5 Things to Know About the macOS Monterey 12.3 Update

Apple’s released its macOS Monterey 12.3 update and the software brings a variety of important changes to Mac users around the world.

macOS Monterey 12.3 is a milestone release and it carries brand new features, enhancements, bug fixes, and security patches on board. It’s a substantial upgrade for Mac.

With that in mind, we want to take you through everything there you need to know about the macOS Monterey 12.3 update and its release for Mac.

In this guide we’ll take you through the macOS Monterey 12.3 update’s performance, the current list of macOS Monterey 12.3 problems, the best places to find feedback about macOS Monterey 12.3 problems, and more.

• macOS Monterey 12.3 Review
• macOS Monterey 12.3 Problems
• macOS Monterey 12.3: What’s New
• macOS Monterey Downgrade
• Next macOS Update

We’ll start out with some impressions of macOS Monterey 12.3 update’s performance on Mac.

macOS Monterey 12.3 Review

If your Mac is currently running macOS Monterey 12.2.1, you’re still going to see a fairly large download. The exact size of the macOS Monterey 12.3 download varies based on Mac model and the version of macOS it’s currently running.

If your Mac is running macOS Monterey 12.2.1, the installation should take less than 15 minutes to complete. It took around 13 minutes on a MacBook Pro (2017).

For more on the macOS Monterey 12.3 download and installation, take a look at our guide.

We’ve been using the macOS Monterey 12.3 update on a MacBook Pro (2017) for several days now and here’s what we’ve learned about its performance thus far:

Connectivity

• Battery life is stable.
• Wi-Fi connectivity is fast and reliable.
• Bluetooth is working normally.

App Performance

• Third-party apps including Twitter, Slack, Asana, Gmail, Chrome, and Spotify are working fine at the moment.
• First party apps like Safari and Podcasts are also stable.

Speed

• macOS Monterey 12.3 feels as fast as macOS Monterey 12.2.1 did.

If your Mac is struggling on macOS Monterey 12.2.1 or an older version of macOS, you might want to install macOS Monterey 12.3 on your Mac today.

If you need help making a decision, check out our reasons to, and not to, install the macOS Monterey 12.3 update.

macOS Monterey 12.3 Problems

The macOS Monterey 12.3 update is causing problems for some Mac users.

We’re hearing about installation issues, UI lag, issues with first and third-party apps, Wi-Fi problems, Bluetooth issues, issues with external monitors, issues with Xbox and PlayStation controllers, battery life problems, and a number of other issues.

Mac users who had their computer’s logic board replaced are saying the macOS Monterey 12.3 update bricked their devices. They’re also complaining about boot loops and errors.

If you download macOS Monterey 12.3 onto your Mac and run into bugs or performance issues, here are a few resources that could help.

Before you get in touch with Apple customer support, take a look at our list of fixes for the most common macOS Monterey problems. We’ve also released walkthrough that guides you through how to fix macOS Monterey battery life problems.

If you can’t find what you’re looking for in our guides, head over to Apple’s discussion forums. If they can’t help you, you might want to get in contact with Apple Support via Twitter or with customer support via Apple’s website.

If you still can’t fix your issue(s), you might want to schedule an appointment to see a Genius at your local Apple Store if it’s open.

macOS Monterey 12.3 Update: What’s New

Apple’s milestone updates (x.x) typically bring a number of changes with them and macOS Monterey 12.3’s no different. Here’s the full macOS Monterey 12.3 change log:

Universal Control (beta)

• Universal Control allows you to use a single mouse and keyboard across iPad and Mac
• Text can be typed on either Mac or iPad and you can drag and drop files between them

Spatial Audio

• Dynamic head tracking is available in Music with supported AirPods on Mac computers with the M1 chip
• Customizable spatial audio settings for Off, Fixed, and Head Tracked are now in Control Center with supported AirPods on Mac computers with the M1 chip

Emoji

• New emoji including faces, hand gestures, and household objects are available in emoji keyboard
• Handshake emoji allows you to choose separate skin tones for each hand

Enhancements

• Siri now includes an additional voice, expanding the diversity of options
• Podcasts app adds episode filter for seasons, played, unplayed, saved, or downloaded episodes
• Safari webpage translation adds support for Italian and Chinese (Traditional)
• Shortcuts now supports adding, removing, or querying tags with Reminders
• Saved passwords can now include your own notes
• Battery capacity readings have improved accuracy

Bug Fixes

• Fix for an issue where News widgets in Today View may not open articles when clicked
• Fix for an issue where audio may sound distorted while watching video in the Apple TV app
• Fix for an issue where some photos and videos may be unintentionally moved when organizing albums in Photos

macOS Monterey 12.3 also brings a staggering 45 new security patches to Mac. You can learn more about those over on Apple’s security site.

