Ow To Uninstall Apps On Mac

This post has been updated in September 11, 2019
Summary: While uninstalling apps on macOS Mojave, Catalina is easy most of the time, some apps won't be uninstalled easily and app-related data will be left behind if not uninstalling properly. Here is how to completely remove an app from macOS 10. 15 Catalina, macOS 10.14 Mojave and more.

How to uninstall apps on Mac. On your Mac, click the Finder icon in the Dock, and then click Applications in the Finder sidebar. If the app is in a folder, open the app’s folder to look for an. It is generally believed that uninstalling software on Mac OS X is simple and straightforward - you can just remove apps from the Applications folder; or drag-n-drop a program to Trash; for the application downloaded from App Store, you can directly uninstall it from LaunchPad. Things even go nicer that some Mac app vendors prepare in-built.

You might install some apps on your Mac, but later find that they are not for you. And you want to delete those applications from your computer to save space for other items.

Actually, uninstalling applications on macOS is easier than that on Windows operating system. Here are some tips on how to uninstall or remove apps from macOS 10. 15 Catalina, macOS 10.14 Mojave and more.



Mac

Delete Apps on Mac

The easiest way to uninstall an app from Mac is selecting the application's icon and move it to Trash.

1Click Finder app on the Mac dock.

2 Click the Application folder in the left side panel.

3Go through all the programs until you find the icon of the program that you want to uninstall. Right-click the icon and select Move to Trash or drag the icon right to the trash can.

Note: You can also search the app by entering the name in the search box in the upper right corner. If the program has its own uninstaller application, run the uninstaller program to remove your app.

4 Finally, right-click the trash can icon and select Empty Trash.

Note: If you run Mac as a guest, you may be asked to enter an account and password when you are removing an app. Enter an admin name and password to continue your deletion.


Why Can You Uninstall Programs on Mac by Trash?

Unlike Windows, on a Mac, applications and a user's working space are separated. Typically, programs on Mac are stored in the Application folder while users' preference files are kept in the Library folder. All files about the app are packaged together inside the Application folder, which means everything relating to the app is stored in one place.


If you find your app in the Application folder, right-click the app and select shows package contents, you'll see various files. So, when you delete it, you can delete everything relating to the app.


Uninstall Applications from Launchpad

Another alternative is to use Launchpad, which offers a convenient way to uninstall applications downloaded from App Store.

1Click Launchpad, represented by a spaceship in your Mac Dock. (or click on F4)

2Scroll through the list of your installed apps, then locate the application you want to delete.

3Click and hold the app until a cross appears on the icon. (or press the Option/Alt key)

4Click the cross button in the upper left of the app icon.


To exit deletion mode, simply click anywhere on the screen that's no occupied by an app icon.


Completely Uninstall Apps on Mac

Sometimes, the methods mentioned above may not completely delete all the files relating to the apps, such as some of your preference files. And you need to remove these files from the Library folder. Here will introduce how to do that.

1Go to the Library folder: open Finder and click Go in the top bar, when the menu shows, click the Option/Alt key.

Note: Usually, you'll not see the Library folder in the Go menu, but it's there. It is hidden because Apple doesn't want you to delete something important.


2The Library option will appear and click the option to open the folder.

3 Go through the lists of this folder to find out the files relating to the application you are uninstalling.

4 Next, open the Application Support directories under Finder to search for data relating to the app you are removing.


Use App Uninstaller for Mac

As mentioned in the last section, the above methods are not enough. There are some tricky apps, which store associated files in the Library folder and it is not convenient to completely uninstall the app by deleting these files one by one.

Uninstall

Luckily, there exist some professional uninstaller apps that can help you delete those tricky apps. FonePaw MacMaster is one of the best app cleaners for Mac. It can remove your unwanted apps without leftovers only in 3 steps, which is cleaner than dragging the app into Trash.

If you want to easily, quickly and permanently uninstall an app from macOS Mojave, Catalina, etc., MacMaster can be helpful.So, how to uninstall an app from Mac in a fast and clean way with MacMaster? The following steps will show you how to do that.

Step 1Launch MacMaster and move to the Uninstaller option.

Step 2Scan the apps on your Mac and select the unneeded application.

Step 3Delete the application and associated files from your Mac by clicking the Clean button.

It is pretty easy, isn't it? Give it a try to make your Mac get back to the new status.


Free Download

There often comes a time when you just don’t need to keep an app around. It may be old and unsupported – or maybe you just don’t use it anymore and don’t have a need to keep it around. If that sounds like you, we’ll show you exactly how to uninstall apps on Mac.

Uninstall Mac Applications

Get the best uninstallers to delete any application on your Mac.

With macOS Catalina and later, there are plenty of great reasons to delete apps. If an app is 32-bit, it has to go. Apple made the decision to discontinue support for 32-bit binaries with macOS Catalina, and many app developers didn’t retrofit their apps to be 64-bit as Apple requested. Old 32-bit apps no longer work on macOS.

Some apps may just be unnecessary. If you have apps for managing photos or your music library, you may find the new Photos app that comes with macOS or the new Music app do a great job, so the old software you’d been using is redundant. It’s gotta go!

Whatever the case, there are quick and easy ways to delete apps from your Mac. We’ll walk you through it!

