macOS Monterey Tidbits: Animated Memoji on Login Screen, Change the Color of the Mouse Pointer, and More

We've highlighted several new features coming in macOS Monterey, such as Low Power Mode and the option to erase a Mac without reinstalling the operating system, but there are some smaller tidbits that we wanted to share.

macos monterey tidbits feature copy

Animated Memoji on Login Screen

One small but fun new feature in macOS Monterey is the addition of a personalized Memoji on the login screen, complete with animated facial expressions.

Change the Color of the Mouse Pointer

A new Accessibility feature added to macOS Monterey is the ability to customize the outline and fill color of the mouse pointer so it's easier to recognize when it moves or changes to an insertion point, crosshair, hand, or other shape. The pointer can be customized in System Preferences under Accessibility > Display > Pointer.

'Go to Folder' Redesign in Finder

On macOS Monterey, the "Go to Folder" window in Finder has been redesigned and now features an improved autocompletion engine to help you get to the files or folder you're looking for more quickly, according to Apple. "Go to Folder" can be found under "Go" in the Finder menu bar, or by using the ⌘⇧G keyboard shortcut.

File Copying Enhancements

macOS Monterey features a new pie chart progress indicator when copying files. It is also now possible to stop or cancel a copy session and resume it later.

macOS Monterey is available now in beta for developers, with a public beta to follow in July. The software update will be released in the fall.

Related Forum: macOS Monterey

Popular Stories

Apple Logo Zoomed

Tim Cook Teases Plans for Apple's Upcoming 50th Anniversary

Thursday February 5, 2026 12:54 pm PST by
Apple turns 50 this year, and its CEO Tim Cook has promised to celebrate the milestone. The big day falls on April 1, 2026. "I've been unusually reflective lately about Apple because we have been working on what do we do to mark this moment," Cook told employees today, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. "When you really stop and pause and think about the last 50 years, it makes your heart ...
wwdc sans text feature

Apple Rumored to Announce New Product on February 19

Thursday February 5, 2026 12:22 pm PST by
Apple plans to announce the iPhone 17e on Thursday, February 19, according to Macwelt, the German equivalent of Macworld. The report, citing industry sources, is available in English on Macworld. Apple announced the iPhone 16e on Wednesday, February 19 last year, so the iPhone 17e would be unveiled exactly one year later if this rumor is accurate. It is quite uncommon for Apple to unveil...
Finder Siri Feature

Why Apple's iOS 26.4 Siri Upgrade Will Be Bigger Than Originally Promised

Friday February 6, 2026 3:06 pm PST by
In the iOS 26.4 update that's coming this spring, Apple will introduce a new version of Siri that's going to overhaul how we interact with the personal assistant and what it's able to do. The iOS 26.4 version of Siri won't work like ChatGPT or Claude, but it will rely on large language models (LLMs) and has been updated from the ground up. Upgraded Architecture The next-generation...
iOS 26

iOS 26.3 and iOS 26.4 Will Add These New Features to Your iPhone

Tuesday February 3, 2026 7:47 am PST by
While the iOS 26.3 Release Candidate is now available ahead of a public release, the first iOS 26.4 beta is likely still at least a week away. Following beta testing, iOS 26.4 will likely be released to the general public in March or April. Below, we have recapped known or rumored iOS 26.3 and iOS 26.4 features so far. iOS 26.3 iPhone to Android Transfer Tool iOS 26.3 makes it easier...
iphone 17 pro dark blue 1

iPhone 18 Pro Max Rumored to Deliver Next-Level Battery Life

Friday February 6, 2026 5:14 am PST by
The iPhone 18 Pro Max will feature a bigger battery for continued best-in-class battery life, according to a known Weibo leaker. Citing supply chain information, the Weibo user known as "Digital Chat Station" said that the iPhone 18 Pro Max will have a battery capacity of 5,100 to 5,200 mAh. Combined with the efficiency improvements of the A20 Pro chip, made with TSMC's 2nm process, the...

Top Rated Comments

Digital Dude Avatar
61 months ago
I'm soOoo sick of this Memoji craze. When I saw the WWDC splash page full of those damn things' I was embarrassed that I'm an Apple guy. Made me feel like we should all be about eight years old to appreciate them. Okay, let the poison pens fly.
Score: 18 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Maconplasma Avatar
61 months ago

Memoji at login. Why? It's stupid stuff like this that make macos bloated. Again, my 9 year old rMBP shouldn't run Windows 10 better than Catalina.
Not everything in computing needs to be so serious. I enjoy fun things to make my computing experience enjoyable. You saying it makes the system bloated? Where's your proof on that?
Score: 14 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Bug-Creator Avatar
61 months ago
Well lets see:

- the code to display short animations is used elsewhere, so a whole lotta nothing
- if you created no Memoji there is no Memoji
- displaying that Meomji on the login-screen, about 10 lines of Swift (being generous) resulting in 10k of extra binary size (which hopefully gets discarded after you logged in)
- whatever 1st year entry level developer did it in about 30min wouldn't have been of much use in areas that matter anyways

Yeap, 3 metric tons of bloat on this one....
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Mr.Blacky Avatar
61 months ago

Memoji at login. Why? It's stupid stuff like this that make macos bloated. Again, my 9 year old rMBP shouldn't run Windows 10 better than Catalina.
Does Apple force you to use it? And what exactly about it makes macos bloated?
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Apple Knowledge Navigator Avatar
61 months ago

Memoji at login. Why? It's stupid stuff like this that make macos bloated.
Could you explain, in purely technical terms, how a small animated image on the login screen 'bloats' the operating system?
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
boswald Avatar
61 months ago

Memoji at login. Why? It's stupid stuff like this that make macos bloated. Again, my 9 year old rMBP shouldn't run Windows 10 better than Catalina.
I feel the same way about my mini, and it’s from 2018. ?‍♂️
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)