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Offload: update offload idle behaviour description #24829

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Update offload idle behaviour
leocross Apr 20, 2026
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39 changes: 22 additions & 17 deletions content/manuals/offload/about.md
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Expand Up @@ -72,25 +72,30 @@ Docker](https://www.docker.com/pricing/contact-sales/) to explore options.
Docker Offload implements session management and idle state policies to ensure
fair use across all users.

Here's how session management works:
When Docker Desktop shows it is in an **Offload idle** state it waits for activity on
the Docker API and only connects to a cloud environment when required. A user can only
maintain one Docker Offload session at a time. Once connected and in a **Offload running**
state it will remain connected as long as it detects continued activity.

1. You start a new Docker Offload session. You can only have one session active
at a time.
2. You receive periodic prompts (every 1 to 3 hours) in the Docker Desktop Dashboard
to determine if you are still active. When the prompt appears, you can choose to:
- Select **Resume** in the prompt to confirm you're still active and
While using Docker Offload you will receive notifications and prompts in the Docker Desktop
Dashboard to determine if you are still active in these two cases:

1. If no activity is detected for more than 3 minutes.
2. If the session has been running for a long time.

When the prompt appears, you can choose to:
- Select **Ask me again later** in the prompt to confirm you're still active and
continue your session.
- Do nothing, select **Cancel**, or dismiss the prompt. You have a
5-minute grace period. After the grace period, if you still haven't
responded, your session enters a 5-minute idle timeout period. During
either period, you can select **Resume** to continue your session and
preserve all containers, images, and volumes.
3. If the idle timeout period exceeds 5 minutes without resuming, the session
is suspended (the remote connection is suspended and containers stop
running).
4. After 8 hours of cumulative usage, the periodic prompts become more frequent.
If you do not respond to a prompt and the idle timeout expires, your session
ends and any containers, images, or volumes are deleted.
- Select **Idle now** in the prompt to immediately return to an idle state.
- Do nothing and it will automatically return to an idle state.

After returning to an idle state there is a 5 minute grace period where the session
can be resumed by triggering new Docker activity. If the idle period exceeds 5 minutes
without resuming, the session is terminated and the remote environment and any containers,
images, or volumes are deleted.

Long session prompts are triggered every 3 hours during a session. After 8 hours of cumulative
usage, the prompts are triggered every hour.

## What's next

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