Now, I’m excited to introduce our latest update — Parallels Desktop 20.1.0.

This update brings new features, enhancements, and critical fixes that we know you’ve been eagerly awaiting.

Elevating productivity with Writing Tools for Windows Apps

A few weeks ago, Apple released macOS 15, which brought with it one of the most anticipated features — Apple Intelligence.

I know many of you rely on Windows office applications for your daily tasks, so we’re thrilled to introduce an exciting new integration that works hand-in-hand with Apple Intelligence: Writing Tools for Windows Apps.

What does this feature do?

It’s simple.

Select any portion of text within a Windows application and either use the Command + Shift + W shortcut or go to the Edit menu in your macOS menu bar and select Writing Tools.

With Writing Tools in Windows Apps, you can:

• Summarize long passages of text

• Generate key insights for reports, emails, or presentations in a snap

• Refine your writing by offering contextual improvements

And the best part?

You can use this feature in any mode — whether it’s windowed, full-screen, or Coherence mode, giving you the freedom to stay focused and productive regardless of how you prefer to work.

Introducing Windows Server 2025 support

I’m also proud to announce that Windows Server 2025 will be fully supported in Parallels Desktop as soon as it’s released.

This marks the first time a server OS is supported in Parallels Desktop for Apple silicon Macs — an incredible milestone.

While Windows Server 2025 is still in preview, you can start experimenting with it if you already have an ARM-based image.

Go ahead and put it to the test!

Behind the scenes: We’ve smoothed out the rough edges

Of course, every great piece of software has its hiccups, and the team works hard to address issues quickly.

The release of version 20 surfaced a significant issue on Apple silicon Macs where some macOS applications (like Safari and Preview) set as default in Windows 11 were not functioning correctly within certain apps, such as Microsoft Outlook (classic) and Microsoft Excel.

Links and attachments weren’t opening as expected in Safari or Preview, but with 20.1.0, this issue is now resolved.

Our brilliant Engineering team has also fixed a key issue that was preventing Rosetta emulation from working properly in Linux virtual machines on Apple silicon Macs running macOS Sequoia.

With the 20.1.0 update, your Linux machines are back to running seamlessly, just the way you expect.

Pro Tip: easily switch between Microsoft Word documents with Coherence view mode

Did you know that if you run your Windows virtual machine in Coherence view mode and have multiple documents open in Microsoft Word, you can swipe up with three fingers to easily switch between them!

It’s a seamless way to boost your productivity.

New to Parallels Desktop for Mac? Get your 14-day free trial of Parallels Desktop now.  

How to check storage and free up disk space on your Mac

If you ever truly loved a MacBook, you’ve gotten your heart broken by one, too. 

Apple’s longstanding MacBook line has a dream-like appeal; its stellar design sensibility suggests nearly limitless possibilities. 

Apple’s willingness to buck trends also results in some stubborn decisions. Notably, it has stripped audio jacks from iPhones, insisted on a proprietary lightning cable, and typically charges a premium for memory and hard drive space. 

When an additional 512 GB can cost $600—like the 16-inch M3 MacBook Pro—you may opt to make do with less. 

How do you free up disc space on your Mac? Read on to learn how to check storage on your Mac to avoid stuffing your hard drive to the brim. Use Parallels Toolbox for Mac and Windows to greatly simplify hard drive management—there are a ton of extra handy tools included too! 

How to check storage on your Mac 

There are a few ways to check the storage on your Mac’s hard drive. The steps differ depending on your MacOS version. 

Which MacOS are you running? You can check by hovering over the top menu bar, clicking the Apple icon on the far left, and then clicking About This Mac. 

Instructions will differ if you have Ventura or later updates, including Sonoma or Sequoia, or if you have Monterey and earlier releases. 

How to check the storage on your Mac using About My Mac 

Our first method begins with the same steps as above. Navigate to About My Mac once more. 

For Monterey and earlier: You’ll see a rectangular-shaped window with several tab options. Click Storage, and the following window will present a bar chart breaking down used and available space, sorted by file types (Like media, documents, and applications). 

