MacOS Monterey: 40 Tips, Tricks, And Features You Might Have Missed

Apple launched macOS Monterey to the general public within the fall, and the brand new desktop OS brings an entire slew of helpful new options and modifications to apps like Safari, Maps, FaceTime, Notes, Pictures, Messages, and extra.

Past the headline options, Apple has additionally made quite a few tweaks and modifications to macOS that intention to make the time you spend utilizing your Mac‌ extra environment friendly, extra practical, and extra pleasing. To that finish, we have pulled out 40 additions and enhancements to Monterey, a few of which can have gone underneath your radar, and we have highlighted 20 of them within the video up above. Hold studying to refresh your reminiscence or maybe be taught one thing new.

1. Click on to Save Pictures in Messages

There is a good probability you may need to save the photographs you obtain within the Messages app to your ‌Pictures‌ library, and ‌macOS Monterey‌ makes this simpler than ever.

You not must right-click or open the picture (or stack of pictures) to reserve it. Merely click on the Save to Pictures button to the best of the picture as an alternative.

2. Change Mouse Pointer Shade

Apple has made it doable to vary the colour of the mouse pointer from the usual white define and black fill, to just about any colour mixture you need.

To take action, go to System Preferences -> Accessibility, then click on Show (underneath “Imaginative and prescient”) within the left column. Click on the Pointer tab within the window of choices, and you may discover Pointer define colour and Pointer fill colour settings. Click on the colour swatch to decide on a customized colour from the palette that seems. You can all the time click on Reset to revert to the default colours.

3. Handle APFS Snapshots in Disk Utility

Within the macOS Disk Utility app, you now have entry to particular person APFS drive snapshots. An APFS snapshot is a read-only copy of its dad or mum APFS quantity, taken at a specific second in time, and you’ll be able to preserve these snapshots and copy objects from them, supplied you recognize what you are doing (see Disk Utility’s Assist menu for extra).

To view them as a listing, merely choose a quantity and select View -> Present APFS Snapshots from the menu bar. The fastened order listing reveals you the title, creation date, and cumulative measurement of every snapshot, whereas the newest snapshot has a partition image beside its “Tidemark.” Choose a snapshot from the listing and you’ll be able to right-click or use the ellipsis button on the backside left nook of the listing to mount the snapshot, rename it, and delete it.

4. Check Community High quality

It is now doable to measure the standard of your Mac’s web connection instantly from inside macOS. Merely open a Terminal window and sort networkQuality into the command immediate.

After a short time, you may have an add/obtain measurement, together with the variety of “flows” (take a look at packets) used for the responsiveness (community spherical journeys) take a look at. The add/obtain capability is roughly the identical outcome metric you get from on-line web pace instruments like Speedtest by Ookla, though it checks add and obtain concurrently quite than sequentially.

5. Shield Mail Exercise

Within the Mail app, a brand new function referred to as Mail Privateness Safety prevents senders from utilizing invisible pixels to gather details about you. It does this by stopping senders from understanding if you open their electronic mail, and masks your IP tackle in order that it may’t be linked to your different on-line exercise or used to find out your location.

To activate the function in Mail, choose Mail -> Preferences… within the menu bar, click on the Privateness tab, and then verify the field subsequent to Shield Mail Exercise. For those who go away it disabled, you’ll be able to nonetheless independently choose to Conceal IP tackle and Block All Distant Content material.

6. AirPlay to Mac

In ‌macOS Monterey‌, you’ll be able to ‌AirPlay‌ content material from an iPhone or iPad straight to your Mac, and even from one Mac to a different Mac. Begin enjoying a tune/podcast or video in your ‌‌iPhone‌‌ or ‌‌iPad‌‌, faucet the ‌AirPlay‌ icon within the app’s media playback interface, and then choose your Mac from the listing of ‌AirPlay‌ gadgets.

