Downloading an app is a simple task. However, uninstalling or removing apps is not a left-hand task. On an Android device or a Mac, uninstalling an app is a herculean task. But do you really know how to delete apps on a Mac?
Some large apps store large amounts of data, such as preferences, login credentials, backups, etc. When you remove an app from the trash, you get rid of the main app, but these files keep hovering around on your system. Deleting these data can add space to your device.
Many a time, you might have wondered how to uninstall apps on a Mac. Here, we are to satisfy as many of your queries as possible. Before delivering you information about how to remove apps from a Mac, there are certain things that you should know, and these are as follows.
Why Don’t Apps and Associated Files Completely Uninstall?
There are primarily two types of Mac apps. One is bundled, and the others are unbundled. You can easily uninstall the first one by dragging the app to Trash. The latter can also be deleted similarly, but these leave behind traces. Getting rid of these files that are associated with the main app is a difficult task. You can manually delete them, but it is tough to find these files scattered all around the places on your system. This calls for the use of app uninstallers. These are designed for the same.
Ways to Remove Apps from Mac
If you wish to delete apps on Mac and their associated files, you can follow two approaches: manually and automatically. If the app you want to delete has an uninstaller associated with it, we suggest you use that before following the manual approach.
How to Delete Apps on Mac
There are some ways by which we can answer your query related to how to uninstall apps on Mac. Here are the four main ways to remove apps from Mac computers –
Method 1 – Drag and Drop Apps to Trash Bin
- Open the application folder and drag the apps to drop them (one by one) into the trash.
- Open Trash and click on the ‘Empty button’ (placed in the upper-right corner).
Method 2 – Use the Finder
- Open Finder and go to Applications.
- Click on the app and then press Command plus Delete.
- Open the Trash and repeat the process mentioned in the above step.
Method 3 – Use the Launchpad from the Dock
- Click on the Launchpad icon from the Dock on Mac.
- Then, click and hold the apps you want to delete until it shakes.
- A ‘cross’ or ‘X’ will appear on the top-left corner of the app;
- Click on ‘X’ and then on the delete option.
- Later, delete the app from the trash.
macOS users can remove the files or apps from the trash by following the above steps and then delete them later. When you delete an app, you don’t discard any single file; instead, you eliminate a bundle of files. You can view this by right-clicking on the app and then selecting the “Show Package Contents”.
However, you must remember that after you have removed the apps, the files associated with them remain on the device and need to be removed manually. To do so, locate the associated files in the library folder on the hard drive. This is why you cannot completely get rid of the app you want to uninstall.
Method 4 – Use the Third-party Apps
Lastly, the user can download an automatic app to delete apps on a Mac computer. This app will remove the associated files (of the apps you delete) from the library and make more space on the disk. The automatic approach is best if you don’t wish to manually remove the associated files of apps. Many apps like CleanMyMacX & McCleaner Pro can do this without you putting in the effort.
How to Delete Apps on Mac Completely
The following table suggests some associated files, folder names, and locations to remove after you delete an app. You can open the folder location individually and search for the app’s name (to find its associated files). Once you find them, please right-click on the files and send them to the trash.
| Associated Files | Folder Path |
|---|---|
| Library | ~/Library/ |
| App | ~/Library/Saved Application State/ |
| Application support files | ~/Library/Application Support |
| App preferences | ~/Library/Preferences/ |
| Plugins | ~/Library/Internet Plug-Ins/ |
| Crashes | ~/Library/Application Support/CrashReporter/ |
| Support Caches | ~/Library/Caches and /Library/Caches/ |
| Binary and dock icons | /Applications/ |
The other way of performing this process is to go to the library and search for the names of uninstalled apps in the Spotlight. You can open the Spotlight Search by pressing ‘Ctrl + Space’. Once you find the files, you can move the associated files to the trash.
Don’t forget to delete these files from the trash later.
Cons of Manually Removing the Apps
Removing the apps and associated files manually will require a lot of time. Even after spending so much time, there is a good chance you may still miss some remains of the uninstalled apps. Apart from this, you must be very careful while deleting these files. Deleting the wrong system files may have some negative effects on your device.
If you are following this process, we will advise you to remove only the files you recognize and don’t touch anything else!
Summing-up
You can easily remove apps from the Mac system. However, it will not necessarily delete the associated files from the hard disk. You can remove these files manually, but it is quite a risky process. This is where the automatic approach comes in. This automatic software deletes apps on Mac along with files associated with them.
This article has shed light on how to easily uninstall apps on Mac and all associated files from your system.