For Ventura and later: These users will see a smaller About My Mac window with a single button: More Info… Once clicked, you’ll arrive at the About tab in system settings. Scroll to the bottom and click Storage Settings. 

Here, you’ll spot a bar chart illustrating your current storage usage, with different file types color-coded. Red represents documents, orange denotes applications, gray describes system data, and black is for free space. 

How to check storage on your Mac through system settings 

Accessing System Settings is simple. Click the Apple icon in the top menu bar and hit System Settings. 

Scroll down the left-hand menu bar and click Storage. You’ll then arrive at the same Storage Settings window. 

How to free up disk space on your Mac 

Next, I’ll use the Storage Settings window to free up much-needed hard drive space. 

Below the bar chart, you’ll see a table of file types and the volume of space they occupy. Clicking the encircled i for “information” next to each will launch a pop-up detailing that category’s largest files in descending order. 

Typically, most of your space will be dedicated to apps or documents. 

Let’s look at my MacBook Pro’s hard drive. 

It looks like my Applications folder is stuffed. The largest apps are either video games or office tools. To save some space, I’d probably delete the games Ultros and Terra Memoria—I already beat them anyway. 

I’ll also ditch Microsoft PowerPoint; I rarely use it, and Google Slides is free and good enough for my purposes. 

Now, I’ll navigate to my document storage tab since it’s the largest file type by far. 

At the top, you’ll see Parallels Desktop, which I use to virtualize Windows 11, play Windows games, and use Windows applications. 

I’ll keep that, and instead I’ll delete a bunch of somewhat smaller files, such as application setup files, corrupted downloads, and already-extracted compressed files. 

And look! I saved another 5 gigabytes. 

Free up space on your Mac using Mac System Settings and Disc Utilities 

Apple has developed a range of simple tools to help you manage hard drive space. 

• Optimize Command 

• Erase Junk Mail 

• Reduce Clutter 

Here’s how to use them to your advantage. 

Empty your Mac’s trash on a regular basis 

It’s easy to forget your trash bin. It’s hidden away and easy to overlook, and it can quickly hoover up space.  

Use Optimize Command to set your trash bin to empty every 30 days (or a time frame of your choosing). This setting automatically deletes trash bin files after 30 days. I highly recommend using it. That said, if you frequently find yourself dumpster diving for needlessly discarded files, leave it off. 

Erase junk mail using Mac System Settings 

The average inbox is positively stuffed with messages—one study found respondents held an average of 8,024 emails, with 20 percent holding 21,000 plus. 

If you’re not looking to hoard a massive volume of junk mail, you can save considerable space. 

Open Mail, then right-click the mailbox containing the most messages (whether it’s your Inbox, drafts, or Sent folder). 

Select Erase Deleted Items, then Erase Junk Mail. Voila! 

Reduce clutter with Mac system settings 

Monterey or earlier: Those still on macOS Monterey or earlier can use Reduce Clutter, a tool that helps you sort through files to determine what can be deleted. It’s halfway down the Recommendations window. 

After clicking Reduce Clutter, start by selecting Review Files. 

You’ll see five tabs: Large Files, Downloads, Unsupported Apps, Containers, and File Browser, which may help you decide what to delete. 

Once you select a tab, you’ll see a list of the largest associated files in descending order. If you spot an expendable file, right-click and select Show in Finder. MacOS will open the folder containing the file. Select Delete to remove it. 

Managing Your Mac’s Hard Drive Using Parallels Toolbox for Mac and Windows 

Parallels Desktop, our virtual machine solution, enables you to run Windows apps on Mac (and so much more). It also provides handy MacOS tools in Parallels Toolbox (included in your subscription).  

For instance, Clean Drive scans your hard drive for a wider array of file types and locations, including cache files, mobile app data, and iTunes temp files. 

First, download and install Parallels Toolbox. Open the Toolbox, click the Library tab at the top, and scroll down until you see Clean Drive. Once clicked, the tool will scan your drive for nine types of overlooked files and recommend deletions. 

Despite just running Apple’s tools previously, I found a whopping 5.51 GB free. Time to download more games I’ll later forget to delete. 

