Docker Desktop won't start after upgrading to 4.58.0

[lazardjokovic]

Description

After upgrading from version 4.57.0 to version 4.58.0 Docker Desktop app won't start.
Before rebooting macOS it asked me for permission to open certain ports and after that nothing happened.

After rebooting macOS when I try to run Docker Desktop app it just says Docker App can't be opened.

Reproduce

Besides trying to open Docker Desktop app I have also tried running Docker directly from terminal using
open -a Docker

This was the resposne:
The application /Applications/Docker.app cannot be opened for an unexpected reason, error=Error Domain=RBSRequestErrorDomain Code=5 "Launch failed." UserInfo={NSLocalizedFailureReason=Launch failed., NSUnderlyingError=0xc810249f0 {Error Domain=NSPOSIXErrorDomain Code=163 "Unknown error: 163" UserInfo={NSLocalizedDescription=Launchd job spawn failed}}}

Expected behavior

No response

docker version

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

docker info

Client:
 Version:    29.1.5
 Context:    desktop-linux
 Debug Mode: false
 Plugins:
  ai: Docker AI Agent - Ask Gordon (Docker Inc.)
    Version:  v1.17.1
    Path:     /Users/username/.docker/cli-plugins/docker-ai
  buildx: Docker Buildx (Docker Inc.)
    Version:  v0.30.1-desktop.2
    Path:     /Users/username/.docker/cli-plugins/docker-buildx
  compose: Docker Compose (Docker Inc.)
    Version:  v5.0.1
    Path:     /Users/username/.docker/cli-plugins/docker-compose
  debug: Get a shell into any image or container (Docker Inc.)
    Version:  0.0.47
    Path:     /Users/username/.docker/cli-plugins/docker-debug
  desktop: Docker Desktop commands (Docker Inc.)
    Version:  v0.2.0
    Path:     /Users/username/.docker/cli-plugins/docker-desktop
  extension: Manages Docker extensions (Docker Inc.)
    Version:  v0.2.31
    Path:     /Users/username/.docker/cli-plugins/docker-extension
  init: Creates Docker-related starter files for your project (Docker Inc.)
    Version:  v1.4.0
    Path:     /Users/username/.docker/cli-plugins/docker-init
  mcp: Docker MCP Plugin (Docker Inc.)
    Version:  v0.35.0
    Path:     /Users/username/.docker/cli-plugins/docker-mcp
  model: Docker Model Runner (Docker Inc.)
    Version:  v1.0.7
    Path:     /Users/username/.docker/cli-plugins/docker-model
  offload: Docker Offload (Docker Inc.)
    Version:  v0.5.41
    Path:     /Users/username/.docker/cli-plugins/docker-offload
  pass: Docker Pass Secrets Manager Plugin (beta) (Docker Inc.)
    Version:  v0.0.22
    Path:     /Users/username/.docker/cli-plugins/docker-pass
  sandbox: Docker Sandbox (Docker Inc.)
    Version:  v0.7.0
    Path:     /Users/username/.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/username/.docker/cli-plugins/docker-sbom
  scout: Docker Scout (Docker Inc.)
    Version:  v1.19.0
    Path:     /Users/username/.docker/cli-plugins/docker-scout

Diagnostics ID

010A39B3-C6A5-4094-B072-CF4BE190E30F/20260127101241

Additional Info

MacOS info

• Chip: Apple M1 Pro
• macOS: Tahoe 26.2

[pksublime]

Disregard everything below - my issue was a trying to use another tool called mackup that replaced the .json files in ~/.docker/with symlinks to the cloud backup.

Previous issue description

I'm having the same behavior - unable to launch Docker Desktop using the latest download available.

My error message:

initializing backend: initializing settings loader and loading startup providers: loading settings from providers: saving settings to file: cannot write to a symbolic link directly
updating app path in settings: cannot write to a symbolic link directly

Diagnostic ID: 14423087-D5F0-4700-B1D2-A520EC3E2B7E/20260127133456

[gbcatrinoiu]

I have the exact same problem. I just updated to 4.58.0 and the app won't start.

[lazardjokovic]

As a temporary solution I downgraded to version 4.56.0 and it's working fine. Did not have this problem on version 4.57.0 but some of my team members had a problem where Docker engine stops working after couple of minutes so I just wanted to be sure.

[artem-zinnatullin]

Yeah, updated to 4.58.0 and it crashes at start on macOS 26.2 (25C56) on M4 Pro.

How did the build pass CI?

[pksublime]

I'm on macOS 26.2 on an M4 Max and 4.58.0 is working after I cleaned up my mackup issues.

[bsousaa]

@pksublime @artem-zinnatullin @gbcatrinoiu can you please share a diagnostics id?

[pksublime]

@bsousaa I did inside the collapsed block, but my issue was different. Mine was due to mackup replacing the config files with symlinks to cloud storage and Docker wouldn't write through it.

[bzajacc]

Same here. @bsousaa Diagnostics ID: 0EB500AC-A26B-4722-A111-914604AD38F9/20260129093038

edit:
@lazardjokovic quick work-around - download latest .dmg from this page https://docs.docker.com/desktop/release-notes/ In instalation click "replace" and then docker work fine.

[lazardjokovic]

Just to confirm, work-around suggested by @bzajacc is working.
After installing (replacing) new .dmg file, there was one additional update that did not require restart

After that update it's working fine.

[lazardjokovic]

UPDATE

Updating Docker via Docker Desktop UI from version 4.58.0 to recently released 4.58.1 worked just fine, the UI did not crash.

I have also tried to quit/restart Docker Desktop there was no issues.