- Not to be confused with macOS 10.12 (Sierra).
macOS Monterey (version 12) is the current major release of macOS, developed by Apple Inc.[3] It was released on October 25, 2021 at 10 a.m. PT (Cupertino time) to succeed MacOS Big Sur.[4]
Development
The forthcoming existence of macOS 12 was discovered within the source code of a WebKit update from February 2021.[5][6] It was announced on June 7 at the 2021 Worldwide Developers Conference, with the first beta version being released to developers.[7]
New features
New Features in macOS Monterey You'll ACTUALLY Care About!
New features announced at WWDC 2021 include:[7][8]
- Live Text for machine recognition of selectable text within images and photos.
- Privacy features protect Mail activity from being detected by email spammers.
- Quick Notes to jot down ideas store links while using any application.
- Safari is updated with a new more compact user interface that takes on the color of the visited webpage and introduces tab groups to consolidate and organize tabs.
- Shortcuts supersedes Automator for automating workflows.
- Spatial audio support during FaceTime calls with AirPods Max and Pro headphones, or built-in speakers on selected Mac models (2018 and later).
- Split view will be enhanced with the ability to swap out apps or return to a single full screen. Users can also opt to keep the menu bar visible in full-screen apps.[9]
- Universal Control allows users to have a single keyboard and mouse setup move between macOS and iPadOS devices for a more seamless workflow. However, this specific feature was delayed and released as part of the macOS 12.3 update on March 14, 2022.[10][11]
Features that require Apple Silicon
The following features require an Apple M1 or newer processor from Apple:[12]
- Portrait Mode in FaceTime
- Interactive globe and additional 3D surface detail in Apple Maps
- Object Capture AR
- On-device keyboard dictation
- Additional Text-to-Speech languages in Siri
Supported models
- iMac (late 2015 or later)
- iMac Pro (2017 or later)
- MacBook (early 2016 or later)
- MacBook Air (early 2015 or later)
- MacBook Pro (early 2015 or later)
- Mac mini (late 2014 or later)
- Mac Pro (2013 or later)[4][13]
Release history
| Version | Build | Release date | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12.0 beta 1 | 21A5248p | 2021-06-07 | First developer beta. |
| 12.0 beta 2 | 21A5268h | 2021-06-28 2021-07-01 |
2nd developer beta. 1st public beta. |
| 12.0 beta 3 | 21A5284e | 2021-07-14 | 3rd developer beta. |
| 12.0 beta 4 | 21A5294g | 2021-07-27 | 4th developer beta. |
| 12.0 beta 5 | 21A5304g | 2021-08-11 | 5th developer beta. |
| 12.0 beta 6 | 21A5506j | 2021-08-30 | 6th developer beta. |
| 12.0 beta 7 | 21A5522h | 2021-09-21 | 7th developer beta. |
| 12.0 beta 8 | 21A5534d | 2021-09-28 | 8th developer beta. |
| 12.0 beta 9 | 21A5543b | 2021-10-06 | 9th developer beta. |
| 12.0 beta 10 | 21A5552a | 2021-10-13 | 10th developer beta. |
| 12.0 | 21A344 | 2021-10-?? | Pre-installed on early Apple M1 Pro and M1 Max-based MacBook Pros. SharePlay and Universal Control not yet functional. |
| 12.0.1 | 21A559 | 2021-10-25 | First public release. |
| 12.1 | 21C52 | 2021-12-13 | Adds support for the AMD Radeon RX 6600 XT GPU and re-enables SharePlay. |
| 12.2 | 21D49 | 2022-01-26 | Addresses scrolling issues in Safari on MacBook Pros with M1 Pro or Max processors and 120 Hz displays. |
| 12.2.1 | 21D62 | 2022-02-10 | Addresses a battery drain issue when using Bluetooth. |
| 12.3 | 21E230 | 2022-03-14 | First public release of Universal Control. Apple Pay and StoreKit are updated. Python 2.7 support is dropped. |
| 12.3.1 | 21E258 | 2022-03-31 | Addresses performance issues with GPU cards in external PCIe enclosures |
| 12.4 | 21F79 21F2092 |
2022-05-16 2022-06-16 |
Bug fixes, including refinements to Universal Control. Adds support for Macs with Apple M2 chips. |
| 12.5 beta 4 | 21G5056b | 2022-06-24 | In beta testing. |
Gallery
Monterey includes dynamic desktops, which change according to time and lighting conditions.
Bright desktop background (6K)
Dark desktop background (6K)
References
- ↑ macOS 12.4 (21F79), Apple Developer. 2022-05-16.
- ↑ macOS 12.5 beta 4 (21G5056b), Apple Developer. 2022-06-24.
- ↑ macOS Monterey will be released on October 25 by William Gallagher, AppleInsider. 2021-10-18.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Here's When You Can Download macOS Monterey Today by Eric Slivka, MacRumors. 2021-10-25.
- ↑ WebKit code leaks Apple's next OS names as macOS 12, iOS 15 by Malcolm Owen, AppleInsider. 2021-03-29.
- ↑ Apple references unreleased iOS 15 and macOS 12 updates in WebKit code by Chance Miller, 9to5Mac. 2021-03-29.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 macOS Monterey introduces powerful features to get more done, Apple Inc. 2021-06-07.
- ↑ The best new features in macOS Monterey that you'll actually use by Andrew O'Hara, AppleInsider. 2021-06-17.
- ↑ New features available with macOS Monterey., Apple Inc. 2021-06-07. Archived 2021-06-09.
- ↑ Apple Officially Delays macOS Monterey Universal Control Until Spring 2022 by Sami Fathi, MacRumors. 2021-12-13.
- ↑ Apple updates macOS Monterey to version 12.3 with Universal Control by Mike Peterson, AppleInsider. 2022-03-14.
- ↑ macOS Monterey: Here Are All the Features Your Intel Mac Won't Support by Tim Hardwick, MacRumors. 2021-10-23.
- ↑ macOS Monterey is compatible with these Macs; drops support for older Macs, AppleInformed. 2021-06-07.
See also
External links
- macOS Monterey at Apple
- New features available with macOS Monterey.
- macOS Monterey Preview (archived 2021-06-07)
- macOS at Apple Developer
- macOS Monterey 12 Beta Release Notes (archived 2021-10-10)
- macOS Monterey (build 21A559)
- Download the new macOS Monterey Wallpaper at AppleInformed
- macOS Monterey roundup at MacRumors
- macOS Monterey at the BetaWiki
- macOS Monterey at Wikipedia
Articles
- What’s new in macOS Monterey beta 2? Safari tweaks, new screensavers + wallpapers, more by Chance Miller at 9to5Mac (2021-06-28)
- macOS Monterey: Universal control, Shortcuts, Safari, and more by Roman Loyola at Macworld (2021-06-13)
- macOS 12 Monterey new features, release date, beta and compatibility by Alex Wawro at Tom's Guide (2021-06-07)