Even the confirmation window looks slick. https://www.parallels.com/products/toolbox/ 

Save yourself energy (and stress) and get your Mac’s storage under control 

Whether you opt for more or less storage, you’ll be glad you learned how to check your Mac’s storage and how to free up disk space.  

Now go forth and continue to download mountains of .dmg files, videos, and large PDFs—that is until you need to make space for more. 

Parallels Toolbox includes a plethora of extra applications designed to make Mac management easier. With your Parallels Desktop for Mac subscription, you can access over 50+ tools!  

While many users tout the Mac and macOS’s simple and refined UI, there’s a downside to its stripped-down design style.

Though users know not to expect labyrinthian file structures and endless settings, they often need clarification on Macs can and can’t do.

As such, many need help learning handy features, like how to zoom in on Mac and how to zoom out. This part is especially difficult for new users and those with accessibility needs. Ironically, Mac’s accessibility settings could be more accessible.

In this write-up, I’ll walk you through various methods you can use to zoom in and zoom out on your Mac, plus explain how to check your Mac’s resolution. 

Parallels Desktop allows your Mac to run Windows, helping you run many Windows-exclusive games and applications. Download a free trial of Parallels Desktop. 

How to zoom in on Mac and how to zoom out

Screen size may be one setting among hundreds, but the sizing and spacing of on-screen elements can dramatically improve your user experience.

How to zoom out on Mac with keyboard shortcuts 

Keyboard shortcuts may be old-school but making hotkeys for zooming in and zooming out on Mac can save you a lot of time.

First, though, you must flip a switch in System Settings.

1. Hover your cursor to the top left corner of your screen, then click the Apple symbol 

2. Select System Settings

3. Find Accessibility on the sidebar, click it 

4. Hit Zoom 

5. Turn on the setting labeled “Use keyboard shortcuts to zoom”

Now that you’ve enabled zoom shortcuts, you can use these three by pressing down each key at the same time:

1. Zoom in: Hold Option(⌥). Command(⌘), and Equal(=)

2. Zoom Out: Hold down Option(⌥), Command(⌘), and Minus(-)

3. Switch between Zoom in and Zoom out: Hold down Option(⌥), Command(⌘), and Eight(8)

However, these commands don’t work within most applications and browsers. In such cases, use these key combinations:

• Zoom In: Command(⌘) and Plus (+) to

• Zoom Out: Command(⌘) and Minus (-)

Now you know how to zoom out on Mac with the flick of a switch.

How to zoom in on Mac—and out—with your trackpad

Apple’s trackpad sports a broad surface area and multi-finger recognition, allowing snappy and intuitive screen control. Zooming in on Mac is as simple as a pinch.

Of course, you’ll need to adjust MacOS settings to use it.

1. Click the Apple icon on the top left corner of your screen—in the menu bar 

2. Click System Settings 

3. Click Accessibility

4. In the Accessibility window, click Zoom

5. Enable Use trackpad gestures to zoom 

How to zoom out on Mac—and in—with scrolling 

How can you zoom in and out on Mac using your mouse’s scroll wheel or your trackpad’s gestures?

It’s easy, but first, I’ll need to enable some accessibility settings.

1. Hit the Apple taskbar icon once more and select System Settings

2. In the side menu, click Accessibility

3. Scroll down Accessibly Settings and click Zoom

4. Enable Use scroll gesture with modifier keys to zoom 

Now, simply hold your chosen modifier and scroll away (e.g., up to zoom in, down to zoom out).

How to get in and out of full-screen view on your Mac

Mac’s Full Screen View lets you pull an application window into a separate screen, dedicating every square inch to a single application or window.

There is no need to drag, minimize, or maximize windows, and there is no distracting app drawer, either. Simply use a swipe gesture or key combination to return to your original desktop sans the now-full-screen app.

There are a few ways to access full-screen mode.

1. Turn full-screen mode on with each window’s green button

This one only takes a click. Hover your mouse over the top left corner of whatever window you want to expand and click the green button.

Exit Full-Screen mode by clicking the same button.

And you’re done!

2. How to access full-screen mode via View Menu 

You’ll spot the View drop-down menu on your taskbar in most applications.

