Just days after the release of macOS Monterey 12.1 with the delayed release of SharePlay, Apple has released the first beta for 12.2, which will hit Macs next year. While Apple has yet to outline any new features or fixes in the update, a report suggests Apple is planning an overdue overhaul of the Music app.
According to wondrous hydra on Twitter (via 9to5Mac), Apple is building “a native Apple Music experience backed by AppKit views instead of web views” in macOS 12.2. Ever since Apple broke up iTunes into disparate apps in macOS Catalina, they have essentially been glorified web apps with a less-than-stellar user experience.
As 9to5Mac reports, Apple already switched the TV app to a native Mac app using AppKit in macOS 12.1, resulting in faster scrolling and searching, and a smoother overall experience. That some responsiveness should come to the Music app in macOS 12.2.
It’s not clear why Apple waited so long to rebuild its media apps or whether there’s a reason why they’re coming as updates and not as part of the original macOS 12 release.
How to install the beta
If you want to test new versions of macOS Monterey before they’re releases, you can enroll Apple’s Public Beta program. Once you sign up or sign in, click on the macOS tab and then the Enroll your Mac link under Get Started. Then follow the prompts to download the macOS Public Beta Access Utility which will enroll your Mac into the program. Finally, launch Software Update to download and install the latest beta.
Author: Michael Simon, Executive Editor
Michael Simon has been covering Apple since the iPod was the iWalk. His obsession with technology goes back to his first PC—the IBM Thinkpad with the lift-up keyboard for swapping out the drive. He's still waiting for that to come back in style tbh.