Apple announces macOS Monterey

Apple announced macOS Monterey at its own developer conference WWDC. Monterey is the successor to Big Sur. Universal Control allows users to use the same keyboard and mouse for Macs and iPads.

The Universal Control feature is part of Continuity. The feature works without setup and works when Macs and iPads are near each other. It is also possible to ‘drag & drop’ files. It is possible to use the function with three or more devices. There will also be Airplay to Mac, to stream audio and images from iPads and iPhones to Macs.

Monterey gets the Shortcuts app from iOS to automate tasks. Automator will continue to be supported and users will be able to import scripts into Shortcuts. Safari gets a new interface, with tabs next to the URL bar. Tabs can also be grouped into Tab Groups, which appear in a sidebar and are synchronized between devices. The new Safari also comes in iPadOS and iOS.

Many of the features of iOS 15 are also coming to Monterey, such as Focus profiles that are synced between devices by default. The changes to Facetime also come in Monterey. The beta comes out this week, with a public beta next month. The release is this fall. Support for 2014 iMacs, MacBook Airs and MacBook Pros from 2013 and the MacBook from 2015 will be discontinued. All newer Macs will get Monterey.