Apple started rolling out macOS Monterey 12.1 update earlier this week to both M1- and Intel-based Macs. As users set out to download and install the latest software version, a bug turned the entire experience sour. Some users of M1-based Macs are reporting that they are unable to see the updates on their machines.

The bug, which Apple is yet to acknowledge, is affecting MacBook Pro with M1 Max and M1 Pro chipsets, MacBook Pro with M1 chipset, MacBook Air with M1 chipset, and the M1-powered iMac. According to affected users, the software version is not showing up in the Software update section of their Mac settings. That is strange because users of Intel-based Macs have already been able to upgrade their software.

Christina Warren, Microsoft journalist and Senior Cloud Developer Advocate, said on Twitter that the macOS Monterey 12.1 update is not available in the System Preferences app. “Anyone else having issues installing macOS 12.1 on an M1 Max? I get prompted for latest Xcode tools but nothing for macOS itself and I can’t force it,” she tweeted. Other Mac users said the same thing on Reddit, demanding Apple to take cognisance of the issue and roll out an update.

And when Warren tried to use the rather complicated workaround of downloading the full installer of macOS Monterey from the App Store, the download would get stuck at 52 per cent. So, clearly, no workaround seems to be working right now. But there is a way – a tedious one.

If you are okay going through the recovery options, you can enter Recovery Mode on your Mac and reinstall macOS Monterey. The fresh install will bring the latest 12.1 update, along with features such as SharePlay, nudity detection in Messages, Hide My Email, and the Apple Music Voice Plan. And, in case you are not too concerned about these features because they do not hamper the regular workflow mostly, I would advise you to wait until Apple issues a fix for this unwelcome bug in the update.

Apple released macOS Monterey 12.1 update alongside iOS 15.2, bringing major additions to the ecosystem that the company announced back at WWDC earlier this year. The new updates, however, still lack some important features, such as Universal Control that would allow Mac and iPad users to browse both devices seamlessly as an extended display. Apple has not specified when that update will arrive, but reports suggest that may happen in the first quarter of 2022.