Download the macOS 12 Monterey public beta, Apple's next major macOS release. Although the operating system is identical in appearance to macOS 11 Big Sur's predecessor, it offers some new features and tweaks to Apple's most popular services.Before we move on, please remember that Monterey is currently a beta. Installing the program on your primary device may not be the best decision. You might encounter bugs, incompatibility or unfinished features. Installing the program on your daily driver is a good idea. Make sure to back up any data you might lose.The most exciting feature Apple has announced for those who install the beta is FaceTime. Portrait Mode is my favorite. It blurs the background while you're speaking to a call. This feature is similar to the iPhones feature of the same name. Portrait Mode sometimes didn't get everything. It would get confused by multiple surfaces behind me and leave some areas un-blurred. It was not difficult to find areas that the feature worked well. Apple has stated that Portrait Mode will also be available in third-party apps, but we'll have to wait until they release updates to support it.Although FaceTime has been able to make group calls for some time, I have always considered it a tool that can only be used for one person at a given time. Monterey adds some features to make FaceTime a more powerful Zoom competitor. This makes it easier to hold larger meetings and to facilitate larger calls. It now supports Spatial Audio and a grid view. This makes it sound like other people's voices are coming from the same area of the screen as their faces. It is possible to generate a link for a FaceTime call in advance (similar to how you generate a Zoom Link), and Android and Windows users can join via their browsers. A new Voice Isolation feature makes it possible to reduce background noise when you speak.SharePlay is a new feature that allows you to watch content from different streaming services together. It's similar to Scener or Netflix Party, but for FaceTime. It works in the same way as Netflix Party and allows you to view content from different streaming services with your FaceTime friends. This syncs everyone's video playback and controls. So we were both simultaneously watching the video on our respective devices and with our own accounts. You can pause and start the video by clicking on my name. SharePlay isn't new, but it will be very convenient to have on FaceTime. The list includes many big players, such as Hulu, Disney Plus, Paramount Plus and Twitch. It doesn't include Netflix. Netflix is what my family and I have always used. I don't see myself using it that often until that is added to the list.Quick Note is a new feature I think I'll use a lot. Quick Note allows you to quickly take notes on articles or items in Maps, Photos, and other apps. To add highlighted text to a Quick Note you can right-click it and it will appear along with the link to its source. You can also press Fn+Q for a blank one.Quick Notes can be synced across devices and stored in a Quick Notes folder within the Notes app. It's the best thing about Quick Notes, I believe. If you have an app open in which you previously created Quick Notes, hover your cursor over the bottom-right corner of screen and a thumbnail will appear.Apple introduced some continuity features to make it easier for Macs to be used with other Apple devices. Universal Control, which is arguably the most exciting, will not be available until a future beta. AirPlay is now available on macOS. AirPlay allows you to cast content to your Mac computer. It can mirror, extend, and even function as an AirPlay 2 speaker. It was easy to set up (just wait for the devices to detect each other, then enter a code from your phone), and it worked great.Safari has some new tweaks to its tabs. You will now have more browsing space because the URL bar is located next to your tabs. Tabs now have a more round appearance. You can click on one tab to reveal its full address.Tab groups are a new feature I find quite useful. This works by clicking a small icon in the top left corner of each tab to convert them into tab groups. If you look at the sidebar to the left, you'll see the Tab Groups section. Click on it and Safari will open those five tabs again. In the sidebar you will also find a bookmarks and reading list as well as a list of links shared with you via Messages. The Safari Technology Preview can be used to test the new Safari browser on older macOS versions without the need to upgrade to the Monterey beta.MacOS Monterey has many other features. Shortcuts can be found on macOS. Focus lets you filter your notifications according to the task you are doing. It's also easier to save photos you get in Messages. These features are worth a closer look. However, I have highlighted the ones that I find most important for daily use.After using macOS Monterey for just a few days, the phrase "Odds and Ends" really sums up what I felt. The Mac experience was completely redesigned by macOS Big Sur. This is not the case. Although it's fine, not every update has to be revolutionary. Apple appears to have made some adjustments here and there. I have generally thought: That could be useful. That will be handy.Here's a list of devices that support macOS Monterey.Notably, it doesn't include a few models which did not get Big Sur last years, such as the 2013 MacBook Air, late-2013 MacBook Pro and the 2014 iMac.
