uninstall docker desktop mac

Docker Desktop for Mac proves to be an invaluable tool for many developers, but there may come a time when you’ll need to uninstall it from your system. Here is a detailed guide explaining how to uninstall Docker Desktop on your Mac.

Pre-Uninstall Steps

Before you uninstall Docker Desktop for Mac, it would be wise to ensure no Docker processes are running at that time.

• Open Docker Desktop.
• Stop any running Docker processes.

Step 1: Close Docker Desktop

The first step in uninstalling Docker Desktop is to quit the program.

• Click on the ‘Docker Desktop’ icon in your menu bar.
• Select ‘Quit Docker Desktop’.

Step 2: Open Applications Folder

Next, open the Applications folder on your Mac. This is where Docker Desktop is installed.

• Go to ‘Finder’.
• Then ‘Applications’.

Step 3: Remove Docker Desktop

To remove Docker Desktop from your Applications folder:

• Find the ‘Docker Desktop’ app.
• Drag it to the trash, or right-click and select ‘Move to Trash’.

Step 4: Empty Trash

The last step in uninstalling Docker Desktop for Mac is emptying your trash.

• Go to the ‘Trash’ folder.
• Right-click and select ‘Empty Trash’.

Post-Uninstall Steps

The uninstall process will remove Docker Desktop from your Applications folder but it won’t delete Docker files stored in your user library.

If you want to completely remove Docker from your system, including images, containers, configurations, you will need to manually remove these items.

• Open your terminal.
• Use the following command to remove Docker’s files:

rm -rf ~/Library/Containers/com.docker.docker

And that’s it! You have now successfully uninstalled Docker Desktop from your Mac. This should free up space and resources on your system, allowing you to install other applications or an upgraded version of Docker Desktop if you want. Please remember to backup any data or files before uninstalling any program to avoid loss of any important information.