You Can Downgrade from macOS Monterey 12.3

If you run into problems on macOS Monterey 12.3 you can downgrade your Mac’s software back to an older version if you think it could help.

There is no time frame for this to expire so if you decide you need to move your Mac back to older software, it’s fairly easy to do if you are prepared. Here’s our guide to downgrade and it will help you understand the process and make the move.

What’s Next

macOS Monterey 12.3 was the last known macOS update in Apple’s pipeline so it’s unclear when the next version will roll out.

That being said, we expect Apple to put a new version of macOS Monterey into beta testing in the near future so keep an eye out as we push through the month.

We’ll let you know when we learn more.

Install macOS Monterey 12.7.4 for Better Security

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If security is important to you, think about installing the macOS Monterey 12.7.4 update right away. macOS Monterey 12.7.4's purpose is to help protect your Mac and its data from harm. This makes it an essential download for most Mac users. The software has 20+ security patches on board.  As for older updates, macOS Monterey 12.7.3 delivered a total of nine security patches to Macs macOS Monterey 12.7.2 featured several security patches and macOS Monterey 12.7.1 addressed 11 security issues.  macOS Monterey 12.6.7 through macOS Monterey 12.7 all had security fixes on board and you can learn more about all of them if you head here. macOS Monterey 12.6.6 had 20+ security patches on board making it an extremely important release from Apple. If you want to learn more about the changes, head on over to Apple's website. macOS Monterey 12.6.5 brought a fix for an actively exploited vulnerability. If you want to learn more, head over here.   macOS Monterey 12.6.4 brought important security patches to Macs as well. For more about these fixes, check out Apple's guide. macOS Monterey 12.6.3 delivered 14 new security updates. If you want to dig into these patches, head right here. The macOS Monterey 12.6.2 update brought several security patches to Macs and  you can read more about them right here on Apple's security site. macOS Monterey 12.6.1 update had three very important security patches on board while macOS Monterey 12.6 brought eight security patches to Macs.  For more information about these changes, check out Apple's rundown. macOS Monterey 12.5.1 had a pair of important security patches on board and you can read about them in detail right here. The macOS Monterey 12.5 update brought 50 important security patches with it and they will help protect you and your device from harm. If you want to learn more, head over to Apple's website.  macOS Monterey 12.4 delivered 50+ security patches. If you're interested in the details, you'll want to head on over to the company's security site. macOS Monterey 12.3.1 brought two security patches to Mac users. You can read more about them over on Apple's website.  Apple's macOS Monterey 12.3 update had 40+ security patches on board. If you want to learn more about these upgrades, you can check the particulars over on Apple's security site. The macOS Monterey 12.2.1 update brought an important patch to Mac users. You can learn more about the patch over at Apple's security site.  Apple's macOS Monterey 12.2 update had 13 security patches on board. If you're interested in the details, head on over to Apple's website to learn more. macOS Monterey 12.1 included 40+ new security patches to Macs. You can read all about them over on the company's security site.  Microsoft says it discovered a new 'Powerdir' vulnerability lurking in macOS. Powerdir allows "an attacker to bypass the operating system’s Transparency, Consent, and Control (TCC) technology, thereby gaining unauthorized access to a user’s protected data." Fortunately, Apple patched up the issue in macOS Monterey 12.1.  macOS Monterey 12.1 also included some important upgrades to privacy. The software delivered Apple's communication safety features for kids. You'll find these features in the Messages app, in Siri, in Spotlight, and in Search.  If you're moving up from macOS Big Sur, you'll also get macOS Monterey 12.0.1's 30+ security patches when you update. If you're interested in the exact nature of these improvements, you can read about them over on Apple's website. In addition to those patches, the macOS Monterey update comes with additional security and privacy upgrades. If you're an Apple Card user, you'll now get a security code that changes regularly to use when you make online transactions.  Apple's also included a built-in authenticator that's similar to Google Authenticator. This will let you generate verification codes for enhanced sign-in security under your Passwords. New Mail Privacy Protection helps prevent senders from tracking your Mail activity and there's a new recording indicator in Control Center for apps that are accessing your mic.

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