How Do You Uninstall Apps From Mac

How to uninstall software on a mac

  1. How Do I Delete Apps From Mac Mini
  2. How Do You Uninstall Apps On Macbook
  • Delete Applications on Mac with App Uninstaller. If in case you have downloaded an app on your.
  • How to delete a Mac app using Launchpad. To open Launchpad, click on F4 (the button that shows a grid of six squares). Locate the app you wish to remove. Press the Opton/Alt key. Now click on Delete to confirm you want to remove the program.

How to uninstall programs on a mac apps. Step 2: Once open, Launchpad will replace any current windows with a grid of apps.You can view, open, and rearrange apps here if you want, but for now you. If you have apps for managing photos or your music library, you may find the new Photos app that comes with macOS or the new Music app do a great job, so the old software you’d been using is redundant. Whatever the case, there are quick and easy ways to delete apps from your Mac. We’ll walk you through it!

How Do I Delete Apps From Mac Mini

Whether you’re trying to clear up hard drive space or you just want to get rid of an unused app, uninstalling software is a fairly routine task.

Luckily for Mac users, the uninstallation process is a lot simpler on macOS than it is on other platforms. In fact, it’s literally drag-and-drop simple. There’s no “Uninstall Programs” menu in Control Panel like there is in Windows.

Having said that, there are a couple of ways you can actually go about uninstalling apps. Here’s what you need to know.

Uninstall Mac Apps Via Finder

The traditional method for uninstalling apps is to use Finder. If you’re running a particularly old version of macOS (or OS X), this is the method you’ll use.

  1. Open a Finder window.
  2. Click on the Applications folder.
  3. Select the app you want to uninstall.
  4. Right-click the application.
  5. In the menu that pops up, click on Move to Trash.

Alternatively, you can simply drag the application directly to the Trash icon. (It’ll be in the bottom-right corner of the Mac taskbar. You may need to hover over the bottom of the display to get it to show.)

Once the app is sent to Trash, there is one more step you’ll need to take to completely rid your computer of it.

This is also the last time to reinstall an app you’ve recently deleted if you changed your mind. Just drag an app from Trash back to the Applications folder. Or right-click on the app in the Trash folder and click Put Back.

But to permanently delete apps from your computer, simply right-click the Trash icon in the bottom-right corner of the menu bar. Then, click on Empty Trash. Depending on how much data is in your Trash can, this could take a moment.

Uninstall Mac Apps from Launchpad

The last method is incredibly simple, but OS X Lion and newer versions of the Mac operating system have an easier method.

First, you’ll need to open Launchpad. There are two ways to go about this.

  • Click the Launchpad icon in the taskbar. It’s shaped like a gray rocket, or six squares.
  • Alternatively, you can use a Multi-Touch gesture. Simply pinch your thumb and three fingers together to display Launchpad.

From here, the process is similar to iOS.

  1. Click and hold the icon of the app you’d like to uninstall.
  2. Wait until the app icon begins to jiggle.
  3. When it does, click the circular black X icon that appears next to it.
  4. You’ll be a prompt asking you to confirm. Click on Delete.

It’s worth noting that the Launchpad method won’t work on every app. Typically, it’ll only show up on apps that you’ve downloaded from the Mac App Store.

Similarly, unlike iOS, you won’t be able to delete native macOS applications like Safari, Mail or Photos.

Using an Uninstaller for Mac Apps

While these methods will cover the vast majority of apps you interact with on a daily basis, there is another method for certain applications.

Although uncommon, some apps will have their own dedicated uninstallers. This is especially true for app suites like Microsoft Office or Adobe Creative Cloud.

How do you uninstall apps from mac

Basically, these app suites come with an uninstaller app because they tend to install other software or support apps. If you install Photoshop on your Mac, for example, Adobe might install a suite of other apps like Adobe Bridge or Adobe Content Viewer along with it.

To do away with an app suite, you can either hunt down each individual app and delete them separately. Or, you can use the uninstaller app that came with the suite.

Generally, it’s recommended that you use the uninstaller. The official uninstall process will typically clean up app data and other miscellaneous files that might otherwise be left behind.

How to Clean Up Leftover Files

Though this isn’t true across the board, some apps will “leave behind” random bits of data or other files. For the most part, there’s really no harm in this. But these leftover files can take up a bit of space on your drive.

If you’re particularly space-conscious, you might want to go through the process of cleaning them up.

How

The quickest way to do so is to use a third-party utility app that will automatically locate and delete that leftover data, preference files and caches. An app like AppCleaner is a great choice.

Use AppCleaner to Clean Up Files

AppCleaner is free and incredibly simple to use. Once you download and install it, follow these steps before you uninstall the actual app.

  1. Open AppCleaner.
  2. Drag an application to the AppCleaner window.
  3. It’ll scan and find all associated files.
  4. Be sure to “check” the files and folders that you want AppCleaner to delete.
  5. Click the Remove button.
  6. You’ll usually need to login with an administrator account to authenticate.

Once you do, AppCleaner will move the app and its associated files to the Trash.

AppCleaner also has a “SmartDelete” option that’s located in its Preferences menu. This will save you from having to checkmark each file or folder before AppCleaner removes them.

As with the other methods explained above, you’ll need to empty the Trash before the apps (and their files) are actually deleted from your hard drive.

Manually Clean Up Leftover Files

If you don’t want to use a third-party option, you’ll need to dig around and find those files yourself. It’s not the hardest thing to do, but it requires a bit of know-how.

You will find these leftover bits of data in your Library folder. Here’s how to get to it.

  1. Open a Finder window.
  2. Click on the Go menu in the top menu bar.
  3. Hold down the Option key.
  4. You’ll see a new folder pop up titled Library.
  5. Click on Library.

From here, it’s just a matter of searching out the individual leftover files. They might include application support files, preference files, and caches.

In the Library folder:

  • Application support files will be located in the Application Support
  • Preference files will be located in the Preferences
  • Caches will be located in the Caches

Click on any of the above folders. Then, locate a subfolder named after the app you’ve uninstalled. Occasionally, the folder will be named after the app developer, rather than the app.

You can either delete the individual files within that subfolder, or just delete the subfolder itself.

Overview

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.

  1. Click on the 'Finder' icon on your Mac system and select 'Applications' from the Finder sidebar.

  2. 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.
  3. 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.

  1. From the dock, launch 'Finder' and click on 'Applications'.
  2. 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'.

  3. 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 Do You Uninstall Apps On Macbook

  1. Launch Launchpad and browse through the contents to find the purchased app which you wish to uninstall.
  2. Click on this app and hold it for a while until you see it jiggling.
  3. 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.

  4. 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 CleanerManual Deletion
    Time needed 1 min3-5 mins
    Bulk removal of apps
    Clean up leftover files
    Whether need professional knowledgeSometimes need
    EfficiencyHighMedium

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

    1. Install Umate Mac Cleaner on your system and launch it.

    2. From the main interface, click on 'Manage Apps & Extensions' and then 'Uninstall Applications'.

    3. 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.

    4. 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:

    1. Press Command and spacebar to call up Spotlight.
    2. Type Acttivity Monitor and hit Reture to launcn it.
    3. 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.

    1. Open 'Applications' from 'Finder'.
    2. Right-click on the app which you wish to uninstall and click on 'Get info'.
    3. Click on the lock icon at the bottom and enter your password when prompted.
    4. Go to the 'Sharing and Permissions' section and select 'Everyone' for the option 'Read & Write'.

    5. 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.