26.12.2020

How To Delete Installed Apps From Mac

The most common method of deleting apps is to long press the app icon and select delete. But now there’s a new way to delete installed apps, in a place you might not think to look. Nov 11, 2019 Lots of apps and services install launch agents and they can sometimes cause problems on your Mac or just clutter your startup drive. There may as well be leftover launch agents of the applications you have previously installed and then removed. Citrix Receiver also has launch agents that may be left on your Mac even after you delete the tool.

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

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].

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

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

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

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.

These might also interest you:

When you download some unwanted apps from Mac App Store by mistakes, or want to free up more storage on your Mac, it is very necessary for you to learn how to delete an app on Mac.

Although it's quite easy to uninstall apps on Mac, some new Mac users still don't know the detailed solution. Therefore, in this article, we list 4 best methods for you to uninstall program on Mac.

You can simply delete the unwanted apps in manually way, or download a professional software to get the job done. Keep reading to get what you need.

Part 1: How to Delete an App on Mac from Launchpad

The first way we want to recommend to you is using Launchpadto uninstall programyou don’t want from your Mac. The process is very similar to that of deleting an app on your iPhone or iPad. It can be said the easiest way for Mac users to get rid of an app which is downloaded from Mac App Store. In what follows is the detailed steps of how to delete an app on Mac.

Step 1: Choose Launchpad from Dock or by pressing your keyboard on your Mac.

Step 2: Long press on any app icon until you see all the icons begin to jingle, release it.

Step 3: Now you will see a little X on the right corner of all the apps you can remove to trash.

Click the X on the app icon, which you want to delete and then choose Delete option when you see the pop-up window asking whether to uninstall app on Mac or not.

Part 2: How to Delete Apps on Mac with Finder

You can also solve the problem of how to delete apps on Mac with Finder. It also is a very easy way you can simply get in what follows.

Step 1: Launch Finder on your Mac by clicking on it simply from Mac Dock. Then you can choose Application folder in Finder.

Step 2: Now you need to find the app icon you want to delete and then right click on it.

Step 3: You can see Move to Trash option in the list. Just click on the icon.

Step 4: You need to empty the app you remove to trash just now permanently by opening your trash and right clicking to choose Empty. Here you can get 6 solutions to empty Trash on Macsecurely and permanently.

Part 3: How to Uninstall Apps from MacBook Pro with Dock

Except deleting apps on Mac from Launchpad and Finder, you can also solve the problem of how to uninstall program from MacBook Pro with Dock. If you are interested in how to delete apps on MacBook Pro, you can follow the next easy steps.

Step 1: Find the app you want to remove on your Doc. Or you can open the Applications folder on your Dock and find it there.

Step 2: Now you need to click and hold the app icon you want to delete, and then drag this app icon to the Trash icon which is also in your Dock, and release it.

Step 3: If you want to delete this app permanently and completely, click the Trash to open it, and then find the app icon you removed right now. Choose it by right click and then click Empty.

If you want to remove app from iPad, you can check hereto get full tips.

Part 4: Professional Way to Uninstall Applications on Mac

Here we also want to recommend the most professional way for you to help you solve how to delete apps on Mac. The software introduced in this way is called Mac Cleaner. It is one of the most professional Mac management tool which you can use to remove junk files, unneeded folders, large or old files and monitor your Mac performance.

It really is a safe and efficient which you can clear all your unwanted files, including delete applications for your Mac in a quickly but professional way. What’s more, it is able to monitor your Mac performance in multiple aspects, such as disk utilization, battery status, memory performance as well as CPU usage. If you are interested in how to delete applications on Mac, you can read the next steps.

See Full List On Wikihow.com

Step 1: Download Mac Cleaner Wifi connected apps not working mac.

First of all, download Mac Cleaner on your computer and finish the installation by dragging the icon to Application.

Step 2: Launch Mac Cleaner

Now launch this software on your Mac after you install the program successfully. Then it will detect your Mac OS system status automatically. You can find the program as the following screenshot.

Step 3: Choose uninstall app

In the main interface, you can see the key features from the left side of the window. Then choose Uninstaller to delete applications on MacBook Pro. It will take some time to scan all your apps on Mac by this software.

Step 4: Clean apps from Mac

After scanning, you can see all your apps downloaded on Mac. Find the software you want to delete and finish the process of how to remove apps from MacBook Pro. During this process, you can check and clean up various related files created by this app you want to remove. If you deleted some important files by mistake, you can check this post to recover deleted files on Mac.

How To Delete Installed Apps From Mac Desktop

Part 1: How to Delete an App on Mac from Launchpad

1. How do I remove an app from my Mac’s Dock?

Just place the cursor over the icon of the icon of the Dock item you wish to remove, and then right-click the icon. A pop-up menu will appear. Select the Options > Remove from Dock item from the pop-up Dock menu.

2. How do I hide all icons on my Mac desktop?

How To Delete Apps From Your Mac IMore

Click on its icon in the menu bar and select “Hide Desktop Icons.” It will immediately hide all the icons available on your desktop.

3. Can I delete default apps on Mac?

It is prohibited to delete standard applications in a regular way. That’s because the removal of built-in applications may damage the viability of the system.

Conclusion

IOS 13: How To Delete Installed Apps From .. - The Mac Observer

In this article, we introduce 4 best methods for you to solve how to delete an app on Mac. When you need to delete unwanted apps from Mac, you can choose one of the methods as you want to do such a job. If you think this article is helpful, just share it with your friends. Hope you can enjoy the information. Of course, you can also share more comments in the article if you have any other query about the methods to delete an app on your Mac.