If it is music or a podcast, the audio ought to begin enjoying by means of your Mac’s audio system or any exterior audio system linked to your Mac, and you’ll be able to management playback in your Mac by opening the Management Heart. Video ought to routinely play in your Mac’s show in fullscreen mode, and you’ll be able to management playback instantly in your Mac by transferring the mouse and deciding on the onscreen playback controls.

Word that ‌AirPlay‌ solely works on MacBook Air 2018 and later, MacBook Professional 2018 and later, iMac 2019 and later, M1 Mac mini, ‌iMac‌ Professional, and Mac Professional 2019.

7. Good day Screensaver

macOS 12 consists of two new display screen savers price trying out. “Good day” is a homage to the unique Macintosh that writes the enduring phrase on the display screen in joined-up handwriting, whereas “Monterey” provides less complicated sluggish transitions by means of hills and valleys in numerous shades of pink, purple, and blue.

The Good day display screen saver cycles by means of numerous colours, and there are a number of themes to select from together with Mushy Tones, Spectrum, and Minimal. Mushy Tones makes use of the pastel colours launched with the brand new iMacs and matching coloured textual content, whereas Spectrum makes use of extra saturated shades with lighter textual content. Minimal reveals the “Good day” wording in black, white, and grey.

By default, the display screen saver will show “Good day” in a number of languages, however you’ll be able to drive it to make use of solely your native language by toggling off Present ‘hey’ in all languages within the Display screen Saver Choices. A match system look toggle can also be accessible to be used to match mild and darkish mode preferences.

8. Convert Picture Fast Motion

Convert Picture is a brand new pre-installed Fast Motion in Finder that may rapidly convert a picture file from one format (JPG, HEIC and PNG) to a different. It additionally enables you to change the file measurement (small, medium, massive, or precise measurement) and enables you to select whether or not to maintain the file’s metadata within the transformed picture.

To make use of the Convert Picture Fast Motion, right-click (or Ctrl-click) a picture file and then choose Fast Actions -> Convert Picture. Select your settings within the dialog that seems, then hit Convert. You’ll additionally see the Fast Motion within the Finder preview pane when viewing pictures.

9. Create a Safari Tab Group

Tab Teams in Safari intention to make organizing and preserving your open browser tabs extra manageable with out having to have these tabs lively. They provide a method to simply save and handle associated tabs, comparable to these used when planning journeys or buying, or teams can be utilized to retailer the tabs you go to day by day.

To create a brand new Tab Group, click on the Present Sidebar icon subsequent to the visitors lights and then choose New Tab Group. (Alternately, click on the down arrow subsequent to the Present Sidebar icon and choose both New Empty Tab Group or New Tab Group With X Tabs, “X” being the variety of tabs presently open. Any Tab Teams you create are listed within the sidebar for simple switching.

10. Change QuickTime Playback Pace

In macOS, now you can modify the playback pace of video in Apple’s native QuickTime Participant.

Merely click on the chevrons within the bottom-right nook of the media controls overlay and choose your most popular pace from 0.5x to 2.0x.

11. Compact Safari Tab Bar

In early beta variations of macOS, Apple launched a default compact and unified Safari design that did away with the devoted URL and search interface, as an alternative letting any particular person tab be used for navigation enter. The design triggered an outcry from many customers, which led Apple to stroll again the change and reinstate the unique design by which the URL/search bar sits on the prime of the Safari window, along with your tabs organized beneath it.

Nonetheless, should you favored the Compact tab bar design, you’ll find it as an choice in Safari -> Preferences…. Click on the Tabs tab and choose Tab Structure: Compact to activate the unique compact tab bar that merged all the things collectively.

12. Erase Contents and Settings

Following within the footsteps of the ‌iPhone‌ and ‌iPad‌, Apple silicon Macs and Intel Macs with a T2 safety chip (2017-2020 fashions) now have an “Erase All Content material and Settings” choice accessible in ‌macOS Monterey‌.

