A new version of Safari is almost here, and it’s set to be a big one. First announced at WWDC 2023, it brings a bunch of new features for those running macOS Sonoma, but it’s also bringing different features for those running macOS Monterey and Ventura, too. And with a beta build now available, you can try it for yourself.

For those unaware, Safari for iOS 17, iPadOS 17, and macOS Sonoma introduces profiles, so you can separate work and personal bookmarks at different times of the day, alongside being able to secure a private window behind Touch ID and Face ID.

This version of Safari is also available to older macOS versions, so you can try out these features without updating to the public beta of macOS Sonoma. To do so, simply sign up to the Apple Beta Software site and try it out right now. 

While we don’t recommend using beta software for your everyday devices, Safari 17 can be downloaded as a separate browser, so you can relatively safely use it alongside the latest stable build, too.

Sweet seventeen

Experimental Features will be a big draw here, as you can easily switch on some features in a redesigned menu that makes it easier to try individual additions to the browser. Google Chrome has had a similar method for years, where you can type in chrome://flags in the address bar, and you can simply scroll down the list and enable features in development.

Safari is unique in the fact that it has its own section on Apple’s Developer site where a Preview of the web browser is maintained all year round. No other app from Apple does this, but it makes sense, as Webkit, the engine that powers Safari, is used in other web browsers, so any improvements need to be made available for other third-party developers.

But using a preview that’s separate from the public betas of iOS 17 is a unique offering, and it makes us wonder whether other apps could benefit from this regular cadence of updates and documentation. Perhaps Mail could benefit from this by being opened up by Apple, without having to showcase new features at WWDC every year, so users and developers could see how the app could improve and become a great rival to other Mail apps like Spark and Outlook.

Are you using Safari 17 already? Let us know how you’re getting on over at the iMore Forums.

Whether you are looking to use Boot Camp with your best Mac or just need to do some serious troubleshooting, knowing how to select a startup disk on your Mac is a big help. Here's how to select a startup disk in macOS Ventura.

What is a startup disk?

A startup disk is a partition of your drive that contains an operating system. If you want, you can choose what startup disk to use when you boot up your Mac. This is a practice used by many people who decide to use Boot Camp to access Windows and macOS on their Macs.

How to select a startup disk on Mac

The Startup Manager lets you choose a different startup disk during boot. So if you have your Mac partitioned to run Windows or a macOS beta, for example, you can select that startup disk instead of the default disk.

1. Shut down your Mac. 
2. On a Mac with Apple silicon: Press and hold the power button until “Loading startup options” appears. (For Mac mini, wait for the system indicator light to turn amber.) 
3. On other Mac computers: Press and hold the Option key and the power button simultaneously.
4. When you see the available startup disks, select the one you want.
5. Click the Continue button (on a Mac with Apple silicon) or the Up arrow (on other Mac computers).
6. The next time you restart your computer, it starts up from the disk you selected.

How to set a default startup disk 

1. On your Mac, choose the Apple menu.
2. Choose System Settings.
3. Select General in the sidebar.
4. Click Startup Disk on the right (you may need to scroll down.)
5. Select the icon of the disk you want to use
6. Click Restart.

Important note: When you select a startup disk, ensure you are selecting a network startup volume and NOT a network install image. If you select a network install image, that will trigger a reinstall of macOS and may erase your data.

A standard network volume icon appears as a globe with a folder. A network install icon appears as a globe with a downward-pointing green arrow. Be extra careful when selecting the right icon.

Other troubleshooting modes on startup

While knowing how to select a start disk can be important for troubleshooting reasons, there are a ton of different shortcuts you can take upon startup that may sometimes also be over services. So don't forget to familiarize yourself with those as well.

macOS 12.6 Monterey is officially in the wild — or at least for Apple developers. This guide is for installing the developer beta of macOS Monterey. Want to download the latest public version of macOS? That's a slightly different process.

Apple occasionally offers updates to iOS, iPadOS, watchOS, tvOS, and macOS as closed developer previews or public betas. While the betas contain new features, they also contain pre-release bugs that can prevent the normal use of your iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, Apple TV, or Mac, and are not intended for everyday use on a primary device. That's why we strongly recommend staying away from developer previews unless you need them for software development, and using the public betas with caution. If you depend on your devices, wait for the final release.

What's new in the macOS Monterey beta?

Though not as feature-rich as macOS Big Sur, macOS Monterey is packed full of plenty of great features, including an updated Safari app, Shortcuts for Mac, new features in Notes, expanded FaceTime features, and much more.

The macOS Monterey 12.6 Release Candidate is now available to download. Follow the instructions below to download and install the newest software update.

The macOS Monterey 12.5 Release Candidate is now available to download. Follow the instructions below to download and install the newest software update.

The macOS Monterey 12.5 beta 5 is now available to download. Follow the instructions below to download and install the newest software update.

The macOS Monterey 12.5 beta 4 is now available to download. Follow the instructions below to download and install the newest software update.

The macOS Monterey 12.5 beta 3 is now available to download. Follow the instructions below to download and install the newest software update.

The macOS Monterey 12.5 beta 2 is now available to download. Follow the instructions below to download and install the newest software update.

The macOS Monterey 12.5 beta is now available to download. Follow the instructions below to download and install the newest software update.

The macOS Monterey 12.4 RC is now available to download. Follow the instructions below to download and install the newest software update.

The fourth macOS Monterey 12.4 developer beta is now available to download. Follow the instructions below to download and install the newest software update.

The fourth macOS Monterey 12.4 developer beta also includes an extra element: the second Studio Display 15.5 developer beta. It's currently unclear exactly what the firmware update for the Studio Display will do, but it hopefully will attempt to continue to improve the camera.

The second macOS Monterey 12.4 developer beta is now available to download. Follow the instructions below to download and install the newest software update.

The macOS Monterey 12.4 beta is now available to download. Follow the instructions below to download and install the newest software update.

The macOS Monterey 12.3 RC is now available to download. Follow the instructions below to download and install the newest software update.

The macOS Monterey 12.3 beta 5 is now available to download. Follow the instructions below to download and install the newest software update.

The macOS Monterey 12.3 beta 4 is now available to download. Follow the instructions below to download and install the newest software update.

The macOS Monterey 12.3 beta 3 is now available to download. Follow the instructions below to download and install the newest software update.

The macOS Monterey 12.3 beta 2 is now available to download. Follow the instructions below to download and install the newest software update.

The macOS Monterey 12.3 beta is now available to download. Follow the instructions below to download and install the newest software update.

The macOS Monterey 12.2 release candidate is now available to download. Follow the instructions below to download and install the newest software update.

The macOS Monterey 12.2 beta 2 is now available to download. Follow the instructions below to download and install the newest software update.

The macOS Monterey 12.2 beta is now available to download. Follow the instructions below to download and install the newest software update.

The macOS Monterey RC 2 is now available to download. Follow the instructions below to download and install the newest software update.

The macOS Monterey RC is now available to download. Follow the instructions below to download and install the newest software update.

The macOS Monterey developer beta 4 is now available to download. Follow the instructions below to download and install the newest software update.

The macOS Monterey developer beta 3 is now available to download. Follow the instructions below to download and install the newest software update.

The macOS Monterey developer beta 2 is now available to download. Follow the instructions below to download and install the newest software update.

The macOS Monterey developer beta is now available to download. Follow the instructions below to download and install the newest software update.

The second release candidate of macOS Monterey is now available to download. Follow the instructions below to download and install the newest software update.

The release candidate of macOS Monterey is now available to download. Follow the instructions below to download and install the newest software update.

The tenth developer beta of macOS Monterey is now available to download. Follow the instructions below to download and install the newest software update.

The ninth developer beta of macOS Monterey is now available to download. Follow the instructions below to get started with the download.

The eighth developer beta of macOS Monterey is now available to download. Follow the instructions below to get started with the download.

The seventh developer beta of macOS Monterey is now available to download. Follow the instructions below to get started with the download.

The sixth developer beta of macOS Monterey is now available to download. Follow the instructions below to get started with the download.

The fifth developer beta of macOS Monterey is now available to download. Follow the instructions below to get started with the download.

The fourth developer beta of macOS Monterey is now available to download. Follow the instructions below to get started with the download.

The third developer beta of macOS Monterey is now available to download. Follow the instructions below to get started with the download.

The second developer beta of macOS Monterey is now available to download. Follow the instructions below to get started with the download. This is NOT the first public beta version of mac OS Monterey.

The first developer beta of macOS Monterey is now available to download. Follow the instructions below to get started with the download.

Apple has announced macOS Monterey, the latest version of its Mac operating system. With a lot of new features to test and develop for, the developer beta for this update will be available later today.

How to make an archived backup of your Mac with Time Machine

Before you begin, make sure you back up your Mac. The download and installation process is fairly easy, but any time you make significant changes to your computer, you risk problems. When it comes to securing your data, it is definitely better to be safe than sorry. Even if you just backed everything up the night before, make sure your Mac is completely up-to-date.

1. Connect an external hard disk or Time Capsule with a USB, FireWire, or Thunderbolt cable.
2. Click on the Apple icon in the upper left corner of your screen.
3. Select System Preferences... from the dropdown menu.
4. Select Time Machine in the System Preferences window.
5. Turn the Time Machine slider On.
6. Click Select Backup Disk and choose the disk you'd like to use.

Time Machine will format the hard drive for backups and start within two minutes.

How to download the latest macOS Monterey 12.5 beta

Downloading the latest beta on your Mac is as simple as visiting Apple's developer portal.

1. Visit developer.apple.com on your Mac.
2. Click on the Discover tab.
3. Click on the macOS tab.
4. Click Download.
5. Log in with your developer account if prompted to do so.
6. Scroll down and click on the Install Profile button for macOS 12. The file will automatically download to your Mac.
7. Open your Downloads window and select macOS 12 Developer Beta Access Utility.
8. Double-click macOSDeveloperBetaAccessUtility.pkg to run the installer.

When the installer is finished downloading, System Preferences will automatically check for an update to macOS. Click Update to download and install the developer beta software. After the software has been downloaded, the installation process will begin as normal.

If the latest developer beta does not appear on the Updates list, restart your Mac. Then, open the Mac App Store and click the Updates tab.

The developer beta update can take a long time to finish downloading, depending on the size. You can check the status in the Updates tab of the Mac App Store.

How to install the latest macOS Monterey 12.5 beta

After macOS Monterey is finished downloading, you will be prompted to install the software automatically.

1. Click on Continue.
2. Agree to Apple's Terms and Conditions.
3. Click on Install.
4. Follow the instructions to install macOS Monterey.

Your Mac will reboot to install macOS . You'll see a black screen with the Apple Logo and a progress bar. Grab a cup of coffee while you wait for the software to finish installing.

How to the install the latest macOS Monterey 12.5 beta on a partition

To keep your Mac's data from getting corrupted by a beta operating system, you can partition your Mac's hard drive to run macOS Monterey in tandem with your current operating system.

1. Create a partition on your Mac if you haven't already done so.
2. Select Continue when the download is finished and ready to install.
3. Agree to the terms.
4. Click Agree to confirm that you have read the terms.
5. Select Show All Disks to switch from your main partition.
6. Select the partition you wish to install the software on.
7. Click Install.

The installation helper will allow you to transfer information from your current operating system, or you could choose to do a clean installation to start your Mac from scratch.

How to get started with the latest macOS Monterey 12.5 beta

Once your Mac reboots, you'll be set up with macOS Monterey. You'll have to follow a couple of steps to get started.

1. Click on Continue.
2. Sign in with your Apple ID and password. iCloud will sync your desktop and other files.
3. Click on Get Started.

You'll be directed to your Home screen where you can start digging around to find all of the fun new features.

When you're browsing the web with Safari, using tabs is a great way to keep all the web pages you want open without having multiple Safari windows. However, if you're like me, you end up using so many tabs that your Safari toolbar ends up looking really cluttered and it's impossible to tell what you even have open. Luckily, macOS Monterey has introduced Tab Groups on Safari.

Tab Group let you group various tabs together and then easily switch between them so you can keep all your tabs in one Safari window without having a bunch of tabs open on your toolbar. Here's how to create and use Tab Groups in Safari in macOS Monterey.

How to create new Tab Groups in Safari in macOS Monterey

Technically, the moment you open Safari, you're already in a Tab Group. Any tabs you open will automatically be in the default Tab Group, but you can follow these steps below if you want to make a new one.

