MacOS Monterey release date and requirements

Your Apple computer will soon get a significant update to the latest version of macOS, the company's desktop operating system. This latest version is macOS Monterey, and it'll be available for almost every Apple desktop computer all the way back to late 2013. You'll find the new MacBook Pro 14 and 16-inch machines running this software right out of the box next week.

If you have a macOS computer at home, you'll find an upgrade awaiting you on October 25. That's assuming the macOS Monterey release date (of October 25, 2021) fits with your machine's build. The eldest Mac that'll get this update is the "Late 2013" version of the Mac Pro.

If you have a Mac Pro from late 2013 or later, you'll get macOS Monterey at launch. You'll find the same is true of the Late 2014 and later Mac mini, and the early 2015 and later MacBook Pro and MacBook Air. If you have an early 2016 or later version of the MacBook, you'll get this upgrade. So will late 2015 and older iMac machines. You'll be set with an update if you have an iMac Pro released in 2017 or later.

If you're unfamiliar with the contents of macOS Monterey at this point, take a peek at our timeline of features below. Keys to this next upgrade to the OS include the release of Shortcuts support, Focus Mode, and Universal Control. If you're planning on buying a new mobile device from Apple soon, you'll want this upgrade for your macOS machine as well.

Some features in this operating system update will require specific hardware to operate. For example if you're using an Intel machine, some new features won't function. Meanwhile, since you're using an Apple machine, no further investigation into hardware requirements is needed outside of the release date of your machine from Apple to access whether you're able to download and run this new OS – easy as can be.