Delete any associated files or folders from your home directory. In most cases simply deleting the app bundle is enough to uninstall an app from your Mac. Complete removal is best when the app has large helper files, or you’re attempting to fix some sort of problem by reinstalling the application. In this article, we will show you few simple tricks to remove unwanted apps or softwares that won't delete on Mac. How to Delete Apps in the Finder Manually (Hard Way) Part 2: Completely Remove Unwanted Apps that Won't Delete on Mac (Easy Way) Part 3: Delete Apps Downloaded from Mac App Store Part 1. How to delete apps from your Dock; How to delete apps downloaded from the Mac App Store. Deleting an app you downloaded from the Mac App Store is a lot like deleting an app from your iPhone. Open Launchpad on your Mac. This can be done by clicking the Launchpad icon on your Dock, tapping F4 in the function row, or performing a four-finger pinch.
- How To Fully Uninstall Apps On Mac Reddit
- How To Fully Uninstall Applications
- Uninstall App Store App Mac
- How To Uninstall Apps On Macbook
by Jenefey AaronUpdated on 2020-10-12 / Update for Mac Data
How to uninstall programs on Mac is a very common query among Mac communities and forums. If you are trying to remove an old application from your Mac, or re-installing corrupted software or just clearing up hard disk space, deleting apps is undoubtedly important. The method is very easy and that’s good news for new Mac users. So, for those who don’t know what to do, we are here with a detailed guide on uninstalling apps on Mac. So, let’s begin.
Steps to Uninstall Apps on Mac and How to Remove the Leftover Files
There are mainly two ways on how to delete apps on Mac. The traditional one and the easiest one!
Using Finder:
The traditional way uses the Finder. It has been used for over a decade by Mac users and it is still applicable now as well. It is simple and straightforward and this is how you can do it:
1. Go to the Finder
2. Then go to the /Applications folder and choose the app you want to remove.
3. You can either right-click and tap “Move to Trash” or drag the application icon to Trash.
4. Now, navigate to the Trash icon. Right-click and hit “Empty Trash”.
This is how to uninstall apps on Mac using the classic method. It works in all versions of Mac like OS X El Capitan/ Snow Leopard etc.
Using Launchpad:
The above method is effective and a very simple way to uninstall apps on Mac. But Mac Lion and Mountain Lion onwards, it is even easier as it takes cues from iOS. Yes, it is as simple as uninstalling apps from your iPhone. This only works on apps installed from the App Store and not on third-party downloaded apps. Here’s how to use it:
1. Open LaunchPad.
2. Press and hold the app icon that you need to remove.
3. When it starts jiggling, tap the black “X” icon that will appear automatically.
4. Now, click on “Delete” to remove the app.
Now you know how to uninstall applications on Mac using LaunchPad. LaunchPad won't require emptying the Trash prior to uninstalling any apps unlike in the Finder method. This is similar to iOS and this is a great feature that makes Lion a desirable upgrade.
But this is not the end! An app includes a lot of things like preferences, support files, caches, and hidden files etc. These junk files are associated with apps that are installed on your Mac and when you uninstall the app, sometimes, these files stay on your hard drive. Though this is not an alarming thing, it is nonetheless not required unless in an emergency. It is generally a good idea to know how to remove applications from Mac along with its related files.
So if you want to get rid of them, it is easy. Just locate the related support files of the apps and remove those too. These are some typical location address for app files:
- Application support files: “~/Library/Application Support/ (App Name)”
- Preferences: “~/Library/Preferences/ (App Name)”
- Caches: “~/Library/Caches/ (App Name)”
Select the files and move them to trash. That’s it!
Extra Tip: How to Recover Accidently Deleted Mac App Files
While deleting Apps and data, if you accidentally deleted important files from your Mac, then you can restore it with Tenorshare Any Data Recovery software. It is a specially designed tool which can recover anything from your Mac. Whether you have lost some files accidentally by deletion or due to OS upgrade or formatting or emptying trash, it can recover anything from videos, music, photos, documents etc. Here’s how to use it:
1. Download and launch Any Data Recovery for Mac.
2. Select the types of lost files.
3. Now choose the Target Location. Here choose the drive from where you have lost the files from your Mac in the first place.
4. After the scanning process ends, you can preview and choose the Lost Files for recovery right away. Select the files you want to recover and just click Recover.
5. Provide the destination to save the recovered files. Always provide a location different from the original path of lost files.
That’s it! You will have all your chosen files recovered in seconds. Don’t miss this amazing software.
Conclusion:
Overall, if you want are wondering how to uninstall software on Mac, now you know what to do. Follow the instructions carefully and choose the one accordingly. As for your convenience, LaunchPad is a faster process altogether when it comes to apps from the App Store. And as for the temporary and supported files of various apps, they tend to stack up and take up disk space. So, it is better you delete all of it. If you want to recover any deleted files, we highly recommend you to go for Tenorshare Any Data Recovery!
Have you ever installed an app on your MacBook Pro only to find that it isn’t quite what you’re looking for? Maybe you just used an app for a while, but it’s no longer needed.
