macOS Monterey

macOS Monterey. It is the eighteenth major release of macOS, Apple Inc.'s desktop operating system for Macintosh computers. Succeeding macOS Big Sur, it was announced at the WWDC 2021 keynote and publicly released on October 25, 2021. Monterey focused on enhancing connectivity and productivity across the Apple ecosystem, introducing features like Universal Control and AirPlay to Mac.

Overview

The development of this operating system was led by Craig Federighi, Apple's senior vice president of Software Engineering. It continued the architectural transition begun with macOS Big Sur, being the second version to support Apple silicon Macs with the M1 chip alongside Intel-based models. The release emphasized deeper integration with other Apple devices like the iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch, building upon the continuity features first introduced with OS X Yosemite. Its naming follows Apple's tradition of using California landmarks, in this case referencing the coastal city of Monterey, California.

Features

A headline addition was Universal Control, allowing a single mouse and keyboard to seamlessly work across multiple nearby Mac and iPad devices. The FaceTime app received major updates including SharePlay for synchronized media viewing and Spatial Audio support, enhancing calls with participants from iPhone and iPad. AirPlay to Mac enabled users to stream or mirror content directly from an iPhone, iPad, or another Mac to a Monterey system. The Safari (web browser) was redesigned with a compact tab bar and introduced Tab Groups for better organization. Live Text used on-device intelligence to recognize and interact with text within photos across the Finder (software), Photos (Apple), and Safari (web browser). Focus modes, also on iOS 15 and iPadOS 15, helped users filter notifications based on activity. The Shortcuts (app) automation tool was introduced to macOS, replacing Automator (software) for many tasks. Other updates included a new Low Power Mode, enhancements to Apple Maps with detailed city experiences, and improvements to Privacy and security like Mail Privacy Protection.

System requirements

The operating system dropped support for some older Mac models that were compatible with macOS Big Sur. It requires a Mac with at least 4GB of memory and 35.5GB of available storage. Supported models include many introduced in 2015 and later, such as the MacBook (Early 2015), MacBook Air (Early 2015), MacBook Pro (2015 and later), iMac (Late 2015 and later), iMac Pro, Mac Pro (Late 2013 and later), and Mac mini (Late 2014 and later). It was also the first version to natively support the Apple silicon architecture on the MacBook Air (M1, 2020), MacBook Pro (13-inch, M1, 2020), and Mac mini (M1, 2020).

Release history

The first developer beta was released on June 7, 2021, following the WWDC 2021 announcement. A public beta program followed in July. After several beta iterations, the official release occurred on October 25, 2021. Subsequent updates addressed security, stability, and feature refinements; notable point releases included version 12.3 which added the full Universal Control feature, and version 12.5 which included security updates for Apple TV and Podcasts (Apple). The final version in this release line was 12.7.5, providing important security fixes.

Reception

Critical response was generally positive, with reviewers from The Verge, TechCrunch, and Ars Technica praising the utility of Universal Control and the refined Safari (web browser) design. Some criticism was directed at the initial instability of the SharePlay feature and the removal of support for older hardware. The integration of Shortcuts (app) was welcomed as a modernization of automation, though the concurrent deprecation of Automator (software) was noted. Overall, it was seen as a solid, iterative update that strengthened the cohesion within the Apple ecosystem, successfully building upon the foundation laid by macOS Big Sur.

Category:macOS Category:2021 software Category:Unix operating systems