Docker Desktop’s disk image is huge: how to shrink Docker.raw on a Mac

Docker Desktop for Mac runs Linux containers in a small virtual machine, and that machine stores everything in one disk image file called Docker.raw: images, containers, volumes and build cache. The file can grow to tens of gigabytes. The fix is not to delete it but to prune from inside Docker; Docker Desktop then returns the freed space to macOS.

As of October 2026 this applies to current Docker Desktop releases on macOS 27 Golden Gate, 26 Tahoe, 15 Sequoia and 14 Sonoma.

Where Docker.raw is, and how big it really is

By default the disk image is here:

~/Library/Containers/com.docker.docker/Data/vms/0/data/Docker.raw

If you have moved it, Docker Desktop › Settings › Resources › Advanced shows the current location.

Docker.raw is a sparse file. Its logical size is the maximum the disk image may reach, but only the blocks Docker has actually written take space on your Mac. Finder and ls -l show the maximum, which is why the file can look alarming. To see the real figure:

cd ~/Library/Containers/com.docker.docker/Data/vms/0/data
ls -klsh Docker.raw
du -h Docker.raw

In the ls -s output, the first number is the space actually allocated; the size column shows the maximum. du reports only the allocated space. Docker’s own Mac FAQ uses the same ls -klsh check.

See what is using the space

With Docker Desktop running, ask Docker for a breakdown:

docker system df
docker system df -v

The first command lists Images, Containers, Local Volumes and Build Cache, with a total size and a RECLAIMABLE column for what is not in use. The -v version lists every image, container and volume individually, which helps you spot one forgotten 10 GB image or a large volume from an old project.

Clean up, from gentle to thorough

All of these commands delete permanently: there is no Trash for Docker objects. Images can be pulled or rebuilt again; volumes cannot.

Build cache

If you build images locally, the build cache is often the largest item.

docker builder prune

It asks for confirmation, then removes unused build cache. Add --all for a more thorough clean. Your next builds take longer while the cache refills.

Stopped containers, unused networks and images

docker system prune
docker system prune -a

Plain docker system prune removes stopped containers, networks not used by any container, dangling (untagged) images and unused build cache. Adding -a also removes every image not used by at least one container, which usually frees the most. Anything you need later is pulled or built again. See Docker’s pruning guide and the docker system prune reference.

Volumes: review before you remove

Volumes hold data that cannot be rebuilt, such as a local database. That is why Docker never removes them by default.

docker volume ls
docker volume rm <name>

docker system prune --volumes adds only anonymous volumes not used by any container. docker volume prune behaves the same way; docker volume prune --all also removes named volumes that no container is using. Back up anything you care about first.

When the space does not come back

Pruning frees blocks inside the virtual machine, and Docker Desktop hands them back to macOS in the background. Docker notes that this can take a few minutes. Check again with du -h Docker.raw. If the number has not moved after a while, quit and reopen Docker Desktop.

Finder keeps showing the file’s maximum size whatever happens inside it, so judge progress with du, not Finder.

Cap or move the disk image

In Settings › Resources › Advanced, recent versions call the setting Disk usage limit (older versions: Disk image size). It sets the maximum the disk image may grow to. Docker’s Mac FAQ warns that reducing the maximum deletes the current disk image, so every image, container and volume inside goes with it. Prune first, export what you need, and only then lower it.

The same pane has Disk image location. Use its Browse button to move Docker.raw to a larger internal volume or an external SSD. Do not move the file in Finder: Docker Desktop can lose track of it.

The reset option

Docker Desktop’s Troubleshoot screen (open it from the whale menu in the menu bar, or from the question mark icon near the top right of the Dashboard) has Clean up data, called Clean / Purge data in older versions. According to Docker’s troubleshooting page, it destroys all local containers and images while preserving your settings. Since volumes live in the same disk image, assume they go too. Use it only when you are happy to start over.

Reset to factory defaults, in the same menu, also resets all settings.

Alternatives that manage disk space differently

• OrbStack stores its containers, images and Linux machines in ~/Library/Group Containers/HUAQ24HBR6.dev.orbstack/data. Its documentation describes dynamic disk management, so usage grows and shrinks as needed. Clean up from OrbStack or with the same docker commands; deleting the data file loses everything inside.
• Colima is a free command-line runtime that keeps its virtual machines in ~/.colima. docker prune commands work the same way, colima prune clears Colima’s cached downloads, and colima delete removes a profile with all its data.

Both use the standard docker CLI, so everything above about pruning, volumes and build cache still applies.

How MoreRoom helps

MoreRoom’s free version finds Docker Desktop’s disk image and labels it “Review first”, with the reminder to prune rather than delete the file. When you choose to clean it, MoreRoom runs Docker’s own docker system prune --all --force: stopped containers, unused networks, unused images and build cache are removed, and volumes are kept. That command is permanent and labelled as such. MoreRoom also recognises OrbStack and Colima data, labelled “Review first”.

MoreRoom does not delete Docker.raw, remove volumes or change Docker’s disk usage limit. Pro adds the Collector, to clean several items in one go, and Goal mode.