How To Properly Unintall Apps On Mac

How To Uninstall Apps On Macbook

Best ways to delete apps on Mac. As lots of programs leave their support files all over your Mac (and it’s hard to tell which ones do or don’t), it’s important to uninstall applications on Mac completely and not just delete them from the Applications folder. To do that, you need a software like CleanMyMac X.

Apple unveils a new MacBook Air during an Apple launch event at the Brooklyn Academy of Music on Oct. 30, 2018 in New York City. Stephanie Keith/Getty Images

Removing programs from a Macintosh can be very easy. In many cases, all you have to do is drag the application's icon to the Trash. Sometimes, though, applications store the files they need to run in other locations on your computer's hard drive, and finding them can take some detective work. If you are used to the uninstall option in Windows, you have a little culture shock — macOS does not have this feature built in.

Why would you want to uninstall a program? For the same reason you occasionally tidy your office or clean your garage. Clutter breeds inefficiency. Applications take up space on your hard disk and can slow your computer. Also, a new version of a program may not work correctly unless you get rid of the old one [source: Ritchie].

Most of the time, uninstalling is this simple:

Exit the program you want to delete.
Open the Applications folder, which you'll find by opening a new window in the Finder, or clicking on the hard disk icon.
Drag the icon of the program you want to uninstall to the Trash.
Empty the Trash.

When files for the application you want to delete are all stored in one location, dragging the icon to the Trash will take care of most of the work. In Mac talk, apps like this are 'bundled.' To see the files in an application's bundle, click on its icon while holding down the Control key. You should see an option that says, 'show package contents.' Uninstalling applications downloaded from the Mac App Store is even easier — just delete the application from the Applications Folder and its accompanying folder in UserLibraryContainers [source: Tanous].

For some other programs, removal is more complicated. When installed, these programs create files in several locations, often in the System Folder. The first step in removing them is to check the program's documentation to see if there is an uninstall utility. If your program has an uninstall utility associated with it, it may have been installed with the program or included on the disk that came with it. If you downloaded a disk image to install the software, sometimes you'll find an uninstaller there. Running an uninstall utility can make removing a program much easier.

How do you uninstall an application on mac

You should be aware that removing an unbundled program by moving it into the Trash can leave behind orphan files on your computer. Preferencefiles are usually small and you might want to ignore them if you're just trying to free up disk space. Background files or support files can be larger, especially for multimedia programs like GarageBand [source: MacRumors]. These files are likely to reside in Library folders in your hard drive or Home folder. They will usually be labeled with the name of the program, like Office or Acrobat, or the developer, such as Microsoft or Adobe. You can search for the relevant names using Spotlight, which is included with the Mac OS. Drag the files you find to the trash to get rid of them [source: Tanous]. .

Check out the next page for tips to make your uninstallation go even more smoothly.

If searching through obscure corners of your computer for what could be hundreds of files sounds like something a machine could do better than you, you're right. There are plenty of software programs that do just that. They're usually your best bet for really cleaning an app off your Mac, and some of them are free. Popular examples include AppTrap, Appcleaner, and AppZapper.

Some of the files that a program might create on your hard disk are invisible. It may be tempting, especially for neat freaks, to find and delete these files. But some files are deliberately hidden because they are essential to the computer's operating system. Deleting the wrong file could land you in deep trouble [source: Landau]. The best advice is not to go where even experienced techies fear to tread. Uninstall utilities can search out and destroy these files, but doing so on your own invites trouble.

Another important thing to do is empty your Trash when you're finished uninstalling. Moving a program's icon to the Trash doesn't actually remove the files from your hard disk or clear up any space. Only when you empty the Trash is the application really gone.

Here are some other important tips:

When you install a program, check to see how to uninstall it. Make a note if it has its own uninstall utility or instructions.
Before you begin any uninstalling process, check to make sure your Trash is empty or contains nothing you might want to save.
Log on as your computer's administrator whenever you uninstall. If you're uninstalling at work and don't have administrator privileges, you'll have to consult with your tech people [source: Ritchie].
If you opt for a third-party uninstall utility, look at the features. Some developers charge for their software, but you may not need the bells and whistles. Free utilities may work fine.
It often makes sense to leave preference files alone. If you ever reinstall the same software, you won't have to set the preferences.
Suites of software from a developer, such as the Office suite from Microsoft, often share files. Removing the files of one component may affect the others, so it's good to be cautious with these [source: The X Lab].
If, after you remove a program, the icon is still in your dock, you can get rid of it by simply dragging it off the dock and letting it go [source: Tech-FAQ].

