Docker Desktop GUI fails to open after closing on macOS Tahoe (16) Beta - requires force kill to restart

[troesner-clesk]

Description

Docker Desktop 4.57.0 fails to reopen after being closed on macOS Tahoe (16) Beta. The app briefly appears in the Dock for ~1ms then disappears. The Docker whale icon does not appear in the menu bar. Backend processes continue running but the GUI cannot be launched.
(I've been aware of the problem since 4.55.0, but I don't know if it existed before that.)

The only workaround is to force kill all Docker processes via Activity Monitor or pkill -9 -f Docker before reopening.

After a fresh install or complete reset (deleting all Docker-related folders), Docker starts once successfully. But after closing the app, the same issue occurs.

Environment:

• Docker Desktop version: 4.55.0
• macOS version: 16.2 Beta (Build 25C56) - Tahoe
• Architecture: Apple Silicon (arm64)

Workaround:
Force kill Docker processes before starting:
pkill -9 -f Docker && open -a Docker

Reproduce

1. Install Docker Desktop 4.55.0 on macOS Tahoe Beta
2. Open Docker Desktop - works fine on first launch
3. Quit Docker Desktop normally (Cmd+Q or via menu)
4. Try to reopen Docker Desktop via Launchpad, Dock, or open -a Docker
5. App icon appears briefly in Dock (~1ms) then vanishes
6. No Docker whale icon in menu bar
7. ps aux | grep docker shows backend processes still running
8. Only pkill -9 -f Docker followed by open -a Docker allows restart

Expected behavior

No response

docker version

Client: Docker Engine - Community
 Version:           28.4.0
 API version:       1.51
 Go version:        go1.25.1
 Git commit:        d8eb465f86
 Built:             Wed Sep  3 20:52:20 2025
 OS/Arch:           darwin/arm64
 Context:           desktop-linux

Server: Docker Desktop 4.57.0 (215387)
 Engine:
  Version:          29.1.3
  API version:      1.52 (minimum version 1.44)
  Go version:       go1.25.5
  Git commit:       fbf3ed2
  Built:            Fri Dec 12 14:50:40 2025
  OS/Arch:          linux/arm64
  Experimental:     false
 containerd:
  Version:          v2.2.1
  GitCommit:        dea7da592f5d1d2b7755e3a161be07f43fad8f75
 runc:
  Version:          1.3.4
  GitCommit:        v1.3.4-0-gd6d73eb8
 docker-init:
  Version:          0.19.0
  GitCommit:        de40ad0

docker info

Client: Docker Engine - Community
 Version:    28.4.0
 Context:    desktop-linux
 Debug Mode: false
 Plugins:
  ai: Docker AI Agent - Ask Gordon (Docker Inc.)
    Version:  v1.17.1
    Path:     /Users/roes/.docker/cli-plugins/docker-ai
  buildx: Docker Buildx (Docker Inc.)
    Version:  v0.30.1-desktop.1
    Path:     /Users/roes/.docker/cli-plugins/docker-buildx
  compose: Docker Compose (Docker Inc.)
    Version:  v5.0.1
    Path:     /Users/roes/.docker/cli-plugins/docker-compose
  debug: Get a shell into any image or container (Docker Inc.)
    Version:  0.0.47
    Path:     /Users/roes/.docker/cli-plugins/docker-debug
  desktop: Docker Desktop commands (Docker Inc.)
    Version:  v0.2.0
    Path:     /Users/roes/.docker/cli-plugins/docker-desktop
  extension: Manages Docker extensions (Docker Inc.)
    Version:  v0.2.31
    Path:     /Users/roes/.docker/cli-plugins/docker-extension
  init: Creates Docker-related starter files for your project (Docker Inc.)
    Version:  v1.4.0
    Path:     /Users/roes/.docker/cli-plugins/docker-init
  mcp: Docker MCP Plugin (Docker Inc.)
    Version:  v0.35.0
    Path:     /Users/roes/.docker/cli-plugins/docker-mcp
  model: Docker Model Runner (Docker Inc.)
    Version:  v1.0.6
    Path:     /Users/roes/.docker/cli-plugins/docker-model
  offload: Docker Offload (Docker Inc.)
    Version:  v0.5.40
    Path:     /Users/roes/.docker/cli-plugins/docker-offload
  pass: Docker Pass Secrets Manager Plugin (beta) (Docker Inc.)
    Version:  v0.0.22
    Path:     /Users/roes/.docker/cli-plugins/docker-pass
  sandbox: Docker Sandbox (Docker Inc.)
    Version:  v0.6.0
    Path:     /Users/roes/.docker/cli-plugins/docker-sandbox
  sbom: View the packaged-based Software Bill Of Materials (SBOM) for an image (Anchore Inc.)
    Version:  0.6.0
    Path:     /Users/roes/.docker/cli-plugins/docker-sbom
  scout: Docker Scout (Docker Inc.)
    Version:  v1.19.0
    Path:     /Users/roes/.docker/cli-plugins/docker-scout