All you need to do is click View, then Enter Full Screen.

Exit by clicking View again. Now select Exit Full Screen.

How to access full-screen mode via shortcuts

Keyboard shortcut warriors also have a shortcut they can use.

• Control(⌃) Command(⌘)

Press ESC to exit your Mac’s full-screen mode.

Side-by-side full-screen mode

What if you like the improved focus of full-screen mode but don’t want to swipe back and forth between desktop views?

Tiling windows lets you view two windows side-by-side within one full-screen view.

You can access it by hovering your pointer over the green button on your window bar—or pressing the button and holding it down. A menu will pop up with these three options.

Once you select one side, MacOS will fill the blank side with all your open windows. Click the desired window to have it occupy the other half of the screen.

I love this feature. A writer like me can read web research in one half and write in a text editor on the other. Now, I have more time for quality research.

How to check your Mac’s screen resolution (and how to change it)

Your screen’s resolution determines the size and spacing of almost every on-screen element.

I’ll access resolution settings by clicking the Apple taskbar menu and selecting System Preferences. Scroll down to the Displays tab and enable the Scaled resolution setting.

The Displays window lets you select between a few size options with your current resolution highlighted. If you’d like to zoom out or zoom in, click each resolution setting to find your ideal visibility-to-screen space ratio.

Macs do a lot more than you think 

It’s easy to forget that Mac’s simplicity hides a wide range of features, many of which can transform the user experience by making things simpler, easier, and more accessible.

Zooming in and out is a perfect example. Enlarging text and visuals might make you feel old, but its benefits vastly outweigh any age shame.

Parallels Desktop allows your Mac to run Windows and so much more, helping you run many Windows-exclusive games and applications. Try it today.

The biggest highlight is the new Parallels AI package, offering secure, downloadable pre-packaged virtual machines to quickly enhance AI developing skills in an offline environment.

Parallels Desktop 20 is also ready for macOS Sequoia and Windows 11 24H2 and introduces a new Management Portal as a part of the new Enterprise Edition. It offers numerous updates for Windows, macOS and Linux VMs.

Try Parallels Desktop 20 for Mac now – it is better than ever.

PS. Read all the way to the end for a fun Easter egg!

Ready for macOS Sequoia 15

The new Parallels Desktop 20 for Mac supports the upcoming macOS Sequoia (when released), improves the application stability on this operating system, and allows Mac users to enjoy AI-powered Writing Tools with Windows apps (requires macOS Sequoia 15.1).

Preview macOS Sequoia 15 using Parallels Desktop.

This version decreases the use of deprecated APIs for content capture (such as CGDisplayStream and CGWindowListCreateImage), which now trigger system alerts that indicate they might be able to collect detailed information about the user. Instead, it moves to the recommended macOS API to ensure security and compliance.

In addition, macOS Sequoia provides the ability to sign in to Apple ID in macOS virtual machines on Apple silicon!

This long-awaited improvement allows developers to fully leverage macOS virtual machines for building and testing software in an isolated environment.

With Parallels Desktop for Mac, it is so easy to install a new macOS virtual machine on Apple silicon.

Ready for Windows 11 24H2

Improving the stability and integration of this major Windows 11 update in a virtual environment has been a major goal since Windows 11 24H2 appeared in the Canary channel in early 2024.

These efforts include fixes for the NVMe driver, express Windows 11 installation on Intel-based Mac computers, mouse cursor positioning, and a fix for the dynamic resolution to sustain the ability to resize a Windows 11 VM window with automatic resolution adjustments.

From the Microsoft side, optimizations for the new major Windows 11 version 24H2 ensure users’ workflows remain uninterrupted while running legacy Windows apps (built for the Intel platform) and get up to 80% performance boost^[1] for certain computational workloads thanks to the improved Prism emulator built into Windows 11 on Arm OS.

State of Windows apps on Apple silicon Macs

Contrary to popular belief, most Windows apps run just fine in Windows 11 on Arm – the version of Windows OS users run on a Mac with Apple silicon.

With the increased adoption of Apple silicon, Parallels Desktop became an essential tool for many professionals who need access to the Windows OS ecosystem – our customers happily run more than 200,000 Windows apps on their computers.

