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.

Former Computing Writer

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…

Topics

Computing

Gemini Spark hits Mac, and it might just become your new favorite assistant

From messy Downloads to date night reservations, Spark is here to lighten your load.

Gemini Spark mac app

Google has just announced a big batch of updates for Gemini Spark, making the assistant far more useful than before. Gemini Spark is finally coming to the Mac desktop app, bringing deeper app connections and a new way to keep tabs on what you care about. Let us break it down.

What can Spark do on your Mac now?

Computing

You’ll be able to use Claude Fable 5 again starting July 1

Anthropic has received a green light from the US government to restore the AI Model, weeks after a security researcher found a way around its safeguards that triggered the shutdown.

Laptop running Claude Fable

Anthropic is restoring full access to Claude Fable 5 starting tomorrow, weeks after a US government directive forced the company to suspend the model for all users. The government order arrived on June 12 and required Anthropic to block foreign nationals from using Fable 5 and its more capable Mythos 5 model. Since the rule took effect immediately and Anthropic had no way to verify a user's nationality in real time, the company suspended both models entirely rather than risk a violation.

What triggered the shutdown

Computing

Claude’s Sonnet 5 is built to do more on its own and cost you less

Better than its predecessor, nearly as good as the flagship, and meaningfully cheaper than both.

Art, Floral Design, Graphics

Every major AI lab is racing to prove its models can work autonomously with minimal hand-holding; we’re now seeing pricing emerge as the next battleground.

Anthropic just fired its latest shot, Claude Sonnet 5, a model the company says performs nearly as well as its flagship Opus 4.8 at a fraction of the cost.