Whether you’re trying to save space on your hard drive or just want to get rid of bothersome app files, uninstalling these apps can be bothersome. Especially if you’re new to the Mac, the process of deleting unwanted apps can be confusing.
In this guide, we’ll show you some built-in, free, and paid methods for clearing up apps thoroughly; together with the pros and cons of each method.
We’ll also point out some additional features that will also free up space and keep your MacBook Pro from getting bogged down with old files.
1. Move to Trash
While you may have used the trash for standard files like old documents and images, the trash is a method of uninstalling apps on your MacBook as well. Here’s how to do it:
First, open Finder and locate the app you want to delete. Select it by clicking once, so that it is highlighted.
Then, press control + trackpad to bring up the supplementary menu. Here, you can select Move to Trash. Once you do, the application will be automatically moved to the trash and disappear from the Finder window you are viewing.
Once the application is in the trash, you can no longer use it. However, it is still taking up space on your computer until you empty the trash. To do this, open the Trash from your dock, then navigate to the top right corner of the window, where it says “Empty”.
Once you empty the trash, the window will close automatically, and you’ll have regained some valuable disk space for future use.
2. Uninstall Apps with AppCleaner
One software you can use to remove unwanted applications is AppCleaner. Because third-party applications distribute their files throughout your disk rather than storing them in a single location, you may accidentally leave chunks of the application on your Mac even after you think you’ve deleted it. AppCleaner will make sure to catch these extra files, even when you don’t know they exist.
Pros:
- It’s completely free.
- Extremely effective at removing hidden extra folders when you want to get rid of an entire application rather than just the surface level files.
- Easy to use, simply drag unwanted apps into the window and let AppCleaner find all the files associated with it
How To Fully Uninstall Apps On Mac Reddit
Cons:
- Downloading an app to remove apps seems a bit counterproductive.
- Doesn’t have support/a help reference, but the app should be pretty easy to use anyways.
3. Remove Apps with CCleaner
Just like AppCleaner, CCleaner for Mac will remove hidden files associated with an unwanted app. However, it has a greater variety of features and tools. If you’re looking for something a wider set of abilities, this might be the more fitting app.
Pros:
How To Fully Uninstall Applications
- Fast and easy application uninstaller for catching unseen folders.
- Also includes general file cleaner for places where temporary files collect and eat up space such as Safari’s catch, preferences, and downloads.
- Junk files can be scheduled for regular deletion so you can worry about more important tasks.
Cons:
- If you want to access all the features, you’ll need to pay for the upgraded version.
- Some users report complications when trying to select which files to delete and which to keep.
4. Via CleanMyMac Uninstaller
If you want a sleek, long-term solution to ridding yourself of unwanted apps and files, CleanMyMac X is a well-developed app that will keep your Mac in top shape. In addition to offering the smart Uninstaller that allows you to remove apps in batch and grabs hidden folders, it can also scan for junk files and securely delete sensitive files. Made by MacPaw, it’s an application you can trust to work smoothly and do exactly what it claims to.
Pros:
- Smart uninstaller makes sure all files associated with a program are deleted and not left behind to take up space.
- Clean out system junk and unnecessary files with tools to delete unwanted attachments or full caches.
- Integrates with iPhoto (now Photos) to reduce space taken by photos on your Mac.
- The combination of tools will help make any MacBook that feels sluggish get back to speed with very little effort on your part.
- Plenty of support and help resources, an extremely clean interface for easy and intuitive use.
Cons:
- Not a free software (though a trial version is available and allows you to remove up to 500 MB data), this is understandable given the breadth of features available.
5. Via MacBooster Uninstaller
Another great alternative for clearing out old apps and programs is MacBooster, made by IOBit. Besides removing apps from your MacBook, it also includes a built-in junk file remover and a duplicate file identifier. The duplicate identifier is especially useful because it can eliminate everything from double pictures to over-saved documents, among other files that can quickly add up over time.
Pros:
Uninstall App Store App Mac
- Clean and simple interface, intuitive to use.
- Combines duplicate file searching program with junk file eliminator for the greatest level of excess file removal.
- Can find unknown folders attached to unwanted apps and delete them to save you space and completely erase unnecessary files.
- Optimize the memory on your MacBook and keep everything running smoothly with just one program, and keep track of everything with the menu bar widget.
How To Uninstall Apps On Macbook
Cons:
- Excessive cleaning can be detrimental to Mac performance as your laptop rebuilds necessary caches it references frequently.
- It’s not freeware, though a free evaluation version is available.
We hope this guide has given you an idea of the many ways you can rely on to keep your Mac clean of unwanted apps and make it run at peak performance even after long periods of use.
The built-in process of moving an application to the trash will always work, but if you want to go a bit deeper, all the apps mentioned above can fill in the gap and provide additional services.
Got an app that doesn’t seem to delete or keeps reappearing? You may have a virus or malware on your Mac – these are possible to accidentally catch on Mac and you’ll want to check out this article from MacWorld on how to remove them from your MacBook.
What’s your preferred method for removing apps on your MacBook Pro? Tell us more in the comments below.