Docker Desktop fails to relaunch after UI close when Docker engine remains running (macOS)

[kkadk]

Description

After closing Docker Desktop via the UI on macOS, the Docker engine continues running in the background. When attempting to relaunch Docker Desktop, the application does not reopen unless the Docker engine is fully terminated. This creates a mismatch between the UI lifecycle and the engine lifecycle and prevents normal relaunch behavior.

Reproduce

1. Launch Docker Desktop on macOS
2. Close Docker Desktop using the UI (window close / Quit from menu)
3. Open Terminal and verify the Docker engine is still running (e.g., docker ps or docker info)
4. Attempt to reopen Docker Desktop from Applications or Spotlight
5. Docker Desktop UI does not relaunch

Expected behavior

Docker Desktop should relaunch normally after being closed, regardless of whether the Docker engine is still running, or closing the UI should fully terminate the Docker engine to keep lifecycle states consistent.

docker version

Client:
 Version:           29.1.3
 API version:       1.52
 Go version:        go1.25.5
 Git commit:        f52814d
 Built:             Fri Dec 12 14:48:46 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:
 Version:    29.1.3
 Context:    desktop-linux
 Debug Mode: false
 Plugins:
  ai: Docker AI Agent - Ask Gordon (Docker Inc.)
    Version:  v1.17.1
    Path:     /Users/kkadk/.docker/cli-plugins/docker-ai
  buildx: Docker Buildx (Docker Inc.)
    Version:  v0.30.1-desktop.1
    Path:     /Users/kkadk/.docker/cli-plugins/docker-buildx
  compose: Docker Compose (Docker Inc.)
    Version:  v5.0.1
    Path:     /Users/kkadk/.docker/cli-plugins/docker-compose
  debug: Get a shell into any image or container (Docker Inc.)
    Version:  0.0.47
    Path:     /Users/kkadk/.docker/cli-plugins/docker-debug
  desktop: Docker Desktop commands (Docker Inc.)
    Version:  v0.2.0
    Path:     /Users/kkadk/.docker/cli-plugins/docker-desktop
  extension: Manages Docker extensions (Docker Inc.)
    Version:  v0.2.31
    Path:     /Users/kkadk/.docker/cli-plugins/docker-extension
  init: Creates Docker-related starter files for your project (Docker Inc.)
    Version:  v1.4.0
    Path:     /Users/kkadk/.docker/cli-plugins/docker-init
  mcp: Docker MCP Plugin (Docker Inc.)
    Version:  v0.35.0
    Path:     /Users/kkadk/.docker/cli-plugins/docker-mcp
  model: Docker Model Runner (Docker Inc.)
    Version:  v1.0.6
    Path:     /Users/kkadk/.docker/cli-plugins/docker-model
  offload: Docker Offload (Docker Inc.)
    Version:  v0.5.40
    Path:     /Users/kkadk/.docker/cli-plugins/docker-offload
  pass: Docker Pass Secrets Manager Plugin (beta) (Docker Inc.)
    Version:  v0.0.22
    Path:     /Users/kkadk/.docker/cli-plugins/docker-pass
  sandbox: Docker Sandbox (Docker Inc.)
    Version:  v0.6.0
    Path:     /Users/kkadk/.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/kkadk/.docker/cli-plugins/docker-sbom
  scout: Docker Scout (Docker Inc.)
    Version:  v1.19.0
    Path:     /Users/kkadk/.docker/cli-plugins/docker-scout

Server:
 Containers: 1
  Running: 0
  Paused: 0
  Stopped: 1
 Images: 1
 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: 8
 Total Memory: 3.827GiB
 Name: docker-desktop
 ID: ee3851aa-5058-473b-ac0c-4e804a2e6b48
 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/kkadk/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
 Firewall Backend: iptables

Diagnostics ID

424C681D-8CE9-4D42-B8F6-3ED6A52D1AB6/20260126055859

Additional Info

Workarounds

• Running pkill docker from the terminal (inside Docker Desktop or externally with sudo)
• Force quitting Docker Desktop via the macOS Apple Menu → Force Quit
• Force quitting all Docker-related processes using Activity Monitor

Note: These workarounds succeed because they terminate the running Docker
engine processes, realigning the engine and UI lifecycle states and allowing
Docker Desktop to relaunch correctly.