One thing to know is deleting an app isn’t the same as uninstalling it. There are two ways to delete apps, though: Finder, and Launchpad.

How to delete apps on Mac using Launchpad

In Launchpad, you can pressing and holding the app's icon to bring up the wiggly app management feature. Like iOS, app icons start to shake in-place, which allows you to move them around. Third-party apps also have a small ‘x’ icon on the top right of the icon in this mode, which allows you to delete them.


Another way to delete apps is from Finder. There, you simply select the app, then right-click and select ‘delete.’ In either Finder or Launchpad, you can drag app icons to the trash bin to delete the apps.

Mac how to delete applications

(If you’re on an older version of macOS – or OS X, for the much older versions – and managing apps via iTunes, the process is similar. Select the app, right-click, and select ‘Move to Trash.’)

Remove apps with the Finder

Remember when we told you deleting and uninstalling weren’t the same? Deleting is the first step in the process; Apple wants you to do more work!

The completely uninstall an app, follow the instructions for deleting an app above. Then head to your library folder from Finder:

  • Open Finder
  • Select ‘Go’ from menu
  • Hold down ‘option’ key on keyboard; you should see a new option for ‘Library’
  • While holding down the option key, select ‘Library’

A word of caution before you proceed: DO NOT delete files if you’re not sure what they do. Apple hides the Library for a reason: most people shouldn’t go poking through it and deleting files haphazardly. If you don’t know what a file or folder is for, leave it alone.

Library houses files and folders apps need to operate. Sometimes these files or folders are for updating an app, or managing a Safari extension. Again, Library isn’t a toy. Tread lightly!

When you find a file or folder you know doesn’t belong – and is associated with the app you deleted – you can also delete the file by right-clicking and selecting ‘Move to Trash,’ or dragging it to the trash bin.

Deleting these files completes the deletion of an app. It’s possible those files were doing things necessary for the app that you no longer want, like calling a server or tracking keystrokes. Without the app, those types of features are just spyware.

How To Uninstall Apps On Mac Terminal

When you’re done deleting apps and associated files, go ahead and empty your trash bin.

If you’re thinking ‘wow, that all seems sort of scary,’ you’re not wrong. Even seasoned pros get nervous when digging into a computer’s Library file system. There is a better way to uninstall programs from Mac, though!

Uninstall Mac apps and delete left behind files

If the idea of deleting apps and digging into secret libraries on your Mac to remove associated files is daunting, we have a better solution.

CleanMyMacX is a best Mac utility that helps manage your apps and files, in addition to a ton of other features. For now, we’ll focus on app management.

In the CleanMyMacX menu is an ‘Applications’ section on the left pane. It has three options: Uninstaller, Updater, and Extensions. Updater lets you manage updates for apps you want to keep, and saves you the trouble of digging through the App Store just to update an app.

Extensions helps you manage Safari browser extensions, Spotlight plugins, Internet Plugins, and Preference Panes. It’s the simplest and most straightforward way to manage the add-ons some apps demand, which aren’t always caught when deleting or uninstalling an app. When you find an extension you don’t want, just select it and click the ‘Remove’ button at the bottom of the window.

To uninstall apps on Mac, go to the ‘Uninstaller’ option with CleanMyMacX. Here you’ll see apps in a variety of categories. There’s the ‘all’ category for – you guessed it – all of the apps on your Mac. There’s also a section named ‘unused,’ which shows you which apps you’re not really using often.

The ‘Leftovers’ section makes Apple’s ‘Library’ look silly. In CleanMyMacX, Leftovers automatically finds the files associates with apps you no longer have. Hovering over the file in a list brings up the ‘Show’ option, which gives you precise info on exactly what app the file is associated with. No more fumbling through Library and guessing!

There’s also a section for 32-bit apps (remember, we talked about that!) which shows every app that’s no longer supported for macOS. If you really enjoy the app, we suggest reaching out to the developer to see if they will be making it a 64-bit app. If not, go ahead and delete it; it just won’t work on your Mac.

When you’re ready to uninstall programs from your Mac, select the app in any menu you see it in and click ‘Uninstall’ at the bottom of the screen. It’s that easy!

How To Uninstall Apps On Mac Computer

Conclusion

The main goal when uninstalling an app from macOS is to get rid of it completely: files, folders, the app – everything. We’ll also note that if you plan on never using the app or service again, it’s best to request the app developer remove your profile entirely. The method for this varies, but the app or service’s website should have the answer you need.

It takes a long time to delete an app the Apple way, and it’s just not worth it. Digging through the Library is scary stuff, and one wrong move can have a ripple effect on your entire system. No thanks!

We prefer CleanMyMacX, which takes care of the heavy lifting of deleting an app, then removing associated files to completely uninstall it. With a few clicks, you completely rid yourself of an app you don’t want.

How To Uninstall Apps On Mac Pro

For mobile users, there’s also AnyTrans, available for iOS and Android. AnyTrans is a macOS app that lets you manage backups, apps on your device, and account or cloud content in a much cleaner interface than Apple or Google provide. It’s easy to use, and available for both Android and iOS.

Best of all, AnyTrans as well as CleanMyMacX are available free as part of a seven day trial of Setapp. In addition to these apps, you get access to dozens of other handy macOS apps!

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