Xmas gift guide: Discover the best accessories, add-ons and apps for an Apple user
Latest reviews: Apple AirPods Pro – noise cancelling & more!
MAC
iPHONE
iPAD
7 8
JA N UA RY 2020 N O.1 62
PLUS
63 PAGES of in-depth reviews and how-tos
PRO TIPS FOR YOUR MAC Save time, learn new skills and get more done today! HOW TO : Master Apple Arcade Use Apple TV in iOS 13 Do more with iMovie Get creative in Photos
InDesign vs alternatives Five cheaper solutions for home publishing
?
>>> Contents
JA N UA RY 2020 N O.1 62
M AC L I F E .CO M
WIN!
tmas the Chris Complete on page 98 crossword chance to for your r's win a yea n o ti p ri su b s c
16
28
68
87 time–saving tips
Xmas gift guide
Apple TV+
So much to do and so little time! Sound familiar? Well, we’ve come up with 87 handy shortcuts so you can get stuff done on your Mac quicker than ever.
We hope you’ve been well behaved this year, because Santa’s got a bunch of Mac goodies for your stocking. Check out our guide to the best gift ideas.
The TV streaming market welcomes a new player in the form of Apple TV+. Here, we tell you everything you need to know about the new service.
4 JAN 2020 maclife.com
59 – Dead Cells
06
42 Apple AirPods Pro
56
Adobe Capture
44 Adobe Photoshop Elements 2020
58
NapBot — Auto Sleep Tracker
47 BBEdit 13
59
Dead Cells
48 Parallels Desktop 15
59
Reky
What can we expect from the new Mac Pro?
49 Jenny LeClue — Detectivú
60
Pixelmator Photo for iPad
Quiet please!
49 Tile Slim
62
Night Sky 7
How does noise cancelling actually cancel noise?
50 Sonos Move
63
Enlight Pixaloop
The Shift
51
Mission Control Plus
63
Podcast Alarm
Matt Bolton says Apple needs to improve how it explains design decisions.
51
NetNewsWire 5
64
6 apps for winter
66
Best of the best
Consider The editor on what makes the AirPods Pro so good.
07
10
11
12
68
Apple TV+ Apple has entered the TV streaming market. Here’s what you need to know about Apple TV+ and how it compares to its rivals.
Digital Life Sign up to the newsletter for more Mac|Life.
08
60 – Pixelmator Photo for iPad
Mac Pro on the horizon
6 things that didn’t survive 2019
52 Group test: The best desktop publishing apps
Mac|Life’s pick of the best apps and hardware
72
Ask Our experts solve your Mac and iOS problems.
78
Run 32–bit apps in Catalina
80
Get apps on watchOS 6
82
Creative compositing in iMovie
84
Create true colors in Photoshop
87
Set up Apple Arcade
88
New photo editing features
90
Do more with Reminders in iOS 13
92
Customize the iPadOS Home screen
94
Master Apple TV Store
96
Work smarter with iPadOS
98
Apple Quiz
The tech we left behind.
14
Crave The gear we’re lusting after this month.
49
Tile Slim
42
Apple AirPods Pro
maclife.com JAN 2020 5
87
TIME–SAVING TIPS FOR MAC USERS Discover smart shortcuts, and be more productive with your Mac WRITTEN BY CARRIE MARSHALL
87 time–saving tips for Mac users
START UP FASTER! 1
Start more quickly
The more things launch when your Mac starts, the slower it’ll be. To remove unwanted startup items, go into System Preferences > Users > Login Items, and you can see and change which items automatically launch and login. 2
M
ACS ARE FAMED for their ease of use: “it just works” was always so much more than a marketing slogan. Macs are made to do things elegantly and efficiently, and the more time you spend discovering what yours can do, the more you’ll be able to get things done. Every Mac is jam-packed with useful features that are designed to
make things easier, faster or both. Once you’ve discovered the ones that suit you, your days will be brighter, your work more efficient and your hair more glossy. We’re only lying about that last one… From Safari’s shortcuts to Mission Control’s multiple desktops, from fiddling with the Finder to mastering Mail, these tips will help you get even more from your Mac.
