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Docker gets Apple silicon support, but only as a preview for now

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Docker Whale Apple Silicon
Docker Whale Apple Silicon (Image credit: Docker)

What you need to know

  • A new Docker developer preview includes support for Apple silicon Macs.

Docker is now available with Apple silicon support, so long as you dont mind installing a preview build.

Docker announced an expanded developer preview yesterday, but alongside that was another announcement that noted the news we've been waiting for – Apple M1 support.

... today we have released to our preview users two exciting features that we know a lot of people have been waiting for: Docker Desktop on Apple M1 chips, and GPU support on WSL 2. To find out more about the Docker Developer Preview Program, read my colleague William Quiviger's blog post.

Docker is a great way to run apps and other software in a container that is exactly that, contained. It's a wonderful way to test things without installing them on a production machine, for example, and the addition of M1 support will be great news for anyone who has already jumped on the Apple silicon bandwagon with a new MacBook Air, 13-inch MacBook Pro, or Mac mini. The update will also support future Apple silicon chips, too.

Anyone can sign up for the developer preview, so M1 Mac owners should probably go and do that now.

Oliver Haslam
Oliver Haslam
Contributor

Oliver Haslam has written about Apple and the wider technology business for more than a decade with bylines on How-To Geek, PC Mag, iDownloadBlog, and many more. He has also been published in print for Macworld, including cover stories. At iMore, Oliver is involved in daily news coverage and, not being short of opinions, has been known to 'explain' those thoughts in more detail, too. Having grown up using PCs and spending far too much money on graphics card and flashy RAM, Oliver switched to the Mac with a G5 iMac and hasn't looked back. Since then he's seen the growth of the smartphone world, backed by iPhone, and new product categories come and go. Current expertise includes iOS, macOS, streaming services, and pretty much anything that has a battery or plugs into a wall. Oliver also covers mobile gaming for iMore, with Apple Arcade a particular focus. He's been gaming since the Atari 2600 days and still struggles to comprehend the fact he can play console quality titles on his pocket computer.