How to easily install and uninstall Docker on macOS

Question

How to easily install Docker to have it available in terminal and how to uninstall Docker on macOS?

dustin.schultz · Accepted Answer · 2024-08-08 19:38:49Z

365

To Install:

Go Here
Click the "Get Docker" or "Get Docker Desktop for Mac (Stable)" button.
Double-click the DMG
Drag Docker into Applications
Open Docker
Open Terminal after install and docker will be available. Docker should auto-launch on subsequent startups and be available on command line.

To Uninstall:

Click On Docker Icon
Select Preferences
Select Bug Icon (Question Mark or Bomb Icon icon in some versions of Docker UI) for the Troubleshoot menu
Select Uninstall

edited Aug 8, 2024 at 19:38

dustin.schultz

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answered Aug 9, 2017 at 15:57

Cynic

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6 Comments

kip2 Over a year ago

Beware: this approach uninstalls all images & containers. I had installed Docker using Homebrew and also the desktop app, thinking that removing the latter would preserve my images. Alas!

BrDaHa Over a year ago

There is now an option to uninstall from the command line, this might work if the UI is not in a state where you can uninstall from the GUI: docs.docker.com/desktop/install/mac-install/…

GvSharma Over a year ago

agree with @kip2, this will remove all docker installations and containers

Andrew Over a year ago

@BrDaHa That page contains no information on uninstalling.

Andrew Over a year ago

Thanks. Updating the link would be fine, but its nice to have the commit hash that did the work, for posterity. I had to manually delete everything since the UI didn't work, but /Applications/Docker.app/Contents/MacOS/Docker --uninstall is much nice if it functions.

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Cerniuk · Accepted Answer · 2025-07-08 16:03:24Z

260

Install

To install Docker is easy. Download the .dmg, open it, drag and drop the Docker app to Applications, then run Docker Desktop for Mac. Unfortunately, it sprawls gunk all over your Mac (see uninstall).

Uninstall

If Docker starts, you can use the Docker Desktop app to uninstall. If that doesn't work, you will have to dive into the command line. For a complete uninstall (updated 08-Jul-2025) type the following into the terminal:

(Be aware, this removes any Docker virtual machines and images too!)


# credit & please upvote answer by -> We'll See
sudo rm -Rfv /usr/local/bin/docker-index
sudo rm -Rfv /private/var/run/docker.sock
sudo rm -Rfv /private/var/root/Library/Containers/com.docker.docker
sudo rm -Rfv /Library/PrivilegedHelperTools/com.docker.socket
sudo rm -Rfv /Library/Logs/DiagnosticReports/com.docker.backend_*
sudo rm -Rfv /Library/LaunchDaemons/com.docker.socket.plist
sudo rm -Rfv ~/Library/Application Support/com.bugsnag.Bugsnag/com.docker.docker
sudo rm -Rfv ~/Library/Saved Application State/com.electron.dockerdesktop.savedState
sudo rm -Rfv ~/Library/Preferences/com.electron.dockerdesktop.plist
sudo rm -Rfv ~/Library/HTTPStorages/com.docker.docker
sudo rm -Rfv ~/Library/Application Scripts/group.com.docker
sudo rm -Rfv ~/Library/Caches/Docker\ Desktop
sudo rm -Rfv ~/Library/Caches/docker-compose
sudo rm -Rfv ~/Library/Caches/com.docker.docker
# credit & please upvote answer by -> Kamil Kiełczewski
sudo rm -Rf /Applications/Docker
sudo rm -f /usr/local/bin/docker
sudo rm -f /usr/local/bin/docker-machine
sudo rm -f /usr/local/bin/docker-compose
sudo rm -f /usr/local/bin/docker-credential-osxkeychain
sudo rm -Rf ~/.docker
#credit -> Cerniuk
sudo rm -Rf /Applications/Docker.app
sudo rm -f /usr/local/bin/com.docker.cli
sudo rm -f /usr/local/bin/docker-compose-v1
sudo rm -f /usr/local/bin/docker-credential-desktop
sudo rm -f /usr/local/bin/docker-credential-ecr-login
sudo rm -f /usr/local/bin/hub-tool
sudo rm -f /usr/local/bin/hyperkit
sudo rm -f /usr/local/bin/kubectl.docker
sudo rm -f /usr/local/bin/vpnkit
sudo rm -Rf ~/Library/Containers/com.docker.docker
sudo rm -Rf ~/Library/Application\ Support/Docker\ Desktop
sudo rm -Rf ~/Library/Group\ Containers/group.com.docker
sudo rm -f ~/Library/HTTPStorages/com.docker.docker.binarycookies
sudo rm -f /Library/PrivilegedHelperTools/com.docker.vmnetd
sudo rm -f /Library/LaunchDaemons/com.docker.vmnetd.plist
sudo rm -Rf ~/Library/Logs/Docker\ Desktop
sudo rm -Rf /usr/local/lib/docker
sudo rm -f ~/Library/Preferences/com.docker.docker.plist
sudo rm -Rf ~/Library/Saved\ Application\ State/com.electron.docker-frontend.savedState
sudo rm -f ~/Library/Preferences/com.electron.docker-frontend.plist

edited Jul 8 at 16:03

answered Dec 27, 2020 at 17:06

Cerniuk

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14 Comments

punsoca Over a year ago

the command line steps work and they're pretty helpful if for some reason your docker app WON'T start up (normally your docker app should automatic start at Mac boot up and you can invoke the docker desktop and select UNINSTALL).