Start automatically
You can get your Mac to start up or wake up at a specific time: just go into System Preferences > Energy Saver > Schedule to create a schedule that applies to what you require on an everyday basis or just specific days. 3
Login with your Watch
You can unlock your Mac with your Apple Watch. Go to System Preferences > Security & Privacy > Allow Your Apple Watch To Unlock Your Mac. If you’d rather use your phone, you’ll need a third–party app.
Desktop makeovers SIDECAR (CATALINA ONLY) Sidecar gives you even more screen real estate by enlisting your iPad as an additional monitor. To send an app to Sidecar from your Mac desktop, go into the Window menu and you’ll see a “Move to” option detailing the available iPad(s).
HIDE YOUR DOCK If the Dock is getting in the way of your apps, Ctrl–click on it and select Dock Preferences. Use these options to make it hide when it isn’t in use, to relocate it to another part of the display, or to adjust its size and magnification.
1
2
3
4
5
6
USING STACKS Desktop in dire need of decluttering? Ctrl–click on any empty bit of it and select Use Stacks. This automatically organizes everything into clickable, themed Stacks — music, images, PDF documents etc — to keep everything tidy.
MULTIPLE DESKTOPS Run multiple virtual desktops, aka Spaces, in your Mac with Mission Control. Launch it with the key on your Apple Keyboard, the Dock icon, or with a three or four–fingered trackpad swipe. Use the “+” button to add a new Space.
NIX NOTIFICATIONS If you’re overwhelmed by your Mac’s app notifications, change how they behave and appear on a per–app basis in System Preferences > Notifications — including setting Do Not Disturb hours when they won’t interrupt you.
KEEP IT ORGANIZED If your desktop icons are all over the place and you don’t want to file everything in folders, Ctrl-click on the desktop and choose Clean Up to tidy them up. Use Clean Up By if you want to organize them by type, size, tags, or date.
maclife.com JAN 2020 17
Treat yourself — and your Apple devices — with this hand–picked gift selection
W
ell, it’s that time of year again. The festive season, where there’ll be lots of food and fun to be shared with family and friends. And, of course, Christmas is a time for giving and receiving! Make your Christmas shopping easy, fast and fun with Mac|Life’s selection of perfect presents for you and your loved ones. Well, okay, maybe mainly you!
28 JAN 2020 maclife.com
Whether it’s to protect your iPhone, organize your desk, supercharge your home or power up your gadgets, we have something for everyone. We might give you a few ideas for people you’re buying for, or you can casually leave the magazine lying around on a coffee table with a few Sticky Notes to help anyone buying for you! Either way, we’re here to help you have a Merry Christmas!
Toys are great, no matter what age you are 3
1
2
4 5
IPOD TOUCH (7TH GENERATION) $199 apple.com The iPod lives! It now comes with an A10 Fusion chip and 4–inch Retina display. Perfect for gaming, music and FaceTime, this is a great gift for kids who aren’t quite ready for a “full” phone. 1
SPHERO MINI ACTIVITY KIT $79.99 sphero.com A great gift for kids of all ages, this activity kit can help your child understand the fundamentals of STEM and coding in a fun, easy way. WIth a 28– piece construction kit and 15 games, there’s plenty of challenges. 2
NINTENDO SWITCH LITE $199.99 nintendo.com Compact, lightweight and colorful, the Switch Lite is the ideal console for gamers on the go. Compatible with a wide range of games, this is a great way to connect with friends and family for a fun gaming session. 3
WITHINGS STEEL HR From $179.95 withings.com A hybrid smartwatch that can monitor your heart rate, sleep and various sports — it’s water resistant up to 50 metres, so it can track swimming. It also boasts a 25–day battery life. 4
EMBER MUG2 $129.95 ember.com Get your hot drink to stay at that “just right” temperature with this smart mug. Just set your preferred heat setting on the app and enjoy your hot brew, even if you get a bit busy and forget all about it. 5
maclife.com JAN 2020 29
>>> Reviews
AirPods Pro
Better sound, better fit and active noise cancellation — plus Apple has toned down the “iconic” visual weirdness with shorter arms $249 From Apple, apple.com Features Active noise cancellation, 4.5 hours listening time, 3.5 hours talk time, Wireless charging case, Sweat and water resistant (IPX4), Height: 1.22–inches, Width: 0.86–inches, Depth: 0.94–inches, Weight: 0.19 ounces
A
