The process of uninstalling the apps on Mac is pretty different from that of Windows. Unlike Windows, there are several Mac software which do not get deleted easily. What happens in Windows system is that the installer wizards are used to install software and the same method is followed to uninstall the same. So, uninstalling software in Windows is taken care of by the automated programs which is not the case in Mac systems. Mac systems make use of the Unix way of separating the files on the system from the working space of users. By just dragging the files to the Trash folder, it should get deleted. However, there are certain software that cannot be deleted this way. Through this article, you will get to know how to uninstall apps on Mac completely and correctly.
There are a few free ways mentioned here which you can explore to carry out this process of deletion. Although these methods are free, there are certain drawbacks which come with this including the presence of leftover files, difficulty in removing certain apps etc. So, if you want to completely remove an app or a software in bulk, you must opt for Umate Mac Cleaner for better results.
Way 1: Delete Applications on Mac with App Uninstaller
If in case you have downloaded an app on your Mac system from the internet or from a disk, it can be removed easily by using the following method. Follow the steps below to uninstall apps on Mac using app uninstaller.
How To Manually Remove App From Mac Desktop
Jul 31, 2014 How to Completely Remove Apps & Software in Mac OS X by Manual Terminal Uninstall Jul 31, 2014 - 28 Comments Most apps in Mac OS X can be uninstalled easily by dragging them into the Trash from the /Applications/ folder, and many others come with accompanying uninstall applications that will clean house and completely remove the apps too.
Click on the 'Finder' icon on your Mac system and select 'Applications' from the Finder sidebar.
- If in case the app is a folder, open the folder and click on 'Uninstall [App name]' or '[App name] uninstaller' and then follow the instructions on-screen.
This is one of the ways which you can use to know how to delete applications on Mac, provided the app uninstaller is present.
- Below are the manual steps you should follow to completely uninstall applications in Mac. Step 1: Click the Finder icon in your dock to open a Finder window. Step 2: A sidebar will open. Click ‘Applications’ in the sidebar. Step 3: Drag the app you need to delete from the Applications folder into the trash.
- Uninstall Mac apps using Trash. Whether you're running macOS Catalina or an earlier macOS, like.
- Macs also have no way to uninstall or install operating system features, so there’s no way to easily remove the many applications Apple included with your Mac. On OS X 10.10 Yosemite and earlier, it was possible to open a terminal window and issue commands to delete these system apps, which are located in the /Applications folder.
How To Remove Apps From Startup
Way 2: Uninstall Applications on Mac by Emptying Trash
If in case the app which you want to install does not have an app uninstaller, you can make use of this method to know how to uninstall applications on Mac.
- From the dock, launch 'Finder' and click on 'Applications'.
Once you find the application, remove application from Mac, either you can drag it to the 'Trash' folder or you can even select 'File' and click on the option 'Move to Trash'.
From the dock, click and hold the 'Trash' icon and select 'Empty Trash' from the popup menu.
Doing this will delete all the content in the trash folder including the app which you wanted to uninstall!
Way 3: Uninstall Purchased Apps using Launchpad
How To Uninstall App On Mac Air
Launchpad is a centralized location on your Mac system where you can see or open any file installed on your system. You can use the following method to remove or uninstall any app from here.
- Launch Launchpad and browse through the contents to find the purchased app which you wish to uninstall.
- Click on this app and hold it for a while until you see it jiggling.
Once this happens, you can see an'x' option appear on top of every app, click on it to uninstall the app of your choice.
Install Umate Mac Cleaner on your system and launch it.
From the main interface, click on 'Manage Apps & Extensions' and then 'Uninstall Applications'.
This program will load all the apps on your Mac. Browse through the apps listed here and click on the 'Uninstall' button next to the app which you wish to delete.
- Press Command and spacebar to call up Spotlight.
- Type Acttivity Monitor and hit Reture to launcn it.
- Find the app progress you want to end. Click on it and then the X icon in the Activity Monitor toolbar. The process should quit now.
- Open 'Applications' from 'Finder'.
- Right-click on the app which you wish to uninstall and click on 'Get info'.
- Click on the lock icon at the bottom and enter your password when prompted.
Go to the 'Sharing and Permissions' section and select 'Everyone' for the option 'Read & Write'.
- You can then delete the app if you have admin rights.
If in case the app which you wish to delete does not have the 'x', you won't be able to delete it using this method.
Important: Be Aware of the Leftover Files and Bundling Programs After Uninstallation
While the above methods are free and are traditionally used by every Mac user, what the users need to be aware of is that deleting the apps this way can leave behind some leftover files which can slow down your Mac's performance. Whenever you use an uninstaller for the app or move it to Trash, there are certain files which are left behind. These files would have been used while the app was actually used but they do not get deleted when you delete or uninstall the app. These files are collectively known as leftover files of applications, and they will eat up space in your Mac system and these are what make the system slow and unresponsive at times.
Another problem associated with these methods is that there are bundling programs after the uninstallation process. These files cannot be deleted by these regular methods. Another thing to note is that, when you delete apps without any professional knowledge, you may land yourself in deep trouble.
If you are a novice user or an expert who does not want the above-listed problems while uninstalling any app or software on Mac, you can make use of the third-party apps like the one mentioned below for deleting or uninstalling the apps on your Mac. With the help of such an app, you can not only remove the specific app but it also removes the caches, files and preferences related to the particular app. So in the following part, we are going to show you another different solution. Using it you can completely remove the apps, as well as the aid programs and even deliberately hidden files.
Way 4: Completely Uninstall Application on Mac and Leftover Files
The best third party app for uninstalling an application on Mac along with all the files related to it is Umate Mac Cleaner. This is the best alternative for the regular methods. Reasons why we recommend it are showed below:
| Umate Mac Cleaner | Manual Deletion | |
|---|---|---|
| Time needed | 1 min | 3-5 mins |
| Bulk removal of apps | ||
| Clean up leftover files | ||
| Whether need professional knowledge | Sometimes need | |
| Efficiency | High | Medium |
Now let's have a closer look at how to uninstall programs on Mac using Umate Mac Cleaner.
This way you can use Umate Mac Cleaner to completely uninstall application Mac. Many satisfied users and famious websites also vouch for the performance of Umate Mac Cleaner. By using this program, you can quickly remove any unwanted apps and relase up to 40% free space on the Mac.
Cannot Delete Some Apps on Mac? What to Do
There are some apps on Mac which cannot be deleted easily. Here are the main reasons and corrospoding solutions.
1. App is running in the background
It may be possible that the app which you are trying to delete may be running in the background. In order to delete such an app, kill the background process of the app and then try deleting in either of the ways mentioned above. Here is what you need to do:
2. It's bloatware
Another reason why an app may not be getting uninstalled after several attempts is due to bloatware. Speaking of bloatware, it's usually pre-installed and you don't need it. It weights a lot and will hog a lot of disk space. Some common bloatware includes language packages, browser extensions, etc. You can delete such preinstalled apps and browser extensions in the following way.
Note
However, if you want to systematically delete the browser extensions, or get rid of bloatware in one click, the best way would be to use Umate Mac Cleaner, and the steps for which are given above.
Conclusion
The regular methods described above to know how to delete programs on Mac are pretty effective. The only problem with such a method is that it does not delete all the files related to the particular app which can create performance issues on your Mac. To avoid this scenario and make the entire process of uninstalling apps easier, it is highly recommended that you download Umate Mac Cleaner and use it for this purpose.