12 MACWORLD AUGUST 2021
MACUSER MACOS MONTEREYability to have two different eye colors. You
can choose your Memoji for your Mac login,
and it has animations that react to you, such
as a log-in greeting or a headshake if you
enter the wrong password.
OTHER NEW FEATURES
Maps improvements in iOS 15 will be
in macOS Monterey.
Live Text, the ability to copy, paste, or
look up text in photos.
Notifications have a new look, muting
options, and time sensitivity options.
A redesigned Books app and News
feed.
New Passwords system preference
where you can find your saved passwords.
A build-in authenticator that you can
use for sites that require two-factor
authentication.
Several new features in the Photos
app.
OFFLINE SIRI
During the WWDC21 keynote, Apple
revealed that Siri for the iPhone and iPad
can be used without an internet
connection. Apple achieved this by using
the Neural Engine in the device’s
processor. However, Siri on the Mac will
still need an internet connection. This is
despite the fact that Macs with Apple
silicon have the same Neural Engine as
the iPhone.
COMPATIBILITY AND
R E LE A S E DATE
Here are the Macs that can run macOS
Monterey.
> MacBook (2016 and later)
> MacBook Air (Early 2015 and later)
> MacBook Pro (Early 2015 and later)
> Mac mini (Late 2014 and later)
> iMac (Late 2015 and later)
> iMac Pro (Late 2017 and later)
> Mac Pro (Late 2013 and later)
Monterey will be released this fall, but
a specific date has not been announced.
Past releases have occurred at the end of
September, so there’s a good chance it’ll
be sometime around then.HOW TO GET THE BETA
Betas of the OS are available if you’re willing
to take the risk. Apple suggests not using
the beta on any mission-critical Mac—there’s
always a possibility that a beta could make
your Mac unusable, or that it could have
issues that interfere with your software.
Developers can get the beta on
Apple’s Developer website (fave.
co/366FCFK). Access to this website
requires registration and an annual fee.
You’ll also get access to other betas, like
iOS and iPadOS. Apple also has a public
beta program that general users can sign
up for at the Apple Software Beta Program
website (fave.co/2UedrSC). The public
beta is currently available. ■