Category Archives: Apple

Just Released! Parallels Desktop 16 for Mac


It’s finally here! We’re so excited to introduce a new version of Parallels® Desktop: Parallels Desktop 16 for Mac.  

With Parallels Desktop, you can run Windows, Linux and other popular operating systems on your Mac without rebooting. For 14 years, we’ve been the #1 solution for over 7 million users worldwide. 

Learn more about the hottest new features in Parallels Desktop 16—and stay tuned for more blog posts coming this week detailing everything you need to know about Parallels Desktop 16. 

What are the top new features in Parallels Desktop 16? 


Incredibly fast  

This version of Parallels Desktop is THE fastest version ever released. It starts up twice as fast as previous versions. Plus, Windows resumes and quits up to 20% faster.  


Improved graphics 

Parallels Desktop 16 users can now run even more graphic-heavy, resource-hungry Windows apps with ease. Version 16 delivers up to 20% faster DirectX 11 and improved OpenGL graphics support for both Windows and Linux so you can run more Windows applications and games, including DIALux evo 9, ProPresenter 6, Samson Connect and more. Plus, the new version includes the world’s first support for applications with 3D capabilities running in a macOS Big Sur VM. 

Parallels Desktop users collectively run more than 200,000 Windows applications and with Parallels Desktop 16 can run even more applications.  


Ready for macOS Big Sur and other OSes 

Parallels invested more than 25-person-years of engineer programming to take full advantage of the new architecture in macOS Big Sur. We also revamped kernel extensions to deliver our best Windows-on-Mac performance ever. That’s why we’re proud to say that version 16 is optimized for macOS Big Sur 11.0 (when released) with a refreshed design, easier setup, and much more. Plus, our developers continue to update Parallels Desktop for future releases of Windows, macOS and Linux. 


Better productivity 

  • Wouldn’t it be nice to get extra screen time while traveling? Windows in Travel Mode now uses less energy and extends battery life by up to 15%. 
  • 10% of Parallels Desktop users are short on available disk space. We’ve included a feature that will help you better manage disk space, with the option to reclaim available disk space to Mac automatically. 
Reclaim space Parallels Desktop
  • Set Do Not Disturb on your Mac and Parallels Desktop will make sure that Windows 10 doesn’t disturb you either. This is especially useful when you’re in an important presentation. 
  • Do you usually work with a Trackpad instead of a mouse? Now you can zoom and rotate objects smoothly in Windows applications with Trackpad gesture support.  

Enhanced integration 

Every year we develop new features to perfectly integrate Mac and Windows with each other. In Parallels Desktop 16, we’ve added some powerful new features that make it even smoother to run Windows apps as if they were native on the Mac. 

  • Do you want to use duplex printing from Windows applications, with paper sizes ranging from A0 to envelope? Good news—you now can with new print options
Printing Parallels Desktop
  • Now you can confidently work on Mac files in Windows by engaging the “safe removal check” to ensure files in shared folders aren’t accidentally deleted.  

Linux and Mac VMs 

Everyone who is passionate about using Linux virtual machines (VMs) has reason to cheer. With version 16, you can be more productive when working with Git repositories in Linux Shared Folders with up to 75% faster “git status” execution. In just one click, you can use and download the latest Linux distributions including Ubuntu 20.04, CentOS 8, Fedora 32 and Debian 10. Plus, Linux OpenGL improvements now let you run Steam.  

Do you want to achieve picture-perfect quality and performance using macOS Big Sur in a VM? You can now, thanks to the first-in-the-world Metal graphics acceleration in a VM with macOS Big Sur. 


Parallels Desktop and Apple Silicon 

We’re all very excited about this demo shown at Apple Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC), which depicts a prototype of a forthcoming version of Parallels Desktop running on Mac with Apple Silicon. Parallels and Apple work closely to bring virtualization capabilities to Mac with Apple Silicon. Learn more.


New features in Pro Edition and Business Edition 

For our professional and business customers, we recommend Parallels Desktop for Mac Pro Edition and Parallels Desktop for Mac Business Edition. Of course, all new features of Parallels Desktop 16 are included in these editions. Pro Edition and Business Edition now offer improved virtual machine deployment, including export capabilities to reduce the network load when deploying to many Mac devices on a corporate network. For developers, Parallels Desktop 16 enables users to name their custom networks for more organized testing.  

Check out all new features that are exclusive to Pro Edition and Business Edition.  


Special gift for Parallels Desktop users 

In all subscriptions of Parallels Desktop 16, users get more than 30+ single-click utilities from Parallels Toolbox for Windows and Mac, plus Parallels Access to remotely access your PC or Mac from your iOS or Android device or any web browser.  

Check out all the recently released features in Parallels Toolbox and Parallels Access. 

There are lots more new features to discover! Check it out yourself and let us know which feature you like most in the comments, or on Facebook or Twitter.  


How to get your copy of Parallels Desktop 16  

 If you… 

…are an existing customer, upgrade now
…are a new customer, purchase your copy here—or test it for 14 days for free
…have just recently purchased Parallels Desktop 15, check out our Tech Guarantee to see if you get a free upgrade. 

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How to Create a Parallels Account Using Your Apple ID


Creating a Parallels user account, managing it and logging into applications has never been easier for Apple users. They can now use their Apple ID to create a new Parallels account in a simple, fast and safe way. Using “Sign in with Apple,” you can log into your Parallels account from any device. You don’t even need to memorize a separate password for this procedure. Your Apple password is enough.

