Install Docker Desktop on Mac
Docker Desktop terms
Commercial use of Docker Desktop in larger enterprises (more than 250 employees OR more than $10 million USD in annual revenue) requires a paid subscription.
This page contains download URLs, information about system requirements, and instructions on how to install Docker Desktop for Mac.
For checksums, see Release notes.
System requirements
A supported version of macOS.
Important
Docker supports Docker Desktop on the most recent versions of macOS. That is, the current release of macOS and the previous two releases. As new major versions of macOS are made generally available, Docker stops supporting the oldest version and supports the newest version of macOS (in addition to the previous two releases).
At least 4 GB of RAM.
A supported version of macOS.
Important
Docker supports Docker Desktop on the most recent versions of macOS. That is, the current release of macOS and the previous two releases. As new major versions of macOS are made generally available, Docker stops supporting the oldest version and supports the newest version of macOS (in addition to the previous two releases).
At least 4 GB of RAM.
For the best experience, it's recommended that you install Rosetta 2. There is no longer a hard requirement to install Rosetta 2, however there are a few optional command line tools that still require Rosetta 2 when using Darwin/AMD64. See Known issues. To install Rosetta 2 manually from the command line, run the following command:
$ softwareupdate --install-rosetta
Install and run Docker Desktop on Mac
Install interactively
Download the installer using the download buttons at the top of the page, or from the release notes.
Double-click
Docker.dmg
to open the installer, then drag the Docker icon to the Applications folder. By default, Docker Desktop is installed at/Applications/Docker.app
.Double-click
Docker.app
in the Applications folder to start Docker.The Docker menu displays the Docker Subscription Service Agreement.
Here’s a summary of the key points:
- Docker Desktop is free for small businesses (fewer than 250 employees AND less than $10 million in annual revenue), personal use, education, and non-commercial open source projects.
- Otherwise, it requires a paid subscription for professional use.
- Paid subscriptions are also required for government entities.
- Docker Pro, Team, and Business subscriptions include commercial use of Docker Desktop.
Select Accept to continue.
Note that Docker Desktop won't run if you do not agree to the terms. You can choose to accept the terms at a later date by opening Docker Desktop.
For more information, see Docker Desktop Subscription Service Agreement. It is recommended that you also read the FAQs.
From the installation window, select either:
- Use recommended settings (Requires password). This lets Docker Desktop automatically set the necessary configuration settings.
- Use advanced settings. You can then set the location of the Docker CLI tools either in the system or user directory, enable the default Docker socket, and enable privileged port mapping. See Settings, for more information and how to set the location of the Docker CLI tools.
Select Finish. If you have applied any of the previous configurations that require a password in step 6, enter your password to confirm your choice.
Install from the command line
After downloading Docker.dmg
from either the download buttons at the top of the page or from the
release notes, run the following commands in a terminal to install Docker Desktop in the Applications folder:
$ sudo hdiutil attach Docker.dmg
$ sudo /Volumes/Docker/Docker.app/Contents/MacOS/install
$ sudo hdiutil detach /Volumes/Docker
By default, Docker Desktop is installed at /Applications/Docker.app
. As macOS typically performs security checks the first time an application is used, the install
command can take several minutes to run.
The install
command accepts the following flags:
--accept-license
: Accepts the Docker Subscription Service Agreement now, rather than requiring it to be accepted when the application is first run.--allowed-org=<org name>
: Requires the user to sign in and be part of the specified Docker Hub organization when running the application--user=<username>
: Performs the privileged configurations once during installation. This removes the need for the user to grant root privileges on first run. For more information, see Privileged helper permission requirements. To find the username, enterls /Users
in the CLI.--admin-settings
: Automatically creates anadmin-settings.json
file which is used by administrators to control certain Docker Desktop settings on client machines within their organization. For more information, see Settings Management.- It must be used together with the
--allowed-org=<org name>
flag. - For example:
--allowed-org=<org name> --admin-settings='{"configurationFileVersion": 2, "enhancedContainerIsolation": {"value": true, "locked": false}}'
- It must be used together with the
--proxy-http-mode=<mode>
: Sets the HTTP Proxy mode. The two modes aresystem
(default) ormanual
.--override-proxy-http=<URL>
: Sets the URL of the HTTP proxy that must be used for outgoing HTTP requests. It requires--proxy-http-mode
to bemanual
.--override-proxy-https=<URL>
: Sets the URL of the HTTP proxy that must be used for outgoing HTTPS requests, requires--proxy-http-mode
to bemanual
--override-proxy-exclude=<hosts/domains>
: Bypasses proxy settings for the hosts and domains. It's a comma-separated list.
Tip
As an IT administrator, you can use endpoint management (MDM) software to identify the number of Docker Desktop instances and their versions within your environment. This can provide accurate license reporting, help ensure your machines use the latest version of Docker Desktop, and enable you to enforce sign-in.
Where to go next
- Explore Docker's core subscriptions to see what Docker can offer you.
- Get started with Docker.
- Explore Docker Desktop and all its features.
- Troubleshooting describes common problems, workarounds, how to run and submit diagnostics, and submit issues.
- FAQs provide answers to frequently asked questions.
- Release notes lists component updates, new features, and improvements associated with Docker Desktop releases.
- Back up and restore data provides instructions on backing up and restoring data related to Docker.