1. Launch Safari on your Mac.
2. Click the toolbar menu icon. It's the ⌵ on the top left.
3. Click New Empty Tab Group.

Now, any tab you open will be in this new group until you switch Tab Groups.

How to rename a Tab Group in Safari macOS Monterey

Once you have created a few Tab Groups, you're likely going to want to label them to keep them organized, and so you know what Tab Groups have which tabs at a glance.

1. Click the Show Sidebar icon.
2. Right-click (or Control-click) on the Tab Group you want to rename.

3. Click Rename.
4. Type in the name you want to use.

You can rename a Tab Group at any time by following the same steps listed above.

How to reorder Tab Groups in Safari macOS Monterey

If you're a stickler for keeping those Tab Groups organized, you can reorder them in the sidebar.

1. Click the Show Sidebar icon.
2. Click and hold the Tab Group you want to move.
3. Drag the Tab Group to your desired spot in the list.

How to view all tabs in a Tab Group in Safari on macOS Monterey

If you've lost track of which tabs you have open in your tab groups, you can quickly view all the tabs in a particular group in the Safari sidebar.

1. Click the Show Sidebar icon.
2. Click the search Tab Group icon on the tab group you want. It's the icon with the four squares.

Now you should see all the tabs open in that group and even close tabs in that Tab Group if you want.

How to delete a Tab Group in Safari in macOS Monterey

Once you're done using a Tab Group, there's no need to keep it around. You can delete it in the sidebar, which will automatically close all the tabs in that group.

1. Click the Show Sidebar icon.
2. Right-click (or Control-click) on the Tab Group you want to rename.
3. Click Delete.

Some improvements coming in macOS Ventura?

While Tab Groups in Safari aren't that old, they are already set to get updates when macOS Ventura launches in the fall.

Some of the features coming are as follows:

• Shared Tab Groups: Share a Tab Group with other people and collaborate. Everyone will be able to add their own tabs and the Tab Group will update instantly.
• Tab Group start pages: You can now have dedicated start pages to your Tab Groups and even customize them with background images.
• Pinned tabs in Tab Groups: This allows for even more customization in Tab Groups by allowing you to pin certain tabs to the top of the stack.

Group those tabs

Now that you know how to group tabs in Safari you're well on your way to becoming more organized. Grouping tabs allows you to organize tabs by task, category, or any other distinction to help you be more efficient. And with even more helpful updates coming this fall with macOS Ventura, Tab Groups will only get better with time.

Updated June 2022: For upcoming macOS Ventura.

What you need to know

• Apple's macOS 12.4 update has removed the flags from the Input Source switcher.
• The flags have been replaced by monochrome two-character country codes.
• Selecting an input is now more difficult to do at a glance.

Apple's recent macOS 12.4 update made a puzzling change to the way people switch the input device on their Mac and it's causing internet-wide confusion.

If you're someone who switches their input device regularly, perhaps from U.S. English to U.K. English, you likely do so from the Input Source menu bar item. And if you do that, you're probably more than familiar with seeing a little flag beside the language that you're selecting. Except, with macOS Monterey 12.4, those flags are gone, replaced with simple two-character country codes instead.

Here's how the switcher looks on my macOS 12.4 Mac mini right now:

And here's what it looked like prior to the installation of macOS 12.4 on another machine:

The issue was highlighted in a Stack Exchange post that assumed it was perhaps a setting that needed to be changed or, at best, a bug. But John Gruber has now been able to confirm that no, it's a decision that Apple made for reasons.

The change undoubtedly makes sense to someone inside Apple and sure, not all languages match perfectly to a country's flag — Gruber points out that "Hebrew != Israel." But this is an example of something that has been one way for years, and now isn't. And inaccuracies aside, few could argue that the flag approach wasn't the best one in terms of usability and ease of recognition. Being able to glance at a list and make a selection based on a flag is the way many people have worked for a long time — but not anymore. And that's a shame because the best Mac is one that people don't have to rework years of muscle memory to use.

Maybe Apple could offer the best of both worlds and add a splash of color to those country codes instead of the monochromatic approach it's currently taking?

One of the newest features for Mac is Quick Note. The tool lets you jot down ideas on the fly, regardless of what you're doing on the computer. Because each Quick Note is a part of Apple's native Notes app, everything you capture is automatically synced across your other devices. In addition, Quick Notes are resizable and available anywhere on macOS in full screen or Split View. With supported apps, you can add links, highlights, tags, and more.

Here's how to use Quick Note on Mac with macOS Monterey. The tool works on the best Macs.

How to bring up Quick Note

On Mac, there are various ways to bring up a Quick Note, including those mentioned here.

To turn on Quick Note functionality through Hot Corners:

1. Choose System Preferences from the Mac Dock.
2. Select Desktop & Screen Saver.

3. Click Screen Saver.
4. Choose the Hot Corners button at the bottom right.
5. Select the corner you'd like to use for Quick Note.
6. Choose Quick Note from the pull-down menu.
7. Click OK.

You can use Quick Note to move your mouse or trackpad to the Hot Corner you selected.

As an alternative way to activate a Hot Corner for Quick Note, you can choose Mission Control from Preferences, then select Hot Corners at the bottom left.

To bring up a Quick Note on Mac using a keyboard shortcut:

1. Go into the app or location where you wish to create a Quick Note.
2. Use the Fn+Q shortcut to bring up a Quick Note.

How to add Smart Links to a Quick Note

Whether in an app or while surfing the web, you can add Smart Links to a Quick Note in macOS Monterey.

1. Go into your supported app.
2. Bring up a Quick Note.
3. Click on the Hyperlink icon
4. Choose Add Link next to the selection you want.

How to add a Safari highlight to a Quick Note

You can save highlighted text from Safari to Quick Note:

1. Go into Safari.
2. Copy the text you wish to highlight.
3. Right-click and select New Quick Note or Add to Quick Note, depending on your preference.

Your highlighted text is now in the Quick Note.

How to view your saved Quick Note

You can find saved Quick Notes in your Notes app on macOS Monterey.

1. Select the Notes app from your Application folder or find it through Spotlight Search.
2. Choose Quick Notes at the top left.
3. Select the Quick Note to view.

What do you say?

With Quick Note, you can also jot down your most important comments for later review. Better still, they sync across your other devices. So start using Quick Note today and better organize your life.

Updated June 2022: Minor updates made for the latest version of macOS Monterey.

Shortcuts on Mac are becoming a reality thanks to macOS Monterey. Like Shortcuts on iPhone and iPad, the tool lets you automate tasks for apps and services using a Shortcuts editor. Once created, you can run them from your Dock, menu bar, the Finder, Spotlight, or with Siri on the best Macs.

Here's a first look at how to create Shortcuts on macOS Monterey

How to find and install prebuilt shortcuts

The easiest way to get started with Shortcuts on Mac is to install Apple's prebuilt shortcuts. To do so:

1. Open the Shortcuts app on Mac; it's located in the Applications folder.
2. Click Gallery at the top left.
3. Choose a shortcut from the Gallery.
4. Click Add Shortcut..., then following the shortcut-specific instructions on the screen.
5. Repeat each step to add additional Shortcuts.

How to create shortcuts

Shortcuts are designed to adapt to fit what you need. Because of this, Apple makes it possible to create new ones and edit the ones you already have. You can create easy shortcuts that include two-step actions or go long and create more difficult ones that require more work. For now, let's see how to create simple Shortcuts on Mac.

1. Open the Shortcuts app on Mac.
2. Choose All Shortcuts on the left side of the app.
3. Tap the + button in the upper-right corner.

4. Tap one of the options presented to you under the Categories tab or skip to step 5.
   • Favorites: If you have any actions that you've marked as favorite, they'll appear under here.
   • Sharing: Sharing actions like interacting with your device's clipboard, sending a message through email or Messages, AirDrop, social app actions, and more.
   • Documents: Actions for working with files, from appending to a file, creating folders, marking up documents, working with the Notes app, and text editing.
   • Web: Get and expand URLs, perform a GIPHY search, get items from RSS feeds, add something to your Reading List, and more.
   • Scripting: The actions under Scripting include commands to open particular apps, control over device functions, control flow, interacting with dictionaries, and a whole lot more.
   • Suggestions: Shortcuts will offer suggestions based on frequent actions, as well as options for modifying repeated actions to fit a specific parameter. Suggestions come from both Apple and third-party apps.
   • Location: Location-based actions that can start or be added to your shortcut.
   • Media: Actions for recording audio, using the camera, get app details from the App Store, and playing music and videos, and other media-related activities.
5. Tap on the options under Apps if you want to create an app-specific shortcut.
6. Follow the additional steps in the app.

How to share shortcuts

To share shortcuts with other users:

1. Open the Shortcuts app on Mac.
2. Choose All Shortcuts on the left side of the app.

3. Right-click on the shortcut you want to share.
4. Choose the way to share. Options include Mail Messages, AirDrop, Notes, and Reminders. You can also copy the link.

Make your life easier with Shortcuts!

Shortcuts open a huge world of possibilities on not only your best Mac but your iPhone and iPad too. In fact, we've written extensively on how to get started with Shortcuts on your iPhone, and once you do, you can start doing cool things like making customized apps icons for all your favorite apps.

Thinking about your mortality or a loved one passing away may be bleak, but it's vital that you do. While traditional estate planning tends to be something we think about later in life and concerns mainly physical assets, it's prudent to think about what would happen to your digital information should the worst happen.

So much of our lives are lived in digital form these days, so it's crucial that surviving family members can access the data and information of those no longer around. Unfortunately, once someone can no longer input their password, their data could be lost.

Apple aims to solve this problem with its Digital Legacy program. It allows users to declare Legacy Contacts that can gain access to data stored in their account when they die.

What is Apple's Digital Legacy program?

Apple's Digital Legacy program is an official way to allow access to information stored in your Apple account after you die.

Here's how Mike Abbott, VP of Apple Cloud Services, put it when announcing the feature at WWDC 2021:

Think about all of the information and data you have stored in digital form, including photos, messages, contacts, emails, notes, etc. For Apple users, that info is locked away behind an Apple ID password. If the account owner hasn't shared the password, then loved ones will be unable to access any of that information once they are no longer around.

Instead of being left in the lurch, Digital Legacy allows users to name select friends or family members as Legacy Contacts who can request a copy of their data in the event of their death.

How to add a Legacy Contact on Mac

As well as setting up Legacy Contacts on iPhone, you can also add some family members or friends via your Mac. Here's how to do it on your Mac running macOS Monterey.

1. Click the Apple icon in your menu bar.
2. Click on System Preferences.

3. Click on Apple ID.
4. Click on Password & Security.

5. Click on the Manage... button beside Legacy Contacts.
6. Click on Add.

7. Click on Add Legacy Contact.
8. If you use Family Sharing, you'll be presented with a list of family members from which to pick. Click their name and click Add or click Choose Someone Else to find a contact.

9. Click Continue.
10. Choose how you wish to share your Legacy Contact's Access Key with them by clicking Send a Message or Print a Copy and then clicking Continue.

If you have a Mac password set, you'll need to enter this along the way to add a Legacy Contact.

You can send your Legacy Contact's Access Key over iMessage, and they will be able to automatically store a copy of this access key in their Apple ID settings. If they are running an older version of the software, they'll be prompted to update.

Alternatively, you can print a copy of the access key to hand it over in physical form.

How to remove a Legacy Contact on Mac

It's just as simple to remove a Legacy Contact as adding one on Mac. Here's how to do it.

1. Click the Apple icon in your menu bar.
2. Click on System Preferences.

3. Click on Apple ID.
4. Click on Password & Security.

5. Click on the Manage... button beside Legacy Contacts.
6. Click on the Details... next to the Legacy Contact you'd like to remove.

7. Click Remove Contact.
8. Confirm by clicking Remove Contact again.

You may be required to enter your Mac password to complete the process.

The contact won't be notified that you removed them, though you will no longer appear in their Legacy Contact list if they have an Apple device that includes that setting. Also, the access key they received when being added will no longer work.

Prudent thinking

We know that no one will be around forever, so it's a good idea to set up some Legacy Contacts so that your trusted family members and friends can access your important information.

It's easy to empathize with surviving loved ones when access to information becomes problematic in the event of death, with precious photos, important notes, contacts, and much more possibly lost forever.

Apple's Digital Legacy feature is the best Mac implementation we've seen for this sort of information sharing. Once you've set it up, you can check one thing off your list of things to do. Of course, it doesn't fix all of the problems inherent in estate planning, but it's a good starting point.

