# docker unpause: Resume a Paused Container

> How docker unpause works: resuming the processes of a container frozen by docker pause, the not-paused error, and why it is rare in CI.

Source: https://latchkey.dev/learn/command-reference/docker-unpause-command  
Updated: 2026-06-25

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.

## FAQ

### docker unpause: Resume a Paused Container?

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 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.

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Latchkey runs CI/CD that repairs its own failures. Agent entry points: https://latchkey.dev/agent.txt, https://latchkey.dev/openapi.json, https://latchkey.dev/llms.txt