features that Apple users do good from because Apple make the computer hardware and package and therefore all element work really well together .
Monterey acquaint a new Continuity feature – Universal Control . Universal Control was lacking from macOS Monterey when it launched in October 2021 , but it finally arrived in March 2022 .
Universal Control puddle it really easy toconnect your iPad to your Mac . This is in reality a feature that make it with Catalina , but this metre it will go a step further – you will be able touse one keyboard and mouse for both Mac and iPadand the pointer will move from one screen to the other .
Live Text allows you to select text in an image and look it up on the web.
SharePlay
SharePlay financial support allows citizenry to portion out an experience while watching video , hear to euphony , or even an app windowpane while on a FaceTime call . The people on the call can command the medium that ’s trifle , and the callers can even make a playlist . SharePlay go with Apple TV and Apple Music ; support for other services will depend on those service sweep up the SharePlay API and update their service with bread and butter . SharePlay arrive on Macs with Monterey 12.1 . Read : How to habituate SharePlay on Mac , iPad and iPhone .
Quick Note
Quick Note is a fast style to create a note filing cabinet . When you trigger it , the Notes app quickly opens to a new file that you may part using directly . It ’s a fantastical feature , but might not be so obviousif you do n’t know it ’s there .
Focus
telling are one feature article that people kvetch about more than praise . They can just be so distracting and never - ending . Apple ’s agnise this because it is introducing a new feature : Focus that will allow you to make your Mac less trouble by silencing certain Notifications and better make out the one you do see .
Focus is essentially an expansion of selection that were originally usable in the Do Not commove feature that ’s already in macOS . To make Focus suitable for your office , you may adapt its druthers , which we ’ll go over inthis article .
You will be able-bodied to set up a number of Focuses , one for when you are working , one for when you are watching your favorite TV show , and another for when you are eat dinner with the household . These could be dependent on your location or time of mean solar day , and will , of course , be synchronise across all your Apple equipment .
Live Text allows you to select text in an image and look it up on the web.
And in case someone if urgently trying to meet you via Messages when you have lay out Do Not Disturb to be on , they will be able to see you ca n’t be reached – and if they do indeed need to desperately contact you it will be possible for them to bypass that .
Live Text and Look Up
Thanks to its car learning potentiality your Mac will be able to recognize text in an image , so you ’ll be able to cut and paste textbook from photos , press an address to open up Maps , or take a phone number in a photo to locate a call via your Mac . As a result of this in Monterey , you may now select the text in a pic , imitate it , and then glue it into a document . you’re able to also look up that text on the web or in Maps . Here ’s how you ’ll habituate it on your Mac .
Similarly , your Mac will be capable to recognize landmark , art , breeds of dog , and so on . It will be possible to flick on Visual depend Up to see information relating to the image .
ab initio , Apple seemed to be allow the OCR - alike alive Text to M1 Macs , but Apple seems set to add support for the feature article to Intel - powered Macs after all . The fourth Monterey beta included bouncy Text for Intel Macs . Read : orchard apple tree to take OCR - like Live Text to Intel Macs after all .
Live Text allows you to select text in an image and search it up on the vane .
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AirPlay to Mac
With AirPlay to a Mac , you could now take the medium from your iPhone and iPad and use AirPlay to well out on your Mac . you could also stream from an app ; for deterrent example , you could draw using your iPad , and use AirPlay to stream your activity onto a Mac so others can watch . AirPlay to Mac form wirelessly or over a USB connection .
Low Power Mode
Low Power Mode reduces energy using up by automatically turning down the sieve brightness and organization clock hurrying to save battery life and make your Mac run more quiet . Here ’s how to plow it on .
Finder and windows changes
The Finder in macOS Monterey has a few changes . When you ’re imitate a file cabinet , the progress windowpane is now in the pattern of a pie chart , and you’re able to now break long single file copies and re-start them subsequently . Go to Folder has a novel purpose , and Apple better the auto - pass completion railway locomotive to make it easier to incur the file or folder you involve .
Monterey also has a few new room to manage window . you may swap out apps in Split View and change a Split View windowpane to full screen . Windows automatically resize when proceed a windowpane to a secondary show , another Mac , or an iPad . And if you ’re in full - screen mode , you’re able to have an always - on menu bar .
Change the cursor color
Change the color of the Mac cursorto make it easy to find or to shine your personality .
Enable Full Keyboard Access
With Full Keyboard Access , you could rely less on the computer mouse or trackpad to navigate the user user interface and instead use Tab and other keyboard discover to select items . Get the details on this powerful new feature .
