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Is it safe to delete Tart virtual machines?

macOS and Linux virtual machines created or cloned with Tart, one folder per machine.

Review first

It's your own data, or hard to recreate. Decide item by item.

~/.tart/vms/*

What it is

Tart keeps each local virtual machine in its own folder here, with its disk and settings. A machine cloned from a registry image starts as a copy of that image and grows as you use it. Anything you change inside a machine exists only in its folder.

If it's removed

The virtual machine and everything stored in it are removed. A machine cloned from a registry image can be cloned again, but without your changes.

What to do instead

Tart manages these virtual machines and can delete the ones you no longer need.

FREE

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.