macOS Monterey Now Available to Download

macOS Monterey Now Available to Download

According to Apple, the latest version of macOS, Monterey, is now available to download. The software has been available in public beta for several months, but today's release means Apple thinks the software is ready for everyday use.

By convention, Apple announced its latest version of macOS at WWDC in June. New features include the ability to set a Mac as an AirPlay target, as well as shortcuts, Apple's iOS automation software, to play content from the iPhone and iPad. Improvements have also been made to FaceTime, as well as a new Quick Note feature. For full details on what's on the way, check out our preview from July, as well as Apple's own feature list.

Unfortunately, some of Monterey's biggest new additions, Universal Control and SharePlay, aren't available at launch. Apple notes that both features will be available "later this fall."

Universal Control allows files to be dragged and dropped between many different machines, as Apple's Craig Federighi demonstrated at WWDC. It will let you control multiple Apple devices, including Macs, MacBooks, and iPads, with a single mouse and keyboard.

SharePlay will enable shared experiences of music, TV shows, movies and more while connected over FaceTime. Once it's available, Apple says you can use the feature with Apple Music, Apple TV+, and unnamed "popular third-party services."

This is better news when it comes to the redesign of Safari, which by default uses a more traditional interface rather than the controversial new tab design introduced at WWDC. Early users complained that, among other things, the changes made it very difficult to detect which tab was currently active.

A full list of Macs running Monterey can be found below:

• iMac (Late 2015 and later)
• iMac Pro (2017 and later)
• Mac Pro (Late 2013 and later)
• Mac Mini (Late 2014 and later)
• MacBook Pro (Early 2015 and later)
• MacBook Air (Early 2015 and later)
• MacBook (Early 2016 and later)

For those keeping track, there are a few models that got Big Sur last year that have been left out of the Monterey party. These include the 2015 MacBook, 2013 MacBook Air, late 2013 MacBook Pro, and 2014 iMac. Here's Apple's guide to identifying your specific model, and here's ours for updating your machine.

To install Monterey, go to System Preferences > Software Update (or search for "software update" in Spotlight). If Monterey shows up as an available install, you can click the Upgrade button to begin the install process. If it doesn't show up, you may need to check back in later, as it continues to roll out.