Parallels is proud to be the first Microsoft-authorized solution for running Arm versions of Windows 11 on Mac, helping to amplify the adoption of the Arm platform by software developers.

The latest release offers improved compatibility with ArcGIS Pro, LabVIEW, Ninja Trader, and other applications so you can now seamlessly install and run on a Mac with Apple silicon—all with the help of Parallels Desktop for Mac.

It’s also great to see software companies shift their strategy and start delivering product updates that run natively in Windows 11 on Arm which means more apps will soon become available for Apple silicon users. Recent examples include Malwarebytes ThreatDown, Opera browser, Adobe Illustrator, LibreOffice, and others.

Streamline your development workflow

The Parallels Desktop 20 release reflects our ongoing commitment to delivering the best environment for developers to build, automate, and test solutions on every major operating system (Windows, Linux, and macOS).

Let’s start with the Visual Studio Code extension for Parallels Desktop. This tool allows you to create and manage your Parallels Desktop virtual machines from a single user interface — and it’s becoming a popular choice, with over 50,000 downloads and counting.

• This release introduces the ability to control virtual machines using natural language with Microsoft Copilot integrated into the Parallels Visual Studio Code extension.

• DevOps and developers can use Parallels Desktop GitHub Actions to transform their CI/CD workflows, automating the deployment and management of virtual machines directly from their GitHub repository. Imagine triggering VM provisioning, testing, and configuration automatically as part of your GitHub Actions pipeline, eliminating manual steps, reducing errors, and accelerating your development process.

• Enjoy the convenience of the Parallels Desktop DevOps Service to manage and orchestrate multiple Parallels Desktop hosts and virtual machines. Built to cater to the unique needs of DevOps teams, developers, and IT administrators, this service offers robust tools and automation capabilities that simplify the management of complex environments, enabling you to accelerate your software delivery process.

• Perhaps the most exciting feature of this release is the introduction of the Parallels AI Package, now available in the extension catalog. These allow developers to start working and experimenting with AI at a low cost, with quick onboarding, and the ability to test on different configurations, including those without network access. Interested? Read more about AI VMs.

You can also join our Discord server to ask questions, share your experience, and get help from the community.

If you’re interested in macOS virtual machines…

For developers and DevOps who run macOS virtual machines on a Mac with Apple silicon, the new version delivers:

• New! The ability to use snapshots to quickly save and restore the system state for an even more flexible development and testing process.

• An improved Parallels Packer plugin for a faster macOS VM installation in express mode, automating the initial setup process using Apple Vision framework (OCR).

• An enhanced Parallels executor for GitLab runner that now allows the use of macOS VMs on Apple silicon Mac computers.

Improvements for Linux fans

The Parallels Desktop team has listened to your feedback about the issues when running the newly released kernels inside Parallels Desktop virtual machines.

It’s well-known that the newest Linux kernels can sometimes be unstable and lead to compatibility challenges. However, we didn’t just acknowledge the issue — we took the first step to solve it.

Through careful analysis, the team discovered that nearly 50% of the reported issues were related to the Shared Folder driver operating within the kernel space.

Tackling this required adopting the high-level FUSE API, which should significantly reduce installation issues caused by kernel API changes in the near future.

This enhancement is designed to improve compatibility and ensure seamless support for future Linux distributions, reaffirming our commitment to providing you with a reliable and consistent virtualization experience.

This change also allowed us to improve performance for certain operations. You will feel the speed improvements when working with the volumes shared from Mac — now up to 4x faster than before^[2].

Introducing Management Portal and Parallels Desktop Enterprise Edition — coming later this fall

I’m excited to announce a significant update that transforms how IT administrators manage Parallels Desktop virtual machines across their organizations.

The changes are based on user feedback, particularly how IT administrators have expressed the need for more advanced tools to manage their Parallels Desktop environments.

Common requests included the ability to control virtual machines remotely from a single interface, centralized monitoring of VM performance across the entire organization, and a more convenient way to deploy the virtual machines to endpoint Macs.

