macOS 12 Monterey superguide: 12.3 public beta 4 now available

The latest version of the Mac operating system is called macOS Monterey. Version 12 was introduced at WWDC21 and is now available to the general public.

This page collects all our major articles about macOS Monterey: FAQs and feature guides, how-tos, tips, updates, and news. It’s your one-stop shop for all the macOS Monterey-related content on Macworld. We’ll continue to update this page as we post more news, how-tos, and updates so make sure to bookmark it.

Updated 2/23/22: Apple released the 12.3 pubic beta 4 a day after it was released to developers.

macOS Monterey: 12.3 beta 4 is available for the public

Apple has released the 12.3 public beta 4. This includes support for Universal Control, which lets you use a single mouse and keyboard between your Mac and iPad. Universal Control was announced at WWDC21, and its release was pushed back to the spring. If you want to try it, you also need to install the iOS 15.4 public beta on your iPad. Here are instructions on how to join the Apple Public Beta Program.

macOS Monterey: 12.2.1 update now available

Apple on Thursday release macOS Monterey 12.2.1. It includes a fix for a battery drain problem with Intel MacBooks and a patch for a WebKit security hold. Learn more about macOS Monterey 12.2.1 and how to install it.

macOS Monterey: How to install the update

The update is free and you need to be connected to the internet. The installation will take several minutes (plan on about 30 minutes) and your Mac needs to restart. Here are the steps to do the installation:

1. Go to System Preferences in the Apple menu
2. Click on Software Update.
3. Your Mac will check to see if the update is available. when it is, an Install button will appear. Click it and your Mac will start downloading the update. After that, it will start the installation.

macOS Monterey: Should you wait to upgrade from macOS Big Sur or another older version?

It’s easy to jump in on all the excitement of a new operating system. But waiting could be a wise decision. We have an article that goes over the reasons why you should upgrade now and why you should wait.

macOS Monterey: All of the new features

The macOS Monterey operating system update comes with lots of new features, design changes, and improvements. We’ve compiled a list of all the major new features.

macOS Monterey: Universal Control delayed until spring

Apple’s announced a groundbreaking new macOS Monterey feature called Universal Control, which lets can now use a single mouse and keyboard between your Mac and iPad. If you’re using a MacBook, its keyboard and trackpad can be used with the iPad. You can even drag and drop files between devices and perform gestures on the MacBook trackpad to navigate the iPad.

This feature wasn’t ready for macOS Monterey’s initial release but it appeared in the 12.3 beta. That means it will be released to the general public in the next few weeks.

macOS Monterey: Get to know the latest features

Shortcuts

Shortcuts on iOS and iPadOS has become a popular tool to create automations. In macOS Monterey, Shortcuts for Mac will be available, bringing over the same powerful functionality. Any shortcuts that you make are available system-wide, so you can run them from just about anywhere on the Mac. It’s easy to share shortcuts, and any shortcuts 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.

Safari tabs

Tabs are a major user interface element in Safari but they become unwieldy and hard to manage. Apple hopes to address those problems in Safari 15 with a new tab implementation and features. Here’s how tabs work in Safari 15 and how to make tab groups. 

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SharePlay

The new SharePlay support allows people to share an experience while watching video, listening to music, or even an app window while on a FaceTime call. The people on the call can control the media that’s playing, and the callers can even make a playlist. SharePlay works with Apple TV and Apple Music; support for other services will depend on those services adopting the SharePlay API and updating their services with support. SharePlay arrive on Macs with Monterey 12.1.

Quick Note

Quick Note is a fast way to create a note file. When you trigger it, the Notes app quickly opens to a new file that you can start using immediately. It’s a fantastic feature but might not be so obvious if you don’t know it’s there.

Focus

Focus is basically an expansion of options that were originally available in the Do Not Disturb feature that’s already in macOS. To make Focus suitable for your situation, you can adjust its preferences, which we’ll go over in this article.

Live Text and Look Up

You can now select the text in a photo, copy it, and then paste it into a document. You can also lookup that text on the web or in Maps. Here’s how you’ll use it on your Mac.

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AirPlay to Mac

With AirPlay to a Mac, you can now take the media from your iPhone and iPad and use AirPlay to stream on your Mac. You can also stream from an app; for example, you can draw using your iPad, and use AirPlay to stream your activity onto a Mac so others can watch.  AirPlay to Mac works wirelessly or over a USB connection.

Low Power Mode

Low Power Mode reduces energy consumption by automatically turning down the screen brightness and system clock speed to save battery life and make your Mac run more quietly. Here’s how to turn it on.

Finder and windows changes

The Finder in macOS Monterey has a few changes. When you’re copying a file, the progress window is now in the form of a pie chart, and you can now pause long file copies and resume them later. Go to Folder has a new design, and Apple improved the auto-completion engine to make it easier to find the file or folder you need.

Monterey also has a few new ways to manage windows. You can swap out apps in Split View and change a Split View window to full screen. Windows automatically resize when moving a window to a secondary display, another Mac, or an iPad. And if you’re in full-screen mode, you can have an always-on menu bar.

Change the cursor color

Change the color of the Mac cursor to make it easier to find or to reflect your personality.

Enable Full Keyboard Access

With Full Keyboard Access, you can rely less on the mouse or trackpad to navigate the user interface and instead use Tab and other keyboard keys to select items. Get the details on this powerful new feature.

Reset without reinstalling

A new option in System Preferences will let you erase all user data and user-installed apps just like on an iOS device. That means you can essentially “reset” a Mac running Monterey without having to do a complete reinstall.

Memoji

There are a lot more options to customize your Memoji. Monterey offers more outfits and colors, multicolored headwear, new glasses, accessibility features, and the ability to have two different eye colors. You can choose your Memoji for your Mac login, and it has animations that react to you, such as a log-in greeting or a head shake if you enter the wrong password.