64 MACWORLD DECEMBER 2021
FEATURE MACOS MONTEREY SUPERGUIDEA
pple’s latest Mac operating
system is macOS 12 Monterey,
the first major update to macOS
since the big shift in macOS 11
Big Sur. There are a bunch of new features
and we’ll cover everything you need to
know about the update: the top features,
system requirements, availability, and more.
Let’s start with the key features.
UNIVERSAL CONTROL
macOS Monterey launched on October 25
without one of its most interesting new
additions, Universal Control. Apple says
that feature will be coming later this fall in
a Monterey update. Here’s a preview of
what Universal Control will do for you.
Apple users often switch between
devices, and with Universal Control, you can
use a single mouse and keyboard between
your Mac and iPad. If you’re using a MacBook,
you can use its keyboard and trackpad with
the iPad. You can even drag and drop files
between devices and perform gestures on
the MacBook trackpad to navigate the iPad.
Additionally, Universal Control can do
something Apple’s Craig Federighi said
would appeal to pros: You can connect
three devices and navigate between them.
During the keynote at WWDC 2021, held in
June several months before Monterey’s
release, Federighi used a 24-inch iMac, a
13-inch M1 MacBook Pro, and an iPad, and
was able to move the cursor between all
three devices. He showed how you can
take a file from the iPad, drag it through the