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Apple’s macOS Sequoia introduces several innovative features in virtualization, making it more robust and developer-friendly than ever before, particularly on Apple Silicon machines equipped with M3 or newer processors.
One of the standout additions is iCloud support for macOS virtual machines. This feature enables users to access iCloud Drive and sync data seamlessly within virtual environments, streamlining workflows that involve development and testing in isolated macOS instances. This integration with iCloud marks a significant step forward, allowing VMs to function more like standard macOS installations, with full access to iCloud-stored files, Notes, and other data.
The nested virtualization support in Sequoia for M3 chips and above provides the capability to host additional virtualized layers within a primary macOS VM, facilitating multi-environment setups and more complex development scenarios. This feature is especially beneficial for developers and testers who require intricate test environments, as it now allows macOS to run nested VMs effectively, providing versatility similar to enterprise-grade virtualization solutions.
Furthermore, enhanced Hypervisor framework updates in Sequoia support smoother VM management and improve compatibility for third-party virtualization tools like Parallels and VMware. This update means that Sequoia supports not only native macOS VMs but also smoother interoperability with Linux and Windows ARM guest OSes, thereby expanding macOS’s utility for diverse OS testing needs.
These virtualization improvements reflect Apple’s drive toward a seamless, highly integrated experience that enhances productivity, particularly for developers and IT teams managing macOS virtual instances on Apple Silicon machines. For more details, Apple has outlined the full feature set and supported configurations on their official macOS Sequoia page