Updated May 2022: With updates for macOS Monterey.

What you need to know

• Apple released the latest macOS Monterey beta this week.
• The release candidate for version 12.4 came out Thursday.
• Universal Control is no longer tagged as a beta.

Apple's Universal Control feature for macOS Monterey is no longer in beta in the release candidate of version 12.4.

As noted by Rene Ritchie on Twitter:

Apple first unveiled Universal Control in macOS Monterey at WWDC last year. Touting the continuity of using a single input device like a MacBook to work across multiple devices including the iMac and iPad Pro or iPad Air:

It took a while for Universal Control to actually debut in macOS, but it is now a welcome feature in the software.

Clearly longer in development than Apple might have hoped for, it means Universal Control is close to going public less than four weeks before WWDC 2022, where Apple will unveil the next iteration of macOS to the world alongside iOS and iPadOS 16, as well as watchOS and tvOS.

There are also rumors that Apple may debut a new MacBook at WWDC, possibly a replacement for the MacBook Air with M1 and 13-inch MacBook Pro with M1 that could feature new M2 Apple silicon. Apple has also confirmed plans to upgrade the Mac Pro later this year but hasn't specified when.

What you need to know

• Apple seeded the release candidate of macOS Monterey 12.4 to developers earlier today.
• The Release Candidate includes the new wallpaper for the Studio Display.
• The wallpaper was marketed along with the display when Apple originally announced it.

Apple is finally making the original Studio Display wallpaper available to users.

Earlier today, Apple seeded the Release Candidate of macOS Monterey 12.4 to developers and public beta users. In addition to including a new feature for the Apple Podcasts Mac app and support for the Studio Display Firmware Update 15.5, it also finally added the wallpaper that the Studio Display has been marketed with since Apple originally announced the product.

Spotted by 9to5Mac, the macOS 12.4 Release Candidate includes the "Studio" wallpaper that has been marketed along with the Studio Display itself. According to the outlet, there is only one version of the wallpaper, meaning that there is no separate light or dark mode.

If you want to download the Studio Display wallpaper for another device, like a Mac, iPad, or iPhone, you can get the full resolution version on the 9to5 Mac website.

What you need to know

• Apple seeded the release candidate of macOS Monterey 12.4 to developers earlier today.
• The Release Candidate includes support for Studio Display Firmware Update 15.5.
• Apple has separated firmware updates for the Studio Display from macOS itself.

Studio Display updates are finally free from macOS updates.

Earlier today, Apple rolled out the Release Candidate of macOS Monterey 12.4 to developers and public beta users. In addition to including the marketed Studio Display wallpaper and a new feature for the Apple Podcasts Mac app, it also includes support for the Studio Display Firmware Update 15.5.

According to the macOS 12.4 Release Candidate release notes, the firmware update for the Studio Display is now separate from the macOS software update itself and should improve the camera that received mediocre reviews since the display's launch.

• Apple Podcasts includes a new setting to limit episodes stored on your Mac and automatically delete older ones
• Support for Studio Display Firmware Update 15.5, available as a separate update, refines camera tuning, including improved noise reduction, contrast, and framing

Before, Apple included the firmware update for the Studio Display along with the developer beta for macOS. It's good to see that Apple has finally separated firmware updates for the display from the main macOS updates. This will allow more display-specific updates to be released without needing to wait for a macOS update.

The Studio Display launched back in March but is now tough to get as Apple continues to struggle with supply chain issues.

When Shortcuts came to iOS, it was a huge deal. Finally, Apple gave us ways to customize and streamline our workflows and make our lives easier. Now, the Mac is joining in on the fun. In macOS Monterey, you can create shortcuts right on your Mac, so you don't have to create shortcuts on just your iPhone.

Any shortcuts you create in Mac will appear on your iPhone as well, and vice-versa, making it easy to edit and create shortcuts on typically the biggest Apple screen you have. With shortcuts, your best Mac got even better. Here's how to create a shortcut on macOS Monterey.

How to create a Shortcut on macOS Monterey

As you may have suspected, everything Shortcuts starts in the Shortcuts app.

1. Launch Shortcuts.
2. Click new shortcut. It's the + at the top of the app window.

3. Drag shortcut options from the sidebar on the right-hand side to build your shortcut.
4. Click on Shortcut name. It's in the top left of the app window.

5. Type the name you want.
6. Click the close button on the window. It's the red x in the top left corner.

You've now created a Shortcut doing all the things you programmed it to do.

How to edit a shortcut on macOS Monterey

Of course, you'll need to tinker with your shortcut from time to time, and you can easily do that in the app.

1. Launch Shortcuts.
2. Double-click on the shortcut you want to edit.

From here, you'll be able to edit the Shortcut to your liking.

How to delete a shortcut on macOS Monterey

You can delete a Shortcut any time you want; just remember once you do, it's gone.

1. Launch Shortcuts.
2. Right-click/Control-click on the shortcut you want to delete.
3. Click Delete.

Explore Shortcuts even more!

Shortcuts open up a huge new world of possibilities on all your devices, and we're glad to see macOS Monterey has jumped in on the fun. This is just a quick overview of how to create and edit Shortcuts on your Mac, but, if you're new to Shortcuts and want to explore more of what they can offer, check out our guide for getting started with shortcuts for everything you need to know!

Updated May 2022: Updated for the latest version of macOS Monterey.

In macOS Monterey, Apple's brought a popular tool from iOS to the desktop. Can you guess what it is? That's right — Low Power Mode! With macOS Monterey, Low Power Mode is an option that you can set to automatically preserve battery life by turning down the screen brightness and system clock speed. It's a feature that works on all the best Macs.

How to use Low Power Mode With Battery Power

You must have a MacBook (early 2016 and later) running macOS Monterey or later to use Low Power Mode. To use the feature, follow these steps:

1. Launch System Preferences.
2. Choose the Battery.
3. Select Battery on the left side.

4. Check the Low power mode box. You might have to click on the lock image at the bottom to unlock this box.

Now your Mac should go into Low Power Mode whenever you are running just on the MacBook battery itself.

How to use Low Power Mode with power adapter

You can also use Low Power Mode when your Mac is connected to a power adapter by following these steps:

1. Launch System Preferences.
2. Choose the Battery pane.
3. Select Power Adapter on the left side.

4. Check the Low power mode box.

Time to save

It's nice to see Apple has finally added Low Power Mode to the best Macs. It's been a very popular feature on iPhone and iPad; undoubtedly, it will find much success on macOS Monterey and beyond.

Updated May 2022: Updated for macOS Monterey.

Shared with You is a macOS Monterey feature that launched with iOS/iPadOS 15. As designed, it keeps track of certain attachments sent to you by people or groups through the Messages app. You can find a running list of those items directly in the Messages app — or in the supported apps. Currently, Shared with You is supported in photos, podcasts, Apple TV content, weblinks, and Apple News stories.

Here's a closer look at Shared with You on macOS Monterey on all the best Macs:

How to find Shared with You content in Messages

The easiest way to find shared content on Monterey is through the Messages app since everything sent is kept in the exact location.

To find content:

1. Open the Messages app on your Mac.
2. Choose the person who sent you the content.
3. Select the information icon at the top right.

4. On the pop-up, scroll down until you see the content you want to view. The files are sorted by type.

How to find Shared with You content in the Podcasts app

When someone shares a podcast link with you through Messages, it will automatically show up in the native Apple Podcasts app across all of your devices.

To find content:

1. Open the Podcasts app on your Mac.
2. Scroll down until you see the Shared with You section.
3. Click on the shared content to play.

All shared content is marked as "From (Person's Name)."

How to find Shared with You content in the Photos app

When someone shares photos with you through Messages, they will automatically show up in the Photos app on Mac and your other devices.

To find these photos:

1. Open the Photos app on your Mac.
2. Click Shared with You on the left side of the screen.
3. Click on the shared photos you'd like to edit or expand.

How to find Shared with You content in the Apple TV app

Links to Apple TV content shared through Messages will show up in the Apple TV app on Mac.

To find links to this content:

1. Open the Apple TV app on your Mac.
2. Click Watch Now on the top menu.
3. Scroll down until you see the Shared with You section.
4. Click on the shared content to play.

All shared content is marked as "From (Person's Name)."

How to find Shared with You content in Safari

You can find shared web links inside the Safari app on Mac.

To find the shared links:

1. Open the Safari app on your Mac.
2. Go into the Start Page.
3. Scroll down until you see the Shared with You section.
4. Click on the shared content to go to that website.

All shared content is marked as "From (Person's Name) at the top of the browser.

Stop sharing

Not everyone will like using Shared with You. If that's you, it's possible to turn off the feature. Unfortunately, you can only turn this off on a person-to-person basis. To get started:

1. Open the Messages app on your Mac.
2. Choose the person who sent you the content.
3. Select the information icon at the top right.

4. Scroll down and uncheck the Show in Shared With You box.
5. Repeat Steps 1 through 4 to unshare content from other people.

No Shared with You content?

If you don't see a section for Shared with You in an app, it's because nothing has been shared yet. It will show up automatically as it occurs. Also, to find out how to use Shared with You in iOS, be sure to check out our guide on that as well.

It will be interesting to see how Shared with You is developed in future versions of macOS. Stay tuned!

Updated April 2022: With new information on how to disable Shared with You.

Focus on Mac is one of the more significant new features that came with macOS Monterey. As the name suggests, the tool has been designed to make it easier for users to concentrate on what they're doing throughout the day by silencing unnecessary notifications and alerts. Thanks to iCloud, Focus syncs across multiple devices, so Focus changes made on iPhone, for example, are immediately reflected on Mac and iPad, when applicable.

If you have macOS Monterey, here's how to set up and use a Focus on your best Mac.

What is Focus?

In recent years, Apple has beefed up its sleep tools on mobile and Apple Watch. When activated, the tools let you set sleep and wake-up times and decide which type of alerts are acceptable during your downtime. Focus is an extension of this (and Do Not Disturb) and allows you to establish parts of the day, then assign notification settings for each. These parts of the day can be regularly scheduled (sleep, work) or activated on the fly (gym, dinner).

You can get started on your mobile device or through macOS Monterey on your Mac.

How to set up a Focus in macOS Monterey

Before you can start using Focus on Mac, you need to set it up first. You can do this on macOS Monterey via the System Preferences app.

1. Click System Preferences from your Mac's dock.
2. Select Notifications & Focus.

3. Click on the Focus tab.
4. Choose a preset Focus to set it up, or tap + at the bottom left to create a custom one.

5. With a Focus selected, select + under Allowed Notifications From (People).
6. Add a new person.
7. Click Add.

8. With a Focus selected, select + under Allowed Notifications From (Apps).
9. Add new apps.
10. Click Add.

That's all there is to getting a Focus set up on Mac. If you decide you want to add or remove people and apps from a Focus, you can do so at any time. Now that you have a Focus set up, it's time to dig even further with customizations.

How to turn on Focus in macOS Monterey

You have all of your customizations set up for all of your Focuses; now what? Well, you're going to want to turn them on. Here's how to do that.

1. Select the Control Center on the menu bar on your Mac.
2. Choose the current Focus, when applicable. If no Focus is active, you'll see the word Focus instead.
3. Select the Focus that you want to turn on. You can also tap on the ellipses button (three dots) on a Focus to choose how long you want it on.

Focus may be getting an upgrade in Apple's next software

While Focus is one of Apple's newest features, there are rumors that point to Focus getting a significant upgrade in the upcoming iOS 16 update. The reason for that train of thought? Apparently Focus in iOS 16 will not be compatible with iOS 15, which would seem to indicate that some sort of major update is on the way.

Updated April 2022: Updated for the latest version of macOS Monterey.

The macOS Monterey release brought lots of new features to Mac. Among these are new ways to manage Mac notifications for apps and contacts. These improvements are designed to help you save time and better concentrate on what you're doing.

Here's a look at the changes and what makes them valuable.

How to use Focus to adjust your notifications

One of the most significant new features on macOS Monterey is Focus. The tool, also available on iPhones and iPads, allows you to adjust the kind of notifications you receive on your device(s) based on the time of day and what you're doing. You can change the settings for alerts from contacts and apps on all the best Macs, including the 2021 MacBook Pro.

For example, perhaps during after-hours, you only want to receive notifications from select contacts but not from apps. Further, you rather limit alerts to those only from colleagues, immediate family members, and specific news apps during work hours.

Once you've set up and established your initial Focus groups, you can adjust the settings.

