Viable
Viable is a macOS virtualization utility for Apple silicon Macs that creates and runs macOS virtual machines for testing, research, and setup work.
What is Viable?
Viable is a native macOS utility that creates and runs macOS virtual machines on Apple silicon Macs. It is designed for users who need isolated test systems, want to try different macOS versions, or need a separate environment for troubleshooting and research. The app can download or use Apple IPSW restore images to build VMs, then lets you choose resources such as CPU cores, memory, and display settings. It also supports shared folders with the host Mac and can work with multiple virtual machines, making it useful for repeatable testing workflows. Viable is published by Howard Oakley and focuses on lightweight virtualization using Apple’s built-in macOS virtualization technologies rather than a broad cross-platform hypervisor feature set.
Key features
- Create macOS virtual machines from Apple IPSW restore images
- Run macOS VMs on Apple silicon Macs with configurable CPU and memory allocation
- Adjust virtual display settings, including Retina-friendly HiDPI options
- Share folders between the host Mac and supported virtual machines
- Create multiple VMs for testing different macOS versions and setups
- Set machine identities for advanced testing workflows
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Safety overview
Status: Safe
Viable is legitimate virtualization software for macOS. It needs access to create and store virtual machine bundles and may use downloaded Apple restore images as part of setup, which is normal for this type of tool. Virtual machines can consume significant disk space, memory, and processor time while they are running, so it is wise to watch available storage and system resources if you use several VMs. Keep it if you intentionally use macOS virtual machines; otherwise it is not essential.
Recommendation: Keep Viable if you create or run macOS virtual machines on an Apple silicon Mac. If you do not use it, you can remove the app and, if desired, delete its virtual machine files later to recover storage space.
Common paths
/Applications/Viable.app
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