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Apple is releasing macOS Monterey on Oct 25 – here’s how to get it

If you are planning to upgrade, here’s everything you need to know.

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Image: Apple

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It’s been four months since Apple announced macOS Monterey, but now we have a release date. That’s October 25, next Monday to be exact. It follows an extended beta period, so most of the bugs should have been squashed by now.

If you’ve got any other Apple devices, you’ll want to upgrade your Mac’s operating system once it’s available to download. Think of Monterey as the next stage of streamlining between all of Apple’s operating systems, bringing multiple features to your Mac that were previously only on iOS.

That includes Shortcuts, AirPlay, and new Focus profiles. The all-new Universal Control feature makes one mouse and keyboard able to control multiple Macs or iPads at the same time, but it won’t be available on October 25.

Neither will SharePlay, which lets FaceTime users share music or watch shows with the person they’re calling. Those will be coming eventually though, so you might not have long to wait.

Here’s how to upgrade once it’s out

Okay, the first thing you need to check is if your Mac is on the compatibility list for macOS Monterey:

If you’re on that list, go back up your Mac before you start. You’ll want this, just in case.
Remove any software that might cause issues with the upgrade. VPN software always breaks things for me so that gets removed until the upgrade is over. If something you didn’t remove does cause an issue, make a note for the next time you have to upgrade your Mac so you can remove it ahead of time.
Go to System Preferences > Software Update and find macOS Monterey in the list. Click on Upgrade Now and go make a coffee or something because this is gonna take some time.

Once the upgrade is over, reboot your Mac. Now you’re on macOS Monterey, with all of its new features.

If this is your only computer, you might want to wait a little while before upgrading – every major operating system upgrade can come with bugs or app incompatibilities, which usually get ironed out pretty quickly.

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Maker, meme-r, and unabashed geek with nearly half a decade of blogging experience at KnowTechie, SlashGear and XDA Developers. If it runs on electricity (or even if it doesn't), Joe probably has one around his office somewhere, with particular focus in gadgetry and handheld gaming. Shoot him an email at joe@knowtechie.com.

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