Apple Releases macOS Monterey With AirPlay to Mac, Live Text, Safari Updates, Shortcuts App and More

Apple today released macOS 12 Monterey, the newest version of the operating system designed to run on the Mac. macOS Monterey comes after months of beta testing and feature refinements.

macos monterey tidbits feature copy
The new ‌macOS Monterey update can be downloaded on all eligible Macs using the Software Update section of System Preferences, and it can also be found in the Mac App Store. Like all Mac updates, ‌macOS Monterey‌ is a free download. For those who don't want to upgrade to macOS Monterey, there's also a macOS Big Sur 11.6.1 update available, which Apple says includes security fixes.

macOS Monterey adds quite a few features that have already been introduced on iOS devices with iOS 15 and iPadOS 15. FaceTime has gained spatial audio support and voice isolation to cut down on background noise, and in the future, it will work with the SharePlay feature for screen sharing and watching tv and movies with friends and family over ‌FaceTime‌.

Messages supports Shared With You, and Tab Groups in Safari allow tabs to be organized together and accessed across devices. There were Safari design changes to the tab interface, but right before Monterey was released, Apple reversed the changes. The "Compact" Monterey look can be enabled for those who prefer it.

There's a new AirPlay to Mac option and a feature for using the Mac as a speaker for multi-room audio, and Focus mode helps you keep on task by cutting down on distractions. The Shortcuts app that's available on iOS devices has expanded to the Mac, and Apple added new features to Notes, including a Quick Note option that activates a note when you mouse over a section of the screen.

With Live Text, Macs can detect text in any image and it becomes interactive, so you can copy, paste, and translate text from photos. Visual Lookup in the Photos app uses machine learning to provide details on animals, art, landmarks, plants, and more that you've photographed.

iCloud Private Relay, a feature available to all paid ‌iCloud‌ users, hides your browsing habits and IP address from third parties. There's a Hide My Email feature for keeping your email address private, and you can use your own personal domains with ‌iCloud‌.

Mail Privacy Protection prevents emails from using tracking pixels to monitor your activity, and on M1 Macs, AirPods Pro and AirPods Max now offer spatial audio support. Apple's full release notes for macOS Monterey are below:

FaceTime
- Spatial audio makes voices sound like they come from the direction of a speaker on the screen in a Group FaceTime call
- Voice Isolation blocks background noises so your voice is crystal clear
- Wide Spectrum brings every sound in your space into the call
- Portrait mode puts the focus on you by blurring your background on Mac computers with the M1 chip
- Grid view displays people in same-size tiles and highlights the active speaker
- FaceTime links for inviting friends to calls on Apple, Android, or Windows devices

Messages
- Shared with You displays content shared over Messages in your Mac apps
- New Shared with You section in Photos, Safari, News, Podcasts, and the TV app
- Multiple photos display as collages or stacks in Messages

Safari
- Tab Groups help you save and organize your tabs and sync across devices
- Intelligent Tracking Prevention prevents trackers from viewing your IP address
- Compact tab bar option lets you see more of the webpage on your screen

Focus
- Focus lets you automatically filter out notifications based on what you're doing
- Options to customize a Focus for activities like work, gaming, reading, and more
- Focus sets across all Apple devices
- Status lets your contacts know that your notifications are silenced

Quick Note & Notes
- Quick Note lets you take notes on any app or website, and easily revisit them later
- Tags help you quickly categorize your notes by topic and make them easy to find
- Mentions enable you to notify others of important updates in shared notes
- Activity view displays who made recent changes in a shared note

AirPlay to Mac
- AirPlay to Mac lets you share content from iPhone or iPad straight to your Mac
- AirPlay speaker support for playing music through your Mac sound system

Live Text
- Live Text makes text interactive in photos across the system
- Support for copying, translating, and looking up text that appears in photos
- Visual Look Up helps you learn about art, landmarks, and other objects in photos

Shortcuts
- New app helps you automate everyday tasks, helping you accomplish them faster
- Gallery with pre-built shortcuts that you can add and run throughout the system
- Shortcuts editor helps you design custom shortcuts for your specific workflows
- Support for automatically converting Automator workflows into shortcuts

Maps
- Interactive 3D globe with enhanced details for mountains, oceans, and more on Mac computers with the M1 chip
- Detailed city maps display elevation, trees, buildings, landmarks, and more on Mac computers with the M1 chip

Privacy
- Mail Privacy Protection helps prevent senders from tracking your Mail activity
- Recording indicator in Control Center for apps that are accessing your mic

iCloud+
- iCloud Private Relay (beta) helps prevent companies from creating a detailed profile of your browsing activity in Safari
- Hide My Email creates unique, random email addresses that forward to your inbox

Later this year, macOS Monterey will gain support for Universal Control, an addition that was not ready for release at launch. With ‌Universal Control‌, users can use a single keyboard and mouse across multiple Macs and iPads. SharePlay, the feature that allows users to share their screens over ‌FaceTime‌ and watch movies and TV together, is also coming in a later macOS Monterey update.

To give a better overview of all of the new features that Apple has brought to the Mac with macOS Monterey, we have a dedicated macOS Monterey roundup that's available.