Reset without reinstalling
A Modern option in System Preferences will countenance you erase all user datum and substance abuser - install apps just like on an iOS equipment . That think you may essentially “ reset ” a Mac running Monterey without having to do a complete reinstall .
Memoji
There are a circle more selection to customize your Memoji . Monterey offer more getup and colors , multicolored headwear , new glasses , approachability features , and the ability to have two different centre colors . you’re able to choose your Memoji for your Mac login , and it has aliveness that react to you , such as a logarithm - in greeting or a head shake if you enter the wrong watchword .
October 2021 brought a brand unexampled operating system software update to Macs . macOS Monterey arrived on Monday 25 October .
In this clause , we gather up all the news about the latest iteration of Apple ’s New desktop operating arrangement , macOS 12 , aka Monterey , let in the features that were missing from the last version – such asUniversal Control .
We also talk about problem people are encountering with the new operating organisation – including reports that macOS Monterey bricked some Intel - powered Macs and newsworthiness that there are problems with USB connectivity following the update .
New apps and app improvements
Every yr the new macOS incline to bring a crowd of apps from iOS for the first clip along with some new feature to existing apps . This year is no different . Here are some of the highlights :
FaceTime
We ’ve all become accustomed to talk to friends and family using video recording group discussion software package , but , unfortunately , this has emphasises a number of the features missing from FaceTime .
Apple direct some of these omissions in macOS Monterey . It will also be really well-to-do to fall in your friends to watch shows , listen to medicine and even surf the web together .
We ’ll begin with the changes in FaceTime – these will apply toiOS 15and the other operating system .
A new Grid view will imply you’re able to see all the masses in the call in the same sized roofing tile . Apple enunciate this will make for better conversation with large groups . Speakers will be highlighted , but they wo n’t fill the silver screen at the disbursement of the other participants ( we wonder if this is a feature you could turn off so that you could pore on a presenter ? )
If you have an M1 Mac your FaceTime calls will sound and palpate more natural thanks to Modern Spatial Audio have that think of the voices will sound like they are coming from the charge of that person on the FaceTime grid .
If ground interference in FaceTime is distracting you’re able to use Voice Isolation to minimize it . On the other bridge player , if you do n’t want to block that disturbance you’re able to habituate the Wide Spectrum lineament to ensure that the others hear everything .
It will be possible to use a raw Portrait Mode television issue to blur your background – handy if you are taking an important work call in your bedroom .
This one we ’ve been waiting for : you’re able to create FaceTime links and schedule FaceTime vociferation . you could send a weblink to the Guest .
And perhaps most exciting of all , although Apple gloss over it rather – you will be able-bodied to invite anyone to a FaceTime call – even Windows and Android . ( And it will still be encrypted and secure , of course ) .
Other features coming to FaceTime are interrelate to share experiences with friends . Say you all want to watch Loki on Disney+ , you may Watch Together in FaceTime ( basically Apple ’s answer to Watch Parties ) .
You will also be able to heed to music together ( we ’re not clean-cut yet on whether everyone needs Apple Music ) .
You ’ll also be able to share your screen from inside FaceTime , which is something we were sure we could already do , but perhaps it was an old iChat feature film . This way you and your friends could surf the web together to find information for a vacation you are planning together ( for when vacations are a thing again ) .
Read : How to FaceTime on a Mac .
Messages
On the radical of chatting to your admirer , the Messages app is also getting update across the range of Apple products . The Mac always seems to be a few footstep behind iOS , but this year we seem to be convey many of the same new characteristic .
One feature number to Messages that we have been calling for is the power to see photos sent to you in Messages within the Photos app without having to physically lend them ! This has always seemed a crazy special gradation for us , especially since it is an option in WhatsApp .
If heart-to-heart Photos you will see a folder that hold in the photos that have been ‘ Shared With You ’ .
There will also be Shared With You folders in other apps , for model , shared out links will appear in Safari . intelligence articles will appear in the News app . You will also see who sent the recommendation – and you may reply straightaway without give to open up the Messages app .
Apple also mentioned that when someone send out photos to you in Messages these will be appear as a control grid , collage or passel of figure you’re able to easy flip through .
Read : How to apply message on a Mac .
Safari
Tabs are a major user port element in Safari but they become unwieldy and strong to supervise . Apple desire to address those problems in Safari 15 with a new tab implementation and features . Here ’s how tabs do work in Safari 15 and how to make pill groups .
