Apple macOS 12 Monterey: Release date, features, and more

(Pocket-lint) - Every twelvemonth Apple launches a caller mentation of macOS, its bundle for Apple laptops and desktop computers.

This twelvemonth is nary exception. We've seen updates to each of the company's Mac scope successful the past 12 months arsenic Apple moves distant from Intel to its ain silicon processors to powerfulness them and because of that it tin instrumentality vantage of that caller hardware with caller bundle features. Apple used WWDC 2021 to denote macOS 12, besides known arsenic Monterey.

What did Apple officially sanction macOS 12?

• Officially, it's bundle update mentation 12 of macOS
• Apple besides gave it California-themed name: Monterey

Apple announced macOS 12 astatine WWDC 2021. It's besides calling the bundle macOS 12 Monterey - a sanction inspired by the Big Sur coastline.

Keep successful caput successful 2020 saw the merchandise of macOS 11, besides known arsenic macOS Big Sur. Apple typically names its operating strategy updates for the Mac aft California landmarks. Previously Apple's earlier OS X versions were known aft Big Cats (Jaguar, Tiger, Leopard, and truthful on).

When volition macOS 12 Monterey beryllium available?

• Developers person been utilizing the macOS Monterey beta since the summer 
• Free "official" Public Beta update for consumers 

The Monterey‌ developer beta and the Public Beta launched successful July. The authoritative merchandise for macOS 12 Monterey‌ hasn't been acceptable but it is expected to beryllium merchandise successful October arsenic a escaped bundle update. While iOS 15, iPadOS 15, and watchOS 8 arrived successful September, macOS 12 Monterey didn't. It's expected disconnected the backmost of caller MacBook Pros announced successful October. 

Which Macs tin tally macOS 12 Monterey?

Apple has promised macOS 12 Monterey volition enactment "the broadest lineup of Macs successful history, including the latest iMac, MacBook Air, 13-inch MacBook Pro, and Mac mini, arsenic good arsenic Apple’s Intel-based Macs." Here are the devices that tin tally macOS 12 Monterey:

• iMac: Late 2015 and later
• iMac Pro: 2017 and later
• MacBook Air: Early 2015 and later
• MacBook Pro: Early 2015 and later
• Mac Pro: Late 2013 and later
• Mac mini: Late 2014 and later
• MacBook: Early 2016 and later

What's caller successful macOS 12 Monterey?

Apple previewed macOS 12 Monterey astatine WWDC 2021, describing it arsenic offering "new ways for users to connect, get much done, and enactment much fluidly crossed their Apple devices". Below are the biggest features Apple highlighted during its presentation, though the update includes galore other, smaller upgrades. (Note: As the bundle goes done the beta-testing process, immoderate features whitethorn beryllium removed oregon adjacent added.)

AirPlay

Apple has brought AirPlay to the Mac, which means you volition beryllium capable to usage your Mac oregon MacBook arsenic a talker oregon video output. More specifically, you tin play, present, and stock thing connected your iPhone‌ oregon ‌iPad‌ straight to a Mac display. Mac speakers tin beryllium utilized arsenic an ‌AirPlay‌ speaker.

FaceTime

Like iOS 15, macOS 12 Monterey includes respective caller FaceTime features, including spatial audio support. That means, depending connected wherever a idiosyncratic is sitting during a FaceTime call, their audio should consciousness similar it's coming from their position. FaceTime besides brings Voice Isolation, which uses instrumentality learning to destruct inheritance sound and marque voices clearer. There's Wide Spectrum, too, which boosts ambient sounds.

FaceTime besides includes a caller diagnostic called SharePlay, oregon the quality to perceive to euphony oregon ticker streaming contented with others during a FaceTime call. Macs utilizing Apple's M1 spot tin blur idiosyncratic backgrounds, too, via the Neural Engine. But possibly the biggest update is that present you tin invitation Android and Windows PC users to your FaceTime telephone - due to the fact that FaceTime is coming to the web and volition beryllium end-to-end encrypted.

Focus

The caller Focus diagnostic successful iOS 15 is coming to ‌macOS 12 Monterey‌, arsenic well, allowing you to absorption connected a task and filter retired notifications. Also, if different radical are attempting to interaction you, they volition beryllium told that you are focusing and not available. In that case, it's similar a much almighty "do not disturb" mounting for Macs. Plus, if you acceptable up Focus connected 1 Apple device, it volition beryllium synced crossed each your different Apple devices.

Notes

In Notes, determination are caller features similar Quick Note, which lets you jot down notes connected immoderate app oregon website systemwide - and you tin adhd links from Safari oregon Maps. Collaborative notes person much features now, too, acknowledgment to the summation of mentions and an Activity View. Multiple radical tin enactment connected notes, and their edits are each easy recovered successful the caller Activity View. Plus, tags tin beryllium added truthful you tin easy find them later.

Safari

It's gone done a fig of iterations successful the beta, but Apple has redesigned Safari's tabs experience, enabling you to spot much of a webpage. The main absorption and disorder has been astir a caller tab barroom that besides takes connected the colour of the page. The caller bar, which inactive hasn't afloat settled connected a last plan successful seems tin harvester tabs, the toolbar, and the hunt tract into 1 compact view. Also, with the Tab Groups feature, you tin easy prevention and negociate tabs and sync them crossed Apple devices. This is particularly useful for radical who browse with tonnes of tabs open.

Shortcuts

Shortcuts are yet coming to Mac truthful you tin automate mundane tasks. These are triggered with Siri and volition beryllium integrated passim macOS 12 Monterey, including successful the paper bar, Finder, and Spotlight. Apple volition present pre-built shortcuts for Mac users, too.

Universal Control

Finally, Universal Control connects a Mac to an ‌iPad‌, truthful you tin enactment with a azygous rodent and keyboard oregon trackpad. You tin past resistance your macOS rodent implicit to an ‌iPad‌, and tin adjacent resistance and driblet contented backmost and distant betwixt the antithetic devices. There's nary setup required.

Low Power Mode

Just similar your iPhone oregon iPad, your Mac is astir to get a debased powerfulness mode excessively this year. This diagnostic should let you to widen your MacBook artillery beingness and assistance those energy-intensive apps and processors instrumentality a backmost spot until you tin find a powerfulness socket to recharge. The diagnostic volition beryllium disposable connected MacBook (Early 2016 and later) and MacBook Pro (Early 2016 and later).

Writing by Stuart Miles and Maggie Tillman. Originally published connected 7 June 2021.