To adjust your contact notification settings:

1. Choose System Preferences from your Mac's dock.
2. Select Notifications & Focus.
3. Click on the Focus tab.

4. Choose the Focus you wish to change on the left side of the Notifications & Focus box.
5. Highlight People under the Allowed Notifications From section.
6. Click the +, then highlight someone to add from your list of contacts.
7. Select the Add button.
8. Repeat steps 6-7 to add more people.

To adjust your app notification settings:

1. Choose System Preferences from your Mac's dock.
2. Select Notifications & Focus.
3. Click on the Focus tab.

4. Choose the Focus you wish to change on the left side of the Notifications & Focus box.
5. Highlight Apps under the Allowed Notifications From section.
6. Click the +, then highlight an installed app you wish to add
7. Select the Add button.
8. Repeat steps 6-7 to add more apps.

You can adjust the settings for each of your Focus groups. To share Focus settings across your other devices:

1. Choose System Preferences from your Mac's dock.
2. Select Notifications & Focus.
3. Click on the Focus tab.
4. Toggle on Share Across Devices.

Your app settings will only carry over for those titles installed on the other devices, like your best iPhone and iPad.

How to temporarily mute notifications

If you're getting many notifications from a person or app, you can temporarily mute the alerts to help you concentrate. To do so:

1. Click on the time on the right of your Mac menu bar to bring up Notification Center.
2. Right-click the notification (or set of notifications) you wish to mute.
3. Choose a muting option. You can select: - Mute for one hour. - Mute for today. - Turn off.

Other new features

Apple has added other new notification-based features in macOS Monterey. These include:

• New look for notifications: Notifications have a fresh new look, with contact photos for people and larger icons for apps.
• Muting suggestions: If a thread is active and you aren't engaging with it, you'll get a suggestion to mute it.
• Time-Sensitive notifications: These are notifications always delivered immediately, like fraud alerts, a reminder to go pick up your kids, and more.
• Communication notifications: Notifications from people across your communication apps now feature contact photos to make them easier to identify.

Manage your life

As you can see, in macOS Monterey, Apple makes it easier to manage notifications. Use Focus across all your Apple devices starting today!

Updated April 2022: Includes information on latest versions macOS.

What you need to know

• macOS Monterey 12.3 was released recently.
• Lots of users are having trouble with their game controllers on the new update.
• Controllers can de discovered and connected, but don't actually do anything.

Multiple users are reporting that the most recent macOS Monterey update is causing issues using game controllers.

As noted by MacRumors, users on Apple's Developer Forums and Reddit have been reporting this issue over the last week or so. One Redditor stated:

The post has multiple upvotes and some reports of similar issues, although not everyone seems to be having trouble. A similar thread on the developer forumrs reads:

Again, multiple comments indicate others are having the same issue. Plenty of people seem to suggest that their devices can detect and even connect to these controllers, but that they don't function once paired. The news is another unwelcome quirk of macOS Monterey, earlier this week it emerged that the latest 12.3 update was bricking the Macs of users who had previously had their logic boards replaced by Apple.

What you need to know

• Apple released macOS Monterey 12.3 this week.
• MacBook Pro users are complaining that macOS is bricking some machines.
• The problems seem to be related to users who have had their logic boards replaced.

Multiple users of Apple's MacBook Pro suggest that the new macOS Monterey release pushed out this week is bricking their Macs.

According to reports first noted by MacRumors, users of the new MacBook Pro (2021) in Apple's developer forums, and users on Reddit have spotted the issue. One user wrote:

One user in response noted a similar experience:

Still another said they had the same problem with their 14-inch MacBook Pro. According to an answer in the forum thread, the problem is related to a firmware bug in macOS Monterey 12.3:

The suggested answer involves manually downloading the 12.2.1 IPSW and using Apple Configurator 2 with your Mac in DFU mode to revive the image.

The full thread and insight on a possible fix can be read here..

Over the last couple of years, Apple has redesigned the Messages app for macOS to look and work more like its iOS counterpart. That means it now offers features like Memoji stickers, screen effects, apps, and more for you to liven up your conversations. Here's how to use them all in Messages for Mac.

Using Memoji stickers

To use Memoji stickers in Messages for Mac, follow the below steps:

1. Click on the Messages app on your Mac.
2. Choose an existing conversation or start a new one.
3. Select the App Store icon to the left of the iMessage box at the bottom.
4. Choose Memoji stickers from the list of choices.

5. Select the Memoji sticker you wish to send.
6. Type your message.
7. Hit the Return key to send your message.

If you want to create new Memoji stickers to use on Messages for Mac, follow the below steps.

1. Click on the Messages app on your Mac.
2. Choose an existing conversation or start a new one.
3. Select the App Store icon to the left of the iMessage box at the bottom.
4. Choose Memoji stickers from the list of choices.

5. Click on the ••• at the top left of the box.
6. Select New Memoji.
7. Create your new Memoji, by adding skin, hairstyle, brows, eyes, head, nose, mouth, ears, facial hair, eyewear, and headwear.
8. Click Done when you're ready to save the new Memoji.

Once saved, macOS automatically creates a new Memoji sticker pack for that look that's ready to use.

Using Photos

It's easy to send photos and videos from your Photos library via Messages. Here's how.

1. Click on the Messages app on your Mac.
2. Choose an existing conversation or start a new one.
3. Select the App Store icon to the left of the iMessage box at the bottom.
4. Choose Photos.

5. Scroll your library or use the search tool to find the image to use.
6. Select the image to send.
7. Type your message.
8. Hit the Return key to send your message.

Using animated GIFs

You can also add animated GIFs from the web to an iMessage:

1. Click on the Messages app on your Mac.
2. Choose an existing conversation or start a new one.
3. Select the App Store icon to the left of the iMessage box at the bottom.
4. Choose #images.

5. Use the search tool to find an animated GIF to use
6. Select the animated GIF to send.
7. Type your message.
8. Hit the Return key to send your message.

Adding effects

Finally, you can also add effects to your messages, including invisible ink, balloons, confetti, and much more just like on iOS.

1. Click on the Messages app on your Mac.
2. Choose an existing conversation or start a new one.
3. Type your message.
4. Select the App Store icon to the left of the iMessage box at the bottom.
5. Choose Message Effects.

6. Click the effect you want to use.
7. Select the up arrow next to your message at the right to send the message.

Spice up the group chat

Whether you've just installed macOS Monterey on your existing computer or you're about to upgrade to one of the best new Macs, the above instructions will apply.

Once you're up to speed with the latest Messages for Mac features, you'll be able to sprinkle GIFs and Memoji stickers into your chats like a pro.

Updated March 2022: Updated for macOS Monterey.

What you need to know

• macOS Monterey 12.3 Beta 3 makes it easier to discover and set up Universal Control.
• The feature allows users to seamlessly work across their Mac and iPad.
• macOS Monterey 12.3 is expected to announce early this spring.

Earlier today, Apple released the third developer beta of macoS Monterey 12.3 and iPadOS 15.4. With those releases, Apple has made it easier to discover and configure Universal Control.

As spotted by 9to5Mac, the update to macOS brings some changes to Universal Control, Apple's new feature that makes working between a Mac and iPad as seamless as possible. Today's update specifically focuses on making it easier to discover and configure the feature in System Preferences.

Before, users would have to navigate to the Advanced option in the Displays pane of the System Preferences app in order to find and set up Universal Control. In the third beta of macOS Monterey 12.3, Apple has added a Universal Control option right in the Displays settings area.

Upon clicking on this button, users have the following options to choose from regarding the feature:

• Allow your cursor and keyboard to move between any nearby Mac or iPad: Your cursor and keyboard can be used on any nearby Mac or iPad signed in to your iCloud account.
• Push through the edge of a display to connect to a nearby Mac or iPad: Allow the cursor to connect to a nearby Mac or iPad by pushing against the edge of the display.
• Automatically reconnect to any nearby Mac or iPad: Allow this Mac to automatically reconnect to any nearby Mac or iPad you've previously connected to.

It's currently unclear when Apple will roll out the public release of macOS Monterey 12.3 but rumors point to an early spring launch. The same is expected for iPadOS 15.4.

At the Worldwide Developers Conference in June 2021, Apple introduced Universal Control and the rest of macOS Monterey. The latter was released to Mac users in the fall. However, we're still waiting for Universal Control, which Apple says will be "available this spring." Here's more about the feature and the latest on its eventual arrival.

What is Universal Control?

When implemented, Universal Control will make it possible to use a single keyboard, mouse, and trackpad with your Mac and iPad — as long as they're side-by-side. By doing so, you can move "your cursor from your Mac to your iPad, type on your Mac and watch the words show up on your iPad, or even drag and drop content from one Mac to another."

What do you need for Universal Control?

To use Universal Control (UC), you'll need a supported version of the latest iPadOS (whichever is available at the time of UC's release) and macOS Monterey installed on your iPad and best Mac, respectively. Apple promises these will be available sometime in Spring 2022. With the supported software installed, Universal Control will work with no additional user set-up. Perhaps better still, it will work with multiple devices and combinations.

Both devices must be signed into the same Apple ID in iCloud and use two-factor authentication. To use Universal Control wirelessly on the supported devices, they must have Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and Handoff turned on and be within 10 meters (30 feet) of each other. iPad and Mac must not be sharing a cellular and internet connection. To use over USB, you must trust your Mac on the iPad.

Universal Control works on Apple silicon and Intel-based Macs.

Supported devices include:

• MacBook Pro (2016 and later), MacBook (2016 and later), and MacBook Air (2018 and later); iMac (2017 and later), iMac (5K Retina 27-inch, Late 2015), iMac Pro, Mac mini (2018 and later), and Mac Pro (2019); and iPad Pro and iPad Air (3rd generation and later).
• iPad (6th generation and later) and iPad mini (5th generation and later).

Where Universal Control doesn't work

There are different combinations of devices where Universal Control isn't available.

These include:

• iPad to iPad: Universal Control requires a Mac, so there's no way to use it across two or more iPads.
• iPhone: To date, Apple hasn't offered Universal Control on iPhone. Whether this changes in the future isn't known.
• Android and Windows: Nope, Universal Control isn't going to work on your friend's Windows computer or Android-based tablet.
• Apple Pencil: You cannot currently move your Apple Pencil to your Mac using Universal Control.

The latest news

On January 27, 2022, Apple introduced the first macOS 12.3 and iPadOS 15.4 betas to developers. Soon after, Apple released new macOS and iPadOS public betas. These updates finally have Universal Control in place so if you sign up to download the public betas you can access this feature. This means the wider, general public will almost certainly get their hands on the new feature in the coming weeks, perhaps months. Stay tuned!

Updated February 2022: Includes new information, links.

Universal Control is set to arrive this spring on supported Macs and iPads. The new feature makes it possible to use the same peripherals such as keyboards and mice across multiple Macs and iPads. Though Universal Control remains in beta, we've already uncovered some exciting ways to use the feature. It works on the best iPads and best Macs.

Apple occasionally offers updates to iOS, iPadOS, watchOS, tvOS, and macOS as closed developer previews or public betas. While the betas contain new features, they also contain pre-release bugs that can prevent the normal use of your iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, Apple TV, or Mac, and are not intended for everyday use on a primary device. That's why we strongly recommend staying away from developer previews unless you need them for software development, and using the public betas with caution. If you depend on your devices, wait for the final release.

What is Universal Control?

First announced at the Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) in June 2021, Universal Control is only now available to developers and members of the Apple Public Beta program. On supported devices that are within 30 feet (10 meters) of one another, you can use the same keyboard, mice, and trackpad. However, you must be using at least one Mac for this to work. In other words, Universal Control works from Mac-to-Mac and iPad-to-Mac, but doesn't work iPad-to-iPad.

With Universal Control, both devices must be signed into the same Apple ID in iCloud and use two-factor authentication. The supported devices must have Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and Handoff turned on to use the tool wirelessly. Additionally, iPad and Mac must not share a cellular and internet connection. Finally, you must trust your Mac on the iPad to use over USB. Universal Control works on Apple silicon and Intel-based Macs.

Cool things you can do with Universal Control

Universal Control has some apparent features, plus a few you might not have thought about until now, including those listed below.

Apple has made it easy to get started with Universal Control. Assuming your software and hardware meet the requirements, it works seamlessly across the devices with no other setup. I can already see Apple creating a slick ad that highlights how Universal Control just works.

Once you link a peripheral with Universal Control, it's there to use forever— assuming it's close to your supported devices and turned on! Looked another way, this means you can link multiple accessories to the same devices. This doesn't sound important until you recognize that many have offices in different locations. Additionally, in some households, the same Mac is being used by various people and in multiple places in the home.