Removing software from your Mac is a lot less of a hassle than cleaning your office or garage. But clearing away computer clutter and making space on your hard disk can be just as satisfying.

Originally Published: Aug 8, 2011

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Sources

Landau, Ted. 'Tutorial: Now you see 'em, now you don't: Invisible files in Mac OS X,' cnet.com, May 19, 2004. (Feb. 14, 2019) https://www.cnet.com/news/tutorial-now-you-see-em-now-you-dont-invisible-files-in-mac-os-x/
FacRumors. 'Uninstalling Applications in Mac OS X,' MacRumors.com. (Feb. 16, 2019) https://web.archive.org/web/20170715163609/http://guides.macrumors.com/Uninstalling_Applications_in_Mac_OS_Xp
Ritchie, David. 'How to Uninstall Mac Programs,' TheMacLawyer.com. October 13, 2010. (Feb. 16, 2019) http://www.themaclawyer.com/2010/10/articles/guest-posts/guest-post-how-to-uninstall-mac-programs/
Tanous, Jim. 'How to Uninstall & Remove Mac OS X Programs and Applications,' The Mac Observer. Feb. 1, 2013. (Feb. 16, 2019) https://www.macobserver.com/tmo/answers/how-to-uninstall-remove-mac-os-x-programs-and-applications
Tech-FAQ. 'How to Uninstall Programs on a Mac,' Tech-FAQ.com. (Feb. 16, 2019) http://www.tech-faq.com/how-to-uninstall-programs-on-a-mac.html
The X Lab. 'Uninstalling applications,' TheXLab.com. (Feb. 16, 2019) http://www.thexlab.com/faqs/uninstallingapps.html

The process of uninstalling the apps on Mac is pretty different from that of Windows. Unlike Windows, there are several Mac software which do not get deleted easily. What happens in Windows system is that the installer wizards are used to install software and the same method is followed to uninstall the same. So, uninstalling software in Windows is taken care of by the automated programs which is not the case in Mac systems. Mac systems make use of the Unix way of separating the files on the system from the working space of users. By just dragging the files to the Trash folder, it should get deleted. However, there are certain software that cannot be deleted this way. Through this article, you will get to know how to uninstall apps on Mac completely and correctly.

There are a few free ways mentioned here which you can explore to carry out this process of deletion. Although these methods are free, there are certain drawbacks which come with this including the presence of leftover files, difficulty in removing certain apps etc. So, if you want to completely remove an app or a software in bulk, you must opt for Umate Mac Cleaner for better results.

Way 1: Delete Applications on Mac with App Uninstaller

If in case you have downloaded an app on your Mac system from the internet or from a disk, it can be removed easily by using the following method. Follow the steps below to uninstall apps on Mac using app uninstaller.

Click on the 'Finder' icon on your Mac system and select 'Applications' from the Finder sidebar.
If in case the app is a folder, open the folder and click on 'Uninstall [App name]' or '[App name] uninstaller' and then follow the instructions on-screen.

This is one of the ways which you can use to know how to delete applications on Mac, provided the app uninstaller is present.

Way 2: Uninstall Applications on Mac by Emptying Trash

If in case the app which you want to install does not have an app uninstaller, you can make use of this method to know how to uninstall applications on Mac.

From the dock, launch 'Finder' and click on 'Applications'.
Once you find the application, remove application from Mac, either you can drag it to the 'Trash' folder or you can even select 'File' and click on the option 'Move to Trash'.
From the dock, click and hold the 'Trash' icon and select 'Empty Trash' from the popup menu.

Doing this will delete all the content in the trash folder including the app which you wanted to uninstall!

Way 3: Uninstall Purchased Apps using Launchpad

Launchpad is a centralized location on your Mac system where you can see or open any file installed on your system. You can use the following method to remove or uninstall any app from here.

