docker unpause: Resume a Paused Container

Resume a container you froze with docker pause.

docker unpause resumes the processes of a container previously frozen with docker pause. This page covers the behavior and the not-paused error.

What it does

docker unpause un-freezes a paused container via the cgroup freezer, letting its processes continue exactly where they were suspended.

Common usage

Terminal

docker unpause web
docker unpause $(docker ps -q --filter "status=paused")

Common errors in CI

"Container ... is not paused" means it was never paused (or already resumed) - check docker ps for the "(Paused)" status. unpause has no effect on a normally running container. Like pause, it is seldom part of a CI pipeline and is mostly a backup/snapshot helper.

Related guides

docker pause: Freeze a Container ProcessesHow docker pause works: suspending all processes in a container via cgroup freezer, and when to use it versus… docker stop: Gracefully Stop ContainersHow docker stop works: sending SIGTERM then SIGKILL, the grace period, stopping multiple containers, and clea… docker start: Start Stopped ContainersHow docker start works: restarting an existing stopped container, attaching, and why start differs from run i… docker ps: List Containers, Filters & FormattingHow docker ps works: listing running and stopped containers, filters, format strings, and reading exit status…