Better still, Universal Control works with any peripheral with Bluetooth, not just those keyboards, mice, and trackpads from Apple.

For some users, Universal Control might sound a lot like Apple's Sidecar feature. However, while Sidecar focuses on extending or mirroring a Mac display on an iPad, Universal Control concentrates solely on the input devices.

In these early days of Universal Control, I've been taking advantage of this crucial difference by shifting how I use apps during my workday. For example, I no longer use Apple Music, Messages, and Slack from my MacBook Pro. Instead, the open apps are on my iPad. The result is a less cluttered desktop.

With Universal Control, you can freely drag and drop files such as images from one device to another. It's a slick tool. However, it comes with some restrictions. Forget, for example, moving files directly from the Mac to the iPad's Home screen as it's not possible. You can, however, move files from your Mac into supported apps such as images to the iPad Photos app or Microsoft Excel files into the Files app. In addition, when there are two Macs side-by-side, drag and drop feels much more familiar and is without restrictions.

More to come

As we continue to uncover new Universal Control features, we'll add them to this post. Meanwhile, developers and public beta members continue to test the feature. Universal Control should launch via software updates in the coming weeks for everyone else.

What you need to know

• Apple's new macOS 12.2.1 update fixes a nasty bug that caused some Macs to run out of battery.
• macOS 12.2 introduced a bug that caused Bluetooth accessories to wake Macs from sleep when they shouldn't.
• Apple says macOS 12.21 also includes security updates.

Apple's newly released macOS 12.2.1 update fixes an issue that caused some Macs to see their batteries drain when not being used.

People reported that their Macs were waking while sleeping and draining their batteries after installing macOS Monterey 12.2 with Bluetooth accessories thought to be the culprit. After investigation it appeared that Bluetooth accessories were waking Macs more often than they should, causing unusually high battery drain. Apple says that the bug has now been fixed with the new macOS 12.2.1 update.

Apple also recently made macOS 12.3 available to developers and public beta testers with those who installed the update noting that the same battery drain issue was fixed for them, too.

In terms of the security fix that macOS 12.2.1 implemented, Apple says that was related to WebKit specifically.

Those who have not yet installed macOS 12.2.1 should do so as soon as possible — the update can be installed via the System Preferences app as normal.

Remember folks, the best Mac is an updated Mac!

What you need to know

• A battery drain issue in macOS 12.2 seems to have been fixed.
• Previously devices closed for sleep would lose their battery overnight.
• 12.3 beta 2 appears to have eradicated the problem.

Testing of the new macOS Monterey beta seems to indicate that a battery drain bug present in previous versions may have been fixed this week.

As noted by Mr. Macintosh:

From what I can see, macOS Monterey 12.3 Beta 2 (21E5206e) fixes the Bluetooth battery drain issue.

I tested 3 times & didn't see a single DarkWake

Test setup: 1. 2018 MBPro that had the issue on 12.3 B1

1. 12.3 Beta 2 and can't reproduce the issue

The issue first showed up in January with version 12.2 of macOS Monterey. From January:

Apple announced macOS Monterey at WWDC last summer, releasing it in the fall of 2021. The software power's all of Apple's latest and greatest Macs including its ever-growing Apple silicon range. Apple is rumored to be holding an event on March 8 where it may announce a new MacBook Pro to accompany its current version powered by the M1 Pro and M1 Max

I was almost convinced that Universal Control would become Apple's next AirPower, a heavily-anticipated new product that was announced, delayed, then canceled. Luckily, however, that isn't the case.

After first being announced in June, then never spoken about by Apple again, the software feature is alive and well. It is currently being tested by Apple developers and public beta users. Most likely, the new tool, which lets you move between iPads and Macs using your trackpad, mouse, or keyboard, will arrive for the public this month or next.

As a public beta tester, I've been putting the first version of Universal Control through the motions in recent days. I found this fantastic new feature is already changing my daily workflow.

Universal Control: what it's about

As we previously noted, Universal Control makes it possible to move back and forth wirelessly and via USB between the best Macs and iPads using a keyboard, mouse, or trackpad when the devices are sitting side-by-side. You can even move files such as photos seamlessly between the two.

Universal Control sounds a lot like Sidecar, a previously released software feature that lets you extend or mirror your Mac display onto an iPad. Though they're somewhat similar, these tools are different. In this case, it's all about the convenience of seamlessly using the same accessories with multiple devices.

As Apple explains, you can move "your cursor from your Mac to your iPad, type on your Mac and watch the words show up on your iPad, or even drag and drop content from one Mac to another."

Universal Control just works after the intial setup, assuming you have the software and hardware that support it.

You must have macOS 12.3 or later and iPadOS 15.3 or later installed on your supported Mac and iPad, respectively. Supported devices include the MacBook Pro (2016 and later), MacBook (2016 and later), MacBook Air (2018 and later), iMac (2017 and later), iMac (5K Retina 27-inch, Late 2015), iMac Pro, Mac mini (2018 and later), and Mac Pro (2019); and iPad Pro, iPad Air (3rd generation and later), iPad (6th generation and later), and iPad mini (5th generation and later). Additionally, both devices must be signed in to iCloud with the same Apple ID using two-factor authentication.

For wireless connections, both devices must have Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and Handoff turned on and within 10 meters (30 feet) from one another. To use Universal Control over USB, you must trust your Mac on the iPad.

Universal Control: The good

In the first developer and public beta, Universal Control works very well. Imagine how you use a trackpad/mouse with a keyboard on your Mac, then think about how you move your finger across the iPad. Both processes still work the same with Universal Control, except now they are side-by-side and use the same hardware. Yes, it's really that simple.

Universal Control: The (somewhat) bad

Honestly, there's not much to criticize about Universal Control except perhaps the current setup process. Before using Universal Control, you must follow a few steps on both devices. None of these steps are difficult, although they could be enough to turn off some users. Luckily, as a beta product, Universal Control will likely undergo some changes in the coming weeks. One of these could be the elimination altogether of these setup steps. (Perhaps Apple will turn the feature "on" by default and only require steps to turn it off.)

Another thing I'd like to see with Universal Control is how a pointer is displayed on the iPad. Right now, as you move between Mac and iPad, you see the traditional pointer transform into a circle. It's the same circle you see whenever using a peripheral on the tablet (see below). A better way would be for Apple to ditch the circle and use an arrow pointer across all devices. Doing so would make the process even more seamless. Still, I'm aware such a change might not be as easy to accomplish as one might expect. With macOS and iPadOS, Apple has developed different sizes of touch targets, with the one on the iPad bigger. This would have to be addressed before any changes could be made.

Beyond these somewhat modest concerns, Universal Control is already a winner, and I can't wait for everyone else to begin using it. Stay tuned.

What you need to know

• Apple has confirmed a change that has broken some Dropbox and Microsoft OneDrive features in macOS 12.3.
• In the case of Dropbox, third-party apps can no longer open online-only files.
• Apple has deprecated kernel extensions used by the two cloud storage providers and both are working on fixes.

Apple has confirmed that the current macOS 12.3 beta has deprecated kernel extensions that are used by both Dropbox and Microsoft OneDrive.

Last week we heard from Dropbox that an upcoming macOS update would break the opening of online-only files by third-party apps. Dropbox mentioned macOS Monterey 12.3 in its own support documentation before it was released and Apple has confirmed that yes, the first macOS 12.3 beta does indeed break things. And as suspected, Microsoft OneDrive is also going to suffer as well.

Here's what Apple has to say in the macOS 12.3 release notes:

The news that both Dropbox and Microsoft are working on fixes is expected and Dropbox did say as much last week. For now, one workaround for those who have the macOS 12.3 beta installed is to open online-only files via Finder rather than through the third-party apps directly.

Microsoft, for its part, says it is working with Apple to come up with a solution to its own problems that will have "long-term support."

Dropbox has long been one of the best Mac services for syncing and saving data to the cloud and users will be hoping this particular feature is back up and running soon.

What you need to know

• Some people report odd battery drain during sleep with the latest macOS 12.2 update installed.
• The issue seems related to Bluetooth devices waking the machine overnight.
• It isn't yet known whether macOS 12.3 will fix the issue.

A number of macOS 12.2 users are reporting a bug that is causing significant battery train during sleep mode that is being caused by Bluetooth accessories.

The current shipping version of macOS Monterey, version 12.2 is now available for download but a number of users are experiencing an issue that is causing unusual battery drain when Bluetooth devices repeatedly wake the machines.

First spotted by MacRumors, the problems have popped up across social media and Reddit.

The problem is so bad that some people report batteries draining from 100% to 0% overnight. Notably, the problem is impacting both Apple silicon and Intel machines.

While Apple released macOS 12.3 to developers and public beta testers last week we haven't yet heard whether that has fixed the problem or not. Even if it hasn't, it's possible it could do so by the time the update is made available to the public. Expect multiple beta releases before macOS 12.3 is ready for primetime, for example.

What you need to know

• Apple has a new API that's dedicated to screen recording.
• ScreenCaptureKit could allow developers to record specific portions of a screen.

A new API attached to the first macOS 12.3 beta suggests that Apple is working to make it easier for screen recording apps to function.

With the arrival of macOS Monterey 12,3 in an initial beta form, Apple has added a new API dubbed ScreenCaptureKit. As first reported by 9to5Mac, the API appears set to give third-party apps more control over screen recordings including the ability to record specific areas of a screen — useful for recording a particular app or interface, for example.

Here's how Apple describes its new API:

Use cases for such an API could see apps able to record only portions of the screen for video calling purposes, for example. While apps are already able to do something along those lines, developers had to create the implementation from the ground up which makes for added complication. The use of an API would standardize all of that across apps.

The macOS 12.3 beta is available for download right now. This is beta 1 and we expect many more releases before the update is made available to everyone. And even then we need developers to implement the features that could be made possible by this new API, too.

What you need to know

• Apple has told developers that it will no longer bundle Python 2 in macOS from macOS 12.3 onwards.
• Developers should use Python 3, but that doesn't come pre-installed.
• Developers have been told to bundle Python into their apps if it is required.

Apple has confirmed that it is removing Python 2 from macOS 12.3 which means that there will be no version of the scripting language installed by default.

The news comes via the macOS Monterey 12.3 beta that was recently made available to developers. The current version that Apple ships with macOS is Python 2.7 and that will be removed completely. Python 2.7 has not been supported for more than a year now, and while there are newer versions available Apple will not be bundling those, either.

As MacRumors notes, developers will need to install the latest build of Python manually and were told as far back as 2019 that they should begin to bundle the Python runtime inside their apps if it was required.

"If your software depends on scripting languages, it's recommended that you bundle the runtime within the app," Apple said when discussing the situation previously.

Apple made the first macOS 12.3 beta available to developers yesterday but there is no indication of when it will also be released to the public. We expect a few betas to arrive before we get to that point, however.

What you need to know

• Apple's macOS 12.3 update will be able to update the firmware installed on AirPods.
• Only iPhones and iPads can update AirPods currently.
• The macOS 12.3 update doesn't have a release window for the public yet.

Your Mac will soon be able to update the firmware on your AirPods but you still won't be able to do the update manually — it's all system-controlled just like when iPhones and iPads handle the updates.

The recent release of macOS Monterey 12.3 in initial beta form has highlighted a change that will finally allow Macs to update AirPods. Currently, only iPhones and iPads are able to handle that task. And while we still won't be able to manually update AirPods even with macOS 12.3 installed, this improvement will be good news for AirPods owners who don't have an iPhone or iPad to handle updates for them.

The new change hasn't been announced, but 9to5Mac reports being able to get a Mac to do the business.

While the macOS 12.3 beta is only available to developers right now it will eventually be made available to everyone else, likely this spring. We expect to see more developer betas released along the way and it's possible features will come and go before macOS 12.3 is ready for primetime.

What you need to know

• Apple has seeded the first iPadOS 15.4 and macOS Monterey 12.3 betas to developers.
• Both new betas are required to enable Universal Control.
• Universal Control allows people to use one keyboard and mouse across multiple iPads and Macs.

After months of waiting Apple has finally made Universal Control available in the first betas releases of iPadOS 15.4 and macOS Monterey 12.3.

Both of the new beta updates can be downloaded and installed by developers right now and both will be needed by anyone wanting to take this new feature for a spin. Universal Control was first announced during WWDC in June 2021 and was originally expected to ship in September or October of the same year. The feature allows people to use a single mouse and keyboard to control Macs and iPads.

