How To Unintall Mac Apps

Posted on by

Next, right-click on the Trash Can icon located in the Taskbar of your Mac and then tap on Empty Trash to uninstall the program from your Mac (See image below). Uninstall Programs on Mac Using Launchpad. Uninstalling programs on your Mac using the Launchpad is quite similar to uninstalling programs on iPhone or iPad. Uninstalling programs from your Mac computer are probably easier than removing applications from other operating systems, such as Windows or Linux OS. In Windows OS, you need access to Control Panel Programs and Features Pick the application you want to remove Confirm again Wait for the process to complete. Uninstalling Apps on Mac is so simple, you need to drop the folder to the trash. But there are few software which is hard to remove. All of them have different reasons to remove apps from their PC. Some want to clean their PC, or the app is not useful. So, it depends on the user why they want to Uninstall Apps on Mac. If you are one of them who.

If you put any of the Office applications in your Dock, go to each one and ctrl + click Options Remove from Dock. Restart your Mac to complete the uninstall. Related: Speedup Safari on your Mac. Deleting or Uninstalling Apps in Mac. Let us discuss various ways to delete to uninstall apps from your Mac. Delete from Launchpad. Click on Launchpad from the dock. Drag and drop the application to Trash bin. Mac will prompt you to confirm the app deletion, confirm the deletion by clicking on.

When comes to how to uninstall apps from Mac, for most users, they would say 'Yeah, it is pretty simple, just drag it to the trash'. Yes, you do uninstall the app. But today's question is 'how do you uninstall apps from Mac completely?' You can remove normal files like documents and movies by dragging them to the trash. But doing the same to the apps will leave lots of leftovers and junk files on your Mac. Here we're going to show you how to uninstall apps from Mac completely.


How to Uninstall Apps from Mac Completely and Manually?


To completely remove apps from Mac manually, you need to find all of the associated files that come along with the apps. So this means not just dragging the app icon to the Trash bin, but to search and find the depths of the system app files on your Mac and get them all out of your disk.


Let's see how to locate the locations for the most common files that are associated with apps. To remove the app leftovers, go to every folders and find files with the app name you can send them to the Trash.


So, when uninstalling any app, you have to go over each of these folders one by one and remove the followings:

1. Library can be found in ~/Library/

2. Plug-ins are located in ~/Library/Address Book Plug-Ins/

3. App preferences are located in ~/Library/Preferences/

4. Binary and dock icons can be found in /Applications/

5. Application support files are located in ~/Library/Application

6. App saved states are located in ~/Library/Saved Application State/

7. Crashes are found in ~/Library/Application Support/CrashReporter/

8. Support Caches can be found in /Library/Caches/ and ~/Library/Caches

There are many more hidden files which you can't be accessed to. The system will prevent you from deleting some app files. Then these files will be left behind forever after you uninstall the app.


As you can see, it's not that easy to remove apps from Mac manually if you are not quite familiar with Mac OSX system. When you delete apps from Mac manually, be sure only to remove an app file or folder when you're sure of what it is. Removing the wrong files, let's say some system key files could cause problems with your system or even crash your system.


How

Remember, please be careful when deleting system files — you never know how it will affect your Mac. We have to address this again as we don't want you get your Mac system messed up under our instructions.

By the way, sometimes you will encounter the issue that you can't uninstall some apps from Mac. Some apps are pre-installed Mac OS components and protected by the system. So they will refuse to delete because they are already open. But in fact, they are not at all.

Anyway, you can try the manual removal after force quitting the app (press Command-Option-Esc and if the app is on the list shut it down) or rebooting your Mac.


If you're still unable to delete it on Mac or if you’re worried you may not do it correctly and want to uninstall in a safer way, there’s the easy way of uninstalling apps from your Mac completely. It actually does a better (and safer) job and saves you a lot of time and effort.


How to Uninstall Apps from Mac Completely Just in an Easiest Way?


Published by IObit, world’s top system utility and security software provider since 2004, MacBooster comes with the feature to uninstall the app and remove all of the leftovers from Mac completely. Here is how you can do it with MacBooster easily:


1: Download MacBooster 7 and open it

2: Go to the Uninstaller module

3: Choose Completely Remove above and click the Uninstall

This module provides you with an easy and powerful uninstalling function. It will remove all of the leftovers associated with the app with just one click. At the same time, it also has the function that reset the app. See more details below:


Complete Remove - For the unwanted applications, you can simply click the Complete Remove button to uninstall them completely including all of the associated files.


Application Reset - If an application contains its own data and configuration files, you can click the Application Reset button to delete all the data and configuration files to reset the application to its initial state. After the reset is completed, the application will start working from its initial state when you launch it next time.


