VirtualBuddy 2.2 requires macOS 14 or later on your Mac. You can still run virtual machines with older versions of macOS.
New Features
Save and Resume
- You can now save a macOS virtual machine's running state when closing its window or quitting VirtualBuddy, then resume where you left off.
- A new setting lets you choose what happens when you close a running virtual machine: save its state, shut it down, or ask every time.
- Saved state information now appears in the library and the virtual machine window.
Saving state is available for supported macOS virtual machines after installation is complete. Disk images must be stored inside the virtual machine bundle on a volume that supports file cloning, and USB devices must be detached. VirtualBuddy explains when the current configuration doesn't support saving state.
macOS Golden Gate Features
- You can now skip Setup Assistant by configuring a macOS account before starting a new virtual machine for the first time.
- USB passthrough lets you connect USB devices from your Mac to a macOS virtual machine.
Skipping Setup Assistant and USB passthrough require macOS 27 or later on both your Mac and the macOS virtual machine. Configure the account before the virtual machine's first startup to skip Setup Assistant.
More Control Over Your Virtual Machines
- You can now copy settings from an existing virtual machine using the configuration window.
- The new Guest menu brings together controls for starting, stopping, and pausing a virtual machine, along with options to reconnect or change its network interface for the current session.
- New toolbar controls let you turn keyboard and mouse or trackpad input on or off for a virtual machine. To toggle keyboard input, press and hold Command+Option+Control for a few seconds. To toggle mouse or trackpad input, press and hold Option+Control+Shift for a few seconds.
- You can now open a virtual machine's configuration directly from its contextual menu in the library.
- Administrators can now restrict shared folders, USB passthrough, bridged networking, VirtualBuddyGuest, and microphone input through managed preferences or configuration profiles. Documentation and a preference manifest can be exported from Settings > Virtualization.
Enhancements & Bug Fixes
- Adopts Liquid Glass in setup, configuration, and virtual machine windows on macOS 26 or later.
- VirtualBuddy now detects conflicting MAC addresses when starting a virtual machine and offers to generate a new address to avoid networking problems.
- Bridged networking now reconnects automatically when the selected network interface becomes available again.
- A completely new implementation improves communication with VirtualBuddyGuest, including faster and more reliable clipboard sharing.
- The virtual machine toolbar now shows the VirtualBuddyGuest connection status and instructions for connecting it. Shared folder settings also provide clearer guidance when the guest app is disabled or not available.
- Improves VirtualBuddyGuest installation, updates, and automatic launch at login.
- VirtualBuddy now checks which features are supported when you use a custom macOS restore image and reflects that support in the configuration window.
- Fixes installation from local restore image files and improves error reporting when required device support software can't be installed.
- Improves the error message when you've reached the limit on running virtual machines.
- Addresses an issue that could cause APFS disk corruption in macOS virtual machines.
- Fixes an issue where creating a virtual machine with an existing name could overwrite another virtual machine.
- Fixes an issue that could prevent the Linux software catalog from loading.
- Fixes boot deep links failing to start a shut-down virtual machine when its window was already open.
- Improves configuration window performance and fixes the Configure command not always updating its availability.
- Addresses issues with virtual machine windows in full screen.
Full Changelog: 2.1...2.2.