Safari is also catch a major update – not just for Monterey but also in Big Sur and Catalina . In fact , you’re able to already install Safari 15 on Big Sur , however , there are reports that there are problem loading some sites and other problems with the raw version of the web web browser . Read : Mac users cover serious trouble with Safari 15 .
If you want to put in Safari 15 on Big Sur and Catalina go to Software Update ( either undecided System Preferences , or tap the Apple logotype ) . You will find the Safari 15 update there .
Apple says Safari will be “ more customisable than ever ” . chit seems to be getting a big overhaul that should make it a neater and best supervise method acting of keeping caterpillar tread of the websites you visit most .
There are a few problem with the tabs system properly now : we have a lot of pinned tabs in Safari , we have pinned every internet site we on a regular basis apply . This mean our pinned tabs take a lot of space up . Another problem is that tabs do n’t easy sync . In fact it could n’t be more difficult as we receive of late when we were trying to copy our useful assembling of pinned tabs to an M1 Mac we were testing . The only style do do this was to keep the tab as shortcut , locate the shortcuts file , and then simulate the shortcuts to the Modern Mac . It really ought to be easier … ( Read : How to sync Pinned Tabs and Safari preferences between Macs )
as luck would have it in macOS Monterey it will be easier ! Your tabs will synchronise across all your Apple devices .
The Tabs Bar will also be more sleek because you will be able to group Tabs into Tab Groups . That way your Tabs will take up less blank , you may name tab groups to make them sluttish to find and even haul tab group into an email to deal .
Tabs will also take on coloring of land site you are on , but that ’s not particularly exciting , and will only serve to make them vanish .
Read : How to use Safari on a Mac .
Quick Note & Notes
We use Notes a great deal , as we are sure a flock of people do , so the unexampled Quick Note feature film occur to macOS Monterey will no doubt be utilitarian .
With Quick Note it will be possible to jot down down ideas without even opening the Notes app . You will be able to drop a line a Note within the app you are working on .
You could , for example , save a Safari link by adding it to a Quick Note .
You ’ll see al your Quick Notes inside the Notes app , but you will also be able to tag them onto the app you create them in .
The Notes app will get a fresh Activity View so you could see if others have bestow anything to a Shared Note . You will also be able to @ their name in a note and they will receive a telling
You will also be able-bodied to organise your Notes with Tags , just character # and a tonic and you will be able-bodied to search using the Tag internet browser .
Read : How to use Notes on a Mac .
Shortcuts
crosscut on iOS and iPadOS has become a democratic prick to create automation . In macOS Monterey , Shortcuts for Mac will be usable , bringing over the same powerful functionality . Any shortcuts that you make are available system of rules - wide , so you may melt down them from just about anywhere on the Mac . It ’s easy to share shortcuts , and any crosscut you make sync across all your devices . If they are compatible , iPhone and iPad shortcuts can run on M1 Macs or on Intel - based Mac systems with Catalyst apps .
We ’ve been say for year that Apple require to bring the Shortcuts app to the Mac . cutoff arrived on iOS a few years ago and can be used to automatize activity and streamline workflows . Macs , on the other hand , had the Automator app , which could do the same sort of things , but was a flock more hard to use ( not that Shortcuts is easy , but it does at least make the operation of finding exiting Shortcuts easier ) .
Well now Shortcuts is coming to the Mac ( Automator will remain and it will apparently be potential to move between the two apps ) .
You ’ll be able to change by reversal multiple steps into one by creating a Shortcut to , for deterrent example , delete the content of your Downloads folder .
It will be easy to run shortcuts form the Dock , Menu bar , Finder , Spotlight or Siri .
You ’ll be able to rule prebuilt shortcuts in the Shortcut Gallery .
And if you build your own shortcuts you ’ll be able to share them with friends .
Privacy features
Apple ’s also introducing other Privacy feature , such as the power to obtain out what apps are using or have get at your mic ( similar to the feature in iOS 14 ) . Mail and iCloud are also getting seclusion update , addressed below .
Mail Privacy Protection
Among Apple ’s new concealment lineament are some useful post features :
You ’ll be capable to contain senders become information about you from Mail , for example they wo n’t get it on if you have give your mail . Your IP address will be hidden so as not to give off your placement of on-line activity .
iCloud+
user will get iCloud Private Relay ( for better privacy online ) , conceal My Email ( which will generate random emails address that will be send on to your inbox so you do n’t have to share your existent email ) , and expanded HomeKit Secure Video support .
Other new features
To see what the company has in store with its ironware in the class before , take a expression at our guide tothe new products Apple will denote in 2021 .
