Explore the Volumes view in Docker Desktop

Table of contents

The Volumes view in Docker Desktop lets you create, inspect, delete, clone, empty, export, and import Docker volumes. You can also browse files and folders in volumes and see which containers are using them.

View your volumes

You can view the following information about your volumes:

  • Name: The name of the volume.
  • Status: Whether the volume is in-use by a container or not.
  • Created: How long ago the volume was created.
  • Size: The size of the volume.
  • Scheduled exports: Whether a scheduled export is active or not.

By default, the Volumes view displays a list of all the volumes.

You can filter and sort volumes as well as modify which columns are displayed by doing the following:

  • Filter volumes by name: Use the Search field.
  • Filter volumes by status: To the right of the search bar, filter volumes by In use or Unused.
  • Sort volumes: Select a column name to sort the volumes.
  • Customize columns: To the right of the search bar, choose what volume information to display.

Create a volume

You use the following steps to create an empty volume. Alternatively, if you start a container with a volume that doesn't yet exist, Docker creates the volume for you.

To create a volume:

  1. In the Volumes view, select the Create button.
  2. In the New Volume modal, specify a volume name, and then select Create.

To use the volume with a container, see Use volumes.

Inspect a volume

To explore the details of a specific volume, select a volume from the list. This opens the detailed view.

The Container in-use tab displays the name of the container using the volume, the image name, the port number used by the container, and the target. A target is a path inside a container that gives access to the files in the volume.

The Stored data tab displays the files and folders in the volume and the file size. To save a file or a folder, right-click on the file or folder to display the options menu, select Save as..., and then specify a location to download the file.

To delete a file or a folder from the volume, right-click on the file or folder to display the options menu, select Delete, and then select Delete again to confirm.

The Exports tab lets you export the volume.

Clone a volume

Cloning a volume creates a new volume with a copy of all of the data from the cloned volume. When cloning a volume used by one or more running containers, the containers are temporarily stopped while Docker clones the data, and then restarted when the cloning process is completed.

To clone a volume:

  1. Sign in to Docker Desktop. You must be signed in to clone a volume.
  2. In the Volumes view, select the Clone icon in the Actions column for the volume you want to clone.
  3. In the Clone a volume modal, specify a Volume name, and then select Clone.

Delete one or more volumes

Deleting a volume deletes the volume and all its data. When a container is using a volume, you can't delete the volume, even if the container is stopped. You must first stop and remove any containers using the volume before you can delete the volume.

To delete a volume:

  1. In the Volumes view, select Delete icon in the Actions column for the volume you want to delete.
  2. In the Delete volume? modal, select Delete forever.

To delete multiple volumes:

  1. In the Volumes view, select the checkbox next to all the volumes you want to delete.
  2. Select Delete.
  3. In the Delete volumes? modal, select Delete forever.

Empty a volume

Emptying a volume deletes all a volume's data, but doesn't delete the volume. When emptying a volume used by one or more running containers, the containers are temporarily stopped while Docker empties the data, and then restarted when the emptying process is completed.

To empty a volume:

  1. Sign in to Docker Desktop. You must be signed in to empty a volume.
  2. In the Volumes view, select the volume you want to empty.
  3. Next to Import, select the More volume actions icon, and then select Empty volume.
  4. In the Empty a volume? modal, select Empty.

Export a volume

You can export the content of a volume to a local file, a local image, and to an image in Docker Hub, or to a supported cloud provider. When exporting content from a volume used by one or more running containers, the containers are temporarily stopped while Docker exports the content, and then restarted when the export process is completed.

You can either export a volume now or schedule a recurring export.

Export a volume now

  1. Sign in to Docker Desktop. You must be signed in to export a volume.

  2. In the Volumes view, select the volume you want to export.

  3. Select the Exports tab.

  4. Select Quick export.

  5. Select whether to export the volume to Local or Hub storage or External cloud storage, then specify the following additional details depending on your selection.

    • Local file: Specify a file name and select a folder.
    • Local image: Select a local image to export the content to. Any existing data in the image will be replaced by the exported content.
    • New image: Specify a name for the new image.
    • Registry: Specify a Docker Hub repository.

    You must have a Docker Business subscription to export to an external cloud provider.

    Select your cloud provider and then specify the URL to upload to the storage. Refer to the following documentation for your cloud provider to learn how to obtain a URL.

  6. Select Save.

Schedule a volume export

  1. Sign in to Docker Desktop. You must be signed in and have a paid Docker subscription to schedule a volume export.

  2. In the Volumes view, select the volume you want to export.

  3. Select the Exports tab.

  4. Select Schedule export.

  5. In Recurrence, select how often the export occurs, and then specify the following additional details based on your selection.

    • Daily: Specify the time that the backup occurs each day.
    • Weekly: Specify one or more days, and the time that the backup occurs each week.
    • Monthly: Specify which day of the month and the time that the backup occurs each month.

  6. Select whether to export the volume to Local or Hub storage or External cloud storage, then specify the following additional details depending on your selection.

    • Local file: Specify a file name and select a folder.
    • Local image: Select a local image to export the content to. Any existing data in the image will be replaced by the exported content.
    • New image: Specify a name for the new image.
    • Registry: Specify a Docker Hub repository.

    You must have a Docker Business subscription to export to an external cloud provider.

    Select your cloud provider and then specify the URL to upload to the storage. Refer to the following documentation for your cloud provider to learn how to obtain a URL.

  7. Select Save.

Import a volume

You can import a local file, a local image, or an image from Docker Hub. Any existing data in the volume is replaced by the imported content. When importing content to a volume used by one or more running containers, the containers are temporarily stopped while Docker imports the content, and then restarted when the import process is completed.

To import a volume:

  1. Sign in to Docker Desktop. You must be signed in to import a volume.

  2. Optionally, create a new volume to import the content into.

  3. Select the volume you want to import content in to.

  4. Select Import.

  5. Select where the content is coming from and then specify the following additional details depending on your selection:

    • Local file: Select the file that contains the content.
    • Local image: Select the local image that contains the content.
    • Registry: Specify the image from Docker Hub that contains the content.

  6. Select Import.

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