pple’s AirPods Pros have arrived just in time for Christmas. The Pros give you a proper in–ear fit, gym–friendly sweat and water resistance (IPX4), and a wireless charging case as standard. They are also full–on noise–cancelling headphones, taking on a small band of in–ear rivals such as Sony’s chunkier WF–1000XM3. There are also clever additions such as a test to see if they’re fitted properly in your ears; adaptive sound that optimizes audio based on your ears’ construction; and a new touch– based control system, replacing the taps you had to use on the original. There’s also all the usual Apple (and Beats by Dre) iPhone–specific features, such as ultra–quick pairing and hands– free Siri access. Among all these very pleasing features, one fundamental of the original AirPods has been lost. Because of the way they go deeper into your ears, these Pro buds are less easy to just leave in your lugs and still interact with people and the world at large. However, a Transparency Mode does allow you to let sound get through, so perhaps die–hard, all–day AirPods users won’t be put off. BETTER BATTERY LIFE With noise cancelling on, the AirPods Pro are rated for a slightly lower battery life than standard AirPods, at four–and–a–half hours per charge
42 JAN 2020 maclife.com
compared to five hours per charge. Turn the noise cancelling off and Apple says you should get five hours again. Depending on how you look at it, that means either the ANC is impressively efficient, or the benefit of turning it off is weirdly negligible. The case for the AirPods Pro is chunkier than the original, so they won’t slip in absolutely any pocket quite so easily. But the difference is less than you might expect, and it’s still thinner than lots of its rivals’ cases, crucially, so there’s less of a bulge. Part of the size difference is down to the AirPods Pro having tips that go properly into your ears, unlike the earlier version, which just sat on the edge of the ear canal. This gives the AirPods Pro an even more secure fit, and we’ve been unable to dislodge them in anything resembling normal use, including various forms of exercise. More importantly, this improved fit also creates a much better sound seal — the classic AirPods let in a lot of outside sound. For those who value audio quality, this is great news. For the many casual users of AirPods, it does lose the ability to wear them for prolonged periods without being cut off from the world. However, for these people, there is a high–tech workaround in the form of Transparency Mode, which allows you to pass through sounds around you via the AirPods Pro’s microphones.
Multiple tips are provided, but Apple makes it easy to figure out which you need to go for: you can take an “ear fit test”, which plays sound over the drivers, and again uses the built in mics to detect whether there’s any leakage — which would mean you don’t have a good fit. You can then change the tip size to see what works best. It just gives you a check for each ear to say whether you’re good to go or not. Apple says its silicon tips have been specially designed to be extra comfortable for wearing without feeling like there’s something weighing on your ear. They are really, really comfortable, but not a revolution in this sense. You can definitely wear them for a long time, but that’s true of lots of other great headphones. They are a little fiddlier to get into place with the right seal, though. Not
Tough testing, trusted ratings
harder than other headphones that focus on a proper fit, but there’s a tad more work needed than regular AirPods. But you quickly get used to it. Apple’s also shortened the length of the arms that poke out of your ear, so they look less ostentatious. We’ve already spoken to a lot of people who wouldn’t touch the original, but who feel swayed by these. Apple uses an air vent to equalize pressure in your ear with the outside world, which makes a bit of a difference. You don’t get as much of the sense of your voice feeling weirdly boomy as you do with other headphones. SOUND QUALITY If you’ve tried Apple AirPods, you’ll know the kind of sound profile to expect: very well balanced, but absolutely not skimping on the bass. They have a pretty neutral presentation all things considered, and that’s possibly helped by the adaptive EQ. However, that’s not to say the sound is the same as original AirPods —
