Installing Docker Desktop on macOS

Docker Desktop is the usual choice on a Mac. It provides the engine, the docker CLI, and Compose. Apple Silicon and Intel Macs both work; pick the installer that matches your chip if you download from Docker rather than Homebrew.

1. Install Docker Desktop

If you use Homebrew:

brew install --cask docker

Otherwise download Docker Desktop from the macOS install guide and complete the installer.

2. Start the engine

Open Docker from Applications. Wait until the menu-bar whale shows that Docker Desktop is running. The CLI does not work until that engine is up.

3. Confirm the install

In a terminal:

docker version

You should see both Client and Server sections. Then continue with running images.