Apple released macOS Monterey after months of beta testing Apple announced Monterey to coincide with the debut of the new MacBook Pro 2021 (14-inch) and MacBook Pro 2021 (16-inch) The two laptops hit the market this week powered by Apple's powerful new M1 Pro and M1 Max chips

Monterey is one of the last major operating system updates Apple will release in 2021, and the company has already impressed us with updates to iOS 15 and iPadOS 15 These updates include the Live Text feature, which allows users to copy and paste text from images; SharePlay, which allows users to call or FaceTime others while watching or listening to the same media; a single keyboard and mouse between a Mac and up to two iPads It shares many of the most exciting new features added to macOS Monterey, including Universal Control, which allows seamless sharing of a single keyboard and mouse between a Mac and up to two iPads

Some features (including SharePlay and Universal Control) are not enabled at the time of macOS Monterey's launch, but Apple has promised to add them in a post-launch update So if you are ready to take the plunge and update to Monterey, here's how

Most importantly, make sure that the Mac on which you are going to install Monterey actually supports Apple's latest OS Cupertino-based Apple has a habit of discontinuing support for Macs after three to seven years

A full list of Macs that officially support macOS Monterey follows:

Before upgrading your OS, it is important to back up your Mac so that you do not lose valuable personal data in case of an emergency

You can of course rely on Time Machine, Apple's built-in backup utility, but we also recommend using the best cloud backup services for the peace of mind that comes with having an off-site backup of your personal data

Before upgrading, we recommend checking the official websites of the applications you normally use to see if they are compatible with macOS Monterey If there is no mention of it at all on the official website or social media, this is a major red flag that you may run into trouble after upgrading

If there is an important application that you need for your work that does not have clear support for Monterey, it may be wise to hold off on upgrading for a bit previous versions of macOS still function well, and if upgrading will interfere with your daily workflow If it would interfere with your daily workflow, it's probably not worth the hassle yet

Once you are ready to install Monterey, take at least 30 minutes to an hour to go through the process; read our step-by-step guide to upgrading to macOS Monterey

If you do not see this option, wait a moment Operating system updates tend to roll out across the target Mac over time, so you should check back later to see if the upgrade option appears

Press the "Upgrade Now" button to begin downloading MacOS Monterey The download can take quite a while and may take an hour or more depending on your Internet connection

After a successful download, Apple will provide fairly simple installation instructions, which you can follow to complete the upgrade to Monterey Everything is intuitive, but don't skip too many menus as Apple will explain new features and give you options for system customization