there’s a distinct step up here. Original AirPods sound great in a quiet room when you’re not moving, but finer detail is easily overpowered by external sounds due to their loose fit. Here, you really get the full effect thanks to both better noise isolation — due to the fit — as well as the electronic active noise cancellation. As well as noise isolation from the ear tips, AirPods Pro have active noise cancellation too. The further good news is that Apple’s ANC is excellent; it cuts back busy traffic to barely a murmur in the background, and the rumble of being on the subway is almost gone, with a just few higher–pitched noises slipping though (as is often the case with active noise cancellation). Most noise–cancelling headphones these days will have a transparency mode to let in outside noise. The AirPods Pro are no different, and you can switch between Noise Cancellation mode and Transparency Mode by squeezing one of their protruding arms for a moment. You can also use this
squeeze to pause or skip tracks, and make it invoke Siri by changing an option in your iPhone’s settings. The squeezing is a bit odd — it took us a few goes to get the knack — but works pretty well and doesn’t disturb the fit. It even works through gloves. You don’t need to squeeze hard — it’s just a gentle pinch. You’ll hear a small click sound to indicate that it’s worked. THE BOTTOM LINE. Apple AirPods Pro are among the best true wireless earbuds you can get. They sound excellent, the noise cancellation is strong, and the secure yet comfortable fit means they work very well for exercise too. MATTHEW BOLTON
AIRPODS PRO
Noise cancellation is impressive Battery life isn’t bad ore nuance in Transparency mode would M be nice Over–ear headphones have better ANC AWESOME
maclife.com JAN 2020 43
>>> Reviews
THE BEST MAC APPS FOR
DESKTOP PUBLISHING You needn’t spend a fortune to lay out pages and format documents better
Tough testing, trusted ratings
P
AGE LAYOUT IS a task we all attempt from time to time, yet desktop publishing software is a relatively neglected category. If you’ve never delved into Adobe InDesign or QuarkXPress, you should see what you’re missing. And if you have used the high–end heavyweights but baulk at their prices — $239.88 per year for InDesign, $299.99 a year for QuarkXPress — we’ve got some cheaper contenders. The gold standard in this field is, of course, InDesign. QuarkXPress remains an equally strong choice, but it’s favored more by large publishers and corporates than individual designers and studios. That’s at least partly because InDesign is part of Adobe’s broader Creative Cloud suite, which is unbeatable value if you need several of its apps. Affinity Publisher, launched by Serif in the summer to complete its own smaller but more tightly integrated graphics suite, is available as a one–off purchase for less than a quarter of the annual price of InDesign alone. It’s by far the most credible budget option (ML #158), but we also tried the even cheaper iStudio Publisher and
Swift Publisher, as well as comparing page layout in Apple’s free Pages. Desktop publishing is primarily about print, whether to your laser or inkjet, or preparing PDF files for commercial printing. InDesign and Pages can also be used to create both reflowable and fixed– layout ebooks. Pages comes with several illustrated ebook templates and can export directly to Apple Books, although Apple also offers iBooks Author, with more interactive features. iStudio Publisher can export a “text flow” (story) as an EPUB, but it’s a poor tool for the job. Any of these apps are also good for casual layouts that you can just share as JPEGs or one–off prints.
The general interface of a DTP app is important — iStudio is busy but keeps lots of tools visible.
Everything you need to know before getting started LAYOUT TOOLS It should be quick and easy to set up the guides you need, then create text and graphics boxes on the page, with features that help you size, position and align everything accurately and consistently. TEXT HANDLING A DTP app should let you style text using all the features of OpenType fonts, with detailed spacing controls, and flow copy through complex multi–column layouts. Named text styles enable quick and consistent formatting.
2
MASTER PAGES To design anything other than a one–off document, you set up master
3
Image rights clockwise from left: iStudio Software, Quark Software Inc, Apple.
We installed the latest versions of all the apps on the same 15–inch MacBook Pro with Retina display running macOS Mojave (Catalina was still in beta). We then tried a range of page layout tasks, assessing ease of use, breadth of features, and the ability to create professional results.