Server:
 Containers: 0
  Running: 0
  Paused: 0
  Stopped: 0
 Images: 0
 Server Version: 29.1.3
 Storage Driver: overlayfs
  driver-type: io.containerd.snapshotter.v1
 Logging Driver: json-file
 Cgroup Driver: cgroupfs
 Cgroup Version: 2
 Plugins:
  Volume: local
  Network: bridge host ipvlan macvlan null overlay
  Log: awslogs fluentd gcplogs gelf journald json-file local splunk syslog
 CDI spec directories:
  /etc/cdi
  /var/run/cdi
 Discovered Devices:
  cdi: docker.com/gpu=webgpu
 Swarm: inactive
 Runtimes: io.containerd.runc.v2 runc
 Default Runtime: runc
 Init Binary: docker-init
 containerd version: dea7da592f5d1d2b7755e3a161be07f43fad8f75
 runc version: v1.3.4-0-gd6d73eb8
 init version: de40ad0
 Security Options:
  seccomp
   Profile: builtin
  cgroupns
 Kernel Version: 6.12.54-linuxkit
 Operating System: Docker Desktop
 OSType: linux
 Architecture: aarch64
 CPUs: 12
 Total Memory: 7.653GiB
 Name: docker-desktop
 ID: 80a4624e-177e-4887-82ec-e265b585981c
 Docker Root Dir: /var/lib/docker
 Debug Mode: false
 HTTP Proxy: http.docker.internal:3128
 HTTPS Proxy: http.docker.internal:3128
 No Proxy: hubproxy.docker.internal
 Labels:
  com.docker.desktop.address=unix:///Users/roes/Library/Containers/com.docker.docker/Data/docker-cli.sock
 Experimental: false
 Insecure Registries:
  hubproxy.docker.internal:5555
  ::1/128
  127.0.0.0/8
 Live Restore Enabled: false

Diagnostics ID

4CF54013-373B-4D2D-A11F-CA72885E0205

Additional Info

No response

[p-dros]

Face the same issue. My environment:

• macOS Tahoe 26.2
• docker 4.58.1
• CPU: arm64

More docker info

❯ docker version
Client:
 Version:           29.1.5
 API version:       1.52
 Go version:        go1.25.6
 Git commit:        0e6fee6
 Built:             Fri Jan 16 12:47:44 2026
 OS/Arch:           darwin/arm64
 Context:           desktop-linux

Server: Docker Desktop 4.58.1 (217134)
 Engine:
  Version:          29.1.5
  API version:      1.52 (minimum version 1.44)
  Go version:       go1.25.6
  Git commit:       3b01d64
  Built:            Fri Jan 16 12:48:37 2026
  OS/Arch:          linux/arm64
  Experimental:     false
 containerd:
  Version:          v2.2.1
  GitCommit:        dea7da592f5d1d2b7755e3a161be07f43fad8f75
 runc:
  Version:          1.3.4
  GitCommit:        v1.3.4-0-gd6d73eb8
 docker-init:
  Version:          0.19.0
  GitCommit:        de40ad0