How to Uninstall Safari Extensions on Mac, Including the App That Installed Them

Here is how to uninstall Safari extensions on Mac: open Safari, choose Safari > Settings > Extensions, select the extension and click Uninstall. Safari extensions ship inside an app, so Safari then points you to that app: move it to the Trash, empty the Trash, and check every Safari profile. Turning the checkbox off only disables it.

How to uninstall Safari extensions on Mac: the short answer

Here is the full job in order.

1. In Safari, choose Safari > Settings > Extensions, select the extension and click Uninstall.
2. Note the name of the app the extension came with, then quit that app.
3. Remove the app, using the vendor's own uninstaller if it has one, or by moving it to the Trash.
4. Empty the Trash, then clear any small folders the app left in your Library.
5. Repeat the Extensions check for every Safari profile you use.
6. Quit and reopen Safari, and confirm the extension is no longer listed.

These steps are for Safari on a Mac. If Safari itself is acting up, our guide on whether you can uninstall Safari on Mac explains why the browser cannot be removed. It also shows what to remove instead.

Why turning an extension off does not remove it

Apple's page on Safari extensions on your Mac lists two actions. Clearing the checkbox next to an extension turns it off. Clicking the Uninstall button removes it.

The bigger reason is where extensions live. Apple's developer documentation on Safari web extensions says they are built as app extensions and distributed with an app. So a modern extension sits inside an app in your Applications folder.

That is why a checkbox is not enough. Apple's page on getting extensions for Safari on Mac confirms the other side of it: removing the app that contains an extension also removes the extension.

Step 1: Uninstall the extension in Safari Settings

Apple's steps are short:

1. Open Safari.
2. From the Safari menu in the menu bar, choose Settings. On older versions of macOS this item is called Preferences.
3. Click Extensions.
4. Select the extension in the list on the left.
5. Click Uninstall.

Because the extension belongs to an app, Safari usually tells you so and offers to show that app in Finder. Write down the app's name, because that app has to go in Step 2.

Custom extensions made with Apple's Describe an Extension feature work a little differently: Apple says you click Delete instead of Uninstall. If you use Safari profiles (Safari 17 and later), the main Extensions tab only covers the default profile. Open Settings > Profiles and repeat the check in each profile's own Extensions tab.

Step 2: Remove the app that installed the extension

Some apps are only a small shell for the extension. Others are full apps, such as password managers, writing tools and content blockers. These have their own accounts and settings. Removing the app removes its extension for good.

If you still want the app but not the extension, keep the app and just leave the extension turned off.

Route 1: the vendor documents its own uninstaller

Some full apps come with an uninstaller, or a vendor support page with removal steps. When the vendor offers one, use it first. It knows what the app added. Look for an uninstaller inside the app's folder in Applications, or search the vendor's support site for "uninstall Mac".

Route 2: move the app to the Trash

Most apps with a Safari extension, App Store apps included, come off the normal way. Apple's Mac User Guide page on uninstalling apps from the internet or a disc gives the method:

1. Quit the app. If it will not quit, see how to force quit an app on Mac.
2. Open Finder and click Applications in the sidebar.
3. Drag the app to the Trash, or select it and choose File > Move to Trash.
4. Enter your Mac login password if macOS asks for it.
5. Choose Finder > Empty Trash.

For a worked example, Grammarly for Safari is a separate app in Applications. Our guide to uninstalling Grammarly on Mac shows how to quit it, move it to the Trash, and remove the rest of Grammarly's pieces.

Step 3: Clear what the extension's app left behind

The Trash removes the app itself. Its settings and saved data can stay in your user Library. They are usually small, but worth clearing if you want the app fully gone.

Back up with Time Machine before you delete anything. Then check these places:

1. In Finder, choose Go > Go to Folder, type ~/Library/Containers and press Return. Sandboxed apps and their extensions each keep a folder here. Its name often includes the vendor's name.
2. Go to ~/Library/Group Containers. This holds data an app shares with its extension. Folder names usually include a short developer code and the vendor's name.
3. For apps downloaded from a vendor's website, also check ~/Library/Application Support and ~/Library/Preferences for items named after the app or the vendor.
4. Drag only the folders that clearly match the app you removed to the Trash, then empty the Trash.

