---
description: Understand what you can do with the Volumes view on Docker Dashboard
keywords: Docker Desktop Dashboard, manage, containers, gui, dashboard, volumes, user manual
title: Explore the Volumes view in Docker Desktop
linkTitle: Volumes
weight: 30
---

The **Volumes** view in Docker Desktop lets you create, inspect, delete, clone, empty, export, and import [Docker volumes](/manuals/engine/storage/volumes.md). You can also browse files and folders in volumes and see which containers are using them.

## View your volumes

You can view the following information about your volumes:

- Name: The name of the volume.
- Status: Whether the volume is in-use by a container or not.
- Created: How long ago the volume was created.
- Size: The size of the volume.
- Scheduled exports: Whether a scheduled export is active or not.

By default, the **Volumes** view displays a list of all the volumes.

You can filter and sort volumes as well as modify which columns are displayed by
doing the following:

- Filter volumes by name: Use the **Search** field.
- Filter volumes by status: To the right of the search bar, filter volumes by
  **In use** or **Unused**.
- Sort volumes: Select a column name to sort the volumes.
- Customize columns: To the right of the search bar, choose what volume
  information to display.

## Create a volume

You use the following steps to create an empty volume. Alternatively, if you
[start a container with a volume](/manuals/engine/storage/volumes.md#start-a-container-with-a-volume)
that doesn't yet exist, Docker creates the volume for you.

To create a volume:

1. In the **Volumes** view, select the **Create** button.
2. In the **New Volume** modal, specify a volume name, and then select
   **Create**.

To use the volume with a container, see [Use volumes](/manuals/engine/storage/volumes.md#start-a-container-with-a-volume).

## Inspect a volume

To explore the details of a specific volume, select a volume from the list. This
opens the detailed view.

The **Container in-use** tab displays the name of the container using the
volume, the image name, the port number used by the container, and the target. A
target is a path inside a container that gives access to the files in the
volume.

The **Stored data** tab displays the files and folders in the volume and the
file size. To save a file or a folder, right-click on the file or folder to
display the options menu, select **Save as...**, and then specify a location to
download the file.

To delete a file or a folder from the volume, right-click on the file or folder
to display the options menu, select **Delete**, and then select **Delete** again
to confirm.

The **Exports** tab lets you [export the volume](#export-a-volume).

## Clone a volume

Cloning a volume creates a new volume with a copy of all of the data from the
cloned volume. When cloning a volume used by one or more running containers, the
containers are temporarily stopped while Docker clones the data, and then
restarted when the cloning process is completed.

To clone a volume:

1. Sign in to Docker Desktop. You must be signed in to clone a volume.
2. In the **Volumes** view, select the **Clone** icon in the **Actions** column
   for the volume you want to clone.
3. In the **Clone a volume** modal, specify a **Volume name**, and then select
   **Clone**.

## Delete one or more volumes

Deleting a volume deletes the volume and all its data. When a container is using
a volume, you can't delete the volume, even if the container is stopped.
You must first stop and remove any containers
using the volume before you can delete the volume.

To delete a volume:

1. In the **Volumes** view, select **Delete** icon in the **Actions** column for
   the volume you want to delete.
2. In the **Delete volume?** modal, select **Delete forever**.

To delete multiple volumes:

1. In the **Volumes** view, select the checkbox next to all the volumes you want
   to delete.
2. Select **Delete**.
3. In the **Delete volumes?** modal, select **Delete forever**.

## Empty a volume

Emptying a volume deletes all a volume's data, but doesn't delete the volume.
When emptying a volume used by one or more running containers, the containers
are temporarily stopped while Docker empties the data, and then restarted when
the emptying process is completed.

To empty a volume:

1. Sign in to Docker Desktop. You must be signed in to empty a volume.
2. In the **Volumes** view, select the volume you want to empty.
3. Next to **Import**, select the **More volume actions** icon, and then select **Empty volume**.
4. In the **Empty a volume?** modal, select **Empty**.

## Export a volume

You can export the content of a volume to a local file, a local image, and to an
image in Docker Hub, or to a supported cloud provider. When exporting content
from a volume used by one or more running containers, the containers are
temporarily stopped while Docker exports the content, and then restarted when
the export process is completed.

You can either [export a volume now](#export-a-volume-now) or [schedule a recurring export](#schedule-a-volume-export).