Register with your Apple ID and save yourself from a separate password

Since 2019, Apple has allowed users to register with sites and apps using their existing Apple ID. This comes with two benefits:

  • There is no additional password to remember
  • The sign-in procedure is especially safe

What you need is an Apple ID, your Apple password and a two-factor authentication resource, such as a smartphone.

A further benefit for users is that “Sign-in with Apple” helps obscure their email addresses. They are automatically assigned “proxy” addresses, or Relay Addresses as Apple calls them. Announcements and messages coming from Parallels are forwarded to your real inbox automatically. Parallels is only provided with this alias address on your sign-in, so you’ll continue to receive important messages but your real email address remains concealed to us. Basically, this sign-in method is tantamount to an authentication by Apple.

Once you have created your account via your Apple ID, you can sign in to your browser or your Parallels applications using this Apple ID. Just select “Sign in with Apple.” If you have purchased a Parallels license any time earlier, you can easily import it into your (new) user account. You can enter your license key(s) or your previous Parallels address by selecting the “Restore Purchases” option, which will transfer your previous licenses into your new account.

This safe and consistent sign-in experience is another example of the enhanced usability of Parallels Desktop™ 15 for Mac running on macOS Catalina, which also helps users handle Parallels software with simplified security and privacy dialogs and optimized iCloud support.

Why not try and sign in to Parallels with Apple now and download a Parallels Desktop 15 trial version?

Learn more:

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Most Businesses Use Desktop Virtualization for Mac – Parallels Survey Part 3


Concerns regarding lack of software compatibility are the main factor preventing businesses from using Mac devices. This was revealed by a recent study conducted by Parallels. (We showcased other results in previous blog posts: Part 1 and Part 2) At the same time, this survey reveals a serious interest of IT departments and users in switching to Mac clients. However, those in charge were said to be concerned about not being able to continue running previously used software on Mac. Nearly 25% of respondents stated lack of software compatibility as the reason for not using a Mac. This concern regarding not being able to continue using essential applications surpasses both the issue of the higher cost of Mac usage and the challenge of being forced to manage multiple platforms.

These reservations are groundless in most cases, however. These days, a great many applications are web-based and platform independent. This means that upgrading existing licenses of the required software to cloud versions or to more current releases could help resolve compatibility issues. A second approach would involve virtualizing systems to run the required software.

Ways businesses run Windows software on Mac

Roughly 33% of businesses surveyed use remote access solutions to run unsupported software on their Mac clients. On the other hand, applications with high demands on hardware performance, or ones that are predominantly used on the road, are always better off on local clients. Media production and software development programs are good examples of applications with high hardware performance requirements. Desktop virtualization turns out to be the solution of choice for application cases of this kind. More than 42% of those surveyed use virtualization programs such as Parallels Desktop™ for Mac, enabling them to run their Windows software locally on their corporate Mac devices.

Learn more:

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Apple’s Event 2018: iPhones, iPhones, & one more iPhone.

Grab your black turtlenecks, hotspots, and cold brew because I’m covering the latest Apple event. Our setting is the gorgeous Steve Jobs Theater, named after the co-founder and former CEO of Apple, the is located on the Apple Park Campus in Cupertino, California. It is an underground, 1,000-seat auditorium intended for Apple product launches and […]

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Why Is My Mac Running Slow? 5 Quick Tips to Speed Up Your Mac!

Trying to figure out why your precious Mac® is running slow and want to learn how to make it run faster? Mac troubleshooting can lead you down a rabbit hole of problem-solving that takes hours to diagnose and even days to resolve. We’re here to help address the top five issues that cause Mac performance […]

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Parallels Access 4.0 Released, Adds Support for iPhone X

The latest version of Parallels Access® adds a much-requested feature: support for iPhone® X, including new technologies in iPhone X such as Face ID®. Parallels Access, which gives users a convenient and natural way to control their desktop applications from their tablet or phone, now has full support for the higher resolution screen of the […]

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Get your FAQ’s straight about macOS APFS

macOS® High Sierra introduced the Apple File System (APFS) to Mac® computers on September 25, 2017. The new file system replaced the existing HFS+ system to bring improvements to encryption, reliability, and performance. Under-the-hood improvements include faster read/write speed, cloning, snapshots, and faster directory sizing (by storing metadata regarding the whole directory versus individual files, […]

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Run QuickBooks Premium for Windows on Mac with Parallels Desktop

Run QuickBooks for Windows on Mac with Parallels Desktop QuickBooks Pro for Windows 10 on Mac with Parallels Desktop Whether you’re a personal finance manager or a small business, you can manage your accounting and financial goals with QuickBook Premium for Windows on your Mac. Mac® devices help businesses solve problems in creative ways. The […]

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Quicken for Windows on Mac with Parallels Desktop

For over 10 years, Parallels Desktop® for Mac users have run Windows on Mac—without rebooting—to use Quicken. Quicken has consistently been a top-used application amongst Parallels Desktop users. Quicken started back in 1984 as personal-finance management software that helps users simplify and organize their money, from staying on top of spending to managing investments. Financial […]

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Can You Run a VM from an External Drive?

At a recent conference for Mac® IT admins, I was asked, “Can you run a VM from an external drive?” Short answer: “Yes, absolutely. I do this all the time.” Longer answer: You have always been able to run a Parallels Desktop® for Mac virtual machine from an external drive. In Parallels Desktop 13, this […]

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