Some rules keep this safe. Never delete anything inside ~/Library/Containers/com.apple.Safari or any other folder that starts with com.apple. Never touch /System, and never turn off System Integrity Protection. If you are not sure a folder belongs to the app, leave it where it is.

You may read older advice about a ~/Library/Safari/Extensions folder. Older versions of Safari kept extension files there, but current Safari loads extensions from apps instead.

Some apps also add a login item or a background helper. Open System Settings > General > Login Items & Extensions (called Login Items on macOS Ventura 13 and Sonoma 14). Remove any entry from that vendor. Apple's guide to items that open when you log in shows where each one is listed.

Check that the extension is really gone

Finish with a quick check:

1. Quit Safari completely, then open it again.
2. Open Safari > Settings > Extensions and confirm the extension is not listed.
3. Open Settings > Profiles and check the Extensions tab of every profile.
4. Open System Settings > General > Login Items & Extensions and confirm no helper from that vendor is listed.
5. Check that the app is gone from Applications, and from the Applications folder inside your home folder (~/Applications).
6. If anything still looks attached, restart the Mac and check again.

On macOS Ventura 13 and later, Safari can share extensions across your devices. The Share across devices checkbox sits at the bottom of the Extensions settings. Apple says a shared extension has to be uninstalled on each device it is on. If you do not want extensions from your other devices on this Mac, clear that checkbox.

When a Safari extension will not uninstall

The Uninstall button is grayed out, missing or does nothing

The app that holds the extension is still on the Mac. It may still be open, too. Quit the app, then remove it as shown in Step 2.

It comes back after you delete the app

Something is still providing it. Often there is a second copy of the app in another folder, another user account or an external drive. Or a Safari profile was not checked. Search Finder for the app's name to find them.

If the extension arrives from another device, clear Share across devices in Safari's Extensions settings on the Mac. If your homepage or search engine also keeps changing back, a configuration profile may be involved: the configuration profile steps in our Safari guide cover that case.

Your school or employer manages the Mac

A school or employer can manage Safari extensions on its Macs through device management. If you cannot remove one on a work or school Mac, ask your IT team first.

You do not recognise the extension

Apple's advice is simple: uninstall an extension if you cannot tell what it does or do not expect to use it again. Uninstall it and remove its app as above. To see how macOS keeps unwanted software off your Mac, read Apple's page on how to protect your Mac from malware.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it safe to disable or uninstall Safari extensions?

Yes. Safari and websites work normally without them, and the only thing you lose is the feature that extension added. If you miss it, you can install it again later.

Does turning off a Safari extension remove it?

No. Turning it off only disables it, and it stays installed and listed. To remove it, click Uninstall in Safari's Extensions settings and remove the app it came with.

Where are Safari extensions stored on Mac?

Current Safari extensions are stored inside the app that installed them, in your Applications folder. Their settings and data sit in ~/Library/Containers and ~/Library/Group Containers. Older versions of Safari kept extension files in ~/Library/Safari/Extensions.

Do I need Safari extensions?

No. Safari works fully without any extensions installed. Keep only the ones whose feature you actually use, and uninstall the rest.

Why is my Safari extension still there after I deleted the app?

Usually another profile still lists it, or another copy of the app is on the Mac. The Trash may also still be full. Quit and reopen Safari, then work through the checks in the section on confirming the extension is gone.

Removing other apps from this Mac

If you are also leaving another browser behind, our guides to uninstalling Google Chrome on Mac and uninstalling Firefox on Mac show what each one leaves behind. You can remove it all by hand. The full list of guides covers many more apps.

If your app is not covered yet, email hello@uninstallonmac.com or use the contact page with the app's name and version and your macOS version.