Uninstall Docker Desktop

Warning

Uninstalling Docker Desktop destroys Docker containers, images, volumes, and other Docker-related data local to the machine, and removes the files generated by the application. To learn how to preserve important data before uninstalling, refer to the back up and restore data section .

To uninstall Docker Desktop from your Windows machine:

  1. From the Windows Start menu, select Settings > Apps > Apps & features.
  2. Select Docker Desktop from the Apps & features list and then select Uninstall.
  3. Select Uninstall to confirm your selection.

You can also uninstall Docker Desktop from the CLI:

  1. Locate the installer: 
    $ C:\Program Files\Docker\Docker\Docker Desktop Installer.exe
  2. Uninstall Docker Desktop.
  • In PowerShell, run: 
    $ Start-Process 'Docker Desktop Installer.exe' -Wait uninstall
  • In the Command Prompt, run: 
    $ start /w "" "Docker Desktop Installer.exe" uninstall

After uninstalling Docker Desktop, there may be some residual files left behind which you can remove manually. These are:

C:\ProgramData\Docker
C:\ProgramData\DockerDesktop
C:\Program Files\Docker
C:\Users\<your user name>\AppData\Local\Docker
C:\Users\<your user name>\AppData\Roaming\Docker
C:\Users\<your user name>\AppData\Roaming\Docker Desktop
C:\Users\<your user name>\.docker

To uninstall Docker Desktop from your Mac:

  1. From the Docker menu, select the Troubleshoot icon in the top-right corner of the Docker Desktop Dashboard and then select Uninstall.
  2. Select Uninstall to confirm your selection.

You can also uninstall Docker Desktop from the CLI. Run:

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

You may encounter the following error when uninstalling Docker Desktop using the uninstall command.

$ /Applications/Docker.app/Contents/MacOS/uninstall
Password:
Uninstalling Docker Desktop...
Error: unlinkat /Users/<USER_HOME>/Library/Containers/com.docker.docker/.com.apple.containermanagerd.metadata.plist: operation not permitted

The operation not permitted error is reported either on the file .com.apple.containermanagerd.metadata.plist or on the parent directory /Users/<USER_HOME>/Library/Containers/com.docker.docker/. This error can be ignored as you have successfully uninstalled Docker Desktop. You can remove the directory /Users/<USER_HOME>/Library/Containers/com.docker.docker/ later by allowing Full Disk Access to the terminal application you are using (System Settings > Privacy & Security > Full Disk Access).

After uninstalling Docker Desktop, there may be some residual files left behind which you can remove:

$ rm -rf ~/Library/Group\ Containers/group.com.docker
$ rm -rf ~/.docker

You can also move the Docker application to the trash.

Docker Desktop is removed from a Linux host using the package manager.

Once Docker Desktop is removed, users must delete the credsStore and currentContext properties from the ~/.docker/config.json.

To remove Docker Desktop for Ubuntu, run:

$ sudo apt remove docker-desktop

For a complete cleanup, remove configuration and data files at $HOME/.docker/desktop, the symlink at /usr/local/bin/com.docker.cli, and purge the remaining systemd service files.

$ rm -r $HOME/.docker/desktop
$ sudo rm /usr/local/bin/com.docker.cli
$ sudo apt purge docker-desktop

Remove the credsStore and currentContext properties from $HOME/.docker/config.json. Additionally, you must delete any edited configuration files manually.

To remove Docker Desktop for Debian, run:

$ sudo apt remove docker-desktop

For a complete cleanup, remove configuration and data files at $HOME/.docker/desktop, the symlink at /usr/local/bin/com.docker.cli, and purge the remaining systemd service files.

$ rm -r $HOME/.docker/desktop
$ sudo rm /usr/local/bin/com.docker.cli
$ sudo apt purge docker-desktop

Remove the credsStore and currentContext properties from $HOME/.docker/config.json. Additionally, you must delete any edited configuration files manually.

To remove Docker Desktop for Fedora, run:

$ sudo dnf remove docker-desktop

For a complete cleanup, remove configuration and data files at $HOME/.docker/desktop, the symlink at /usr/local/bin/com.docker.cli, and purge the remaining systemd service files.

$ rm -r $HOME/.docker/desktop
$ sudo rm /usr/local/bin/com.docker.cli

Remove the credsStore and currentContext properties from $HOME/.docker/config.json. Additionally, you must delete any edited configuration files manually.

To remove Docker Desktop for Arch, run:

$ sudo pacman -R docker-desktop

For a complete cleanup, remove configuration and data files at $HOME/.docker/desktop, the symlink at /usr/local/bin/com.docker.cli, and purge the remaining systemd service files.

$ rm -r $HOME/.docker/desktop
$ sudo rm /usr/local/bin/com.docker.cli
$ sudo pacman -Rns docker-desktop

Remove the credsStore and currentContext properties from $HOME/.docker/config.json. Additionally, you must delete any edited configuration files manually.