Not solely does this successfully erase all person information and user-installed apps out of your Mac with out reinstalling macOS, it additionally indicators out your Apple ID, removes your Contact ID fingerprints, purchases, and all Apple Pockets objects, and turns off Discover My and Activation Lock, making it far simpler to revive your Mac to like-new manufacturing unit settings.

Click on the Apple () image within the menu bar and choose System Preferences…. When the preferences pane seems, choose System Preferences -> Erase All Content material and Settings from the menu bar, and then comply with the onscreen directions supplied by the Erase Assistant.

13. Low Energy Mode

In ‌macOS Monterey‌, Low Energy Mode reduces the system clock pace and the show brightness of your Mac in an effort to lengthen battery life. So should you’re doing much less intensive duties like watching movies or looking the net, you’ll be able to flip it on to eke much more out of your Mac’s battery.

Open System Preferences and click on the Battery pane. Then, within the sidebar, choose Battery, and verify the field subsequent to Low energy mode.

Within the Messages app, there is a new “Shared with You” function that takes content material you have obtained in Messages and makes it accessible within the related app in your Mac. So if somebody shares an Apple Music tune with you, for instance, the tune might be listed within the For You part of ‌Apple Music‌. Equally, if somebody shares an internet site hyperlink, it reveals up within the “Shared with You” part of the Safari begin web page.

You might not need content material shared by a specific individual showing in different apps, by which case you’ll be able to flip it off for particular person contacts. To take action, choose the dialog thread in Messages, click on the information (i) icon within the top-right nook, and uncheck the field subsequent to Present in Shared with You.

15. Add Hyperlinks to Fast Notes

Monterey features a new productiveness function referred to as Fast Notes that gives a faster method to jot down issues with out you having to go in and out of the Notes app.

Fast Notes also can detect the app you are presently utilizing or that you simply only recently used, and supplies a dropdown menu on the prime of the editor window from which you’ll add a hyperlink to the particular message you are viewing in Mail, or the web site you had been simply viewing in Safari, for instance. When a observe consists of such a hyperlink, you’ll be able to simply click on the hyperlink and you may be taken on to the associated content material.

16. Memoji Person Profile

In ‌macOS Monterey‌, you need to use an animated Memoji as your Mac person profile as an alternative of a normal static picture. Go to System Preferences -> Customers & Teams, and then hover your pointer over the circled profile image and click on edit. There you may discover a full gallery of Memoji characters, together with any you have made your self, and you’ll be able to customise them in numerous methods, proper right down to the frames of their glasses and the garments they’re sporting.

Subsequent time you log in to your Mac, you may see your animated Memoji avatar there to welcome you. And should you get your login password fallacious a number of instances, simply watch the expression on their face go from mildly irritated to irate. For those who go away them hanging, they could even take a nap…

17. Choose Textual content in Fast Look Previews

Invoked with a press of the spacebar, Fast Look is an effective way to swiftly preview information in Finder with out opening them of their related app or the devoted Preview app.

For no matter cause, Apple in earlier variations of macOS eliminated the flexibility to pick textual content in a doc when considered in Fast Search for copying/pasting elsewhere. In Monterey, nevertheless, this potential has quietly, and fortunately, been reinstated. Not solely that, Apple’s Dwell Textual content function means the textual content you choose needn’t be in a doc – you may also spotlight textual content displayed in a photograph and carry out totally different duties on it, comparable to translation and internet search.

18. Blur Your Background on a FaceTime Name

In ‌macOS Monterey‌, Apple has introduced a number of enhancements to ‌FaceTime‌, together with Portrait mode in video calls. With this mode enabled, you’ll be able to blur your background in order that the main focus is on you quite than what’s behind you.

To allow it, open ‌FaceTime‌, then click on the Management Heart icon within the menu bar and choose Video Results -> Portrait Mode.

19. Add Shortcuts as Fast Actions

Due to the introduction of the Shortcuts app to macOS, now you can add shortcuts as Fast Actions to execute in Finder.

