--- title: Announcing: Docker VMM Public Beta | daily.dev description: Docker Desktop v4.86 introduces the public beta of Docker VMM, a fully rebuilt, first-party virtualization layer replacing the third-party VMM that previously... canonical: https://daily.dev/posts/announcing-docker-vmm-public-beta-k46n1vpls twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:site: @dailydotdev og:type: website og:site_name: daily.dev og:title: Announcing: Docker VMM Public Beta | daily.dev og:description: Docker Desktop v4.86 introduces the public beta of Docker VMM, a fully rebuilt, first-party virtualization layer replacing the third-party VMM that previously... og:url: https://daily.dev/posts/announcing-docker-vmm-public-beta-k46n1vpls og:image: https://api.daily.dev/og/posts/K46N1vpLs.png og:image:alt: Announcing: Docker VMM Public Beta og:image:width: 1200 og:image:height: 630 og:locale: en --- > ## Documentation Index > Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://daily.dev/llms.txt > Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further. # Announcing: Docker VMM Public Beta **[Docker](https://daily.dev/sources/docker)** · 4 min read · 18 upvotes · 0 comments ## Summary Docker Desktop v4.86 introduces the public beta of Docker VMM, a fully rebuilt, first-party virtualization layer replacing the third-party VMM that previously ran under the hood on Mac and Windows. The new engine promises faster container startup, quicker file I/O between host and container, smarter memory reclamation when containers are idle, and improved stability specifically on Windows, matching Hyper-V isolation with WSL2-like speed. The same engine also powers Docker Sandboxes, and Docker frames this as the foundation for a unified runtime spanning laptop, cloud, and on-prem. Mac users already on Docker VMM get auto-upgraded; Windows users can opt in via Settings > General. General availability, including Linux support, is targeted for the end of October 2026, when Docker VMM becomes the default engine for new installs. ## Full article daily.dev links to this article rather than hosting it. Read it at the original source: ## Questions this post answers ### How do I enable Docker VMM on Windows in Docker Desktop? Open Settings then General in Docker Desktop v4.86 or later, and switch on the new Docker VMM option. No feature flag or waitlist is required. On Mac, if VMM was already enabled in Settings, upgrading to v4.86 switches you to the new engine automatically. Linux support arrives at general availability, targeted for the end of October 2026. _daily.dev surfaces rollout steps like this for developers upgrading their Docker Desktop setup._ ### What performance improvements does Docker VMM bring compared to the previous Docker Desktop virtualization layer? Docker VMM delivers measurably faster container startup across first launch, project switches, and restart recovery, along with significantly faster file sharing between container and host during edit-compile-test loops. It also reclaims memory from the host when containers sit idle instead of holding onto RAM, and on Windows it pairs Hyper-V-level isolation with WSL2-level speed. _Developers deciding whether to switch containers workflows can track these Docker VMM gains on daily.dev._ ### When does Docker VMM become the default engine for Docker Desktop? General availability is targeted for the end of October 2026, at which point Docker VMM becomes the default engine for new Docker Desktop installs across Mac, Windows, and Linux. Before that, it remains an opt-in public beta available starting with Docker Desktop v4.86, without Linux support until GA. _Teams planning their Docker Desktop upgrade timeline can follow milestones like this on daily.dev._ ## Similar posts on daily.dev - [Docker Desktop 4.50 Release](https://daily.dev/posts/docker-desktop-4-50-release-c9hmmyd0f) · Docker · 4 upvotes · 0 comments - [Docker on Windows is about to become obsolete, and WSL containers are why](https://daily.dev/posts/docker-on-windows-is-about-to-become-obsolete-and-wsl-containers-are-why-udjw4u6of) · XDA Developers · 27 upvotes · 0 comments - [Docker Sandboxes and microVMs, explained](https://daily.dev/posts/docker-sandboxes-and-microvms-explained-ly8mg0oel) · InfoWorld · 17 upvotes · 0 comments - [Microsoft Announces Public Preview For Linux Containers On WSL](https://daily.dev/posts/microsoft-announces-public-preview-for-linux-containers-on-wsl-0kzbappo1) · Phoronix · 0 upvotes · 0 comments --- Tags: [#infrastructure](https://daily.dev/tags/infrastructure), [#docker](https://daily.dev/tags/docker), [#containers](https://daily.dev/tags/containers) [View this post on daily.dev](https://daily.dev/posts/announcing-docker-vmm-public-beta-k46n1vpls) ```json {"@context":"https://schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https://daily.dev/#organization","name":"daily.dev","url":"https://daily.dev","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://daily.dev/apple-touch-icon.png","width":180,"height":180},"sameAs":["https://twitter.com/dailydotdev","https://github.com/dailydotdev","https://www.linkedin.com/company/daily-dev-ltd"]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https://daily.dev/#website","url":"https://daily.dev","name":"daily.dev","publisher":{"@id":"https://daily.dev/#organization"},"potentialAction":{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https://daily.dev/search?q={search_term_string}"},"query-input":"required name=search_term_string"}}]} {"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"TechArticle","headline":"Announcing: Docker VMM Public Beta","url":"https://daily.dev/posts/announcing-docker-vmm-public-beta-k46n1vpls","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://daily.dev/posts/announcing-docker-vmm-public-beta-k46n1vpls"},"datePublished":"2026-08-12T18:17:31.013Z","dateModified":"2026-09-13T21:09:22.531Z","description":"Docker Desktop v4.86 introduces the public beta of Docker VMM, a fully rebuilt, first-party virtualization layer replacing the third-party VMM that previously...","image":"https://media.daily.dev/image/upload/f_auto,q_auto/v1/posts/7be8a0db8ab91f7126d8d6f3da0e7f7f?_a=AQAEuop","thumbnailUrl":"https://media.daily.dev/image/upload/f_auto,q_auto/v1/posts/7be8a0db8ab91f7126d8d6f3da0e7f7f?_a=AQAEuop","isAccessibleForFree":true,"articleSection":"Docker","inLanguage":"en","publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"daily.dev","url":"https://daily.dev","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://daily.dev/apple-touch-icon.png","width":180,"height":180}},"author":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Docker","logo":"https://media.daily.dev/image/upload/t_logo,f_auto/v1/logos/8a1022bebfc04a7d824c309bd3686787","url":"https://daily.dev/sources/docker"},"commentCount":0,"discussionUrl":"https://daily.dev/posts/announcing-docker-vmm-public-beta-k46n1vpls","interactionStatistic":[{"@type":"InteractionCounter","interactionType":{"@type":"LikeAction"},"userInteractionCount":18},{"@type":"InteractionCounter","interactionType":{"@type":"CommentAction"},"userInteractionCount":0}],"keywords":"infrastructure,docker,containers","timeRequired":"PT4M"} {"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https://daily.dev"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Docker","item":"https://daily.dev/sources/docker"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"Announcing: Docker VMM Public Beta"}]} {"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"FAQPage","@id":"https://daily.dev/posts/announcing-docker-vmm-public-beta-k46n1vpls#faq","mainEntity":[{"@type":"Question","name":"How do I enable Docker VMM on Windows in Docker Desktop?","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"Open Settings then General in Docker Desktop v4.86 or later, and switch on the new Docker VMM option. 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