Fix "Docker.app is damaged and can't be opened" on macOS

Table of contents

Error message

macOS shows the following dialog when you try to open Docker Desktop:

Docker.app is damaged and can't be opened. You should move it to the Trash.

This error prevents Docker Desktop from launching and can occur during installation or after updates.

Possible cause

This issue occurs due to a non-atomic copy during a drag/drop installation. When you drag and drop Docker.app from a DMG file while another application, like VS Code, is invoking the Docker CLI through symlinks, the copy operation may be interrupted, leaving the app in a partially copied state that Gatekeeper marks as "damaged".

Solution

Follow these steps to resolve the issue:

Step one: Quit third-party software

Close any applications that might call Docker in the background:

  • Visual Studio Code and other IDEs
  • Terminal applications
  • Agent apps or development tools
  • Any scripts or processes that use the Docker CLI

Step two: Remove any partial installation

  1. Move /Applications/Docker.app to Trash and empty Trash.
  2. If you used a DMG installer, eject and re-mount the Docker DMG.

Step three: Reinstall Docker Desktop

Follow the instructions in the macOS installation guide to reinstall Docker Desktop.

If the dialog persists

If you continue to see the "damaged" dialog after following the recovery steps:

  1. Gather diagnostics using the terminal. Follow the instructions in Diagnose from the terminal.

    • Note down the your diagnostics ID displayed in the terminal after running diagnostics.

  2. Get help:

Prevention

To avoid this issue in the future:

  • If your organization allows, update Docker Desktop via the in-app update flow
  • Always quit applications that use Docker before installing Docker Desktop via the DMG installer drag-and-drop approach
  • In managed environments, use PKG installations over DMG drag-and-drop
  • Keep installer volumes mounted until installation is complete