5 Things to Know About the macOS Monterey 12.7.1 Update

Apple’s pushed a new macOS Monterey 12.7.1 update to Mac users lingering on the aging operating system.

macOS Monterey 12.7.1 is the most up-to-date version of Monterey and the software is available if you own a device that doesn’t support macOS Ventura or macOS Sonoma or if you have simply decided to keep your Mac on macOS Monterey.

The software is a point release and a very small one at that. It doesn’t have any outward facing features and is instead focused on keeping the operating system safe from potential exploits.

With all of that in mind, we want to take you through everything there you need to know about the macOS Monterey 12.7.1 update for Mac.

In this guide we’ll take you through the macOS Monterey 12.7.1 update’s performance, problems impacting the firmware, other places to find feedback about macOS Monterey 12.7.1, and more.

We’ll start out with some quick impressions about macOS Monterey 12.7.1’s performance.

macOS Monterey 12.7.1 Review

The macOS Monterey 12.7.1 download size will vary based on Mac model and the version of macOS it’s currently running.

If your Mac is currently running macOS Monterey 12.7, the installation should take less than 15 minutes to complete. It took around 10 minutes to complete on a MacBook Pro (2016).

If you are running really old macOS software, the macOS 12.7.1 download and installation process could take a lot longer. Keep that in mind if you rely on your device to get through the day.

For more on the macOS Monterey 12.7.1 download and installation, take a look at our guide.

We’ve been using the macOS Monterey 12.7.1 update on a MacBook Pro (2016) for a short time and here’s what we’ve learned about its performance:

macOS Monterey 12.7.1 Battery Life & Connectivity

• Battery life is stable and we haven’t noticed any abnormal drain
• Wi-Fi connectivity is fast and reliable
• Bluetooth is working normally

App Performance

• Third-party apps including Slack, Chrome, and Spotify are all working fine at the moment
• First party apps like Safari and Podcasts are also stable right now

Speed

• macOS Monterey 12.7.1 feels as fast, we haven’t noticed any UI lag

If your Mac is currently struggling on macOS Monterey 12.7, or an older version of macOS, you might want to install macOS Monterey 12.7.1 on your Mac today. It could improve your Mac’s performance. At the very least, the patches on board will help protect it from harm.

If you need help making a decision, check out our reasons to, and not to, install macOS Monterey 12.7.1 right now.

macOS Monterey 12.7.1 Problems

macOS Monterey 12.7.1 is causing problems for some Mac owners. Some issues are new, others have carried over from older versions of macOS.

We’ve heard about abnormal battery drain, Bluetooth problems, issues with various first and third-party apps, and various issues with Wi-Fi connectivity.

If you download macOS Monterey 12.7.1 on your Mac and run into 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 a guide that will help you 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 the users there can’t help you, you might want to get in touch with customer support via Apple’s website.

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

macOS Monterey 12.7.1: What’s New

Like many of its predecessors, macOS Monterey 12.7.1 is a small security update. It doesn’t have any outward facing features on board. Apple has stopped pushing new features to the operating system so this doesn’t come as much of a surprise.

The macOS Monterey 12.7.1 notes that the upgrade improves security and you can read more about those changes over on Apple’s security site.

macOS Monterey 12.7.1 Downgrade

If you run into issues with the firmware, you can try downgrading your Mac’s software.

There’s no timeframe for this to expire so if you decide you need to move your Mac back to older macOS software, it’s fairly easy to do if you’re prepared.

If you’re interested in moving back to older macOS software, take a look at our downgrade guide.

What’s Next

We don’t know when Apple will release a new version of macOS Monterey.

It’s clear that Apple plans to support the operating system for another year so you can expect new macOS Monterey firmware to roll out alongside the next upgrades for macOS Ventura and macOS Sonoma.

Look for a roll out to take place before the end of the year.

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