HIGHER…
Things to consider… 1
How we tested
QUARKXPRESS 2019 quark.co.uk From $849 InDesign’s newly upgraded top–end rival remains a superbly capable package with a huge ecosystem of support and integration.
pages with guides and regular items. This should be as flexible as possible. OUTPUT DTP isn’t just for desktop printing: magazines like the one you’re reading now go to press as PDF files exported from DTP apps. But printing companies are rightly wary of trying to output files without proper prepress controls in place.
4
EXTRAS Templates are useful to get you started, but only if they’re attractive, properly formatted and customizable. Ready–made graphics and effects may avoid having to use another app, but can be gimmicky.
5
…OR LOWER?
PUBLISHER LITE Mac App Store Free, with in–app purchases This simple free app has template packs for 99 cents. Publisher Plus adds features and includes all templates for $19.99, but it’s a been year since the apps were updated.
maclife.com JAN 2020 53
ROUNDUP
6 apps to have a better winter PLOWZ & MOWZ Free Made for iPhone, iPad, iPod touch
Survive the harsh weather and enjoy more cosy nights in the warm
Need some help clearing the snow so that you can actually get somewhere? This app connects you with general yard and outdoor home care providers, so you can make an appointment easily. We’ve chosen it for its snow removal option, but maybe you’ll like it so much you’ll want its mowing, clean up, driveway sealing, and other options too.
When the days are darker and colder, it’s just an opportunity to have more fun indoors – especially with holiday season approaching. We’ve got apps here that can help you get family, friends and neighbors around for a shindig, or that can help you while away the winter nights on the sofa. If
you’re in a state where winter can bring dangerous weather, you’ve got to make sure you can stay on top of your safety and need for supplies. Even when it’s not dangerous, it can still cause problems you need to know about. Here are some apps to help you stay on track when the snow comes.
PUNCHBOWL: INVITATIONS & CARDS Free (IAPs) Made for iPhone, iPad, iPod touch
NOAA WEATHER RADAR LIVE Free (IAPs) Made for iPhone, iPad, iPod touch
WAZE NAVIGATION & LIVE TRAFFIC Free Made for iPhone, iPad, iPod touch
If there’s going to be snow or storms, this app will send you a warning when there’s a risk. And you can use its radar tracking to keep an eye on how things are going. It tells you the depth and coverage of snow, too, so you’ll know exactly how disruptive it’s likely to be. Of course, it’s also great at telling you about all other kinds of weather too.
Wondering how snow and ice will affect your journeys? Waze is excellent at handling days when there’s unusual traffic — it tells you if need to leave earlier to still make appointments, and will choose alternative routes around gummed–up roads. You can also route through gas stations, so you can be sure to fill up and not risk problems later.
This app makes it easy to create an invitation that you email out to guests. They see it arrive as an envelope, and when they click on it they’ll see your full invitation. They can RSVP from there, and it keeps track of who’s coming and who’s not. You can also design custom invitations if you pay a subscription.
64 JAN 2020 maclife.com
Image rights clockwise from top: Caribou Apps LLC, Waze Inc, Appalon Apps, Punchbowl Inc.
NEW YORK TIMES CROSSWORD Free (IAPs) Made for iPhone, iPad, iPod touch What’s better than getting comfortable with some hot cocoa and a crossword? Now you can do that with an endless supply of crosswords from The New York Times’ archives, plus new daily puzzles. You can buy whole packs, while a subscription gets you every new puzzle (you can try it free for seven days). You’ll never be bored again.
y t h g Nau Nice … g n i n Scan
Image rights from top: The New York Times Company, AMZN Mobile LLC.