The addition of Universal Control was first spotted by MacRumors.

There is no telling yet when these two updates will be made available to the public so it could be some time before most people get to try Universal Control out for themselves. But given some of us had given up on ever seeing the feature ship, today is at least one filled with positive news — now we wait to see whether it actually works as well as we all hope it will. Universal Control promises to be one of the best Mac and iPad features released in a long time.

What you need to know

• Dropbox has warned users that third-party apps might soon be unable to access online-only files.
• A workaround means opening files manually via Finder.
• A beta release is coming that should help fix the issue.

Once-popular online storage and sync outfit Dropbox has once again upset Mac users after it sent an email out to users saying that they might soon be unable to access some files.

According to an email sent to customers, Dropbox is concerned that people running a future version of macOS Monterey might not be able to access online-only files via third-party apps. It mentions macOS 12.3, a release that doesn't exist yet, although that could be a mistake. It's also possible that Dropbox has been given a heads-up by Apple, of course. The latter seems most likely given the talk of macOS 12.3 in a related support article on the Dropbox website.

The problem, the email says, is that "for this release, Dropbox doesn't have full support for online-only files." That means that files that only live on Dropbox's servers — and not on your Mac — could go AWOL at some point in the future, at least in terms of access via third-party apps. Files should still be available via Finder, at least.

Dropbox has been struggling to maintain its position as the best Mac app for syncing files and saving them to the cloud of late. It's still working on a native Apple silicon version of its app, for example.

With select headphones and speakers, you can take advantage of Spatial Audio on Mac. The new feature is available using Apple Music and FaceTime with macOS Monterey. Here's how to use Spatial Audio on the best Macs. Don't forget to learn how to turn spatial audio on and off on AirPods Pro and AirPods Max.

What is Spatial Audio?

With Spatial Audio, music listening becomes a multidimensional experience where the sound feels like it's coming from various directions. Apple's surround sound version, Spatial Audio, uses multiple sensors inside the headphones or speakers to work, including accelerometers and gyroscopes.

Requirements

For Apple Music, Spatial Audio is typically tied with Dolby Atmos, although not always. The one-two punch takes better advantage of the virtual audio space that Dolby Atmos creates. Apple Music is the only audio service that supports both features.

According to an Apple support document, you need to be listening with one of the following devices to use Spatial Audio with Dolby Atmos automatically on Mac:

• AirPods, AirPods Pro, or AirPods Max
• BeatsX, Beats Solo3 Wireless, Beats Studio3, Powerbeats3 Wireless, Beats Flex, Powerbeats Pro, Beats Solo Pro, or Beats Studio Buds
• The built-in speakers on a MacBook Pro (2018 model or later), MacBook Air (2018 model or later), or iMac (2021 model)

Note: You also need to have macOS Big Sur 11.4 or later.

How to use Spatial Audio with Apple Music on Mac

To utilize Spatial Audio on Apple Music on Mac:

1. Open the Apple Music app.
2. Choose Music from the menu bar.
3. Select Preferences.
4. Click the Playback tab.

5. Toggle Dolby Atmos to Automatic, Always-On, or Off.

Remember, if you want automatic playback, you need to be listening with one of the devices listed above. If you want to use other headphones that don't support automatic playback, choose Always On.

How to use Spatial Audio with FaceTime

With Spatial Audio, a sound field gets created during a FaceTime conversation, making it sound like your friends or colleagues are in the same room. As such, voices are spread out to sound like they're coming from the people's direction on the screen. The only requirement to using Spatial Audio with FaceTime is that you're using a Mac from 2018 or later and have macOS Monterey or later installed.

Good start

Spatial Audio makes listening to music and attending a FaceTime session even better. It's super easy to use as long as you have the right equipment.

One of the newest macOS Monterey features is iCloud Private Relay. As part of iCloud+, the tool adds a layer of web security to your computer. Here's a quick look at the new tool and why it's important on the best Macs.

What is iCloud+

Announced at the Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) in June, iCloud+ is a mixture of a rebrand of the existing paid iCloud service plus new features. Like iCloud itself, iCloud+ is available on iPhone, iPad, and Mac.

Besides iCloud Private Relay, iCloud+ brings to the table for the first time Hide My Mail, custom email domains for iCloud Mail, and expanded HomeKit Secure Video support.

When activated, iCloud Private Relay automatically encrypts the traffic leaving your device. In doing so, it uses two internet relays so no one can see your IP address, location, and browsing activity.

How to turn on iCloud Private Relay

The iCloud Private Relay tool is automatically installed on Macs with macOS Monterey. However, you'll still need to activate it as an iCloud+ subscriber.

On your Mac:

1. Click on System Preferences on your Mac dock.
2. Choose Apple ID.
3. Either click Upgrade or Activate next to iCloud Private Relay on the right. Whether you already have a paid iCloud+ account will determine your available choice. If you select Upgrade, you'll be asked to choose a plan to continue.

You can switch off iCloud Private Relay by taking these steps:

1. Click on System Preferences on your Mac dock.
2. Choose Apple ID.
3. Select Options next to iCloud Private Relay on the right.
4. Click Turn Off in the pop-up box.

Note: If you wish to use iCloud Private Relay on your iPhone or iPad check out our guide for that as well!

Another layer of protection

Apple's iCloud Private Relay isn't as powerful as a VPN, but it's a step in the right direction. Use it to protect your computer from the outside world better.

Hide My Email is one of the most promising new features available across multiple Apple platforms, including macOS, iOS, and iPadOS. The feature is part of iCloud+ and makes it possible to use random email addresses. By using a random email address, you can hide your actual address and details when filling out forms, signing up for free trials, or any other service.

On Mac, you can access the tool through System Preferences or the native Mail app on any of the best Macs. Here's how to do it.

What is iCloud+

Hide My Email is part of iCloud+, a rebrand of the existing paid iCloud service that comes with some new features. Besides Hide My Email, iCloud+ brings to the table for the first time iCloud Private Relay, custom email domains for iCloud Mail, and expanded HomeKit Secure Video support. Like iCloud itself, iCloud+ is available on iPhone, iPad, and Mac.

Using System Preferences

If you want to create various hidden emails simultaneously, your best bet is to make these through System Preferences. Otherwise, you can create them one at a time through the Mail app, which is detailed below.

Using the Mail app

You can also create and use a random email address through the native Mail app on Mac. To do so:

1. Open the Mail app.
2. Start to draft a new message. You can do so by clicking on the New Message icon or choosing File > New Message from the toolbar.

3. Click From to select an email address to use.
4. Choose Hide My Email from the pull-down menu.

5. Compose your email as you normally do.
6. Click the Send button to send the email.

A worthwhile feature

That's it! Your email was just sent using a random email address. Therefore, any responses will come directly to your actual email, which the contact does not have.

Hide My Email is a new tool in iCloud+ that makes it possible to use random email addresses that are then forwarded to your personal inbox. You can hide your actual details when filling out a form on the web or signing up for a newsletter.

Hide My Email is available on iPhone and iPad in iOS 15 and iPadOS 15 respectively, and also on macOS Monterey. The software supports all of the best Macs.

What is iCloud+

Announced at the Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) in June, iCloud+ is a mixture of a rebrand of the existing paid iCloud service plus new features. Like iCloud itself, iCloud+ is available on iPhone, iPad, and Mac.

Besides Hide My Email, iCloud+ brings to the table for the first time iCloud Private Relay, custom email domains for iCloud Mail, and expanded HomeKit Secure Video support.

Setting up Hide My Email on Mac

To enable Hide My Email on macOS Monterey:

1. Choose System Preferences from the Mac Dock.
2. Select Apple ID.

3. Click iCloud.
4. Choose the Options... button to the right of Hide My Email.

5. Select the + to create a new random email address.
6. Click Continue.

7. Label the new email address and add a note, if necessary. Both are useful, so you know where you're using the random email.
8. Click Continue.
9. Choose Copy Address so you have it ready to go.
10. Select Done.

That's it! Your new random email address is ready to go.

Using Hide My Email

Like any other email address, you can use this email across any Apple device, including iPhone, iPad, and Mac. If you haven't copied the email address or have forgotten it, you can follow these directions to retrieve it:

1. Choose System Preferences from the Mac Dock.
2. Select Apple ID.

3. Click iCloud.
4. Choose the Options... button to the right of Hide My Email.

5. Choose the appropriate email under Hide My Email.
6. Click Copy to copy the email for use elsewhere.
7. Select Edit to edit the label you previously created.
8. Choose Options to change the forwarding email, then select Done. You can only use an Apple-generated email.

Useful tool

As you can see, it's pretty easy to use the Hide My Email feature in macOS Monterey. Already a beneficial tool, it will be interesting to see how it develops in the coming years.

What you need to know

• Some M1 Mac owners are reporting that they can't install macOS 12.1.
• While the download and installation process begins, it never completes.
• A potential fix has been posted to Twitter and is embedded below.

Some owners of fancy new M1 Macs are finding that they can't download and install the latest macOS Monterey update — no matter how fast that lovely Apple silicon happens to be.

According to reports from across the internet, the macOS 12.1 update keeps getting stuck, refusing to complete while others simply can't see the update at all. That's a big shame, too, with macOS 12.1 adding support for SharePlay and more. However, there does appear to be a fix that is working for some people and it might just work for you, too.

Check it out and cross your fingers:

Another option appears to be to boot into recovery mode and install macOS 12.1 that way, although that's more of a nuclear option as of right now. The method mentioned in the tweet above seems to work for the vast majority, thankfully.

As ever, the best Mac is a Mac running the very latest release and that's no different in this instance, either. The addition of SharePlay could be enough of a reason for some to update, although improvements to Photos and Messages are also worth checking out, too. Unfortunately, Apple has officially delayed Universal Control, so don't expect that to be part of this download. For now, we cross our fingers and hope that Apple manages to get it into an update this spring.

If you have an Apple ID and iCloud, you can save passwords synced across various devices, including Mac, iPhone, and iPad. For the former with macOS Monterey, you can easily manage your password using System Preferences or directly from Safari. It works on all of the best Macs.

Password management on Apple devices is handled through the iCloud Keychain, an Apple feature that makes it possible to save account names and passwords you use online securely. In turn, you can safely access that information at any time from the supported devices.

Settings up iCloud Keychain on Mac

Before using it, you must enable the iCloud Keychain on each device. You must allow it separately for use through Safari.

Manage password information on Mac with System Preferences

Thanks to iCloud Keychain, all of your account information is saved and synced across your supported devices. To make changes to existing information via Mac:

1. Click on System Preferences on the Mac Dock.
2. Choose Passwords.

3. Log into iCloud Keychain.
4. Choose the login information you wish to change on the left side of the Passwords screen.

5. Choose the Edit icon at the top right.

You can edit your User Name, Password, and Website information from this screen. Additionally, you can add a Setup Key when needed. You can also delete the record as needed. All changes made on your Mac will sync to your other supported devices.

Manage password information on Mac in Safari

As an alternative, you can make iCloud Keychain changes from the Safari app on your Mac. The only reason to do so is convenience since most of the steps are the same.

To make changes through Safari on your Mac:

1. Open **Safari **on your Mac.
2. Click Safari on the Mac menu bar.
3. Select Preferences from the pull-down menu.

4. Choose Passwords from the Safari Preferences menu.
5. Log into iCloud Keychain.

6. Choose the login information you wish to change on the left side of the Passwords screen.
7. Choose the Edit icon at the top right.

You can edit your User Name, Password, and Website information from this screen. Additionally, you can add a Setup Key when needed. You can also delete the record as needed. All changes made on your Mac will sync to your other supported devices.

Helpful tool

Storing username and password through iCloud Keychain saves a lot of time across all of your Apple devices. Better still, it's safe and secure. To make adjustments on Mac, you can use System Preferences or head over to the Safari app.

One of the newest features to arrive on Mac with macOS Monterey is Shortcuts. First launched on iPhone and iPad a few years ago, Shortcuts makes it easier to customize and streamline our everyday workflows and get things done quicker and easier.

In macOS Monterey, you can add Shortcuts to Mac's built-in Quick Actions. In turn, you can then find your Shortcuts from Finder windows and the Services menu. Here's how to use Quick Actions in the Shortcuts app on Mac. It works on all the best Macs.

Creating Shortcuts

You can find Shortcuts in the Applications folder on your Mac. In the Shortcuts Gallery, you'll find a growing list of built-in shortcuts that you might find useful. You can also create Shortcuts.

