How Can I Delete All Local Docker Images?

As you work with Docker over time, your system accumulates many local images—some actively used and others simply outdated or unused. These images can consume considerable disk space, clutter your environment, and potentially slow down certain Docker operations. Fortunately, Docker provides several ways to clean up your system, including deleting all local images.

In this article, we’ll walk you through the methods to safely and effectively delete all Docker images stored on your local machine.

Table of Contents

🔄 Why Remove Local Docker Images?

Before jumping into the commands, it’s important to understand why you might want to delete local Docker images:

Free up disk space: Docker images can take up gigabytes of storage.
Start fresh: Useful for CI/CD pipelines or during development when dependencies change.
Remove unused or dangling images: Keeps your environment clean and efficient.

⚠️ Important: Backup Considerations

Deleting images will remove them entirely from your local system. If any container relies on a deleted image and you try to recreate it, Docker will need to pull the image again from a remote registry.

To check which images are currently stored locally, you can run:

docker images

🧹 Method 1: Remove All Docker Images

The following command removes all Docker images on your system:

docker rmi $(docker images -q)

Explanation:

docker images -q: Lists the image IDs of all local images.
docker rmi: Removes the images by their ID.

Add `-f` (force) Option:

If some images are in use by containers, add the -f flag to force their deletion:

docker rmi -f $(docker images -q)

🧼 Method 2: Use Docker System Prune

Another approach is using docker system prune, which removes all unused Docker data—including containers, networks, volumes, and images.

docker system prune -a

What it does:

Removes all stopped containers
Removes all unused networks
Removes all dangling volumes
Removes all images not used by any container

Note: You’ll be prompted to confirm the action. Use the -f flag to skip the prompt:

docker system prune -a -f

📌 Method 3: Remove Images by Filter (Optional)

If you don’t want to delete all images but just want to remove dangling or unused images, you can use:

Remove Dangling Images:

docker image prune

Remove All Unused Images:

docker image prune -a

These commands are safer if you want to keep some actively used images.

✅ Best Practices for Image Management

Regularly prune unused Docker resources.
Use image tags to track versions and avoid unintentional deletions.
Consider using tools like docker system df to monitor disk usage.
Automate cleanup in CI/CD environments where images can accumulate quickly.

📝 Final Thoughts

Managing Docker images efficiently helps maintain a lean and healthy development environment. Whether you’re debugging issues, reclaiming disk space, or cleaning up after testing, knowing how to delete all local Docker images is a powerful skill for developers and DevOps engineers alike.

Remember to always double-check what you’re removing to avoid accidental deletions—especially in production environments.