Help · Mac apps

How to uninstall Docker Desktop on a Mac.

By Grant and Brad, who make Pangalin's apps · Updated 10 October 2026

Docker Desktop keeps its containers and images inside one large disk image, plus settings in a few folders. Its own uninstaller removes the lot. If you only want the space back, you may not need to uninstall at all.

Uninstalling deletes all local containers, images and volumes. Push or export anything you need first. This is permanent.

Uninstall

1. Open Docker Desktop. In the Dashboard, click the Troubleshoot icon at the top right, choose Uninstall and confirm.
2. Move Docker from Applications to the Trash.

Or from Terminal, run Docker's uninstaller, then move the app to the Trash:

/Applications/Docker.app/Contents/MacOS/uninstall

Docker's documentation then lists these folders to remove by hand:

• ~/Library/Group Containers/group.com.docker
• ~/.docker

If you see “operation not permitted” for a .com.apple.containermanagerd.metadata.plist file, Docker says you can ignore it.

Just want the space back?

Docker's disk image grows as you pull images and build, and doesn't shrink by itself. Docker's own ways to reclaim it:

• See what's using it: docker system df -v
• Remove unused data: docker system prune removes stopped containers, unused networks, dangling images and build cache. It's permanent. By default it leaves volumes alone, so your databases and other volume data stay.
• Start fresh: in the Troubleshoot menu, Clean / Purge data (Clean up data in newer versions) deletes all containers and images but keeps your settings.
• Limit or move the disk image: Settings › Resources › Advanced shows the disk image's location and size. Lowering its Disk usage limit (Disk image size in older versions) deletes all containers and images; to put it on another drive, use Browse there, never Finder.

The disk image (Docker.raw) is a sparse file, so Finder may show its maximum size rather than the space it really uses.

Based on the developer's own instructions, checked October 2026. Menu names can change between versions.