How To Uninstall Apps On Macbook

Launch Launchpad and browse through the contents to find the purchased app which you wish to uninstall.
Click on this app and hold it for a while until you see it jiggling.
Once this happens, you can see an'x' option appear on top of every app, click on it to uninstall the app of your choice.

If in case the app which you wish to delete does not have the 'x', you won't be able to delete it using this method.

Important: Be Aware of the Leftover Files and Bundling Programs After Uninstallation

While the above methods are free and are traditionally used by every Mac user, what the users need to be aware of is that deleting the apps this way can leave behind some leftover files which can slow down your Mac's performance. Whenever you use an uninstaller for the app or move it to Trash, there are certain files which are left behind. These files would have been used while the app was actually used but they do not get deleted when you delete or uninstall the app. These files are collectively known as leftover files of applications, and they will eat up space in your Mac system and these are what make the system slow and unresponsive at times.

Another problem associated with these methods is that there are bundling programs after the uninstallation process. These files cannot be deleted by these regular methods. Another thing to note is that, when you delete apps without any professional knowledge, you may land yourself in deep trouble.

If you are a novice user or an expert who does not want the above-listed problems while uninstalling any app or software on Mac, you can make use of the third-party apps like the one mentioned below for deleting or uninstalling the apps on your Mac. With the help of such an app, you can not only remove the specific app but it also removes the caches, files and preferences related to the particular app. So in the following part, we are going to show you another different solution. Using it you can completely remove the apps, as well as the aid programs and even deliberately hidden files.

Way 4: Completely Uninstall Application on Mac and Leftover Files

The best third party app for uninstalling an application on Mac along with all the files related to it is Umate Mac Cleaner. This is the best alternative for the regular methods. Reasons why we recommend it are showed below:

Umate Mac Cleaner	Manual Deletion
Time needed	1 min	3-5 mins
Bulk removal of apps
Clean up leftover files
Whether need professional knowledge	Sometimes need
Efficiency	High	Medium

Now let's have a closer look at how to uninstall programs on Mac using Umate Mac Cleaner.

Install Umate Mac Cleaner on your system and launch it.
From the main interface, click on 'Manage Apps & Extensions' and then 'Uninstall Applications'.
This program will load all the apps on your Mac. Browse through the apps listed here and click on the 'Uninstall' button next to the app which you wish to delete.

This way you can use Umate Mac Cleaner to completely uninstall application Mac. Many satisfied users and famious websites also vouch for the performance of Umate Mac Cleaner. By using this program, you can quickly remove any unwanted apps and relase up to 40% free space on the Mac.

Cannot Delete Some Apps on Mac? What to Do

There are some apps on Mac which cannot be deleted easily. Here are the main reasons and corrospoding solutions.

1. App is running in the background

It may be possible that the app which you are trying to delete may be running in the background. In order to delete such an app, kill the background process of the app and then try deleting in either of the ways mentioned above. Here is what you need to do:

Press Command and spacebar to call up Spotlight.
Type Acttivity Monitor and hit Reture to launcn it.
Find the app progress you want to end. Click on it and then the X icon in the Activity Monitor toolbar. The process should quit now.

2. It's bloatware

Another reason why an app may not be getting uninstalled after several attempts is due to bloatware. Speaking of bloatware, it's usually pre-installed and you don't need it. It weights a lot and will hog a lot of disk space. Some common bloatware includes language packages, browser extensions, etc. You can delete such preinstalled apps and browser extensions in the following way.

Open 'Applications' from 'Finder'.
Right-click on the app which you wish to uninstall and click on 'Get info'.
Click on the lock icon at the bottom and enter your password when prompted.
Go to the 'Sharing and Permissions' section and select 'Everyone' for the option 'Read & Write'.
You can then delete the app if you have admin rights.

Note

However, if you want to systematically delete the browser extensions, or get rid of bloatware in one click, the best way would be to use Umate Mac Cleaner, and the steps for which are given above.

Conclusion

The regular methods described above to know how to delete programs on Mac are pretty effective. The only problem with such a method is that it does not delete all the files related to the particular app which can create performance issues on your Mac. To avoid this scenario and make the entire process of uninstalling apps easier, it is highly recommended that you download Umate Mac Cleaner and use it for this purpose.