How to uninstall apps on Mac: every method, leftovers included

There are five ways to uninstall an app on a Mac. Which one to use depends on how the app was installed:

Most apps

Quit the app, open Applications in the Finder, drag the app to the Trash, then empty the Trash

Apps with an uninstaller

Run the Uninstall or Uninstaller app in the same folder, or the uninstall option in the app’s menu or settings. Apple calls this the best way when it exists

Mac App Store apps

Same as most apps: drag them to the Trash from Applications. On macOS 26 and 27 there’s no Launchpad to delete them from

Homebrew apps

Run brew uninstall --cask followed by the app’s cask name; add --zap to also remove the files the cask lists

Everything, leftovers included

Delete the app’s folders in ~/Library by hand, or use an uninstaller app such as LaunchHome that finds them for you

For most apps, dragging the app to the Trash uninstalls it and frees the space the app itself used. But as Apple points out, it doesn’t remove the documents and other files you created with it.

Besides your documents, apps write preferences, caches, sandbox containers, logs and more into ~/Library, the Library folder in your home folder. Those files stay behind after the app is gone. Some are a few KB; some take up gigabytes.

Deleting an app also doesn’t cancel any subscription you bought through it. Cancel subscriptions separately.

Deleting or uninstalling an app doesn’t remove any documents or other files that you created with the app.

According to Apple, to uninstall an app:

Sources: Apple Support: Delete or uninstall apps on Mac

1. If the app is open, quit it first.
2. Find it in the Finder; most apps are in the Applications folder. You can also search for it in Spotlight and ⌘-double-click the result to show it in the Finder.
3. If the app isn’t made by Apple, check the same folder for an Uninstall or Uninstaller app. If there is one, use it — it can also remove login items, extensions and data stored elsewhere.
4. Otherwise, drag the app to the Trash, or select it and choose File › Move to Trash. Enter an administrator name and password if asked.
5. Empty the Trash to actually free the space.

In the Finder press ⇧⌘G (Go to Folder), type ~/Library and press Return. Leftovers are usually named after the app or its bundle ID, such as com.example.app.

To find an app’s bundle ID before you uninstall it, open Terminal and run osascript -e 'id of app "AppName"'.

Application Support

App data, databases and plug-ins — usually the biggest

Caches

Caches; safe to delete

Containers / Group Containers

All data of sandboxed apps, including Mac App Store apps

Preferences

Settings, <bundle ID>.plist, sometimes another copy in ByHost

Saved Application State

Window state, <bundle ID>.savedState

Logs, HTTPStorages, WebKit, Cookies

Logs, network caches and web data

LaunchAgents

Background jobs that run at login — best removed along with the app

Only delete folders whose name or bundle ID matches the app exactly. Vendor folders like Adobe, Google or Microsoft are often shared by several apps, and deleting the whole folder breaks the others.

Leave /System and /Library alone, and don’t delete anything starting with com.apple..

Move things to the Trash first and empty it once you’re sure — safer than deleting outright.

If you installed an app with brew install --cask, remove it the same way so Homebrew’s records stay in sync. Dragging it to the Trash leaves Homebrew thinking it’s still installed.

Run brew uninstall --cask <name>, for example brew uninstall --cask firefox. Run brew list --cask to see the names.

Add --zap to also delete the settings and caches the cask lists, such as brew uninstall --cask --zap firefox. Zap can remove files shared with other apps from the same developer, so read what it lists first.

Sources: Homebrew documentation: Cask Cookbook (zap)

The item can’t be moved to the Trash because it’s open: the app or one of its helpers is still running. Quit it, check the menu bar for its icon, or force quit it with ⌥⌘Esc, then try again. If that doesn’t work, Apple suggests restarting your Mac, or starting up in Safe Mode, and trying again.

You’re asked for a password: apps installed for all users need an administrator name and password. That’s normally the one you use to log in.

The app comes back after a restart: it probably left a login item or background task. Check System Settings › General › Login Items & Extensions, and the LaunchAgents folder described below.

Mail, Music, Notes, Safari and other built-in apps can’t be deleted. macOS needs them.

Sources: Apple Support: Delete or uninstall apps on Mac

In the LaunchHome grid, Control-click an app and choose Uninstall Completely (Remove Leftovers) (Pro). It scans the locations above by bundle ID and app name, lists the leftovers it found with their total size, and after you confirm moves the app and its leftovers to the Trash — so you can still put them back. Shared vendor folders are skipped.

Its Dock icon is removed for you afterwards, so no question mark is left. To uninstall several apps at once, ⌘- or ⇧-click to select them and uninstall in one go (Pro).

To delete only the app itself, choose Move to Trash Only — that’s free.

Scanning leftovers means reading ~/Library, so grant Full Disk Access when the app asks; otherwise macOS may keep asking for permission. Apps from the App Store or an installer package need an administrator password through the Finder, so the first time you’ll be asked to allow LaunchHome to control the Finder in System Settings › Privacy & Security › Automation.