- Kyle Chua
macOS Monterey 12.1 Available Now, Here Are Its Key Features
Apple today started rolling out macOS Monterey 12.1 to Mac computers, adding some much-awaited new functionalities and features.
Chief among the new additions is SharePlay, an extension of FaceTime that allows you to listen to music, watch movies or play games, among other shared media experiences, with everyone in your call. The feature not only works with Apple’s own services like Apple TV+, Apple Fitness and Apple Music but also supports several third-party apps like Disney+, HBO Max and TikTok.
SharePlay also lets you share your screen, which helps if, say, you’re presenting a document or showcasing your photos and want some immediate feedback.
To use SharePlay on your Mac, you’ll, of course, first have to download and install the new software update. Once it’s installed, open the app you want to share while you’re on your FaceTime call. Then click the FaceTime button in the menu bar and select Screen Share. From here, you can choose whether you want to share the app window or your entire screen. To stop sharing, simply click the FaceTime button again and select Stop Sharing.
When you want to watch a movie or listen to a song together, open either Apple TV+ or Apple Music and your selected content will start playing for everyone. All users on the call will have access to playback controls, so when someone, for example, pauses the song, it’ll pause for everyone in real-time.
SharePlay works across all supported Apple devices. This means that you can share your Mac’s screen with your friends who are on their iPhones or iPads and vice versa.
Aside from SharePlay, the new macOS update adds support for the new Apple Music Voice Plan subscription tier, which lets you access songs and playlists in the music streaming service using Siri.
You can also enjoy new safety features in Messages, including a communication setting that enables warnings whenever kids send or receive photos that contain nudity.
Other new features include an expanded Siri guidance, a redesigned Memories tab in the Photos app, and Digital Legacy for your Apple ID, which allows you to designate Legacy Contacts who will be able to access your data in case you die.
The update also resolves the unresponsive trackpad and MagSafe charging issue, among other notable fixes and enhancements.
If you’ve enabled automatic updates for your Mac computers, you can expect macOS 12.1 to be available soon, if you haven’t gotten it yet. If you want to update your devices manually, go to your System Preferences, click Software Update, then hit Update Now.