macOS 12 Monterey: release date, supported devices, and new features

Apple announced the next version of its desktop platform called macOS Monterey – here is what you need to know and how to give it a go before public release.

The opening keynote at the 2021 Apple Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC), which started on June 7 and will last through June 11, has lifted the curtain behind the next major version of the tech giant’s desktop operating system. This fall, macOS 11 Big Sur will be superseded by macOS 12 Monterey. Although the upcoming iteration doesn’t appear to live up to its predecessor’s status of the biggest platform overhaul in a decade, it will introduce a handful of bells and whistles that are already warmly received by the global community of Apple fans.

macOS Monterey – what’s under the hood?

The release will bring, among other things, better interoperability between Apple’s desktop and mobile devices, a redesigned Safari browser, the Shortcuts app, more streamlined Maps, stronger privacy controls, and more. Here is a closer zoom into some of macOS 12 changes that will make a difference:

Release date

There is nothing unexpected here: macOS 12 Monterey will be rolled out this fall. The exact date is unknown so far, and it’s unlikely to be revealed until a series of extensive beta testing stages are completed. Speaking of which, the developer beta is already available to the participants of Apple Developer Program. The public beta will surface in July 2021. If you can’t wait until the official stable build is released, keep reading to find out how to try the beta version now.

Device compatibility

Predictably, and sadly enough, some machines that natively support macOS Big Sur won’t get macOS Monterey. The threshold has been raised for different models to a somewhat different extent. For instance, the compatibility gap is fairly dramatic for MacBook Pro: it’s late 2013 and newer (for macOS 11) vs early 2015 and newer (for macOS 12). MacBook Air laptops are pretty much in the same boat.

Anyway, if you own one of the following devices, you will get the coveted update notification in System Preferences sometime this fall:

How to download macOS 12 Monterey beta

As we mentioned above, macOS Monterey developer beta is available at the time of this writing. Being a registered coder is a prerequisite for downloading it without having to wait until the consumer beta release. Be advised that there is an annual fee of $99 to enjoy the privilege.

If you meet this criterion and your Mac is enrolled with the Developer Program, click the Apple logo in the menu bar, select “About This Mac”, and head to “Software Update” to get your copy of macOS 12 Monterey beta. If you aren’t a registered developer but want to give the new operating system a shot right now, go to Apple’s Developer portal, click “Enroll”, and follow on-screen instructions to get the required status.

An extra step is to install a developer profile on your supported Mac – thankfully, this process is very intuitive regardless of your tech skills. Download and install macOS 12 Beta once you are ready to take the leap. The process will take quite some time, given that the file is about 12GB large and the installation isn’t a blink-of-an-eye type of thing.

If you are okay with waiting till next month’s public beta, visit Apple Beta Software Program site and click “Sign Up” to create a tester account using your Apple ID. You will also need to enroll your Mac to get macOS 12 Beta once it goes live to the general public.

Keep in mind, though, that pre-release versions might be unstable, and you run the risk of bumping into errors or even losing your data. Therefore, installing the beta on your daily driver is a slippery slope. If you have a spare machine to experiment with, then go ahead and try the perks.

Download macOS 12 wallpaper

Every macOS release arrives with a default wallpaper or a set of them, and so does macOS Monterey. At this point, there are two images available – one in light and the other in dark mode. Unsurprisingly, these are creating a good deal of hype among Mac lovers and have already turned into a must-have for many.

You can get both wallpaper samples below. They were downloaded from macOS 12 Developer Beta to ensure maximum resolution and quality. Enjoy the new look!

Here is the stock macOS Monterey wallpaper in light mode: Download 6016x6016 JPEG - macOS 12 Monterey Light Mode Wallpaper

And here is macOS 12 wallpaper in dark mode: Download 6016x6016 JPEG - macOS 12 Monterey Dark Mode Wallpaper

Wrapping it up

Visually, the most conspicuous tweak in macOS Monterey is all about Safari. Functionally, the Universal Control feature eclipses the rest of the additions and changes, further eliminating the boundaries between desktop and mobile. The emergence of Shortcuts in the Mac universe is quite a breakthrough, too. Hopefully, Apple will also stay committed to ensuring the security of their platform and the privacy of the average user.