Have you ever installed an app on your MacBook Pro only to find that it isn’t quite what you’re looking for? Maybe you just used an app for a while, but it’s no longer needed.
Whether you’re trying to save space on your hard drive or just want to get rid of bothersome app files, uninstalling these apps can be bothersome. Especially if you’re new to the Mac, the process of deleting unwanted apps can be confusing.
Hit the Uninstall button. TeamViewer will now be removed entirely from Mac. Method 2: Uninstalling TeamViewer and all its files Manually. Sometimes deleting TeamViewer completely using the in-built method isn’t easy. Hence in such a case, you need to remove the app along with its configuration files manually. Here are the steps to do it. Want to fully Uninstall any application on your Mac? It's not as simple as deleting the application in the application folder. There is an extra step that yo. Removing Discord from your Mac is easy. It works the same way on how you normally uninstall an app. If you have finally decided to remove this app completely, you should know how to delete discord folders as well, follow these steps: Quit or close Discord if it is still running; Go to Finder and click the Applications folder.
In this guide, we’ll show you some built-in, free, and paid methods for clearing up apps thoroughly; together with the pros and cons of each method.
We’ll also point out some additional features that will also free up space and keep your MacBook Pro from getting bogged down with old files.
1. Move to Trash
While you may have used the trash for standard files like old documents and images, the trash is a method of uninstalling apps on your MacBook as well. Here’s how to do it:
First, open Finder and locate the app you want to delete. Select it by clicking once, so that it is highlighted.
How To Delete Apps On Mac
Then, press control + trackpad to bring up the supplementary menu. Here, you can select Move to Trash. Once you do, the application will be automatically moved to the trash and disappear from the Finder window you are viewing.
Once the application is in the trash, you can no longer use it. However, it is still taking up space on your computer until you empty the trash. To do this, open the Trash from your dock, then navigate to the top right corner of the window, where it says “Empty”.
Once you empty the trash, the window will close automatically, and you’ll have regained some valuable disk space for future use.
2. Uninstall Apps with AppCleaner
One software you can use to remove unwanted applications is AppCleaner. Because third-party applications distribute their files throughout your disk rather than storing them in a single location, you may accidentally leave chunks of the application on your Mac even after you think you’ve deleted it. AppCleaner will make sure to catch these extra files, even when you don’t know they exist.
Pros:
- It’s completely free.
- Extremely effective at removing hidden extra folders when you want to get rid of an entire application rather than just the surface level files.
- Easy to use, simply drag unwanted apps into the window and let AppCleaner find all the files associated with it
Cons:
- Downloading an app to remove apps seems a bit counterproductive.
- Doesn’t have support/a help reference, but the app should be pretty easy to use anyways.
3. Remove Apps with CCleaner
Just like AppCleaner, CCleaner for Mac will remove hidden files associated with an unwanted app. However, it has a greater variety of features and tools. If you’re looking for something a wider set of abilities, this might be the more fitting app.
Pros:
- Fast and easy application uninstaller for catching unseen folders.
- Also includes general file cleaner for places where temporary files collect and eat up space such as Safari’s catch, preferences, and downloads.
- Junk files can be scheduled for regular deletion so you can worry about more important tasks.
Cons:
- If you want to access all the features, you’ll need to pay for the upgraded version.
- Some users report complications when trying to select which files to delete and which to keep.
4. Via CleanMyMac Uninstaller
If you want a sleek, long-term solution to ridding yourself of unwanted apps and files, CleanMyMac X is a well-developed app that will keep your Mac in top shape. In addition to offering the smart Uninstaller that allows you to remove apps in batch and grabs hidden folders, it can also scan for junk files and securely delete sensitive files. Made by MacPaw, it’s an application you can trust to work smoothly and do exactly what it claims to.
Pros:
- Smart uninstaller makes sure all files associated with a program are deleted and not left behind to take up space.
- Clean out system junk and unnecessary files with tools to delete unwanted attachments or full caches.
- Integrates with iPhoto (now Photos) to reduce space taken by photos on your Mac.
- The combination of tools will help make any MacBook that feels sluggish get back to speed with very little effort on your part.
- Plenty of support and help resources, an extremely clean interface for easy and intuitive use.
Cons:
- Not a free software (though a trial version is available and allows you to remove up to 500 MB data), this is understandable given the breadth of features available.
5. Via MacBooster Uninstaller
Another great alternative for clearing out old apps and programs is MacBooster, made by IOBit. Besides removing apps from your MacBook, it also includes a built-in junk file remover and a duplicate file identifier. The duplicate identifier is especially useful because it can eliminate everything from double pictures to over-saved documents, among other files that can quickly add up over time.
Pros:
- Clean and simple interface, intuitive to use.
- Combines duplicate file searching program with junk file eliminator for the greatest level of excess file removal.
- Can find unknown folders attached to unwanted apps and delete them to save you space and completely erase unnecessary files.
- Optimize the memory on your MacBook and keep everything running smoothly with just one program, and keep track of everything with the menu bar widget.
Cons:
- Excessive cleaning can be detrimental to Mac performance as your laptop rebuilds necessary caches it references frequently.
- It’s not freeware, though a free evaluation version is available.
We hope this guide has given you an idea of the many ways you can rely on to keep your Mac clean of unwanted apps and make it run at peak performance even after long periods of use.
The built-in process of moving an application to the trash will always work, but if you want to go a bit deeper, all the apps mentioned above can fill in the gap and provide additional services.
Got an app that doesn’t seem to delete or keeps reappearing? You may have a virus or malware on your Mac – these are possible to accidentally catch on Mac and you’ll want to check out this article from MacWorld on how to remove them from your MacBook.
What’s your preferred method for removing apps on your MacBook Pro? Tell us more in the comments below.
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 Fully Uninstall Apps On Mac Reddit
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:
- Open Finder.
- Go to Applications.
- Choose the app you want to delete.
- Press Command + Delete (⌘⌫).
- Open Trash.
- 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:
- Click Launchpad icon in your Mac's Dock.
- Find the app you want to delete.
- Click and hold the app until it starts shaking.
- Click X in the top-left corner of the app icon.
- 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:
- Download CleanMyMac X, install, and launch it (it takes less than a minute).
- Go to Uninstaller.
- Choose All Applications.
- Check the boxes next to the app you want to remove.
- 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.
How To Completely Uninstall An App On Macbook Pro
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.