Related Forum: macOS Monterey

Popular Stories

iphone 16 pro models 1

Here's How the iPhone 17 Pro Max Will Compare to the iPhone 17 Pro

Saturday July 5, 2025 1:00 pm PDT by
Apple should unveil the iPhone 17 series in September, and there might be one bigger difference between the Pro and Pro Max models this year. As always, the Pro Max model will be larger than the Pro model:iPhone 17 Pro: 6.3-inch display iPhone 17 Pro Max: 6.9-inch displayGiven the Pro Max is physically larger than the Pro, it has more internal space, allowing for a larger battery and...
iPhone 17 Pro in Hand Feature Lowgo

iPhone 17 Pro to Reverse iPhone X Design Decision

Monday July 7, 2025 9:46 am PDT by
Since the iPhone X in 2017, all of Apple's highest-end iPhone models have featured either stainless steel or titanium frames, but it has now been rumored that this design decision will be coming to an end with the iPhone 17 Pro models later this year. In a post on Chinese social media platform Weibo today, the account Instant Digital said that the iPhone 17 Pro models will have an aluminum...
imac video apple feature

Apple Launching These 15+ Products Later This Year

Sunday July 6, 2025 8:05 am PDT by
The calendar has turned to July, meaning that 2025 is now more than half over. And while the summer months are often quiet for Apple, the company still has more than a dozen products coming later this year, according to rumors. Below, we have outlined at least 15 new Apple products that are expected to launch later this year, along with key rumored features for each. iPhone 17 Series iPho...
iOS 26 Feature

Everything New in iOS 26 Beta 3

Monday July 7, 2025 1:20 pm PDT by
Apple is continuing to refine and update iOS 26, and beta three features smaller changes than we saw in beta 2, plus further tweaks to the Liquid Glass design. Apple is gearing up for the next phase of beta testing, and the company has promised that a public beta is set to come out in July. Transparency In some apps like Apple Music, Podcasts, and the App Store, Apple has toned down the...
iPhone Car Key Kia

Here's Which Vehicles Offer iPhone Car Keys

Sunday July 6, 2025 3:03 pm PDT by
In 2020, Apple added a digital car key feature to its Wallet app, allowing users to lock, unlock, and start a compatible vehicle with an iPhone or Apple Watch. The feature is currently offered by select automakers, including Audi, BMW, Hyundai, Kia, Genesis, Mercedes-Benz, Volvo, and a handful of others, and it is set to expand further. Apple has a web page with a list of vehicle models that ...
iPhone 17 Pro in Hand Feature Lowgo

iPhone 17 Pro Coming Soon With These 14 New Features

Friday July 4, 2025 1:05 pm PDT by
Apple's next-generation iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are just over two months away, and there are plenty of rumors about the devices. Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models. Latest Rumors These rumors surfaced in June and July:Apple logo repositioned: Apple's logo may have a lower position on the back of the iPhone 17 Pro models, compared to previous...
iphone 17 pro render majin bu

New iPhone 17 Pro Renders Highlight Apple Logo and MagSafe Design Changes

Sunday July 6, 2025 8:43 pm PDT by
New renders today provide the best look yet relocated Apple logo and redesigned MagSafe magnet array of the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max. Image via Majin Bu. Several of the design changes coming to the iPhone 17 Pro model have been rumored for some time, such as the elongated camera bump that spans the full width of the device, with the LiDAR Scanner and flash moving to the right side. ...
iPhone 14 Pro Dynamic Island

iPhone 17 Models Rumored to Feature Redesigned Dynamic Island

Monday July 7, 2025 7:38 am PDT by
iPhone 17 models will feature a redesigned Dynamic Island user interface, according to a post today from Digital Chat Station, an account with more than three million followers on Chinese social media platform Weibo. The account has accurately leaked some information regarding future Apple products in the past. The account did not share any specific details about the alleged changes that are ...
Prime Day 25 Feature Warm Triad

The Best Prime Day Deals on AirPods, iPads, MacBooks, and More

Monday July 7, 2025 10:55 am PDT by
Amazon is back with its annual summertime Prime Day event, lasting for four days from July 8-11, the longest Prime Day yet. As it does every year, Prime Day offers shoppers a huge selection of deals across Amazon's storefront. With the event now underway, we're tracking numerous all-time low prices on Apple gear right now. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Amazon. When you click a...

Top Rated Comments

primarycolors Avatar
48 months ago

Requisite build number question, requisite downloading now post.
Requisite dozen "Not showing up in [location]" posts ?
Score: 24 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ghostface147 Avatar
48 months ago
Requisite build number question, requisite downloading now post.
Score: 16 Votes (Like | Disagree)
TheBuffather Avatar
48 months ago
Is this confirmed, or just automatically posted at 10am PST / 1pm EST which was MacRumors guess?
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)
primarycolors Avatar
48 months ago
Y'all, go do literally anything else for an hour and I guarantee you it'll be there when you get back :)
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
mikeboss Avatar
48 months ago
Build 21A559
full installer
https://swcdn.apple.com/content/downloads/39/60/002-23774-A_KNETE2LDIN/4ll6ahj3st7jhqfzzjt1bjp1nhwl4p4zx7/InstallAssistant.pkg
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ozthegweat Avatar
48 months ago
11.6.1 update is showing in Software Update, but no Monterey.
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)