Using Quick Actions with Shortcuts

Once you've created a Shortcut, you can include it in Quick Actions. To do so:

1. Go into the Shortcuts app.
2. Click All Shortcuts under My Shortcuts on the left-hand side of the app.
3. Drag the Shortcut you wish to use into the Quick Actions folder.

That's it! The Shortcut is now useable with Quick Actions.

Choose which Quick Actions appear in the Finder

As we previously noted, Quick Actions appear in Finder windows by default. And yet, it's best to select which ones you want to see. Doing so removes some digital clutter that might pile up over time.

To adjust your Quick Actions:

1. Choose the Apple icon at the top left of the menu bar.
2. Click System Preferences.
3. Select Extensions.

4. Next, choose Finder in the left column.
5. Click on the checkbox next to each action you want to be available from the Finder.

You'll see the checked actions in on the Finder windows on your Mac.

Getting those Quick Actions

Quick Actions have long been a time-saving solution for adding automative tasks to Finder windows and the Services menu. The process has now been extended to the new Shortcuts app for Mac, making Quick Actions an even more useful tool. Better still, moving Shortcuts to Quick Actions takes just a few steps, so why not do it?

What you need to know

• Some users previously reported their Macs would refuse to start up after updating to macOS Monterey.
• Apple says that it has fixed a bug and that it was related to its T2 security chip.

Apple says that it has fixed a bug that prevented some Macs from starting up properly after being updated to macOS Monterey. The bug, which only seemed to impact those machines running an Apple T2 security chip, was lighting up social media and Apple's support channels.

According to Apple, via a statement provided to Rene Ritchie, says that the bug has now been fixed and that those impacted should contact Apple for help.

These are the Macs that have the Apple T2 Security Chip built in:

• iMac (Retina 5K, 27-inch, 2020)
• iMac Pro
• Mac Pro (2019)
• Mac Pro (Rack, 2019)
• Mac mini (2018)
• MacBook Air (Retina, 13-inch, 2020)
• MacBook Air (Retina, 13-inch, 2019)
• MacBook Air (Retina, 13-inch, 2018)
• MacBook Pro (13-inch, 2020, Two Thunderbolt 3 ports)
• MacBook Pro (13-inch, 2020, Four Thunderbolt 3 ports)
• MacBook Pro (16-inch, 2019)
• MacBook Pro (13-inch, 2019, Two Thunderbolt 3 ports)
• MacBook Pro (15-inch, 2019)
• MacBook Pro (13-inch, 2019, Four Thunderbolt 3 ports)
• MacBook Pro (15-inch, 2018)
• MacBook Pro (13-inch, 2018, Four Thunderbolt 3 ports)

None of this impacted the latest M1 Pro or M1 Max notebooks that ship with macOS Monterey already installed, thankfully. Those machines are among the best Mac notebooks ever made and we can only imagine what Apple silicon we will see in the future. Hopefully showstopping macOS Monterey bugs will be a thing of the past, however.

Many new features and improvements are coming to macOS Monterey, but since virtual meeting spaces have become crucial in our lives, the improvements to FaceTime may be some of the most exciting. If you do many FaceTime calls, macOS Monterey will likely make you feel like your best Mac got even better.

One of the new features is FaceTime call links, which allows you to create links that you can send to people that will let them join in on a FaceTime call just by tapping the link. You can send these links using built-in apps like Messages and Mail, or copy the link and send it just about anywhere. Everyone you want on that call can be included. Creating a FaceTime call link on macOS Monterey is pretty similar to the process on iPhone and iPad with a few key differences. Here's how to create a FaceTime call link on macOS Monterey.

How to create a FaceTime call link in macOS Monterey

Creating a FaceTime call link is a much easier way to invite groups of people to the same call, and you can do so right from the FaceTime app on your Mac. Once you create a link, it should remain active until you choose to delete it.

1. Launch FaceTime.
2. Click Create Link.

3. Click the sharing method you want to use.
4. Enter all the sharing details you need for your selected method if needed.
5. Send the link to whomever you want via your sharing method.

Depending on the sharing method you've selected the process of what information you will need will differ slightly; however, the basic principles remain the same. Choose who you're sending the FaceTime link to and then send it. The people you sent the link to will be able to tap that link whenever to jump into your FaceTime call. They don't even have to do it right away. The link should remain active until you delete it.

How to delete a FaceTime call link on macOS Monterey

As mentioned above, if you don't want a certain FaceTime link to function anymore, you can delete any of the call links you have created. This will deactivate the link for everyone.

1. Launch FaceTime.
2. Click the info button beside the link you want to delete. It's the small "i" in the circle.

3. Click Delete Link.
4. Click Delete Link again.

Now, anyone you gave that FaceTime link to won't be able to use it to join a call. You'll need to resend a new link if you want those people to join you on FaceTime again.

What you need to know

• macOS Monterey came with an abstract wallpaper instead of the now traditional landscape photograph.
• A group of friends went out to create their own wallpapers and you can download them now.

Whenever Apple releases a new version of macOS we expect to be treated to a new landscape photo to use as our wallpaper. It's been that way for the last few years, but things changed with the arrival of macOS Monterey last month. Why, nobody knows. But it left some people disappointed and a subset of those people was so disappointed that they set about creating their own.

The result is not only a new static wallpaper for use on macOS Monterey but also a dynamic wallpaper that can be used, too.

You can even take the whole process in via the magic of online video streaming, too.

Over to Andrew Levitt and friends:

The question of what the wallpaper needed to show was a big one, with assumptions that Apple's abstract wallpaper was supposed to be Monterey Canyon throwing a spanner in the works — it's underwater and can't easily be photographed. Instead, the new photo wallpaper shows a rather breathtaking view found after a few days of hunting for the right spot.

They might not be Apple wallpapers, but these images are probably some of the best Mac wallpapers yet!

Anyone who wants to download the free wallpapers can do exactly that right now.

What you need to know

• A number of people are reporting that installing macOS Monterey is causing their Macs to refuse to start.
• Impacted machines include both portable and desktop Macs.

Apple's recent macOS Monterey release had something of a troublesome beta program for various reasons, but things aren't improving now that it's available to everyone. A growing number of people are taking to social media and Apple's own support forums to report that their Macs refuse to start after updating to the company's latest big release.

More than ten different Apple Support Communities threads, first spotted by MacRumors, highlight the issue. People have been tweeting about their problems as well, all with the same theme — updating to macOS Monterey caused their Macs to no longer power on. It also seems that the issue only crops up on older Macs running Intel chips. If you're using a modern M1 Mac you should be good to go.

One Reddit user sums things up pretty well when saying that their Mac is now "just dead."

Anyone who is experiencing issues trying to update to macOS Monterey should reach out to Apple Support for assistance. However, one support document might offer some relief.

I'd still suggest reaching out to Apple in the first instance, especially if your Mac is covered by AppleCare.

What you need to know

• macOS Monterey came out earlier this week.
• It is causing issues for users of USB Hubs and other USB devices.

A slew of users are reporting issues using USB Hubs and USB devices having upgraded to macOS Monterey.

As first noted by MacRumors there are complaints on Reddit, Apple's developer forums and Apple's Support Communities. One user notes:

Another wrote:

As the report notes users are reporting issues on both Intel Macs and devices like the 13-inch MacBook Pro with M1 and MacBook Air with M1, suggesting this is likely a software bug that has been introduced in the latest software. The problem seems to affect hubs and solo USB devices like mice and keyboards. If you too are experiencing these issues, there's no apparent fix floating around right now, and you may have to wait for Apple to update its software accordingly.

What you need to know

• Apple has released the macOS Monterey 12.1 developer beta.
• The new beta adds support for SharePlay.
• The feature is already available on the iPhone, iPad, and Apple TV.

The latest developer beta brings a long-awaited feature to macOS Monterey.

As spotted by MacRumors, the new macOS Monterey 12.1 beta brings SharePlay to the Mac for the first time. The feature, which is already available on iOS, iPadOS, and tvOS, allows users to share content in sync with their family and friends.

The feature works across a number of apps, including FaceTime for screen sharing. It also will work for services like Apple Fitness+, allowing you to do a workout together while you might be apart.

As Apple announced at WWDC, it will also work with third-party apps like Disney+, HBO Max, and TikTok.

The feature is still only available to developers. It is currently unclear when macOS Monterey 12.1 will launch to everyone.

Static is not a word to describe the current state of Apple's Mac lineup or the software behind it. In less than two years, Cupertino has replaced nearly every Intel-based computer it makes, including most of the best Macs, with new models that use native silicon. It has also significantly updated an operating system that first launched 20 years ago.

After the whirlwind that was macOS Big Sur, Apple announced its successor, macOS Monterey, earlier this year. Like the Snow Leopard, Mountain Lion, and High Sierra updates before it, Monterey wasn't designed to be a game-changer. Instead, its goal is to improve what's already there. Some of this comes in the form of new features, although there are plenty of updates worth considering as well.

Apple has succeeded for the most part in producing a good product. Some holes remain, however. So here's a look at what works — and doesn't work, on macOS Monterey.

macOS Monterey: Availability

If you own one of the following Macs, you can install Monterey:

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

macOS Monterey: What's new

In recent years, Apple has continued to bring mobile apps and processes to the desktop. With Monterey, the blurring of the lines between iPad and Mac has continued. New features in Monterey include Focus, Live Text, and iCloud+, which also launched this year on iPad. There's also Shortcuts, which arrived on iPhone and iPad a few years back. Throw in fresh updates to FaceTime, Messages, and Notes, and there's a lot to learn and take in.

macOS Monterey: First things to do

On the surface, Monterey doesn't look that much different from Big Sur, and that's by design. And yet, there are new features worth considering, starting with Focus. If you're already on iPhone and iOS 15, you might have already turned on this feature. If you haven't, do this now.

From there, you should check out the updates to Messages and take a good look at Quick Notes and Notes. Yes, they are different things. Finally, end your first Monterey journey by checking out iCloud+ and its new features — assuming you're a paying iCloud customer.

macOS Monterey: Focus

The big tech companies have spent the last few years making it easier for us to unplug. For Apple, this has meant introducing a Screen Time tool across its many platforms. With Screen Time, Apple made it easier for parents to track and restrict what their kids were doing online while keeping track of their online activities and getting a gentle nudge when it was time to take a break.

Focus expands on this by making it possible to restrict notifications and communication, depending on the time of day or what we're doing. Everything here is controlled by Focus groups, which you can create manually or pick from the canned options. The most apparent Focus groups are those for work hours, driving, and sleep time. You can create new groups for fitness, game playing, or anything else in just a few steps.

For each Focus group, you decide who's allowed to contact you and which apps can send you alerts during the specified times. Otherwise, these notifications are kept quiet until the group session expires.

The beginning and end of each Focus Group aren't just time-based. You can also have them kick on whenever you're at a particular location (the local gym) or using a specific app or game. At first glance, location-based options seem much less critical on Mac until you realize just how valuable they can become if you move sporadically between various locations. For example, let's say you work at home two days a week and in an office the other three. Throw in the occasional trip to the local Starbucks where you also sometimes work, and there are three work-related locations. Under this scenario, you could create a work-based Focus group that turns on/off whenever you're at one of the locations between certain hours of the day.

Adding this type of flexibility to receiving notifications saves time and makes it easier to concentrate on the tasks at hand. And because it's an Apple world, Focus works best when you sync your groups across all of your devices.

macOS Monterey: Shortcuts

One of the best features to arrive on iPhone and iPad in the past decade is now on macOS. Shortcuts for Mac lets you save time by removing steps when performing essential tasks. You can select from a list of pre-configured Shortcuts or create new ones using an editor. In addition, you can run installed Shortcuts from the Dock, menu bar, the Finder, Spotlight, or Siri.

One of the earliest concerns about Shortcuts for iPhone was whether everyday users would take the time to tackle the learning curve. That's less of an issue today as the library of pre-built Shortcuts has steadily grown. And, In addition, thanks to Catalyst, many iPhone and iPad shortcuts will run on Macs with Apple silicon.

macOS Monterey: FaceTime

Apple's brought two significant changes to FaceTime this year, plus some minor ones. The first represents a tiny step in the right direction. In contrast, the second is far more exciting — although it hasn't been fully realized with Monterey's introduction.

With Monterey and iOS 15/iPadOS 15, Apple makes it possible for Android and Windows users to join FaceTime meetings for the first time. However, the move comes with limitations, starting with these users being unable to start sessions themselves. Instead, Apple users must invite anyone to a FaceTime call via a unique link. From there, they can join the call through a web browser with no login necessary.