### Export a volume now

1. Sign in to Docker Desktop. You must be signed in to export a volume.
2. In the **Volumes** view, select the volume you want to export.
3. Select the **Exports** tab.
4. Select **Quick export**.
5. Select whether to export the volume to **Local or Hub storage** or **External
   cloud storage**, then specify the following additional details depending on
   your selection.

   {{< tabs >}}
   {{< tab name="Local or Hub storage" >}}
   
   - **Local file**: Specify a file name and select a folder.
   - **Local image**: Select a local image to export the content to. Any
    existing data in the image will be replaced by the exported content.
   - **New image**: Specify a name for the new image.
   - **Registry**: Specify a Docker Hub repository.

   {{< /tab >}}
   {{< tab name="External cloud storage" >}}

   You must have a [Docker Business subscription](https://www.docker.com/pricing?ref=Docs&refAction=DocsDesktopVolumes) to export to an external cloud provider.

   Select your cloud provider and then specify the URL to upload to the storage.
   Refer to the following documentation for your cloud provider to learn how to
   obtain a URL.

   - Amazon Web Services: [Create a presigned URL of Amazon S3 using an AWS SDK](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/AmazonS3/latest/userguide/example_s3_Scenario_PresignedUrl_section.html)
   - Microsoft Azure: [Generate a SAS token and URL](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/data-explorer/kusto/api/connection-strings/generate-sas-token)
   - Google Cloud: [Create a signed URL to upload an object](https://cloud.google.com/storage/docs/access-control/signing-urls-with-helpers#upload-object)

   {{< /tab >}}
   {{< /tabs >}}

6. Select **Save**.

### Schedule a volume export

1. Sign in to Docker Desktop. You must be signed in and have a paid [Docker subscription](https://www.docker.com/pricing?ref=Docs&refAction=DocsDesktopVolumes) to schedule a volume export.
2. In the **Volumes** view, select the volume you want to export.
3. Select the **Exports** tab.
4. Select **Schedule export**.
5. In **Recurrence**, select how often the export occurs, and then specify the
   following additional details based on your selection.

   - **Daily**: Specify the time that the backup occurs each day.
   - **Weekly**: Specify one or more days, and the time that the backup occurs
     each week.
   - **Monthly**: Specify which day of the month and the time that the backup
     occurs each month.

6. Select whether to export the volume to **Local or Hub storage** or **External
   cloud storage**, then specify the following additional details depending on
   your selection.
   
   {{< tabs >}}
   {{< tab name="Local or Hub storage" >}}
   
   - **Local file**: Specify a file name and select a folder.
   - **Local image**: Select a local image to export the content to. Any
    existing data in the image will be replaced by the exported content.
   - **New image**: Specify a name for the new image.
   - **Registry**: Specify a Docker Hub repository.

   {{< /tab >}}
   {{< tab name="External cloud storage" >}}

   You must have a [Docker Business subscription](https://www.docker.com/pricing?ref=Docs&refAction=DocsDesktopVolumes) to export to an external cloud provider.

   Select your cloud provider and then specify the URL to upload to the storage.
   Refer to the following documentation for your cloud provider to learn how to
   obtain a URL.

   - Amazon Web Services: [Create a presigned URL of Amazon S3 using an AWS SDK](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/AmazonS3/latest/userguide/example_s3_Scenario_PresignedUrl_section.html)
   - Microsoft Azure: [Generate a SAS token and URL](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/data-explorer/kusto/api/connection-strings/generate-sas-token)
   - Google Cloud: [Create a signed URL to upload an object](https://cloud.google.com/storage/docs/access-control/signing-urls-with-helpers#upload-object)

   {{< /tab >}}
   {{< /tabs >}}

7. Select **Save**.

## Import a volume

You can import a local file, a local image, or an image from Docker Hub. Any
existing data in the volume is replaced by the imported content. When importing
content to a volume used by one or more running containers, the containers are
temporarily stopped while Docker imports the content, and then restarted when
the import process is completed.

To import a volume:

1. Sign in to Docker Desktop. You must be signed in to import a volume.
2. Optionally, [create](#create-a-volume) a new volume to import the content
   into.
3. Select the volume you want to import content in to.
4. Select **Import**.
5. Select where the content is coming from and then specify the following
   additional details depending on your selection:

   - **Local file**: Select the file that contains the content.
   - **Local image**: Select the local image that contains the content.
   - **Registry**: Specify the image from Docker Hub that contains the content.

6. Select **Import**.

## Additional resources

- [Persisting container data](/get-started/docker-concepts/running-containers/persisting-container-data.md)
- [Use volumes](/manuals/engine/storage/volumes.md)
