Most people know Parallels as the “virtualization software” that makes it easy to run Windows on your Mac, but the company has an incredibly useful macOS utility called Parallels Toolbox that most people probably don’t know about. Today, Parallels Toolbox 4.5 was updated with support for Apple Silicon, a new dashboard for the tools you use most, and a brand new user interface.
See also: Intel: After campaigns against the M1 chip, says it wants to make Apple silicon chips
Parallels Toolbox 4.5 includes over 45 time-saving tools for macOS, including tasks that you probably have dedicated apps for. The most popular include:
- Download videos from Facebook, YouTube, Vimeo, etc.
- Quickly mute your microphone for Zoom, Google Hangouts, etc.
- Lock your desktop if you need to step away
- Create a GIF, a screenshot, or record your screen
- Find duplicate files to free up space
- Eject external drives with one click
- Turn on AirPlane mode to disable all external communications
- Convert videos to sync iPad and iPhone
- Set a timer
- Uninstall macOS apps
- Download audio from the web
- Resize images
- View your clipboard history
See also: How to check if your Mac uses an Intel or Apple Silicon processor
While Parallels Toolbox 4.5 worked well with Rosetta 2 technology , it's great to see that it will natively support Apple Silicon. The new customizable dashboard lets you quickly find your most frequently used custom tools so they're more easily accessible. Parallels Toolbox ships with about half the number of tools it has today. If you're using a PC, Parallels Toolbox is also available for Windows.
See also: Adobe Photoshop 22.3 update: Brings support for Apple Silicon
Parallels Toolbox 4.5 includes a seven-day free trial, then costs only $19.99/year, which includes all future updates as long as your subscription is active.
Information source: 9to5mac.com
