Uninstall Mac apps completely, leftovers included
Dragging an app to the Trash leaves caches, preferences and background helpers behind. Our guides show what each app leaves and how to remove it safely.
Why dragging to the Trash is not enough
Moving an app from Applications to the Trash removes the app bundle: the icon you double-click. It does not touch the files the app created while it ran. Most of those sit in your user Library folder, which Finder hides by default, and some sit in the shared /Library folder used by every account on the Mac. Apps can also install kernel or system extensions, network filters and menu-bar helpers that keep running after the main app is gone. That is why many vendors ship their own uninstaller, inside the app's folder or as a separate download: a drag to the Trash cannot reach all of this.
~/Library/Application Support- Settings databases, plug-ins and downloaded components. For large apps this folder alone can run to gigabytes.
~/Library/Caches- Temporary files the app kept so it could start and load faster.
~/Library/Preferences.plistfiles that store the app's settings, usually named after the vendor and app, for examplecom.vendor.appname.plist.~/Library/Containersand~/Library/Group Containers- Data belonging to sandboxed and Mac App Store apps.
~/Library/LaunchAgents- Jobs that start when you log in, such as update checkers and helper processes.
/Library/LaunchAgentsand/Library/LaunchDaemons- The same idea for every user on the Mac, usually installed by apps that asked for your administrator password.
- Login Items & Extensions
- System Settings > General; called Login Items on macOS 13 and 14. Helpers allowed to open at login or run in the background, plus system and network extensions.
- Installer receipts
- Apps installed from a
.pkgfile leave a receipt that records what was installed where. Thepkgutilcommand in Terminal can read it, which helps track down files spread across the system. - Vendor uninstallers
- Some apps include one. Look in the app's folder in Applications, in the original installer image, or on the vendor's support site.
How it works: three steps for any app
Every guide on this site follows the same three steps. What changes from app to app is the detail, and that is what each guide fills in: the exact process names, file paths and settings to check.
Quit the app and stop its background processes
Quit normally with Command-Q, then open Activity Monitor and look for processes carrying the app's or vendor's name and quit those too. In System Settings > General > Login Items & Extensions, switch off anything that belongs to the app.
Remove the app bundle, or run the vendor's uninstaller
If the vendor provides an uninstaller, use it first: it knows where its own files, extensions and daemons live. Otherwise drag the app from Applications to the Trash. Expect to be asked for your administrator password.
Find and remove leftovers, then restart
Search
~/Libraryand/Library, especially Application Support, Caches, Preferences, LaunchAgents and LaunchDaemons, for the app and vendor names, and remove only what clearly belongs to the app. Empty the Trash and restart your Mac so nothing from the old app is still running.
What we cover
Guides are grouped by the kind of app, because apps in the same category tend to leave the same kind of mess. New guides are added to the blog as we test them.
- Browsers
- Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Brave, Opera and the update helpers they install alongside.
- Antivirus and security suites
- The apps most likely to leave system extensions, network filters and daemons behind.
- Creative and audio tools
- Design suites, video editors, DAWs, plug-in installers and their license managers.
- Remote access and VPN
- Network extensions, tunnels, agents and background services.
- Games and launchers
- Storefront clients, anti-cheat components and the large data folders they leave in Application Support.
- Developer tools
- IDEs, runtimes, package managers and the hidden configuration files they place in your home folder.
- Apple built-in apps
- Which ones can be removed, which cannot, and why you usually should not try.
Safety notes
Removing leftovers means deleting files by hand, so a little caution goes a long way. These rules apply to every guide on this site.
- Never delete anything inside `/System`. Since macOS Catalina the system volume is read-only and protected by System Integrity Protection; the apps there are part of macOS, not something to remove.
- Leave System Integrity Protection switched on. Some tutorials suggest disabling SIP to remove a stubborn component. Our guides never require it, and we don't recommend it.
- Back up first. A current Time Machine backup, or even a copy of the folder you're about to delete, makes any mistake reversible.
- Prefer the vendor's uninstaller when one exists. It knows about files a manual search will miss and can remove system extensions and daemons cleanly. Removing an extension may ask you to confirm or restart.
- Be careful with shared components. Frameworks, fonts and plug-ins in
/Librarymay be used by more than one app. If you can't identify something, leave it. - Delete only what you can identify. Match folder and file names against the app's name and the vendor's name; if a file doesn't clearly belong to the app you're removing, it stays.
Frequently asked questions
Short answers to the questions people ask most before removing an app. Each guide adds the app-specific details.
Is dragging an app to the Trash enough to uninstall it on a Mac?
For the app itself, yes: the bundle in Applications is gone. But the app's caches, preferences, support files and any background helpers stay behind in your Library folders. For a small utility that may be a few kilobytes; for a large suite it can be gigabytes of data and processes that keep running at login.
Where does macOS keep an app's leftover files?
Mostly in your user Library folder (~/Library): Application Support, Caches, Preferences, LaunchAgents, Containers and Saved Application State. System-wide items live in /Library, in particular LaunchAgents, LaunchDaemons and Application Support. Login and background items are listed in System Settings > General > Login Items & Extensions.
How do I open the hidden Library folder?
In Finder, open the Go menu and hold the Option key; Library appears in the list. You can also choose Go > Go to Folder and type ~/Library. To keep it visible permanently, open your home folder, choose View > Show View Options and tick Show Library Folder.
Do I need a third-party cleaner app to uninstall software?
No. Everything in our guides can be done with Finder, System Settings and, occasionally, Terminal. Cleaner apps can save time, but they are not required, and we don't bundle, sell or push one.
Can I uninstall Apple's built-in apps like Safari or Mail?
Generally no. Apps that ship with macOS live in /System/Applications on a read-only volume protected by System Integrity Protection, and removing them is neither supported nor worth the risk. Apple apps you installed from the Mac App Store, such as Pages, Numbers, Keynote, GarageBand and iMovie, live in Applications and can be removed like any other app.
Why is an app's process still running after I deleted it?
A LaunchAgent, LaunchDaemon or login item is starting it. Look in ~/Library/LaunchAgents, /Library/LaunchAgents and /Library/LaunchDaemons for a .plist named after the app or vendor and remove it, switch off the matching entry in System Settings > General > Login Items & Extensions, then restart. If the process belongs to a system or network extension, the vendor's uninstaller is usually the cleanest way to remove it.
Find the guide for your app
Every guide lists the exact files, folders and background items an app leaves behind, tells you when the vendor's uninstaller is the better choice, and ends with a quick check that nothing is left running. If we haven't covered your app yet, tell us and we'll add it to the list.