AMAZON — SHOPPING MADE EASY Free Made for iPhone, iPad, iPod touch Obviously, you don’t need us to tell you that Amazon exists generally. No, we’re specifically recommending Amazon Pantry, which makes it easy to order party supplies, or keep yourself topped up with food without heading outside. Delivery is free for Prime Customers on orders over $35, so you don’t need to make big orders and risk food spoiling.
maclife.com JAN 2020 65
HOME LIFE BETTER LIVING THROUGH SMARTER TECHNOLOGY
> EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT…
APPLE TV+ The new streaming service is ready for launch BY ALEX COX
he media streaming market has been growing steadily in recent years. With faster internet connections and ubiquitous wireless making it a feasible proposition in just about any situation, streaming has completely changed the way we consume media — and it’s only going to get bigger. But is that really a good thing? The first wave of streaming services, with Netflix sitting proudly on top and services like Amazon Prime and Hulu chasing close behind, offered subscribers a huge amount of highly varied content for a nominal fee. Now, everyone wants a slice of the streaming
T
The Apple TV app brings a host of streaming services under one roof, and moves iTunes sales and rentals in too. 68 JAN 2020 maclife.com
market, from Disney to NBC to CBS and beyond — and Apple is no different, having launched its Apple TV+ service in November. From one big streaming service we’ve arrived at six or seven, with countless niche streamers sitting on the borders. Subscribing to them all (particularly with the quality and quantity of original series demanding ever–higher subscription fees) will be unfeasible unless you’ve got plenty of cash and spare time. So you will need to make a choice. PLAYING ITS OWN GAME Apple is naturally hoping that its own service will be high on that list. It has invested in the region of $6 billion in the first wave of programming for Apple TV+, and that’s all original. So far the company has followed its usual pattern of independence, and shown no interest in licensing existing series or movies for its service. Where other launches mean a fight for content — with Netflix losing the rights to shows like The Office and Disney’s movie catalogue, for example, to NBC’s Peacock and Disney+ respectively — Apple will play its own game. The initial launch lineup (see p71) isn’t massive, consisting only of a few series and movies, and it seems Apple is confident in letting its programming line–up grow slowly, with new titles being added on a monthly basis rather than a weekly or daily schedule. That said, newly added
Image rights: Apple.
Apple TV
Got a modern TV from the likes of LG? Relax, you’re ready to watch.
Getting Apple TV+ series will launch with a planned three episodes, with further episodes released on a weekly basis, ensuring a level of freshness. If, that is, you’ve caught the bug of Apple’s shows. If you’re not worried about Oprah’s Book Club or your kids aren’t excited by the monsters of Helpsters, the lack of other options will likely be a turn–off until the catalogue grows. Apple TV+’s library size isn’t, at least initially, the major driver. Strategically, it doesn’t have to be. Apple TV+ will quickly become the second largest streaming platform in terms of subscriber numbers, behind only Netflix, and Apple will have a solid year in which to build the service up. How? The power of free. Every iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch, Mac and Apple TV sold after 10 September includes a year’s subscription, gratis, which can be triggered up to three months after device activation. This will load the service up with eyeballs, and Family Sharing means that’s six potential viewers for every subscription. Even if you’re not lucky enough to bag a free year, Apple is pricing Apple TV+ very competitively, with a $4.99 monthly subscription sitting at a significantly cheaper price point than that of Netflix. The two services are poles apart in terms of their respective libraries, certainly, but if Apple is able to temper the pricing as its line–up grows, the end of that free year may make it a compelling subscription in its own right.
Image rights: LG.
Bear with us, as we work through some confusing nomenclature here. Apple’s streaming platform is called Apple TV+, as you’ve no doubt worked out by now. You’ll be able to access it by using the Apple TV app which launched in May 2019. Apple TV is available on every viable Apple platform, including Macs running macOS Catalina and, er, the Apple TV. The Apple TV app is also popping up on some new smart TVs, starting with Samsung’s line and soon extending to new TVs from LG and Vizio, as well as media streaming boxes from Roku and, eventually, Amazon Fire TV too. You’ll absolutely be able to stream with AirPlay 2 if your television is new enough to support it. And if you’re unsure on whether the service is for you, or whether it will work well with your current hardware, Apple will offer a seven–day free trial before you’ll need to drop your monthly payment of $4.99.
