The MacOS Monterey public beta is here, but it’s missing an important feature

By Dua Rashid Published July 1, 2021

A public beta version of the new version of MacOS, known as MacOS 12 Monterey, is ready to be downloaded now. It’s an exciting day for enthusiastic Mac fans looking to preview some of the new features that were announced at WWDC. Unfortunately, some of the highest-profile features are missing from this version, such as Universal Control.

Universal Control was the biggest surprise of the new features, allowing MacBooks, iMacs, and iPads to all wirelessly connect without even requiring a setup. The devices can then all be controlled by a single set of inputs, such as a MacBook trackpad and keyboard.

Universal Control on the Mac, allowing for direct interaction between iPads and Macs. — Image used with permission by copyright holder

The public beta is almost identical to the second version of the developer beta that was released two days ago, except it will now be available for the general public rather than requiring an Apple developer account. Also missing in both the developer build and the public beta are functioning versions of QuickNote, Focus, and Shared With You.

Recommended Videos

That doesn’t mean it’s not worth installing, though. MacOS Monterey is the successor to Big Sur, and it comes with a number of features that Mac fans have been interested to try out. Among the new features announced at the company’s annual WWDC are AirPlay to Mac and SharePlay, both features you can try out in the public beta.

Monterey also includes some of the new features of iOS 15, such as spatial audio in FaceTime calls, the updated version of Safari, and a significant update to Note. Features like Universal Control will likely be coming in future updates of the beta software, sometime between now and the official launch later this fall.

It is important to note that the betas contain pre-release bugs along with new features. They may also prevent you from using your device as you normally do. Therefore, they’re not recommended for your primary device, and it is highly advisable to download on a device you’re not dependent on. Many people even suggest avoiding the beta version unless you need it for software development or you have secondary devices you don’t rely on.

With the launch of this version of MacOS Monterey, Apple has now finished its complete suite of public betas, including iOS 15, iPadOS 15, and WatchOS 8.

Topics

Former Digital Trends Contributor

Dua is a media studies graduate student at The New School. She has been hooked on technology since she was a kid and used to…

Computing

I tried $550 smart glasses with my Mac. They felt better than the Vision Pro

Viture One smart glasses atop MacBook Air.

A lot has been said and written about how Apple missed the mark with its AI efforts. It's pretty obvious that the current status of Apple Intelligence and Siri assistant is functionally way behind what you can accomplish with Microsoft’s Copilot and Google’s Gemini suite.

Interestingly, Apple also lost the market edge in the wearable XR segment. The company’s first foray was the Vision Pro, an uber-expensive technical marvel that failed to create the same kind of buzz as the company may have expected.

Computing

Apple is right to make iPadOS more Mac-like, but I’ll never buy an iPad that runs macOS

Magic Keyboard and iPad Pro.

Do you use a Mac or an iPad? Huge numbers of people use both, yet there are growing calls for Apple to merge the two devices into some kind of all-in-one super product. I’m not one of those people -- in fact I think it would be a terrible idea -- and I’m determined to steer clear of any hypothetical iPad that runs macOS.

Over the past few years, Apple’s best iPads have grown closer to the Mac. We’ve seen the devices get outfitted with Mac-grade chips like the M4, gain macOS-like software features such as Stage Manager, and gain increased compatibility with mice and keyboards.

Computing

Copilot is Microsoft’s cue to redeem Windows and edge past macOS

The new Surface Laptop 13 on a white table.

There is always going to be a big divide between macOS and Windows. Much of it has to do with the functional disparities that are deeply ingrained at an OS-level. Or if you dive into the heated community debates, you will see it broadly as a battle between seamlessness and flexibility.

Gaming remains the guiding star for Windows adherents. A handful of highly specialized niche industry tools also remain locked to the Microsoft platform. On the other hand, macOS fans swear by the fluid software, plenty of firepower options in the M-series silicon era, and fantastic hardware.