Is it safe to delete Lima virtual machines?
Linux and macOS virtual machines created with Lima, one folder per machine with its disk and settings.
Review first
It's your own data, or hard to recreate. Decide item by item.
~/
- Only when it contains lima.yaml
- Never inside ~/
.lima/ _*
What it is
Lima keeps each virtual machine in its own folder here, named after the machine, with its virtual disk, settings and logs. A machine's disk grows as you install software and store files in it. Files you keep inside a machine exist only there.
If it's removed
The virtual machine and everything stored in it are removed. Creating a new machine from the same template downloads its image again if it's no longer cached.
What to do instead
Lima manages these virtual machines and can delete the ones you no longer need, after stopping them.
The free analyzer finds it and explains it. The app never removes it.
Sources
Last checked on 26 Sep 2026. Every entry is written and checked by hand; the app and the command-line tool use the same words.