It’s finally here. Apple has released the new ad fuming-hot macOS 12 Monterey on a wide range of Macs running on Intel and Apple Silicon offering a free upgrade for the compatible devices. The update brings a tonne of new features, an upgraded UI, and a new name of a place located in California near Big Sur which happens to be the name of the predecessor as well.
List of Eligible Devices for macOS 12 Monterey
- All MacBooks released in early 2019 & later
- All Mac mini released in late 2014 & later
- All iMac released in late 2015 & later
- All MacBook Air released in early 2015 & later
- All Mac Pro released in late 2013 & later
- All iMac Pro released in 2017 & later
- All MacBook Air released in early 2015 & later
Apple macOS 12 Monterey Features
As said, the new OS brings a lot to the table. It comes pre-installed on the devices running M1 Pro and M1 Max released at the Unleashed event last year. Other compatible devices get the macOS 12 Monterey update via Mac App Store that they can download and install on the devices.
FaceTime
FaceTime has seen quite a few features arriving in previous iterations and macOS 12 Monterey is no exception. It gains Wide Spectrum which is an audio-based feature allowing users to hear a full range of sound, a Portrait Mode is available similar to Zoom and Webex. There’s Voice Isolation that eliminates any background noise.
Similarly, the group calls UI now has a new grid view. FaceTime on macOS 12 has gained spatial audio support that allows FaceTimers to hear the audio in 3D with the perception of if the person is sitting near or far from the system.
SharePlay
SharePlay on macOS 12 Monterey is live on iOS and iPadOS as well. It allows Mac users to watch movies, TV shows, listen to music, and more together in a FaceTime call. Since the FaceTime app has received spatial audio, users will be able to listen to audio and its direction.
Focus
Focus for macOS 12 Monterey is a feature comprising various custom-made do not disturb profiles that users can set up for different activities, occasions, or times of the day. The feature is heading towards making Mac users less reliant on their devices day-in and day-out and taking a break. Once set up, you will get notifications about what’s important. The feature will mirror on all Apple devices and others will know when the user doesn’t want to be interrupted.
Universal Control
Another feature that has made it to macOS 12 Monterey is Universal Control. It lets you pair two devices and uses the same mouse and keyboard as a peripheral to navigate across mac and iPad devices without requiring any additional setup. You can simply align the two devices side by side and the system will recognize once you reach the edge of a device and then allow accessing the contents on the second device. It also provides access to share files between two devices without any hassle.
However, Universal Control hasn’t been activated at the time of writing this. It will be activated in future updates.
AirPlay
AirPlay lets you play music from your iPad or iPhone to Mac devices. The feature has seen a few improvements here.
Safari 15
The default browser on Mac devices, Safari now has received a major revamp with Safari 15. It arrives with a refined user interface, well-designed and improved tabs management, as well as increased privacy protection, and more.
Shortcuts
After making their way into iOS for a long time, the Shortcuts feature has now entered the computer devices with macOS 12 Monterey that lets users automate tasks. You can use Siri to trigger those tasks without requiring any effort whatsoever.
