macOS Monterey Beta 4 Brings Live Text to Intel-Based Macs - MacRumors
Skip to Content

macOS Monterey Beta 4 Brings Live Text to Intel-Based Macs

The latest beta update of macOS Monterey, released to developers today, has brought Live Text functionality to Intel-based Mac computers, removing the requirement for users to use an M1 Apple silicon Mac to utilize the feature, according to Rene Ritchie.

live text macos monterey feature
Live Text, included in the forthcoming macOS Monterey, iOS 15, and iPadOS 15 updates, allows users to interact with text within images, such as phone numbers, addresses, and more. With Live Text, text inside images also becomes selectable, allowing users to cut and copy the text into apps.

Apple at first stated that an ‌M1‌ Apple silicon Mac is a requirement for Live Text on macOS Monterey, but with the latest beta, it's been expanded to Intel-based Mac computers.


macOS Monterey, alongside iOS 15, iPadOS 15, tvOS 15, and watchOS 8, will be released to all users this coming fall. Learn more about macOS Monterey and all of it's new features using our guide.

Related Forum: macOS Monterey

Popular Stories

Four iPhone 18 Pro Colors Mock Feature

iPhone 18 Pro Launching in September With These 10 New Features

Monday April 20, 2026 7:13 am PDT by
While the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max are not launching until September, there are already plenty of rumors about the devices. It was initially reported that the iPhone 18 Pro models would have fully under-screen Face ID, with only a front camera visible in the top-left corner of the screen. However, the latest rumors indicate that only one Face ID component will be moved under the...
Tim Cook Rainbow

Apple CEO Tim Cook Stepping Down, John Ternus Taking Over

Monday April 20, 2026 1:33 pm PDT by
Apple CEO Tim Cook is stepping down as Apple's chief executive officer, and hardware engineering chief John Ternus is set to take over, Apple announced today. Cook will continue on as Apple CEO through the summer, with Ternus set to join Apple's Board of Directors and take over as CEO on September 1, 2026. Cook is going to transition to executive chairman, and he will "assist with certain...
iphone 17 ceramic shield

Leaker: Apple Downgrading iPhone 18 to Cut Costs

Monday April 20, 2026 9:12 am PDT by
Apple is downgrading the planned specifications of the standard iPhone 18 to cut costs, a leaker claims. In a new post on Weibo, the user known as "Fixed Focus Digital" said that the iPhone 18 features "certain manufacturing downgrades" that bring it more into line with the low-cost iPhone 18e model. The decision is said to be "a cost-cutting measure." Apple has apparently chosen to...

Top Rated Comments

zorinlynx Avatar
62 months ago
I'm so glad, because it was absolutely ridiculous that a feature that doesn't have to be real-time was dependent on having a certain CPU. Not only that, but many Intel Macs have beefy GPUs that can do this processing!
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
62 months ago

Just a proof that Apple loves to apply senseless limitations solely because of business benefits by planned obsolescence.
The proof of Apple's planned obsolescence is supporting intel Macs with a new feature?

...makes sense.

You realize that Apple itself is in charge of MacOS betas, right? :)
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
cmChimera Avatar
62 months ago

The proof of Apple's planned obsolescence is supporting intel Macs with a new feature?

...makes sense.

You realize that Apple itself is in charge of MacOS betas, right? :)
Yeah this has been bizarre to me. This feature was explicitly said to NOT be coming to intel Macs, and Apple added it anyway and people are mad about it. I don't get it.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Wildkraut Avatar
62 months ago

So planned obsolescence... There's no reason why a 2017 or 2019 MBP can't support it. I wonder how many other features Apple has intentionally kept from their machines just to make new machines a more compelling upgrade.

My 2012 (NINE YEARS OLD) Mac Pro runs macOS Big Slur w/o issues. Just had to upgrade the graphics card. I'm not expecting Apple to support 9+ year old computers, but when the hardware is perfectly capable, there's no reason to drop support.
You had to upgrade the graphic card, probably because there was no driver for it. But i bet even your old graphic card would be technically capable of running it without issues.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Mr. Dee Avatar
62 months ago
I wonder what’s John Grubers excuse now. I remember him saying, Live Text was only possible because the M1 chip. When it was obvious Apple was just being stubborn about adding support. It would be ridiculous a feature like this would really require the M1 chip. Worse, they are still selling Intel MacBook Pros for the foreseeable future.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
62 months ago
Good! 👍
Now they should do the same for the new M1-only Maps features and those fancy Touch ID keyboards (if Intel laptops can have Touch ID, so can Intel iMacs).
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)