Apple ’s latest operating system for the Mac , macOS Monterey , is now available . And while Apple drive users to promote right out , should you ? There are a lot of secure reasons for upgrade as soon as potential , but there are also a lot of good grounds to wait . If you ’re test to determine , let ’s go over those reasons , and we ’ll also give you our recommendation .
update 1/31/22with paper about an patent Bluetooth microbe that constantly wakes a sleeping Mac , draining a MacBook ’s battery .
macOS Monterey: Why you should update now
The main intellect why you should kick upstairs now is to get accession to the newfeatures . If you want new productivity pecker , Monterey hasQuick Note , Live Text , andFocus . The new Shortcuts apps is a helpful mechanisation puppet . If you have a repetitive task that takes multiple steps , you could use Shortcuts to automate the process and bring through yourself from going crazy . While Monterey still includes the retentive - meter Automator automation app , you ’ll incur Shortcuts easier to expend .
The newLow Power Modecan be very helpful if you have an older Intel MacBook and you spend a deal of time managing stamp battery life . If you have a more current Mac , the AirPlay to Mac feature is a great way to represent cognitive content from an iPhone or iPad to a Mac . The Shared with You lineament is a convenient mode to organize the thing you save or get sent in Photos , Safari , Apple News , Apple Podcasts , and the Apple TV app .
iCloud+ has the Hide My Email feature that allows you to create electronic mail aliases for your real e-mail account , HomeKit Secure Video support , andPrivate Relay(still in genus Beta ) , which obscure your IP savoir-faire and positioning while you ’re on the web . And the Maps and Books apps are proficient than ever . Safari also has several new lineament , and the one that may make you want to promote isTab Groups , where you could organize internet site , ready to hand for folks who do a lot of research online .
Shortcuts made its debut on Io and was an instant hit . Now it ’s coming to the Mac .
Apple
The12.1 updatethat Apple released in December adds even more features . SharePlay is finally here — this FaceTime characteristic that allows users to share spiritualist . For example , a FaceTime chemical group call can watch an Apple TV show or listen to Apple Music together . variation 12.1 also includes the newApple Music Voice Plan , a revamp Memories section in the Photos app , baby safety features in Messages , and the novel Digital Legacy feature for Apple ID . The highly foreknow Universal Control feature , which lets you use a undivided mouse to control two Macs or a Mac and an iPad , wasdelayed until spring 2022 .
Besides the new feature , Monterey take a lot of under - the - thug betterment and optimizations , including security updates and optimization to make the operating organisation run more expeditiously . For more info on how to utilise the newfangled features , check out ourmacOS Monterey Superguide .
macOS Monterey: Why you should wait
While it ’s enticing to jump on the Monterey wave as soon as it come , there ’s really no thrill . Apple will support macOS Big Sur for a while and wo n’t end releasing updates for many months .
If you own a MacBook , you might seriously consider wait . Several users arereportingan unmistakable Bluetooth bug that always wakes a catch some Z’s MacBook , which results in a drained battery . If you change state off Bluetooth before putting the MacBook to catch some Z’s , assault and battery life is unmoved , so that ’s a workaround you’re able to perform if you really postulate to upgrade to Monterey .
A very safe reason to wait is that Universal Control is n’t useable yet in official Monterey releases . Universal Control permit you instantly connect an iPad to a Mac so you’re able to use the iPad or use the equipment as a second screen . In Apple ’s demonstration , it works kind of like magic — all you do is place the iPad next to the Mac , and the connection is done automatically . It just recently appeared in theversion 12.3 genus Beta , so it could be uncommitted in an official loss soon .
Apple needs more time to verify Universal Control is ready for Mac and iPad users .
If you require the newfangled Safari , you really do n’t need to upgrade to Monterey to get it — it ’s part of Safari 15 , which is usable for macOS Big Sur . To get it , check for updates in the System Update pane in System Preferences . Apple hasdialed back some of the gravid changes , however .
The other master reason you may not need to upgrade now is to avoid bugs . While Apple is already on version 12.1 and has addressed several major bugs , there ’s always a prospect a bug that affects your particular situation has n’t been address yet . Monterey appeared very stable in its a la mode beta , but bugs can toss off up at any meter . Apple late released a version 12.2 vent candidate to developers that contains more fixes , which signify it could be a couplet of weeks before it is available to the general public .
If you have an older Intel Mac with a T2 security chip , there was an event that would brick your Mac . However , in November , Apple released a program line to Rene Ritchie , articulate that an issue with the T2 security chip found in older Macs has been addressed , and the fix is include in existing macOS update .
Another issue that is being reported ismemory leaks , where an app or function does n’t release the memory it was using in RAM . Over a shortsighted full point of sentence , the amount of memory apportion adds up and remove up a huge chunk of RAM . This is potential a memory board apportioning hemipterous insect that will be mend in an OS update . Apple has not made a statement about this trouble and it does n’t seem to be isolated to Monterey — macOS Big Sur user are experiencing the same problem . It ’s ill-defined if it has been specify in late update , but it ’s always advisable to stay up to particular date if you ’re see issues .
Macworld recommends: UPDATE
If you ’re unquiet to get your hired hand on the new features that are ready the right way now , upgrading to macOS Monterey should be a smooth experience , especially now that interpretation 12.2 is out . It ’s not a massive overhaul over Big Sur , and while there may be some new bugs that get discovered after the final release , as we said , Apple tends to issue patch quickly . If you have a MacBook , keep an center out for theBluetooth bugthat constantly wake the Mac during nap — you may need to twist off Bluetooth when you ’re not using your laptop computer .
But if what you ’re waiting for is Universal Control , there ’s nothing wrong with wait to upgrade until it is ready . You also get the added welfare of detail - release updates that fix new bugs .
