What you need to know
- Apple has just announced macOS 12 at WWDC 2021.
- It's called macOS Monterey.
- It brings big changes to notifications, as well as Universal Control for integration across more devices.
Apple has just announced macOS Monterey at WWDC, bringing changes to notifications, sharing of content across devices, and more.
The new macOS software will benefit from changes to iPadOS 15 and iOS 15 like Focus mode and Quick note, as well as a brand new Universal Control feature.
Universal Control means you can now control a Mac and an iPad with the same mouse and keyboard on one desk, it works with multiple devices and can be used to drag and drop content across devices.
Apple is also bringing AirPlay to Mac, allowing you to cast content to your Mac from a device like the iPhone 12 or an iPad.
macOS Monterey also brings Shortcuts to the Mac for the first time ever. You can access a gallery of pre-built Shortcuts designed by Apple for Mac, and you can use the editor to design your own Shortcuts, just like iOS and iPadOS. You can run Shortcuts on any app, and they can also be controlled by Siri. Apple is planning a multi-year transition from Automator, and users can import workflows from that system into Shortcuts.
Apple is also making big changes to Safari. It has made a big UI overhaul, changing Tabs to make them smaller, whilst introducing Tab groups and a new Tabs bar. Apple's search field is also now part of the active Tab, again de-cluttering the top of Safari, it can even take on the color of the page on display! Apple's new Tab groups will sync over iCloud across of all of your devices, and they can even be shared with other users. New tabs are also coming to iPadOS and iPhone with iOS 15! Apple is bringing web extensions back to the Mac and is also extending them to iPad and iPhone, too.
macOS is also getting new features including a new games folder in the Launchpad and a new Low Power mode.
