MacOS Monterey has been in the hands of the community for months since launch. It’s not a significant upgrade over its predecessor, as it’s missing some of the big features. But it’s still one of the best macOS releases in the last few years, adding notable features while delivering a much-improved performance stability across the board.
However, like any other macOS release, Monterey has its own bugs and glitches that may negatively affect your experience. In fact, a lot of Mac owners have been facing problems with Apple’s latest macOS firmware since day one. If you happen to be one of those, no worries, you are in good company.
In this guide, we have gathered macOS Monterey’s most common problems and will take you through all possible fixes.
Download and Installation Issues
One common macOS Monterey problem that many users have encountered since day one is that it fails to download and install. Some Mac users are seeing annoying error messages that say “Installation failed”and “The network connection was lost” while trying to download the update.
If you run into download issues with macOS Monterey update, then try using an Ethernet cable and re-download the update. If the problem still persists, pause the update and restart your Mac, then download the update again.
If the download completes, but you do not see the installation prompt, then go to the Applications folder and search for the installation file. From here, double-click the file and the installation should begin.
If your Mac has low disk space while installing the update, then restart your computer and press Control + R when your device is booting up. This will trigger the Recovery mode. From here, boot your computer by hitting the Disk boot option. Once your Mac finishes booting up, delete some files to free up some space.
I Cannot Tile My Windows Vertically
MacOS has Split View, a nice feature that allows you to work with two apps side by side. This is an elegant solution to the floating windows problem.
Specifically, you have to move your cursor over the green maximize button and tile your windows to your preferred position. This is quite exhausting when compared to the fact that you simply snap windows to one side using your mouse in Windows.
In fact, macOS Monterey does not support the ability to tile windows vertically, unless you have apps like Magnet or Rectangle. But they are not free. With the next macOS on the way at WWDC 2022, we expect that Apple would add the support for the feature.
Scrolling Issues on External Mice
If you are on a MacBook machine, using an external mouse really boosts your productivity. However, we have encountered an annoying issue with connecting an external mouse with our Mac. Specifically, the scrolling inverts after a while, and the problem won’t go away even if you tweak the settings.
If you are having the same problem, then try restarting your Mac to see if it’s dealt with. This is so annoying as you need to pause all of your work and restart your computer to fix the problem.
The Charging Issue
One of the most common problems users are facing with macOS Monterey is related to charging. Indeed, many users reported that their Macs won’t charge while it’s shut down. You still can see the green light blink but the charging won’t begin. This problem emerges when you charge your Mac with the MagSafe connector plugged in.
Apple has already acknowledged the issue and is now working on a fix. For now, try restarting your computer and recharge your device while keeping the lid open. Hopefully, Apple should release a fix in a patch.
AirDrop not Working
AirDrop is a cool feature that allows you to share and receive data from other Apple devices nearby. In macOS Monterey, we have received some reports about issues with AirDrop. The most common issue is that AirDrop does not show nearby devices.
If you are one of those users who have been touched by the issue, then reboot your Mac and check if the problem is dealt with. If nothing works, go to Settings > Allow Me to be Discovered By > Everyone.
Keep in mind that all of your devices need to be in range of each other for AirDrop to work – about 30 feet. Also, make sure AirDrop is enabled across all devices.
I Cannot Unlock My MacBook With Apple Watch
One of the coolest additions to the Apple ecosystem lies in the ability to unlock a Mac with an Apple Watch. All you need to do is to sit down near your Mac with your Apple Watch on the wrist, and your Mac unlocks like you just entered the passcode.
However, a lot of Mac users say that they are not able to unlock their Mac using Apple Watch after updating to macOS Monterey. The best fix now is to unpair your Watch, and then re-connect it.
If that won’t work, make sure Auto Unlock is properly set up. To do this, open System Preferences > Security & Privacy. From here, click the lock icon, then enter your password and tick the box next to the Use your Apple Watch to unlock apps and your Mac option.
Keep in mind that you need to turn on both Wi-Fi and Bluetooth on your Mac for the feature to work. Also, both devices are signed into the same Apple ID account.
The Bottom Line
MacOS Monterey is a great software update to the operating system. However, there are times when it becomes a cause of annoyance. With a new macOS version coming soon this fall, we can expect it to be more stable.
You can let Apple know about your issues by using the Feedback Assistant in the Dock. Or you can use the Spotlight Search and select Feedback Assistant from the drop-down results menu.
