macOS 12 Monterey is an operating system that’s been designed and developed by Apple since 2021 alongside Apple’s personal computers. It’s been released on October 25, 2021, and has become available as a Free Update, or is preinstalled on currently sold computers. This software gets the latest update (12.6.3) on January 23, 2023.
macOS Monterey Features
Known from iOS 15 SharePlay is coming to macOS. SharePlay allows users to listen to music, watch movies, and share the screen with other users in a FaceTime call. Together with SharePlay, Apple introduces the new “Shared with you” feature, which stores the content shared via messages in a dedicated section in their native apps for later viewing (for instance, a news article shared via messages is shown in the News app).
FaceTime now includes new audio and video features that make calls feel more natural and lifelike. Spatial acoustics make FaceTime calls sound as if the other person’s voice is coming from where they are on the screen, and Voice Separation uses machine learning to remove background noise while making your voice clearer. From now FaceTime is more open for other platforms, with newly added links and calendar events, allowing Windows and Android users to join calls.
Safari was completely redesigned with tab groups, allowing users to organize tabs and share entire groups of tabs. The desktop browser extensions are available for the first time on both iPhones and iPads.
Shortcuts are also coming to Mac. Shortcuts app is allowing users to automate their routine and achieve maximum work productivity. Just like on the iPhone and iPad, Shortcuts on the Mac allow users to get things done quickly with the apps they use most.
The new feature called Focus Mode known from iPadOS 15 can automatically hide notifications that aren’t relevant to what the user is doing at the moment. Users can set and display their status to let others know they’re focused. When a user turns on Focus Mode on one device, it is automatically set on the user’s other devices too, which can be customized for the task at hand.
Universal Control allows users to seamlessly switch between Mac and iPad with a single mouse and keyboard, with no setup required. Users can also move content between devices by dragging and dropping, sketching drawings with Apple Pencil on an iPad, and then inserting drawings into Keynote slides on a Mac.
With AirPlay to Mac, users can play, present, and share virtually any content from their iPhone or iPad to their Mac’s display. The Mac’s sound system can be also used as an AirPlay speaker, allowing users to play music or podcasts on their Mac, or use the Mac as a secondary speaker for a multi-room audio experience.
On top of that, macOS 12 is bringing more features like iCloud+, new accessibility features, Privacy features, Live Text, spatial acoustics, and more.
Today macOS 12 Monterey is 34 months old!
macOS 12 Monterey Release Date and Requirements
| Released | October 25, 2021 |
| Original Price | Free |
| System Requirements | iMac Late 2015 or newer iMac Pro 2017 MacBook Early 2016 or newer MacBook Pro Early 2015 or newer MacBook Air Early 2015 or newer Mac mini Late 2014 or newer Mac Pro Late 2013 or newer 4 GB of memory 35.5 – 44.5 GB of available disk space OS X 10.9 or later |
| Distribution | Mac App Store Software Update |
Versions
| Versions | Build | Release Date |
| macOS 12.0 | 21A344*1 | October 26, 2021*1 |
| macOS 12.0.1 | 21A559 | October 25, 2021 |
| macOS 12.1 | 21C52 | December 13, 2021 |
| macOS 12.2 | 21D49 | January 26, 2022 |
| macOS 12.2.1 | 21D62 | February 10, 2022 |
| macOS 12.3 | 21E230 | March 14, 2022 |
| macOS 12.3.1 | 21E258 | March 31, 2022 |
| macOS 12.4 | 21F79 21F2092*2 | May 16, 2022 June 16, 2022*2 |
| macOS 12.5 | 21G72 | July 20, 2022 |
| macOS 12.5.1 | 21G83 | August 17, 2022 |
| macOS 12.6 | 21G115 | September 12, 2022 |
| macOS 12.6.1 | 21G217 | October 24, 2022 |
| macOS 12.6.2 | 21G320 | December 13, 2022 |
| macOS 12.6.3 | 21G419 | January 23, 2023 |
*2 Apple M2-based Macs only