# Docker VMM enters public beta on Mac and Windows > Docker rebuilt the virtualization layer under Docker Desktop and opened it as a public beta in version 4.86 for macOS and Windows users. Canonical URL: https://www.devobs.io/news/news-docker-vmm-public-beta/ By: Amara Okafor Published: 2026-09-06T11:58:54.647Z Updated: 2026-09-06T11:58:54.647Z Event date: 2026-08-12 Section: Developer tools Docker opened a rebuilt Docker VMM to public beta on August 12 as part of Docker Desktop 4.86. The [announcement](https://www.docker.com/blog/docker-vmm-public-beta/) describes a first-party virtual-machine monitor optimized for the Linux engine and container workloads that Desktop runs on macOS and Windows. ## The runtime layer becomes a user-selectable beta On macOS, users who already selected Docker VMM receive the new engine when they update to 4.86. On Windows, the General settings page exposes a Docker VMM option. Docker says no waitlist or separate feature flag is required. Linux support is planned for general availability, so it is not part of this public beta. The company rebuilt the layer to address the places developers notice virtualization most: builds, filesystem synchronization, container starts, stability, and memory release. Those goals need local measurement. Repository shape, bind mounts, host architecture, antivirus tools, and Compose topology can all affect results. ## Switching engines needs a workload check Before enabling the beta across a fleet, teams should record current startup, build, file-change, and idle-memory behavior on representative machines. Run the same suite after switching, including bind-mounted source trees, multi-container networking, large image pulls, sleep and resume, and Desktop restart. Preserve a documented path back to the previous engine. Docker targets general availability for the end of October 2026, when it plans to make the VMM the default for new Desktop installations. That schedule is a stated target, not a current guarantee. The beta is most useful as a chance to surface workload-specific compatibility issues before any default changes, with results segmented by operating system and hardware rather than reduced to one fleet-wide performance number. ## Source references -