macOS 12 Monterey review: automation on Mac is revitalized with Shortcuts, Low Power Mode is nice, and it's packed with tons of small tweaks like AirPlay to Mac
An iterative update to Big Sur that has a little something for everyone. — Big Sur was a landmark release of macOS, in ways both technical and symbolic.
Context & Ripple Effects
Monterey extends the Mac-and-Apple-device continuity direction visible in Sierra’s Continuity features, while bringing the iPhone-originated Shortcuts system to desktop workflows. Apple had already positioned the release around one-cursor control across iPad and Mac and AirPlay to Mac.
The result is less a wholesale successor to Big Sur than a release that adds automation, device handoff, and power-management controls across everyday Mac use.
First-order effects
- Mac users gain Shortcuts-based automation alongside AirPlay to Mac and Low Power Mode, expanding both workflow customization and laptop power controls.
- Apple makes the Mac a more active endpoint in its device ecosystem, rather than limiting media receiving and cross-device control to separate products.
Second-order effects
- Users with both Macs and iPads have more reason to organize work around Apple’s shared input and handoff features, increasing the practical value of owning devices in both categories.
- Third-party Mac software makers face a clearer expectation that apps and workflows can participate in Shortcuts-based automation rather than relying solely on standalone utilities.
Third-order effects
- If Apple continues adding desktop-specific interfaces on top of cross-device features—as later coverage of Ventura’s Stage Manager suggests—macOS will evolve through recurring workflow refinements rather than occasional wholesale redesigns.
- The Mac’s competitive role increasingly rests on how tightly it participates in Apple’s wider device workflow, not solely on isolated desktop features.
The trend: Apple is turning macOS into a more automated, cross-device workspace through steady feature layering on the Mac.