Apple Releases New macOS 12 Monterey Public Beta

[MacRumors]

Apple today seeded a new public beta of the macOS 12 Monterey beta to public beta testers, allowing non-developers to test the new macOS Monterey software ahead of its public release. The update comes just a day after Apple provided the ninth beta to developers.

Public beta testers can download the macOS 12 Monterey update from the Software Update section of the System Preferences app after installing the proper profile from Apple's beta software website.

macOS Monterey introduces quite a few major updates for the macOS operating system. When released, Universal Control will let a single mouse, trackpad, and keyboard be used across multiple Mac or iPad devices, and it's now possible to AirPlay directly to a Mac from an iPhone, iPad, or even another Mac.

Safari has an updated tab bar and support for Tab Groups to keep tons of tabs organized, and FaceTime now features support for spatial audio, Portrait Mode (M1 Macs only) and Voice Isolation for cutting out background noise. A SharePlay FaceTime feature (coming in a Monterey update) will let Apple TV users watch TV, listen to music, and share their screens with one another.

Shared With You, another new feature, keeps track of the music, links, podcasts, news, and photos that people are sent in Messages, highlighting it in the relevant apps. Notes has a new Quick Note feature for jotting down thoughts, and the Shortcuts app is now available on the Mac.

A dedicated Focus mode helps people stay on task by cutting out background distractions based on what's going on, and there's an updated Maps app with a whole slew of new features. With Live Text, Macs can now detect text in photos or provide details on animals, art, landmarks, plants, and more in images. The new beta adds Live Text support for Intel Macs.

Mail Privacy Protection hides IP and prevents tracking through invisible pixels, and iCloud Private Relay keeps Safari browsing protected. There are many other new features in ‌macOS Monterey‌, with a complete overview available in our macOS Monterey roundup.

Article Link: Apple Releases New macOS 12 Monterey Public Beta

 

[Justin Cymbal]

I’m going to wait until the official version comes out to install it

I recently bought the new M1 iMac so I’m looking forward to upgrading to this

 

[turbineseaplane]

Given how other Apple software is going right now...I'd sure wait a bit on this one..

 

[TMRJIJ]

I’m going to wait until the official version comes out to download it

I just bought the new M1 iMac so I’m looking forward to upgrading to this

Congrats! What color did you get?

 

[Justin Cymbal]

Congrats! What color did you get?

I got the blue one- I just bought the base model iMac for $1299

 

[Johnny London]

Is this beta stable enough to install on a 2015 iMac?

 

[Populus]

When released, Universal Control will let a single mouse, trackpad, and keyboard be used across multiple Mac or iPad devices

Isn’t this feature supposedly delayed into 2022?

 

[Amazing Iceman]

I got the blue one- I just bought the base model iMac for $1299

Yeah, I want the blue one too.

 

[BWhaler]

I’ll wait to Q1 to update given Apple’s software quality nowadays, but I am really looking forward to this release. Nice enhancements to MacOS.

 

[dugbug]

any update on the safari tabs?

 

[polee]

Given how other Apple software is going right now...I'd sure wait a bit on this one..

I would probably wait till 12.4 or 12.5.

 

[jdclifford]

I’m going to wait until the official version comes out to install it

I recently bought the new M1 iMac so I’m looking forward to upgrading to this

FYI - the developer betas have been running fine on my M1 MBA and my M1 iMac. no problems.

 

[t0pher]

I couldn’t wait and installed the developer version this morning.
Beta 9 fixes the no monitors issue.

 

[nutmac]

Is this beta stable enough to install on a 2015 iMac?

Monterey is not as ambitious as Big Sur, and as a result, significantly more stable. So while I think it's stable enough to be installed as a daily driver, the final version is probably just 2-3 weeks away. I would just wait.

any update on the safari tabs?

Tabs are identical to Safari 15.0 for Big Sur.

 

[TheLunaPark]

Going off what a lot of beta testers have been saying, I think I might skip this version of macOS altogether, or at least for a few months. There aren’t any features that I’d get much use out of and I just don’t believe in Apple’s quality control nowadays.

 

[m0nkeyb0y]

Going off what a lot of beta testers have been saying, I think I might skip this version of macOS altogether, or at least for a few months. There aren’t any features that I’d get much use out of and I just don’t believe in Apple’s quality control nowadays.

Interesting. I've skipped Big Sur (hate the redesign and some other things), but grudgingly excited about Monterey

 

[csnwbd2251]

Given how other Apple software is going right now...I'd sure wait a bit on this one..

Funny, that's what they're saying about Windows 11

 

[verniesgarden]

I couldn’t wait and installed the developer version this morning.
Beta 9 fixes the no monitors issue.

im still having an issue with my M1 MacBook Pro

 

[GadgetBen]

19th or 26th would allow some time to get Apple Watch sales underway and fall in line with the Tuesday slot they like.

 

[TonyM42]

Is this beta stable enough to install on a 2015 iMac?

It’s working perfectly on mine.

 

[kuwxman]

I don't understand why Public Betas just randomly stopped being available for my iMac... This one and the last two never popped up for me. Guess I'll un-enroll and re-enroll later to see if that fixes it.

 

[fakestrawberryflavor]

Been on it since the first public beta, been stable for me on M1 mini as my daily driver but I’m not doing anything crazy, surfing, Spotify, email and zoom.

 

[Freeangel1]

Funny, that's what they're saying about Windows 11

You are SO WRONG. Windows 11 is getting very positive reviews.

Don't knock it til you try it.

 

[falkon-engine]

Monterey this year has been great, a treat. A refinement of Big Sur. Runs well on Hackintosh too and even old Macbok Pros (circa 2012) via opencore + patches + some kexts for Bluetooth.

Far more stable than some of its predecessors at this phase of the operation, in particular, Catalina. That thing was a dumpster fire.

iOS 15 on the other hand has been buggy.

 

[Hunter5117]

I agree on Monterey being a very stable release right from Beta 1. I installed the new update this afternoon and it seems to solved some random jumpiness I was having with the mouse pointer when playing chess at Chess(dot)com with the previous one. Or could have been because my mouse needed recharging (LOL).