How to Uninstall an App on Mac

You want an app gone from your Mac. There is no uninstaller program on macOS. Most apps are a single bundle in the Applications folder, so removing that bundle removes the app. A few settings and cache files remain, and those can be cleaned by hand afterwards.

Quit the app

Make sure the app is not running. If its icon shows a dot beneath it in the Dock, right-click the icon and choose Quit. macOS refuses to move an open app to the Trash.

Delete it from the Applications folder

Open Finder and click Applications in the sidebar, or press Cmd + Shift + A. Find the app, then drag it to the Trash in the Dock or select it and press Cmd + Delete. Enter your password if asked. Apps that came with macOS, such as Safari and Mail, cannot be removed this way.

Delete App Store apps from Launchpad

Apps installed from the App Store can also be removed from Launchpad. Open Launchpad, then click and hold any icon until the icons jiggle. Click the X in the corner of the app you want to remove and confirm with Delete. Apps without an X were not installed from the App Store, so use the Applications folder method for those. On macOS Tahoe, Launchpad is replaced by an Apps view in Spotlight, so use the Applications folder there.

Empty the Trash

The app still takes up disk space until the Trash is emptied. Right-click the Trash icon in the Dock and choose Empty Trash. The app is now gone from the Mac.

If you want the leftover files gone too. Apps store settings and caches in your user Library. In Finder, press Cmd + Shift + G, type ~/Library/Application Support, and press Return. Look for a folder named after the app or its developer and move it to the Trash. Repeat for ~/Library/Caches and ~/Library/Preferences. Leave anything you do not recognize. There is no need for a third-party cleaner app.

If the app came with its own uninstaller. Some larger apps, such as those from Adobe or Microsoft, include an Uninstall item in their folder inside Applications or on the original disk image. Run that instead, since it removes background helpers that a plain drag to the Trash leaves behind.