Merely launch the Shortcuts app, and then drag shortcuts from All Shortcuts to Fast Actions within the sidebar. You can then make the shortcuts accessible in Finder’s right-click contextual menu by checking them in System Preferences -> Extensions -> Finder.

20. Maps Interactive Globe

In Monterey, Apple has enhanced the Maps app to incorporate a brand new globe view that means that you can spin the world round and zoom into totally different areas on Earth.

In earlier variations of Maps, zooming out would current you with a flat world map, however the brand new globe view provides you a three-dimensional view of Earth from area that is much more enjoyable to navigate. You can drill down into areas, the place you may discover extra detailed data on huge geological options like mountain ranges, deserts, forests, and oceans.

21. FaceTime Hyperlinks

In Monterey, you’ll be able to allow anybody, even when they do not have an Apple system, to affix a ‌FaceTime‌ name with you by making a hyperlink to a ‌‌FaceTime‌‌ dialog that may be shared wherever. Utilizing this new hyperlink facility, pals and relations who wouldn’t have an Apple account can log right into a ‌‌FaceTime‌‌ name with you utilizing an online browser opened on any non-Apple system, whether or not that is a Home windows PC or an Android telephone.

Merely click on Create Hyperlink within the ‌FaceTime‌ interface, and then choose a way of sharing your hyperlink from the Actions menu, e.g. over Messages or Mail. As soon as you have despatched the hyperlink and the recipient opens it, they’re going to be directed to a webpage the place they will enter their title to affix the dialog. As soon as they’ve joined the decision, they’re going to have the same old ‌‌FaceTime‌‌ choices to mute their microphone, disable video, swap the digital camera view, and go away the decision.

22. Spot Mic and Digicam Entry

When an app is utilizing the digital camera or the microphone in your ‌Mac‌, a small indicator mild will seem within the menu bar simply subsequent to the Management Heart icon (when you’ve got the menu bar hidden, it will seem within the top-right nook of the desktop).

Like in iOS, a inexperienced dot means an app is presently utilizing the digital camera, whereas an orange dot means an iOS app is presently utilizing the microphone. For those who click on the Management Heart, you may see which app is answerable for utilizing the digital camera or mic. This fashion, they can not be accessed within the background with out your information, and you’ll be able to make certain that apps aren’t sneakily recording conversations or movies.

23. Offline Dictation

Keyboard dictation now protects person privateness by performing all processing on-device, which means it is utterly offline. And due to on-device dictation, customers also can dictate textual content of any size with no timeout. On Intel Macs, nevertheless, there is a time restrict of 60 seconds.

With keyboard dictation, you’ll be able to dictate textual content wherever you’ll be able to sort it, and the function improves the extra you employ it, personalizing over time. The Begin Dictation command may be discovered within the Edit menu of text-based apps.

24. Full Keyboard Entry

Apple has expanded its Full Keyboard Entry choices in order that you do not have to make use of a mouse or trackpad to make use of your Mac. These settings may be present in System Preferences -> Accessibility -> Keyboard.

With Full Keyboard Entry enabled, the merchandise on the display screen that has focus is highlighted. You can customise the colour, distinction and measurement of the spotlight utilizing the Choices within the Navigation tab. When Full Keyboard Entry is turned on, you’ll be able to rapidly present the Full Keyboard Entry shortcuts by urgent Tab-H, then utilizing the arrow keys to navigate the lists.

25. View File Path

In Finder, now you can press the Choice key whereas holding the pointer over a file or folder to momentarily present the trail bar, so you’ll be able to simply see the place the file or folder is situated.

You also can right-click (Ctrl-click) a folder within the path bar to open it in Terminal, or copy the file path to that folder. Lastly, you may also Shift-click a folder to see or navigate to any subfolders in the identical listing.

26. Go to Folder Window

It is simple to overlook, however Monterey consists of an enhanced model of the Go to Folder menu bar choice in Finder (Go -> Go to Folder…).

