We are announcing the upcoming deprecation of QEMU as a virtualization option for Docker Desktop on Apple Silicon Macs. After serving as our legacy virtualization solution during the early transition to Apple Silicon, QEMU will be fully deprecated 90 days from today, on July 14, 2025. This deprecation does not affect QEMU’s role in emulating non-native architectures for multi-platform builds. By moving to Apple Virtualization Framework or Docker VMM, you will ensure optimal performance.
Why We’re Making This Change
Our telemetry shows that a very small percentage of users are still using the QEMU option. We’ve maintained QEMU support for backward compatibility, but both Docker VMM and Apple Virtualization Framework now offer:
Significantly better performance
Improved stability
Enhanced compatibility with macOS updates
Better integration with Apple Silicon architecture
What This Means For You
If you’re currently using QEMU as your Virtual Machine Manager (VMM) on Docker Desktop for Mac:
Your current installation will continue to work normally during the 90-day transition period
After July 1, 2025, Docker Desktop releases will automatically migrate your environment to Apple Virtualization Framework
You’ll experience improved performance and stability with the newer virtualization options
Migration Plan
The migration process will be smooth and straightforward:
Users on the latest Docker Desktop release will be automatically migrated to Apple Virtualization Framework after the 90-day period
During the transition period, you can manually switch to either Docker VMM (our fastest option for Apple Silicon Macs) or Apple Virtualization Framework through Settings > General > Virtual Machine Options
For 30 days after the deprecation date, the QEMU option will remain available in settings for users who encounter migration issues
After this extended period, the QEMU option will be fully removed
Note: This deprecation does not affect QEMU’s role in emulating non-native architectures for multi-platform builds.
What You Should Do Now
We recommend proactively switching to one of our newer VMM options before the automatic migration:
Update to the latest version of Docker Desktop for Mac
Open Docker Desktop Settings > General
Under “Choose Virtual Machine Manager (VMM)” select either:
Docker VMM (BETA) – Our fastest option for Apple Silicon Macs
Apple Virtualization Framework – A mature, high-performance alternative
Questions or Concerns?
If you have questions or encounter any issues during migration, please:
We’re committed to making this transition as seamless as possible while delivering the best development experience on macOS.
