Applications > Utilities > Activity Monitor.app, locate Docker or Docker Desktop, and if it’s not responding, select it and click Force Quit.
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Fix Docker Suddenly Not Working on Mac
August 26, 2025
Docker
Mac
Troubleshooting
Fix Docker Suddenly Not Working on Mac
If your Docker on Mac was working fine but suddenly stops starting, this guide will help you fix it.
Important: This process will delete all your Docker containers.
Step 1: Force Quit Docker
Open Finder, navigate to
Step 2: Remove Docker Containers
Open Terminal and run the following command. This will delete all your Docker containers and reset the container files.
sudo rm -rf ~/Library/Containers/com.docker.*
Step 3: Edit Docker Settings
Open the Docker settings file in Terminal:
sudo nano ~/Library/Group\ Containers/group.com.docker/settings.json
Find the key
"filesharingDirectories" and remove all entries inside it, leaving it like this:
"filesharingDirectories": []
Step 4: Restart Docker
Go back to your Applications folder, locate Docker, and launch it. It may take a minute or so to fully start.