The Parallels Desktop team has taken this feedback to heart and are thrilled to introduce the Management Portal, which addresses these needs head-on.

To complement the release of the Management Portal, the Parallels Desktop Enterprise Edition is now available—it’s our most advanced offering yet.

Created for organizations that need more control, visibility, and efficiency in managing their large-scale virtual environments, the new Edition unlocks access to the new Management Portal.

And that’s just the beginning. The Enterprise Edition is packed with enhancements that will empower your IT team to operate more effectively and efficiently than ever before.

Stay tuned for further updates! If you’re eager to be among the first to experience these new capabilities, reach out to our sales team today for more details and to arrange an exclusive demo: https://www.parallels.com/products/desktop/enterprise/.

Streamline the deployment process

In the world of IT management, seamless software deployment is crucial.

However, some IT admins using Parallels Desktop have recently faced a challenging roadblock when deploying the application through some Mobile Device Management (MDM) providers.

The issue stemmed from the bundle structure of the deployment package, which, while powerful, was not widely supported by many MDM providers, e.g., Microsoft Intune.

As a result, admins were forced to find workarounds, such as deploying the software via custom scripts. Additionally, our customers reported the package can’t be run on Mac computers with macOS Sequoia.

The latest release introduces support for converting the existing bundle package into a flat package format, which is compatible with most MDM providers.

This simple yet powerful change ensures that IT admins can now deploy Parallels Desktop without resorting to complex scripts.

The flat package format maintains all the essential capabilities of the original bundle, including the ability to pass a license, configure policies, and deploy VMs with precision.

For MDMs with file size limitations, admins can now link a cloud-stored VM in the package, streamlining large deployments. The option to include the VM file in the package remains available.

To further enhance the deployment experience, Parallels has added the ability to always deploy the latest version of the Parallels Desktop application without needing to bundle the DMG file with each package.

This ensures that IT admins can use the time they used to spend on building a new package on other crucial tasks.

These advancements mark a significant milestone in our ongoing commitment to improving the IT admin experience. With these new features, deploying Parallels Desktop across a network of Macs is simpler and more flexible than ever before.

Can’t wait? You can give it a try now: https://www.parallels.com/products/business/download/.

Parallels Desktop 20: The latest in a long line of innovations

Many years ago, a small group of enthusiasts embarked on a journey to create a product that, year after year, captured the hearts of more and more users worldwide: be it a Windows lover, a student, a developer, or an IT admin – Parallels is proud to serve so many different people worldwide.

Fun fact: Parallels Desktop launched publicly in June 2006 with version 2.5, which makes this release not an anniversary by age but rather yet another round number release. Stay tuned for anniversary easter eggs in 2026 😊.

Years later, Parallels Desktop became the leading solution for running Windows, Linux, and even macOS in a virtual environment – the only solution authorized by Microsoft to run Windows 11 on a Mac with Apple silicon!

And this is only the beginning. Look for more enhancements in the near future, making deployment and management an even smoother process for IT admins worldwide. Stay tuned for what’s next!

New to Parallels Desktop for Mac? Get your 14-day free trial of Parallels Desktop 20.0.0 now.

• _{[1] – Performance measurements conducted by Parallels by comparing the score produced by the x86 version of the test Floating Point Math from the Passmark 10 CPU Mark suite in Windows 23H2 (10.0.22621.3593) versus Windows 24H2 (10.0.26120.670) on MacBook Pro (M2 Max, (8+4) CPU, 96GiB RAM) with the virtual machine (4 CPU, 32GiB RAM). Measured using Parallels Desktop public version 19.4.1. The performance may vary based on usage, system configuration, and other factors.} 
• _{[2] – Performance measurements conducted by Parallels by measuring the time it takes to copy 3000 (three thousand) files in 315 directories from the primary macOS 13.3 (22E252) to the Ubuntu Linux virtual machine (4 CPU, 8GiB RAM, Ubuntu Server 22.04) on MacBook Air (M2, (4+4) CPU, 32GiB RAM). Measured with a prerelease version of Parallels Desktop 20 versus the released version of Parallels Desktop 19. The performance may vary based on usage, system configuration, and other factors.}