Apple has released macOS Monterey 12.1 to all users. The new update features SharePlay, Apple Music Voice Plan, Communication Safety for Messages, Digital Legacy for Apple ID, enhancements for TV, Photos, Reminders and Notes apps, and much more.
December 13: Apple has released the final version of macOS Monterey 12.1 to all users.
December 10: Apple has released new macOS Monterey 12.1 RC 2 to developers.
What’s new in macOS Monterey 12.1?
macOS Monterey 12.1 has turned out to be a major new update. Alongside the much-delayed SharePlay feature for Mac, this update also includes support for the Siri-powered Apple Music Voice Plan, safety features for children, improvements to built-in apps, and much more.
More importantly, this update fixes a number of issues that have been reported recently including the tap to click issue, 2021 MacBook Pro charging issue, 2021 MacBook Pro crash when watching HDR videos on Youtube, and menu bar items being covered by the notch on 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models.
Here are the complete macOS Monterey 12.1 release notes from Apple:
macOS Monterey 12.1 adds SharePlay, an entirely new way to have shared experiences with family and friends in FaceTime. This update also includes the Apple Music Voice Plan, new safety features for children and parents in Messages, redesigned Memories in Photos, and other features and bug fixes for your Mac.
SharePlay
- SharePlay is a new way to share synchronized experiences in FaceTime with content from the Apple TV app, Apple Music, and other supported apps
- Shared controls give everyone the ability to pause, play, rewind or fast forward
- Smart volume automatically lowers the audio of a movie, TV show or song when you or your friends speak
- Screen sharing lets everyone on a FaceTime call look at photos, browse the web, or help each other out
Apple Music Voice Plan
- Apple Music Voice Plan is a new subscription tier that gives you access to all songs, playlists, and stations in Apple Music using Siri
- Just Ask Siri suggests music based on your listening history and likes or dislikes
- Play it Again lets you access a list of your recently played music
Photos
- Memories has been redesigned with a new interactive interface, new animation and transition styles, and multiple image collages
- New Memory types include additional international holidays, child-focused memories, trends over time, and improved pet memories
Messages
- Communication safety setting gives parents the ability to enable warnings for children when they receive or send photos that contain nudity
- Safety warnings contain helpful resources for children when they receive photos that contain nudity
Siri and Search
- Expanded guidance in Siri, Spotlight and Safari Search to help children and parents stay safe online and get help with unsafe situations
Apple ID
- Digital Legacy allows you to designate people as Legacy Contacts so they can access your iCloud account and personal information in the event of your death
TV App
- Store tab lets you browse, buy, and rent movies and TV Shows all in one place
This release also includes the following enhancements for your Mac:
- Hide My Email is available in the Mail app for iCloud+ subscribers to create unique, random email addresses
- Stocks allows you to view the currency for a ticker and see year-to-date performance when viewing charts
- Reminders and Notes now allow you to delete or rename tags
This release also includes bug fixes for your Mac:
- Desktop and Screen Saver may appear blank after selecting photos from the Photos library
- Trackpad could become unresponsive to taps or clicks
- External displays may not charge some MacBook Pro and MacBook Air computers when connected using Thunderbolt or USB-C
- HDR video playback on YouTube.com could cause 2021 MacBook Pro computers to panic
- Menu bar extras may be obscured by the camera housing on 2021 MacBook Pro computers
- MagSafe may stop charging on 2021 16-inch MacBook Pro computers when lid is closed and system is shut down
Is your Mac compatible with macOS Monterey 12.1?
macOS Monterey 12.1 is compatible with the following models:
- MacBook Air (early 2015 and later)
- MacBook Pro (early 2015 and later)
- MacBook (early 2016 and later)
- iMac (later 2015 and later)
- iMac Pro (2017 and later)
- Mac mini (late 2014 and later)
- Mac Pro (late 2013 and later)
How can you install macOS Monterey 12.1 on your Mac?
If you already had macOS Monterey 12 installed on your Mac, simply go to System Preferences > Software Update to download the new update.
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