Articulate Storyline on Mac

Here’s a question we get a lot: “Is there a Mac version of Articulate Storyline?” Lots of folks like to use Apple-built hardware such as iMacs, Macbook Airs, and Macbook Pros to create, design, and imagine. We get it! We love Macs too.

While there is no Mac-native version of Storyline, it's super-easy to use Storyline on your favorite Mac hardware using a virtual environment. All you need to do is get virtual environment software that creates a Windows interface on your Mac. There are a ton of options for creating virtual environments, including Parallels, Apple Boot Camp, and VMware.

With a virtual environment, you’ll be able to switch back and forth between your usual Mac display and viewing a Windows interface with Windows programs.

We've created a few short videos to walk you through the process. In this series, we'll show you how to use Parallels to run Storyline on your Mac in no time.

Step 1: Install Parallels

Step 2: Install Windows

Step 3: Install Storyline

Step 4 (optional): Getting Resolution Right for Retina Displays

 If you’re interested in learning more, here are some helpful resources:

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130 Comments
S.  Dyson
Alanda Pettit

I am speaking of running Parallel in general. At the time, I had my Mac laptop and a monitor so that I could work dual screen. I needed to capture an application and needed to use Parallel because the contracting company used Captivate. It capture extra things on the screen that I could not control due to the Parallel. When I had used Captivate running Windows with dual screens I had never had this issue. I am assuming this would be the case with Storyline. My point is I am not a fan of the Parallel option. I had a horrible experience and it cost me a job. I now work for a company that is Windows based and do not have the issue. I have a company issued laptop. However, if I wanted to do side work, I would not want to use the Parallel option with my personal laptop because I do not trust it... Expand

Maggie Hu
Gabriele Dovis (italgo)
Sylvia Wright
Vic Reyes

Hi Stephanie, Our general recommendations for using Storyline on Parallels Desktop is similar to VMware fusion - since both virtualization programs have identical features. 1. Keep VMware tools updated on your virtual machine. VMware tools is similar to device drivers on a native Windows PC to keep your peripherals working. Whenever you update VMware Fusion, you'll also need to update VMware tools. https://kb.vmware.com/kb/1003417 2. Don't use Unity Mode. Unity mode is a feature in VMware that allows a user to display applications from virtual machines (VMs) on the host system desktop (Similar to Coherence mode in Parallels). While this is a nifty feature that works best for lightweight applications, Unity mode is graphic intensive and could impact the overall performance of ... Expand

Vic Reyes
TRACY SZTANYA

How can I get the resolution correct on an iMac (O.S. El Capitan version 10.11.4)? I am having difficulty figuring out how to change the display without right clicking and going to screen resolution. All of the shapes, text boxes, markers, etc. I add in Storyline 2 are not filling in with color completely, and when I click on another part of the screen to work, my added objects disappear on my screen until I click on them again. I don't know if this is because I've right clicked and set the display for higher than 100% and it's messing with the images in Storyline 2, or if something else is going wrong. **UPDATE** In case someone else has this issue. My screen resolution (on the Mac side) was set to "auto" so I changed it to "keep ratio". Then I went Parallels desktop and reset the scre... Expand

Sylvia Wright
Sylvia Wright
Mark Siegrist
Montse
S.  Dyson