Chris Houghton Over a year ago

Thanks so much. Running sudo rm -Rf ~/Library/Group\ Containers/group.com.docker freed up 30GB of space on my machine!

Scott Smith Over a year ago

Thanks for the uninstall commands. Like many people probably, I only ended up here because my docker app become completely unresponsive, so I can't have it remove itself.

Gaurav Over a year ago

@Cerniuk works flawlessly!

Joan Galmés Riera Over a year ago

When I update to MacOS 12 (Monterey) Docker Desktop crashed every time. I tried to uninstall and downgrade with any success. With this uninstall now I have Docker again, thanks!

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Jason Schilling · Accepted Answer · 2022-03-27 20:32:34Z

130

By command line

INSTALL

Install with

brew install --cask docker

And run docker by

open /Applications/Docker.app

(or by macOs bottom menu> launchpad > docker - on first run docker will ask you about password)

Thats all :)

UNINSTALL

Type brew uninstall --cask docker

thats all :)

To clean everything (including images/containers) execute below commands:

sudo rm -Rf /Applications/Docker
sudo rm -f /usr/local/bin/docker
sudo rm -f /usr/local/bin/docker-machine
sudo rm -f /usr/local/bin/docker-compose
sudo rm -f /usr/local/bin/docker-credential-osxkeychain
sudo rm -Rf ~/.docker
sudo rm -Rf $HOME/Library/Containers/com.docker.docker  # here we delete stored images

edited Mar 27, 2022 at 20:32

Jason Schilling

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answered Jun 3, 2017 at 16:25

Kamil Kiełczewski

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7 Comments

Gary S. Weaver Over a year ago

Try also: brew cask zap docker

Marcus Over a year ago

I like this answer for the most part, but having trouble: brew install brew-cask Error: No available formula with the name "brew-cask"

Kamil Kiełczewski Over a year ago

@Marcus may be this will help: github.com/Homebrew/homebrew-cask/issues/6179

JSchirrmacher Over a year ago

As of Homebrew 2.7, brew cask install was deleted. Instead use brew install --cask docker

Hiroki Over a year ago

As of April 2021, /Applications/Docker has become /Applications/Docker.app for uninstalltion. Thank you for sharing this solutiuon!

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theyCallMeJun · Accepted Answer · 2021-04-16 09:35:04Z

22

To install: brew install --cask docker

To uninstall: brew uninstall --cask docker

answered Apr 16, 2021 at 9:35

theyCallMeJun

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2 Comments

Akshay Vijay Jain Over a year ago

this will download from desktop.docker.com/mac/main/amd64/72729/Docker.dmg

John Ferguson Over a year ago

You still have to start the Docker Desktop application to get docker running, but this is the easiest way to install/uninstall

We'll See · Accepted Answer · 2023-11-22 15:13:00Z

15

Uninstall

After following the uninstall step in Cerniuk's excellent answer, I found that I still had some files remaining on my MacOS Sonoma 14.1.1 that could be deleted:

sudo rm -Rfv /usr/local/bin/docker-index
sudo rm -Rfv /private/var/run/docker.sock
sudo rm -Rfv /private/var/root/Library/Containers/com.docker.docker
sudo rm -Rfv /Library/PrivilegedHelperTools/com.docker.socket
sudo rm -Rfv /Library/Logs/DiagnosticReports/com.docker.backend_*
sudo rm -Rfv /Library/LaunchDaemons/com.docker.socket.plist
sudo rm -Rfv ~/Library/Application Support/com.bugsnag.Bugsnag/com.docker.docker
sudo rm -Rfv ~/Library/Saved Application State/com.electron.dockerdesktop.savedState
sudo rm -Rfv ~/Library/Preferences/com.electron.dockerdesktop.plist
sudo rm -Rfv ~/Library/HTTPStorages/com.docker.docker
sudo rm -Rfv ~/Library/Application Scripts/group.com.docker
sudo rm -Rfv ~/Library/Caches/Docker\ Desktop
sudo rm -Rfv ~/Library/Caches/docker-compose
sudo rm -Rfv ~/Library/Caches/com.docker.docker

answered Nov 22, 2023 at 15:13

We'll See

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1 Comment

Cerniuk Jul 8 at 15:00

It is a never ending hunt. Well done.

abdullahselek · Accepted Answer · 2025-01-18 20:16:11Z

0

In my case when I tried to delete Docker Desktop I had to delete the items below as well

sudo rm -f /usr/local/bin/docker-credential-desktop
sudo rm -f /usr/local/bin/docker-credential-ecr-login
sudo rm -f /usr/local/bin/docker-index
sudo rm -f /usr/local/bin/com.docker.cli
sudo rm -f /usr/local/bin/hub-tool

After deleting those items brew install --cask docker worked well.

answered Jan 18 at 20:16

abdullahselek

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