Like on a PC, most of your Mac’s software lives in the same place on your computer. Unlike on Windows, however, uninstalling apps isn’t done by the computer, it’s something you need to do on your own – but don’t worry, it’s pretty easy! Here’s how to uninstall apps on Mac.
Deleting an app in the Finder is as easy as dragging an icon to the trash, entering your administrator password, then emptying the trash. At this point, OS X will move the app to the Trash, but if. There are two ways to completely uninstall apps on your Mac: the manual way and the third-party app. We highly recommend you use the third-party app as it’s much easier than the manual way. FreeMacSoft’s AppCleaner and MacPaw’s CleanMyMac 3 are two of the best free and paid software for completely uninstalling the applications on Mac.
![Mac Mac](/uploads/1/3/4/0/134039944/334818039.jpg)
First, to explain why apps work a little differently on the Mac vs the PC / Windows, we have to talk about how software works (bear with me – it’s not as scary as it sounds).
What is a dependency?
But first, we'll show you how to delete an app on OS X. Removing A Mac App There are two ways you can remove a Mac app, either from the Launchpad or directly from the Applications folder. Mac OS X can experience difficulty deleting certain files due to the following (and other) reasons: The file is in use by an application or system process The file is locked. Mac fitbit app not opening.
When someone makes a new piece of software, they generally don’t write every last bit of it themselves. Instead, they rely on bits of code written by someone else, especially when it comes to how your app works with your computer or some other piece of hardware (like a mouse or keyboard). Anything that isn’t part of an app, but the app requires it to run, we can call a dependency.
Think of it like writing down a recipe for a sandwich. You’re probably going to tell someone that they need bread, but you aren’t going to tell them how to make (or buy) bread. You could make bread from scratch, but it’s more simpler and more consistent to user bread that’s already made. In that way, you can think of the bread as a dependency for the sandwich.
When you install an application on Windows, it often doesn’t include the necessary dependencies to run. This is why when you want to install a new piece of software on your PC, you download something called an installer, and that takes care of looking for dependencies and putting files where they need to go (it’ll often put a link in your Start menu or desktop, too).
Most apps on your Mac, by contrast, include all the dependencies and everything they need to run along with the app itself. That’s why when you want to install a new app on your Mac, it’s often just a matter of dragging an icon into your Applications folder. All you do is copy the app over, and it’s installed. There are a lot of differences between Mac OS X and Windows, but this is a big one.
That’s well and good, but how do I uninstall apps on my Mac?
In the last paragraph, I mentioned how you often install an app on your Mac by dragging whatever you downloaded into your Applications folder. In a very similar vein, you can uninstall those apps by dragging them to your Trash, usually located on your dock at the bottom of the screen (it looks like a trash can).
First, bring up your Applications folder. To get there, first click on your desktop, then mouse up to the top of the screen. A bar will appear. Click on the entry that says Go, and a drop-down menu will appear. You can use this menu to get to some common places on your Mac, so feel free to click around and explore. For now, though, go ahead and click on the entry that says Applications. A new window will pop up (if you’ve already got a Finder window open, it may navigate to Applications instead of having a new window open, and that’s fine) with a list of your apps.
To drag something to the Trash, just click and hold on the app you want to get rid of, and while continuing to hold the mouse or trackpad button down, drag the app to the trash can icon on the dock. Even if your dock isn’t on the screen, if you drag to where the dock is, it’ll pop up – then you can keep dragging to the Trash. Once you’re hovering over top the Trash icon, let go.
How To Delete An App On Mac Os X
You can also delete it directly from the Applications folder without having to drag it to the trash. Just click on it to highlight the app you want to delete, then hold down your keyboard’s Command button and tap delete. You can also right-click on the app and select ‘Move to Trash.’
If you want to make sure it’s completely gone, you’ll want to empty the Trash. First, make sure there aren’t any important files you’ve accidentally deleted or (unwisely) stored in the Trash folder. Then, you can empty the Trash by right-clicking on the trash can in the dock and selecting the option that says Empty Trash.
What about the Mac App Store?
Most of the big applications you’ll download aren’t really on the Mac App Store. The reasons for this are many, but tend to focus around how Apple has really done a poor job both supporting the App Store on Mac and supporting developers who want to write apps for it. So most apps on Mac you’ll get from the internet and install / uninstall like we talked about above.
But there are a few winners in the Mac App Store, and sometimes you’ll want to uninstall them, like when you don’t need them anymore, or just need some temporary extra space on your Mac (since they’re from the App Store, you’ll be able to easily re-install them).
The uninstall process for apps you’ve installed via the Mac App Store is different from apps you might get from the internet. Instead, it’s much more like the process to delete an app from your iPhone or iPad (just hold down an icon until it wiggles, then tap the ‘x’). First, you’ll need to bring up the Launchpad screen, which is something Apple has brought to the Mac from the iPhone, and their version of the Start menu from Windows.
Apple mac photo editing apps. To open up Launchpad, you can either do a four-finger pinching motion on your trackpad, or you can just click on the rocketship logo in the dock (see above). Once Launchpad opens, you’ll see a grid of icons on your screen – it looks, unsurprisingly, like the home screen of a big iPad.
Uninstalling these apps is simple. With Launchpad open, you can either click and hold on an app until the icons start jiggling (just like the iPhone) or you simply hold down the option key, which will make the icons jiggle automatically. With the icons jiggling, find the app you want to uninstall and click on the ‘x’ in the corner. That’s all it takes; your app is gone.
There are a couple of exceptions to the rule
Any apps you install from the Mac App Store will cleanly uninstall if you delete them from the Launchpad screen. Apps that you download from the internet and install via an installer won’t always go happily when you drag them to the Trash.
Some examples of this are big apps like Adobe Photoshop, and anything else in the Adobe Creative Cloud suite of software. So just be aware that you might want to look for an uninstaller. Double-click that, and follow the directions; it’ll save you a lot of headache later on (you can remove apps like these without using the uninstaller, for the most part, but if you ever want to reinstall, you might need to install them, remove with the uninstaller, and reinstall them a second time).
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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.
- Open a Finder window.
- Click on the Applications folder.
- Select the app you want to uninstall.
- Right-click the application.
- 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.
- Click and hold the icon of the app you’d like to uninstall.
- Wait until the app icon begins to jiggle.
- When it does, click the circular black X icon that appears next to it.
- 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 To Delete Apps Mac Os X How To Delete Apps Mac Os X](/uploads/1/3/4/0/134039944/309648218.png)
Can't Delete App On 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. What is volumes install install.app contents macos install. 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.
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.
- Open AppCleaner.
- Drag an application to the AppCleaner window.
- It’ll scan and find all associated files.
- Be sure to “check” the files and folders that you want AppCleaner to delete.
- Click the Remove button.
- 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.
- Open a Finder window.
- Click on the Go menu in the top menu bar.
- Hold down the Option key.
- You’ll see a new folder pop up titled Library.
- 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.
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