5 Things to Know About the macOS Monterey 12.6.3 Update

5 Things to Know About the macOS Monterey 12.6.3 Update is a post by Adam Mills from Gotta Be Mobile.

Apple’s pushed a new macOS Monterey 12.6.3 update to Mac users.

macOS Monterey 12.6.3 is yet another small point update. The new software doesn’t have any new features on board, but it does bring important security patches to those still lingering on macOS Monterey.

You’ll only see the macOS Monterey 12.6.3 update if you haven’t upgraded your Mac to macOS Ventura or if you’re using a Mac that wasn’t eligible to move to Apple’s newest operating system.

With that in mind, we want to take you through everything there you need to know about the macOS Monterey 12.6.3 update and its release for Mac.

In this guide we’ll take you through the macOS Monterey 12.6.3 update’s performance, macOS Monterey 12.6.3 problems, the best places to find feedback about macOS Monterey 12.6.3, and more.

macOS Monterey 12.6.3 Reviews
macOS Monterey 12.6.3 Problems
macOS Monterey 12.6.3: What’s New
macOS Monterey Downgrade
Next macOS Update

We’ll start out with our impressions of macOS Monterey 12.6.3 update’s performance.

macOS Monterey 12.6.3 Review

Even if your Mac is currently up-to-date, you’ll still see a pretty large download.

The size of the macOS Monterey 12.6.3 download varies based on Mac model and the version of macOS it’s running. If your Mac is running a really old version of macOS, your download could be pretty substantial.

If your Mac’s running macOS Monterey 12.6.2 right now, the installation should take less than 15 minutes to complete. It took around 10 minutes to complete on a MacBook Pro (2017).

For more on the macOS Monterey 12.6.3 download and installation, take a look at our guide.

We’ve been using the macOS Monterey 12.6.3 update on a MacBook Pro (2017) for a very short time 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 12.6.3 feels as fast as macOS Monterey 12.6.2 did.

If your Mac is struggling on macOS Monterey 12.6.2 or an older version of macOS, you might want to install macOS Monterey 12.6.2 on your Mac today.

If you need some help making a decision, check out our reasons to, and not to, install macOS Monterey 12.6.3 right now.

macOS Monterey 12.6.3 Problems

macOS Monterey 12.6.3 users are reporting bugs and performance issues.

Mac users are complaining about weird battery drain, installation issues, Bluetooth problems, issues with first and third-party apps, Wi-Fi problems, and Touch ID issues.

If you download macOS Monterey 12.6.3, and you run into bugs or performance issues on your Mac, here are a few resources that could help.

Before you get in touch with Apple support, have 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 touch 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 and go see a Genius at your local Apple Store. Taking your Mac in could certainly help.

macOS Monterey 12.6.3 Update: What’s New

Apple’s latest point updates (x.x.x) have been focused on shoring up security and that’s exactly what macOS Monterey 12.6.3 does.

The company’s change log says macOS Monterey 12.6.3 improves security and you can read more about those patches over on Apple’s security site.

macOS Monterey 12.6.3 doesn’t have any known bug fixes or features on board.

You Can Downgrade from macOS Monterey 12.6.3

If you run into problems on macOS Monterey 12.6.3 you can downgrade your Mac’s software back to an older version if you think that could help.

There’s no timeframe 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’re prepared.

If you’re interested in moving back to older software, have a look at our downgrade guide. It will help you understand the process and make the move.

What’s Next

There’s no telling when Apple will release a new version of macOS Monterey. Updates have become infrequent and they could become more so as we push deeper into the year.

Apple’s released its macOS 13 Ventura update for Mac and the new operating system delivers an assortment of new features and upgrades.

If your Mac is struggling on macOS Monterey and/or you want to use Apple’s latest and greatest features, you’ll probably want to upgrade your Mac to macOS Ventura.

4 Reasons Not to Install macOS Monterey 12.6.2 & 11 Reasons You Should

Install macOS Monterey 12.6.2 for Better Security

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If security is important to you, think about installing the macOS Monterey 12.6.2 update right away.

The macOS Monterey 12.6.2 update brings several security patches to Mac. These are vital to protecting you and your data from harm. You can read more about them right here.

As for older macOS updates, macOS Monterey 12.6.1 update had three very important security patches on board.

macOS Monterey 12.6 had a grand total of 8 security patches on board. 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.