We also need to consider compatibility here, and this is where the crystal ball gets a little murky. Netflix, to keep harping on a single example, is compatible with just about everything. Its presence on consoles like the Xbox 360 was what helped it build into a streaming giant in the first place, and you’ll now find Netflix apps on virtually every device. If you want to watch Netflix on something, you can. We don’t yet know what Apple TV+ will offer. Certainly it’ll be compatible with everything AirPlay 2, and the TV app (as well as AirPlay 2 support) has popped up on many modern smart TVs in a show of unprecedented co–operation. But if maclife.com JAN 2020 69
CREATE HOW TO DO ANYTHING ON YOUR MAC, iPHONE & iPAD
Run 32–bit apps in Catalina Keep key 32–bit apps running after you’ve upgraded to macOS 10.15 REQUIRES macOS 10.12 or later, a macOS 10.14.6 or earlier installer, a virtualisation app like Parallels Desktop. YOU WILL LEARN How to install an older version of macOS IT WILL TAKE 1.5–2hrs
YOU CAN UPGRADE to macOS Catalina even when you still need to run apps which are 32-bit or incompatible with 10.15. If you don’t need to run both versions of macOS at the same time, you can install Catalina into a separate volume or partition, then switch between them using the Startup Disk pane. Installing an older version of macOS in a Virtual Machine (VM) is often better, as you can copy and paste between older apps and Catalina, and share documents. Use either VMware Fusion or Parallels Desktop; here we show the latter, as version 15 is already compatible with Catalina. The
hardest task is getting a full installer of macOS 10.14.6 or earlier. Your Mac will in any case be unable to download a version that’s too old to install on it. Use only official sources. HOWARD OAKLEY
HOW TO Run 32–bit apps in macOS Catalina
Enable the extension If installing for the first time, follow directions so that Parallels’ system extension isn’t blocked. In Catalina, this requires a restart after agreeing in the Security pane, and installation resumes afterwards.
78 JAN 2020 maclife.com
Create a new VM Once signed into your Parallels account, enter the activation key, and consent to access to various folders. You’ll be asked to create a new VM. Select the middle of the three options to use your macOS installer.
Select the installer If it doesn’t find the right installer, click on Select a file…, and switch the Open File dialog to display All files (*). Open your macOS installer, agree creation of a bootable disk image file, and click Continue.
Image rights: Parallels International GmbH.
9000
How to do anything on your Mac, iPhone & iPad
Save the new VM Give the VM a suitable name, and choose its location. The default of a Parallels folder in your Home folder is usually best, unless you’ve very good reasons to put it somewhere more suitable. Click on Continue.
Select virtual volume Once you’ve seen the normal installer splash screen, select the disk named Macintosh HD as the drive to hold the installation. This isn’t your Mac’s real startup disk, but Parallels’ virtual volume. Click on Install.
Turn FileVault off Another option to avoid is encryption of the virtual drive. If you need to protect its data, you’re better off running from a volume with FileVault turned on, preferably via a T2 chip with its negligible overhead.
Image rights: Parallels International GmbH.
Give privacy consent Install Parallels Toolbox when asked, so it can download. Meanwhile, in the VM, macOS should start up in Recovery Mode. As privacy consent dialogs appear, agree to them so your VM can access all your Mac’s features.
Sign into your AppleID After creating a user account and password, most choices made during installation are simple. Sign in with your normal Apple ID to ensure access to your App Store purchases and iCloud Drive.
Install Parallels Tools Once your VM has configured macOS, open the Parallels Tools disk image on its Desktop, and run the installer to provide the rest of the tools to control the VM and integrate file exchange. Once complete, eject it.
Start installing macOS The VM displays normal Recovery Mode options. Select Install macOS and click on Continue to start installing it into your VM. This is by far the longest part of the process — a chance to stretch your legs!
Minimize iCloud use One option to avoid is putting your Documents and Desktop folders in iCloud from the VM, as this can cause complications and significant overhead when exchanging files with your normal Mac using Parallels Toolbox.
Update and install Install apps via Parallels Shared Folders. Check your VM connects with Apple’s update servers to install security updates. SilentKnight (free, bit.ly/ mac345slkgt) helps get this done. Then set your 32–bit apps up and run them.
maclife.com JAN 2020 79