Install Docker Desktop on Mac (Apple Silicon & Intel)

What you need before you start

1. A supported macOS version. macOS 13 Ventura, 14 Sonoma, or 15 Sequoia. Older majors won’t install.
2. An admin account. The privileged helper that handles networking and file sharing requires admin to install.
3. ~6 GB free disk space. ~1.5 GB for Docker.app and the privileged components, the rest for the Linux VM image and any base images you’ll pull.

Step 1 — Identify your Mac chip

Apple menu → About This Mac. If the Chip line names a generation of Apple Silicon (Apple M1, Apple M2 Pro, Apple M3 Max, Apple M4), you need the Apple Silicon build. If it says Intel Core i7 or any other Intel CPU, you need the Intel build.

From a terminal, uname -m prints arm64 on Apple Silicon and x86_64 on Intel.

Step 2 — Download the matching .dmg

Apple Silicon: Docker.dmg (arm64). Intel: Docker.dmg (amd64). Both files are about 720 MB and digitally signed.

For background on which build to pick and why it matters, see Download Docker Desktop for Mac.

Step 3 — Mount the .dmg and copy Docker.app

Double-click Docker.dmg to mount it. The disk image opens with the Docker icon next to an Applications folder shortcut and a single instruction: drag one onto the other. Do that. Once the file copy finishes, eject the disk image (it’s no longer needed).

You can verify the signature on the copied app:

$ codesign -dv --verbose=4 /Applications/Docker.app
Authority=Developer ID Application: <publisher> (XXXXXXXXXX)
Authority=Developer ID Certification Authority
Authority=Apple Root CA

The Authority chain has to name the publisher you trust and end at Apple Root CA. If either is missing, delete the app and re-download from a source you trust.

Step 4 — Launch Docker Desktop and approve the privileged helper

Open Docker.app from /Applications. On first launch, macOS asks if you’re sure you want to open an app downloaded from the internet — click Open. Docker then asks for your password to install a privileged helper. This helper is what allows the engine to:

• Mount the Linux VM disk image into the host file system.
• Bind-mount paths under /Users into containers.
• Open the privileged ports a container exposes (anything under 1024).

If the password prompt loops or fails, see Mac permission troubleshooting for the clean uninstall and reinstall sequence.

Step 5 — Accept the agreement and let the engine start

Read and accept the Docker Subscription Service Agreement. Sign in with a Docker Hub account if you have one (optional; required for higher pull-rate limits and Docker Scout scanning). The whale icon in the menu bar animates for ~60 seconds while the Linux VM boots, then goes steady once the engine is ready.

Step 6 — Verify the install

$ docker --version
Docker version 27.2.0, build d5c9a4b

$ docker run --rm hello-world
Hello from Docker!
This message shows that your installation appears to be working correctly.

From here, jump to getting started for your first real container.

Apple-Silicon-specific configuration

Install Rosetta 2 for x86 images

On Apple Silicon, you can run x86_64 images under emulation — useful when an image isn’t published for arm64 yet. Docker Desktop will offer to install Rosetta 2 for you on first run; if it didn’t, install it manually:

$ softwareupdate --install-rosetta --agree-to-license

Pin a platform when you actually need one

When Docker has both architectures available, it pulls the matching one (arm64 on Apple Silicon, amd64 on Intel). To force a specific platform, pass --platform linux/arm64 or set platform: linux/arm64 in your Compose file. The official documentation has the full syntax.

Optional configuration worth doing once

Switch to VirtioFS for faster bind mounts

Docker Desktop → Settings → General → File sharing implementation → choose VirtioFS. It is the default on macOS 13+ and 2–5× faster than the legacy gRPC FUSE mode for bind-mounted node_modules, vendor, or build cache directories.

Cap memory and CPU

Settings → Resources → drag the memory and CPU sliders. The defaults are sensible (4 GB / 2 cores), but if you’re running heavy stacks bump memory to 8 GB and CPU to 4 cores. The values apply immediately — no restart needed.

Common Mac install errors

• “Docker.app can’t be opened because Apple cannot check it for malicious software.” Right-click the app and choose Open, then confirm. macOS Gatekeeper saves the exception so you only do this once per install.
• Privileged helper prompt loops — see Mac permissions troubleshooting.
• Slow bind-mount file system — toggle VirtioFS as described above. If you’re still hitting limits, switch hot paths to named volumes inside the VM instead of bind mounts on the host.