We hope that this article will help you to remove the unwanted app from your Mac completely. Thus you could save more space for your disk. If you are a computer geek, then you can uninstall the app completely by yourself. Otherwise, we suggest you use an uninstaller to get it done. MacBooster can always be a help and ready to go. What’s more, it comes with other useful functions, like system junk files removal (remove over 20 types of junk files), Virus & Malware Scan, Startup optimization, Duplicate finder, Photo sweeper, etc. You can always use it to get your Mac tide and safe. So there you have it. Just try it now and uninstall the unwanted apps from your Mac completely right away!



Check out more useful tips:



Quick question – how do you uninstall programs on Mac?

If your answer is to drag the app to the Trash, we’re sorry to say that you’ve been doing it wrong.

You probably know or guess that you can remove apps by dragging them to the Trash bin, but it is not quite so. Dragging normal files like documents and movies to the Trash works fine. But doing the same for apps leaves gigabytes of leftover junk files on your hard drive. We’re going to show you what gets left behind and what you can do to completely uninstall apps from here on out.

How to uninstall on Mac

If you are trying to delete an old application, reinstall a corrupted software or just free up disk space on your Mac, removing all components of the program is important. These include the app, its preferences and support files, and sometimes other hidden files.

To completely uninstall a program on Mac you have to choose one of three options:

  • Using Trash.
  • Using Launchpad.
  • Using a native uninstaller

The ways mentioned above include navigating your Mac’s in search of the apps you want to remove and then locating their remaining data. The latter can take even more place than the app itself and can be stored anywhere in your folders.

I prefer clearing my Mac from apps using special software made for this particular task - CleanMyMac X. It’s Uninstaller feature, is an app-killer that sweeps away any program you don’t want on your Mac and clears remaining junk.

Now let’s go ahead and delete some apps!

1. Uninstall Mac apps using Trash

Whether you're running macOS Catalina or an earlier macOS, like Mojave or Sierra, the process of manually uninstalling remains relatively similar. Here’s what you need to do:

  1. Open Finder.
  2. Go to Applications.
  3. Choose the app you want to delete.
  4. Press Command + Delete (⌘⌫).
  5. Open Trash.
  6. Click the Empty button in the upper-right corner of the window.

And the app is gone.

Even uninstalling apps on macOS Catalina requires getting rid of leftovers, despite the fact that it's the latest and the most sophisticated system for Mac. Apple has done such a good job on macOS 10.15 but left this unfortunate issue unresolved for another year.

To completely remove programs from Mac manually, you have to find all the associated files that come along with the app. That means not just dragging the app icon to the Trash from your Applications folder, but searching the depths of the system files on your Mac.

We’re going to reveal the locations of the most common files that are associated with apps. To remove the app leftovers from your Mac just navigate to each of these folders and hunt for the app you want to remove. If you find files with the app name you can send them to the Trash.

So, when uninstalling any software, you have to go over each of these folders one by one and remove the following:

  • Binary and dock icons are located in /Applications/
  • Application support files are located in ~/Library/Application Support
  • Support Caches can be found in /Library/Caches/ and
    ~/Library/Caches
  • Plugins are located in ~/Library/Internet Plug-Ins/
  • Library can be found in ~/Library/
  • App preferences are located in ~/Library/Preferences/
  • Crashes are found in
    ~/Library/Application Support/CrashReporter/
  • App saved states are located in
    ~/Library/Saved Application State/

There are many more hidden files, some of which cannot be accessed by the user. And macOS/OS X will prevent you from deleting some app files.

As you can see, it's not that easy to uninstall applications Mac doesn't need, even when you know what to do. By the way, be sure to look for the name of the app in the file names of the files you remove. Don’t remove anything you don’t know! Do your due diligence before removing something from your system.

When you delete software on Mac manually, be sure only to remove an app file or folder when you’re sure of what it is. Look at the name very carefully before you nuke it. Removing the wrong files could cause problems with your system.

Remember, please be careful when deleting system files — you never know how it will affect your Mac if you remove the wrong ones (or the right ones for that matter!).

2. Uninstall Mac programs with Launchpad

How to uninstall on Mac by using the Launchpad? It's easy and this manual method works like this:

  1. Click Launchpad icon in your Mac's Dock.
  2. Find the app you want to delete.
  3. Click and hold the app until it starts shaking.
  4. Click X in the top-left corner of the app icon.
  5. Click Delete.

This will uninstall the app from your Mac. However, keep in mind that after removing the program, you should also delete its leftovers as we've described above.

Can't delete apps on Mac?