FaceTime is also picking up a powerful new feature called SharePlay. With the feature, users within FaceTime can watch TV shows and movies, listen to music, and share their screens. It sounds very exciting, and no doubt is the most remarkable new consumer feature on Monterey. Unfortunately, Apple has delayed the SharePlay launch until later this year across all platforms. When it does arrive, we'll update this review.

The new FaceTime also brings Spatial Audio to meetings, so the voice of every attendee comes directly from their position on the screen, and Voice Isolation, which minimizes background noises. In addition, a new Wide Spectrum tool leaves ambient sounds unfiltered.

FaceTime on Monterey also includes a grid view, so everyone on a call is shown in same-size tiles and portrait mode. This exclusive Apple silicon feature softens whatever's behind you on a call, so your face is front-and-center.

macOS Monterey: Messages and Share With You

Another great Monterey feature is Share With You. The new tool makes it simple to find photos, links, podcasts, and other items shared with you through Messages. From there, you can find a running list of those items directly in the Message app — or in the supported apps. Shared with You supports photos, podcasts, Apple TV content, weblinks, and Apple News stories. Shared With You is a fun new feature that has a valuable purpose. It will be interesting to see how it evolves.

Apple has also tweaked how photos look when sent in Messages in Monterey. Now, multiple pictures in Messages appear as collages or a stack of images that you can flip through. You can also easily view them as a grid, reply with a quick Tapback, or save them to your library.

Apple has also extended the Mac memoji features to include clothing, new glasses, multicolored headwear, and more. A first, you can now also use memoji on the Mac login screen.

macOS Monterey: Quick Notes and Notes

Like other features in Monterey, the Quick Note tool is also available on mobile devices, specifically the iPad. It makes it possible to capture any thought, regardless of what you're doing on the device. A Quick Note can include links, Safari highlights, Tags, and more. Better still, each gets funneled into the Notes app, which, thanks to iCloud, means they're accessible across multiple devices. With Tags, you can better categorize and organize your notes while Custom Smart Folders simplify finding those re-categorized posts. You can also view Tags via a Tag Browser.

Quick Notes works as intended and works very well. And yet, because of how Apple has embedded Quick Notes, the feature might be too difficult for some users to find it. To activate Quick Notes, you need to establish a Hot Corner or use a keyboard shortcut. Will people take the time to do this? I'm not so sure.

Meanwhile, the new Notes' Highlights feature makes it much easier to see when collaborators have changed a document. Each person is automatically assigned a different Highlight color. There's also a new Mentions collaboration feature. Critical updates are conveyed immediately to the collaborator using an @ sign and the person's name in a Note.

macOS Monterey: Live Text

Live Text is another terrific Monterey feature. It lets you interact with the text found in any image across different apps, including Safari, Preview, and Photos. For example, text for a physical address in a photo can open the Maps app, while numbers on an image can become phone digits that you can use in Messages. Once converted, the text is easy to copy/paste just as you would any other text to use elsewhere on your device.

There's another component to Live Text: Visual Look Up. With this tool, you can swipe up or click an information button, where supported, to learn more about scenes and objects.

I don't imagine many users will embrace Live Text simply because most images don't have characters or numbers worth clicking on. And yet, there's something magical about it that could find useful purpose over time. I could see businesses, for example, starting to include phone numbers and street addresses on posted ads online as another way of capturing the attention of would-be customers.

macOS Monterey: iCloud+

In recent years, Apple has relied on services to bring in record-breaking revenue. One of these services, iCloud, has picked up three new features in 2021 — assuming you have a paid iCloud account. With iCloud+, you can use iCloud Private Relay, Hide My Email, and other tools across many devices, including Mac.

The iCloud Private Relay feature looks a lot like a Virtual Private Network (VPN), but it's much more limited in its scope. When activated, it encrypts your internet activity, making it harder for scammers to learn your location. Hide My Email is another iCloud+ feature. It makes it possible to create and use unique, random email addresses online. It's a slick tool that has already found a home in the Wolfe household in our never-ending battle with marketers trying to make contact.

macOS Monterey: Other notables

One of the most surprising features to arrive with Monterey is AirPlay to Mac. Surprisingly, a Mac couldn't serve as a receiver to sounds and video from other devices until now. That's no longer the case. With Monterey installed, you can now receive content from these mobile devices and also other Macs. View videos, hear music, and even edit Keynote presentations with ease right from your desktop. You can also use your Mac as an AirPlay 2 speaker and mirror or extend what's happening on another device.

The native Maps app has also gotten a terrific update in Monterey. There's an interactive globe, new and updated transit features, new driving features, and more. Although the Maps app is usually more associated with the iPhone, it does offer benefits when used on Macs. For example, it makes a great trip planner and, thanks to the growing list of Maps travel guides, also serves as a terrific research tool.

There are also new accessibility features in Monterey, including VoiceOver image descriptions in Markup and descriptions for PDF signatures, improved full keyboard access, and custom mouse pointers.

The built-in Photos app offers an updated Memories feature that includes a fresh look and improved tools. These include an interactive interface, new memory types, and much more.

In Reminders, Apple has added Tags and Custom Smart Lists. The former work like the Tags found in the Notes app, making it easier to organize your reminders. The latter makes it possible to automatically include reminders that matter most to you by selecting tags, dates, times, locations, flags, and priority.

The Find My app has also received an update that makes it easier to find the exact location of family and friends. In addition, Find My also includes a widget for the first time.

With gaming, Apple has brought over a few features from mobile. For example, you can see incoming friend requests in your Game Center inbox and view game highlights with a push of a button and more.

macOS Monterey: Safari

Just a few weeks ago, my macOS Monterey review was going to scorch Apple for what it had done to the iconic Mac browser, Safari. Luckily, most of the browser changes Apple announced in June are no longer a requirement as Monterey makes its public debut. Though Apple isn't saying why those changes are now optional, I'd like to think a summer of developers and beta testers complaining caused it to rethink the implementation.

At its core, a web browser has one purpose: to take us to our favorite websites fast and securely. But, for some reason, Apple decided to rethink Safari and force us to change how we keep track and access our favorite websites. These changes primarily took two forms: a redesigned Tab Bar and all-new Tab Groups.

The streamlined Tab Bar takes up less space on the page and offers redesigned floating tabs that work with Safari's Smart Search field. Together, they give the browser a more minimalist feel that extends to a new More menu button. Located to the right of the search field, when clicked, the button reveals links to the Privacy Report, bookmarking, sharing, Reader View, and more.

With Tab Groups, you can arrange tabs (links to websites) by different topics and interests. So how are these different than bookmarks? According to Apple, Tab Groups are more dynamic and have been designed to follow you. A bookmark, by contrast, is more hard-coded to a specific page.

I noted in June that if Tab Groups caught on and replaced bookmarks, I would be onboard. However, I also mentioned they could just as easily be seen as gimmicky and not worth the trouble. Further, I said, "If that's the case, Apple might be forced to return Safari to its Big Sur version, which beta testers have already attempted."

Again, Apple blinked, and much of what it wanted to implement on Safari has been pushed to the side. This is a big win for consumers, although it leaves Apple with some digital egg on its face. Most software must continue to innovate to stay relevant. That innovation should happen on web browsers' security and privacy fronts, not by making sweeping design changes. Kudos to Apple for figuring this out — finally.

macOS Monterey: More to come

Monterey has a few features announced in June that won't be available until later this year. Besides SharePlay, there's Universal Control. With no set-up required, you can move between both devices as they sit side-by-side using a keyboard, mouse, or trackpad. You can also perform drag and drop to bring content from one device to another.

Finally, a Monterey update will also bring Apple's Digital Legacy Program online. The feature allows you to designate people as Legacy Contacts so they can access your account and personal information in the event of your death.

macOS Monterey: Should you wait?

There are always first version headaches when it comes to new software. It could be, for example, that your favorite third-party app or accessory won't yet work with Monterey. If you're concerned, check with the developer or vendor before performing an update. Otherwise, I've seen no reason not to upgrade if your Mac supports it.

macOS Monterey: The bottom line

Monterey is never going to get the attention that Big Sur got last year. And yet, it won't be soon forgotten either. From Focus to Shortcuts to Quick Notes to Live Text, Monterey is a worthwhile update. Better still, it's an update that will get even better in the coming weeks when Apple unlocks the Digital Legacy Program, SharePlay, and Universal Control.

On a negative note, what Apple attempted to do with Safari was a shame and didn't make any sense. Luckily, it got wise quickly and left the browser essentially the same.

What you need to know

• Apple announced that macOS Monterey is being released on October 25.
• Universal Control won't be available at launch, however.
• Apple says the feature is now coming 'later this fall'.

Apple has confirmed that Universal Control, one of the most hotly-anticipated features of macOS Moneterey, will not be available at launch when the new software rolls out.

As we reported yesterday:

However, Apple's website states that Universal Control will not be available until later this fall.

Universal Control was perhaps the most exciting feature announced as part of macOS Monterey. From Apple:

The feature has been absent from Monterey's various betas, although did show up recently. However it still isn't functional and clearly, Apple doesn't think the feature is ready to push out to customers just yet. The news comes as Apple unveiled its new MacBook Pro (2021) featuring all-new Apple silicon in the form of the M1 Pro and M1 Max chips. The new best MacBook also features a 120Hz Liquid Retina XDR display just like the M1 iPad Pro (2021), and also features returning ports for HDMI and the SD card as well as powerful MagSafe charging.

What you need to know

• Apple will release macOS Monterey on October 25.
• That means it'll debut alongside the stunning new MacBook Pro.

Apple has confirmed that macOS Monterey will debut alongside the stunning new mini-LED MacBook Pro featuring new Apple silicon on October 25.

The software news comes as Apple unveiled its staggering new MacBook Pro with 120Hz mini-LED display, new design, and phenomenal Apple silicon. The company stated:

The new MacBook Pro starts at $1,999 and can be pre-ordered from today, to be released on October 25. The company's new best MacBook joins the MacBook Air with M1 and 13-inch MacBook Pro with M1.

What you need to know

• Apple's macOS Monterey Universal Control feature is now listed as beta.
• The beta designation was added in macOS Monterey beta 12, but it still can't be used.

When Apple showed off macOS Monterey during its WWDC event earlier this year, Universal Control was one of the standout features. Being able to use a mouse and keyboard to control a nearby iPad looked and sounded amazing. And then things went dark. Four months later, we still can't test it even in the tenth macOS Monterey beta. Now, the feature itself has a beta tag of its own.

Spied by 9to5Mac after a little jiggery-pokery, the new feature can be enabled to a point. They saw a new beta label, with the feature itself housed within an 'Advanced' section of the Displays portion of System Preferences.

It isn't immediately clear whether Universal Control will get its debut when macOS Monterey is released — likely, soon. It's possible the device-switching feature will be live, but with the beta tag there to remind everyone that they should expect problems.

Apple is likely to confirm when macOS Monterey will be made available during its Unleashed event on Monday, an event that is also expected to see the debut of new mini-LED MacBook Pros. They're sure to be the best Mac's for people who need power on the move. It remains to be seen whether they'll have Universal Control at launch — a feature I absolutely cannot wait for!

What you need to know

• Apple continues to tweak the macOS Monterey Safari experience, this time putting the favorites bar back above the tabs.
• Changes to Safari have both horrified and delighted users of the previous nine betas.

Apple continues to tweak the Safari experience in macOS Monterey and the latest change sees the favorites bar return to whence it came. After living above the tab bar previously, an earlier beta moved it to below it. Now, it's back where it belongs.

The Safari situation has dominated the beta news cycle not only across all previous macOS Monterey betas but also the iOS 15 and iPadOS 15 betas, too. Both of those are in a much better place than they once were and it's hoped that Safari on the Mac will continue to move in the right direction now this change has been made.

Safari has always been the best Mac web browsing experience — until this year's round of betas. Things are definitely looking up, however. Fingers are very much crossed that we don't see another regression before the release is made available to one and all.

We don't yet know when Apple will bring macOS Monterey to the masses, but the smart money is on us finding out during Monday's Unleashed Apple event. New 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pros are expected to be announced and we can expect them to ship with macOS Monterey pre-installed.

Apple's Monday event is also potentially bringing new AirPods to market, while talk of a new Mac mini is also swirling. We'll find out for sure in just a few short days, that much we can definitely predict!