As a substitute of a dialog, the command brings up a Highlight-style floating search bar that encompasses a vastly improved auto-complete engine and even a Recents listing.

27. Add to Fast Word

We have already talked about Fast Notes’ potential to incorporate hyperlinks to emails, internet URLs, and so on. However the New Fast Word command deserves particular point out when used together with Safari.

Spotlight some webpage components, comparable to textual content and pictures, then right-click (Ctrl-click) and choose New Fast Word/Add to Fast Word. Now, the following time you click on the captured components within the Fast Word you created, you may be taken to the unique webpage with the highlighted components nonetheless there. You also can reopen the observe by clicking in your highlights.

28. View Shared iCloud Information in Finder

There is a new Shared collaboration folder for the Finder sidebar, the place you’ll be able to simply discover paperwork shared with you over iCloud or utilizing the collaboration options in Apple’s productiveness apps. It might probably show data comparable to invitation standing, the one that final modified the file, and different sharing-related metadata that will help you handle your shared information.

So as to add/take away the ‌iCloud‌ Shared folder to the Finder sidebar, choose Finder -> Preferences…, click on the Sidebar tab, and then click on the checkbox subsequent to (‌iCloud‌) Shared.

29. Automate a Focus Mode for Particular Apps

Apple’s new Focus function in Monterey enables you to arrange your Mac that will help you be within the second and zone in on a single factor. It does this by filtering notifications based mostly on what you are doing, and you’ll be able to customise Focus modes for particular situations, comparable to if you open specific apps.

When establishing a Focus mode in System Preferences -> Notifications & Focus, click on the + button on the backside of the field labeled Flip On Mechanically, and then choose Add App Primarily based Automation. You’ll then be prompted to pick which apps routinely activate the Focus mode upon launching.

30. Proper-click to Translate Textual content

The Translate function from Safari is accessible system-wide in ‌macOS Monterey‌. Simply choose some textual content and right-click (Ctrl-click) to convey up the Translate choice, which works with a number of languages.

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Not solely are you able to learn and copy the translated textual content, click on the play button and you will get macOS to say it out loud to you with the intention to higher perceive the verbal pronunciation.

31. Change Playback Pace and Skip Silences in Voice Memos

Apple has added a few welcome options to the Voice Memos app. You can now choose to routinely skip silences in recordings throughout playback, and additionally change the playback pace.

Merely choose an audio recording, click on the controls icon within the top-right nook of the window, and you may discover each settings underneath “Playback Pace.”

32. Spatialize Stereo Impact

Apple has included a brand new audio function referred to as “Spatialize Stereo” that takes any non-Dolby stereo combine and creates a digital spatial audio surroundings out of it. To entry it, join a pair of AirPods Professional or AirPods Max headphones to your Mac and begin enjoying some audio. Subsequent, click on the Management Heart icon within the menu bar, and then click on the Sound quantity bar. You ought to see the choice to Spatialize Stereo within the dropdown beneath your headphones.

Word that Spatialize Stereo is totally different from Spatial Audio. Spatial Audio with help for Dolby Atmos creates a three-dimensional expertise by transferring sound throughout you. Spatialize Stereo alternatively is Apple’s try and simulate the impact of getting sound coming at you from totally different instructions in a digital surroundings. It would not make the most of Dolby Atmos, however it works with principally any content material.

33. Computerized Window Resizing

Monterey is much more display-aware than earlier variations of macOS, and will routinely resize a window to suit a secondary display screen. This implies you needn’t manually cut back the scale of a window to suit it onto a smaller show, for instance.

The automation works each if you drag a window manually to a different show or click-hold on the inexperienced visitors mild within the top-left nook of the window to pick one other linked show. Word that the window choices within the inexperienced visitors mild menu additionally embrace tiling home windows for hassle-free Break up View administration when working with two apps open facet by facet.

In earlier variations of macOS, launching an app in fullscreen mode routinely hides the menu bar, which signifies that you need to hover the mouse pointer excessive of the display screen to disclose it. Nonetheless, in Monterey, you’ll be able to drive the menu bar to all the time stay seen in fullscreen mode, together with all its menus and objects.