Unfortunately, manual methods won’t get everything. Some apps are pre-installed macOS components and protected by the system while others will refuse to delete because they are already open (even though that’s often not true).

So, how to delete the apps on Mac that won't delete? You can try the manual removal after force quitting the app in question (press Command-Option-Esc and if the app is on the list shut it down) or rebooting your Mac.

If you're still unable to delete apps on Mac or if you’re worried you won't do it correctly and want a safer alternative, there’s the easy method of uninstalling apps from your Mac so you don't have to force delete applications. It actually does a better (and safer) job and in a fraction of the time. Read on to learn how to delete apps on Mac automatically.

3. Uninstall apps with CleanMyMac X

How

When I referred to the easy method of uninstalling apps, I meant using CleanMyMac X. As for me, deleting apps is a pretty tiresome task. I’ve always put away this chore, as it will waste a huge amount of my time. But, my Mac was running low on free storage, so I decided to try CleanMyMac X to fix this problem and uninstall programs on Mac with ease. I used the Uninstaller module to get rid of multiple apps at once. Here’s what you need to do:

  1. Download CleanMyMac X, install, and launch it (it takes less than a minute).
  2. Go to Uninstaller.
  3. Choose All Applications.
  4. Check the boxes next to the app you want to remove.
  5. Press Uninstall.

As you can see, CleanMyMac X shows precisely how much place each app takes, so it’s easier to detect the heaviest programs. Another benefit is that you can bulk uninstall programs on Mac without dragging each app and its files to the Trash.

Is it possible to delete system files on Mac?

CleanMyMac X doesn’t let you delete system apps like Safari. Neither of Mac cleaners can do that. But, CleanMyMac X allows you to delete the data associated with system apps and reset them completely. Click CleanMyMac X’s menu in the upper-left corner and choose Preferences. Go to Ignore List and click Uninstaller. Here uncheck the box next to “Ignore system applications.”

Now, you can close Preferences and go back to Uninstaller. Click ► next to the app's icon to show its files. Then check the data you want to delete and choose Reset from the drop-down list next to the app’s icon. Then press Remove.

It will help to clear some space on your Mac. Note that your app logs may also disappear after the reset.

4. Use the native uninstaller

Many applications are designed to clean after themselves. They come with a built-in uninstaller — a self-destroying utility bundled with the main app. This is mostly true for third-party apps that you download from the internet. That’s why native uninstallers remain more of a Windows thing, not much heard of in the Mac world.
The original uninstallers can be found in Finder > Applications. If your app looks like a folder (within the Applications folder) most likely it will have a separate uninstaller. The name will read [Your app] Uninstaller or Uninstall [Your App].

How To Uninstall Mac Applications Completely

Open the folder, find the launcher, and just follow the onscreen instructions. After the removal is complete, you can enjoy your extra storage space!

How To Delete Apps On Mac

Clear app leftovers: preferences files and caches

No sane developer wants people to delete their application. As your desperate ex, they would do everything to stay on your Mac, like planting pieces of their software around your Mac so one day they can return. Support files, preference files, and caches — all these will likely remain even if you’ve deleted the app itself.
Here I’ll show you how to root out these remaining traces. I’ll use the Telegram app as an example.

Delete application support files

Click on Finder > Go to Folder… (in the upper menu).
Paste in: ~/Library/Application Support/Your App Name

In my case it's: ~/Library/Application Support/Telegram

Now, delete the content of this folder.

Delete application Preferences

How To Uninstall Applications Mac

The Preferences folder contains your user settings. These files are tiny but there’s no reason not to delete them, just out of principle.
Click on Finder > Go to Folder…
Paste in: ~/Library/Preferences/

Open the folder. Now type the name of your app in the search bar. Click to search 'Preferences.” Delete the found items.

Delete the caches

In the same vein, you’ll have to delete the remaining app caches.
This time, use the following command to paste in Finder > Go to Folder...
Paste this: ~/Library/Caches/Your App Name

Note: In some cases, you need to search for the app developer's name, rather than the name of the app.

Delete leftovers with CleanMyMac X

Software Uninstaller Mac

If you’ve been doing a 'spring cleaning' in your Applications folder, chances are some files are still left somewhere in your Mac’s system. CleanMyMac X detects and collects them into the Leftovers tab.

Go to Uninstaller once again and select Leftovers. Select all the remaining files and press Uninstall to say goodbye to the app remains.

Now you are just as good at uninstalling applications on Mac as any Apple engineer. Hopefully, you now have plenty of free space. Don't miss a few related articles below.

How To Uninstall Apps Mac Catalina

These might also interest you: