Quick question – how do you uninstall programs on Mac?

Uninstall apps on Mac with App Cleaner & Uninstaller. The first way of uninstalling apps is to use a. Unlike in Windows where programs have their own uninstallers, removing a Mac application is usually as simple as dragging its icon from the Applications folder to the trash. But some stubborn 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.

Uninstalling Apps On Macos

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!

Uninstall Apps On Mac Mojave

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:

Keeping your Mac clean and tidy is the best practice. It not only improves the performance of Mac’s speed but also allows you to keep an eye on minute details within. So, to keep your Mac tidy, you need to uninstall those applications that are not required anymore and clogging the space unnecessarily.

Through this descriptive blog, we will explain to you how to uninstall programs on Mac. Many people think that dragging an app to Trash solves their problem. But this is not always the case. Though moving the program into Trash deletes most of the files, but residues and support files remain there. And these files bog down the performance by making the Mac look cluttered.

So, how to delete apps on Mac now? Keep scrolling.

How To Uninstall Programs On Mac Manually?

Follow the steps mentioned below to delete applications on Mac manually.

Step 1: Close the app you want to delete as it should not be running behind while you are trying to delete it. To make sure, press Command-Option-Esc. If the app is still running, force quit it before moving ahead.

Step 2: Find out the app you want to delete.

Step 3: Drag the application and drop it to the trash bin.

Step 4: Once done, follow the steps mentioned below.

Step 5: Locate Go and click it. It will help you in opening the Library folder.

Step 6: Here, navigate and click on ‘Go To Folder’.

Step 7: When the next menu box opens up, you will get a space to type. Type here ~/Library/ and click on Go.

Step 8: As the Library folder opens, find out the folder mentioned below and delete the residuals of the unwanted programs from Mac.

This is how to delete applications on Mac. Let’s figure out the detail of each folder.

• Locate Cache for support caches
• Locate Preferences to find your preference files
• Locate Application for application support files
• Locate Address Book Plug-ins for plugins
• Locate Application Support/CrashReporter for all the old crash reports
• Locate Saved Application State for saved app states

With these steps mentioned above, you get to know how to uninstall programs on mac.

Also Read:Best Mac Optimizer Software to Free up Valuable Disk Space

How To Uninstall Programs On Mac Using Third-Party Tool (Smart Mac Care)?

Deleting so many applications in one go is literally a hideous task. Manual deletion and removing their residual files individually is not so easy. This is where Smart Mac Care can solve your query.

Smart Mac Care

This tool helps in removing cluttered files by locating them individually and makes better space for work optimization. It can also remove hidden malware while protecting the device. Now how to uninstall applications on Mac using Smart Mac Care?

Step 1: Download Smart Mac Care on your Mac, it scans the system within a few minutes to find Malware, Junk, and Privacy Protection.

Step 2: Now, when you want to uninstall programs, check the module of Advanced features as shown in the image below.

Step 3: Its first column denotes the ‘Uninstaller’. The scanning will tell you about all the apps which might haven’t neem used for a long time and needs a revision.

Once the list of apps come on the screen, they can be marked and selected for deletion. You can also go for rescanning if required.

And it’s done!

Uninstalling Apps On Macbook Pro

Now you don’t need to go through manual scanning and deletion when Smart Mac Care assists in uninstalling programs. Now you get to know how to delete applications on Mac without going through any hassle.

Other Features Of Smart Mac Care

• It has the potential of removing malware and junk from Mac while keeping privacy intact.
• It even shows the web protection status. And if they are not protected, installing the extensions is very much possible through the tool.
• One can find and remove duplicates, check the disk usage, find the failed downloads and clean them easily.
• Launch Items improves the startup time, and System details give redundant of iOS updates, backups, downloads, etc.
• Memory Optimizer provides insights into the amount of memory available. You can choose to select ‘Optimize Now’ for optimization.

Conclusion

You do not need to rush anywhere else in uninstalling programs on Mac. Yes, the manual method is used everywhere around the world to delete programs on Mac. but a smart tool is giving you more than required.

Also Read: Best App Uninstaller For Mac to Remove Unwanted Apps

Uninstalling Apps On Mac Air

Get Smart Mac Care today, and you will not need to find how to uninstall apps on Mac with ease!

Uninstalling Apps On Mac Youtube

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