To take action, go to System Preferences -> Dock & Menu Bar, and within the Dock & Menu Bar choices, uncheck the field subsequent to Mechanically conceal and present the menu bar in full display screen.

35. Import Picture Libraries

The ‌Pictures‌ app has been up to date in Monterey to allow the importing of photographs from one other ‌Pictures‌ library. To take action, choose File -> Import… from the menu bar to convey up a file browser window.

As soon as you have chosen the ‌Pictures‌ library, you’ll be able to overview its contents earlier than importing it into your primary library.

With the Shortcuts app coming over to Mac from iOS, now you can add particular shortcuts to totally different components of macOS. We have already talked about that you would be able to make them accessible as Fast Actions in Finder, however you’ll be able to add them to your menu bar, too.

While you’ve dragged some shortcuts into the Menu Bar part of the Shortcuts app, a brand new menu merchandise will seem within the menu bar itemizing these shortcuts, permitting you to regulate HomeKit gadgets out of your desktop, for instance.

37. Change MacBook Professional Refresh Price

If in case you have a 14-inch or 16-inch MacBook Professional, you’ll be able to modify the refresh fee of the Liquid Retina XDR show, which is helpful if you wish to match it to video content material you could be enhancing.

Go to System Preferences -> Shows, and then click on the Show Settings… button. For those who’re utilizing an exterior monitor, choose your MacBook Professional’s built-in Liquid Retina XDR show within the facet column, then click on the dropdown subsequent to Refresh Price and select from the next: 120Hz (ProMotion), 60 Hertz, 59.94 Hertz, 50 Hertz, 48 Hertz, and 47.95 Hertz.

Each the Reminders and Notes apps help tags, a much-requested function meaning now you can use hashtags that will help you arrange your notes and reminders and discover saved notes and to-dos extra simply.

Tags is usually a highly effective methodology of group, as a result of there is no restrict to what number of you’ll be able to have, and a single observe or reminder can embrace a number of tags, so the identical observe/reminder can present up in numerous tagged classes that you’ve got created (one thing Sensible Folders are helpful for producing). Additionally, if you enter a hash image, macOS will conveniently counsel current tags so that you can decide beneath the cursor.

39. Flip On Personal Relay

In Monterey, Apple launched ‌iCloud‌ Personal Relay for Mac, a function of all ‌‌iCloud‌‌+ paid plans that is designed to encrypt all the visitors leaving your pc so nobody can intercept it or learn it.

Personal Relay works by sending internet visitors to a server that’s maintained by Apple to strip the IP tackle. As soon as the IP information has been eliminated, Apple sends the visitors to a second server maintained by a third-party firm that assigns a short lived IP tackle and then sends the visitors to its vacation spot, a course of that forestalls your IP tackle, location, and looking exercise from getting used to create a profile about you.

The checkbox to allow Personal Relay may be present in System Preferences -> Apple ID, and you may also flip it on and off for particular person networks within the Community choice pane (proven above). As soon as ‌‌iCloud‌‌ Personal Relay is enabled, you’ll be able to select how the assigned IP tackle makes use of geographical data to hide your precise location. For those who nonetheless need to obtain native content material if you’re looking in Safari, the IP tackle can preserve your common location with out being particular (the default setting), or if you need the relay to be extra non-public, the IP tackle can merely embrace your nation and time zone.

40. Resume Copy in Finder

In Finder, Apple has made it simpler to understand how lengthy copying information will take, because of a brand new pie chart progress indicator. What’s extra, it is also added the flexibility to start out or pause a protracted copy and resume it at a later time.

For those who cancel a replica halfway by means of, a ghosted model of the file or folder will stay within the vacation spot location. Simply click on it and you may be given the choice to End Copying it, or you’ll be able to Hold the Resumable Copy for ending the switch at a later time.