Apple Releases macOS Monterey 12.2, watchOS 8.4, tvOS 15.3, and HomePod Software 15.3

Apple has today released macOS Monterey 12.2, watchOS 8.4, tvOS 15.3, and HomePod software 15.3 to the public. All of these releases are relatively minor in regard to user facing changes and enhancements, instead focusing on under-the-hood improvements and bug fixes.

Apple lists 13 security fixes in macOS Monterey 12.2, including patches for vulnerabilities affecting Safari, root privileges, iCloud, and more. Among these is a fix for a recently discovered Safari bug that could cause the leaking of users’ browsing history and Google ID.

MacRumors reports that watchOS 8.4 fixes a bug that could cause some Apple Watch chargers not to work as expected with the Apple Watch.

macOS Monterey 12.2 introduces some changes to the Apple Music app which now uses AppKit instead of web views. According to AppleInsider,this should provide a faster and more fluid experience than the previous version.

Our experience with macOS Monterey 12.2 is that none of the active bugs we currently have listed in the AppleVis Bug Tracker are resolved or significantly addressed. At the time of posting, we are also unaware of any fixes, enhancements or regressions for blind and low vision users in watchOS 8.4 or tvOS 15.3.

As we always stress, we can make no claims on the completeness or accuracy of our testing. We are only a small team, and it is simply impossible for us to test all devices, configurations, applications, and use cases. Accordingly, to help us ensure that the information on this page is as complete and accurate as possible, please let us know in the comments of any additional fixes; enhancements; or regressions that you find in your own use of these software versions.

Release Notes

Release notes are currently not available for macOS Monterey 12.2 and watchOS 8.4. We will post them here as soon as they become available.

Outside of the major upgrade each year, tvOS updates are typically minor in scale with a focus on under-the-hood fixes and performance improvements. As Apple does not provide release notes for tvOS updates, we will have to wait and see if tvOS 15.3 does include user facing changes. We will update this post if anything of note is discovered.

HomePod Software 15.3 Release Notes

Software version 15.3 adds Siri voice recognition support for up to six users in a home in English (India) and Italian (Italy). This update also includes performance and stability improvements.

How to Update

To install macOS Monterey 12.2, choose System Preferences from the Apple menu, click the Software Update preference pane, and click the Update Now button to begin the update process. If other updates are available, you can click "More info" to see details about them and select specific updates to install.

More information on how to update the software on your Mac is available on this Apple Support page.

watchOS 8.4 is available via Over-the-Air Update (Settings > General > Software Update) or by going to the Watch app on your iPhone and navigating to General> Software Update. To install the update, your Watch must be connected to its charger and have at least 50% battery power.

More information on how to update the software on your Apple Watch is available on this Apple Support page.

To install tvOS 15.3 on Apple TV 4K or Apple TV HD, go to the Settings channel, then look for the System section near the bottom. From here, look for Software Updates under Maintenance, then select Update Software and Download and Install. Wait for your Apple TV to download the update. Don't disconnect or unplug your Apple TV until the update completes.

More information on how to update the software on your Apple TV is available on this Apple Support page.

By default, HomePod and HomePod mini automatically install new software updates, but you can manually check for updates in the Home app on your iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, or Mac. See this Apple support article for full instructions.

As always, we look forward to hearing your thoughts and experiences of the new features and enhancements in these releases, so please let us know by posting a comment below.