How to Uninstall Apps and Check for Leftovers

Step 1: remove the app

Use the app's own uninstaller if it has one

Some apps, often security tools, drivers and large suites, come with an uninstaller in their folder in Applications or in their own menu. Apple calls this the best way to delete the app together with any login items, extensions or other data it stored elsewhere. If it exists, use it and skip the manual steps.

Move the app to the Trash in Finder

1. Quit the app. If it keeps running in the menu bar, quit it from there too.
2. Open the Applications folder in Finder. Tip: in Spotlight results, Command-double-click an app to show it in Finder.
3. Select the app and choose File > Move to Trash, or drag it to the Trash. Enter an administrator name and password if asked.
4. Empty the Trash when you are sure. Until then you can bring the app back with File > Put Back.

Apps from the App Store

Apps you downloaded from the App Store can also be removed with Launchpad on macOS 15 Sequoia and earlier: click and hold an app until the icons jiggle, then click its Delete button. On macOS 26 Tahoe and later, Apple describes the same gesture in the Apps view. If an app shows no Delete button, it can't be removed that way.

Removing an app does not cancel subscriptions you bought in it, and it does not delete documents you made with it. Apps that are part of macOS, such as Safari and Mail, can't be uninstalled.

Step 2: check for leftover files

Apps store their data under their bundle identifier, a reverse-domain name such as com.example.app, or under the app's name. Look for both in these folders inside your Library:

1. In Finder, choose Go > Go to Folder (Shift-Command-G), enter ~/Library and press Return.
2. Open each folder above and look for items named after the app or its developer.
3. Select a few items at a time and press Command-I to see their size and when they were modified.
4. Move the leftovers to the Trash. Keep them in the Trash for a few days before emptying it, in case another app turns out to need them.

Folders in Application Support and Containers can hold documents, libraries or projects you created with the app, sometimes the only copy. Open them and look before you delete, and back up anything you may want later.

Some developers share one folder between several apps, for example a suite of tools. If you still use another app from the same developer, leave shared folders in place.

Find leftovers of an app you already deleted

If you removed an app a while ago, you can still look for what it left behind. Search your Library for the app's name or its developer's name:

find ~/Library -maxdepth 3 -iname '*appname*' 2>/dev/null

Replace appname with part of the app's or developer's name. The command only lists matches; it deletes nothing. Check each result's size and contents before you move it to the Trash, because a match on a short name can belong to another app.

Step 3: check login items and background helpers

Uninstalled apps can leave a background helper or login item registered. macOS lists them in one place.

1. Open System Settings > General > Login Items (on recent versions the pane is called Login Items & Extensions).
2. Look under Open at Login for apps you removed, select them and click the remove (−) button.
3. Look under the section for apps that are allowed in the background, and turn off items that belong to the app you removed.

Background items can also be installed as launch agents in ~/Library/LaunchAgents or /Library/LaunchAgents. Removing their .plist file stops them from starting; files in /Library affect all users and need administrator rights.

Never delete items from /Library/LaunchDaemons or /System unless you know exactly which app installed them.

Exceptions and edge cases

• "The app is in use". Quit it, restart your Mac, or start up in Safe Mode and try again.
• Apps installed with a package installer (.pkg) can put files outside the Applications folder, such as kernel extensions or system-wide helpers. Use the developer's uninstaller or instructions.
• Apps installed with Homebrew should be removed with brew uninstall, so Homebrew keeps track of them.
• Reinstalling to fix a problem? Delete only the cache and saved state first; your settings and data may be what you want to keep.

Questions and answers

Do I need a separate uninstaller app?

No. Finder removes the app, and the folders listed above cover most leftovers. A tool can save time by finding those folders for you, but it can't know more than the files the app created.

Will uninstalling delete my documents?

Documents you saved in your own folders stay. Data kept inside the app's Application Support or Containers folder stays too until you delete it, which is why those folders deserve a look first.

The app came back after I deleted it. Why?

Some apps are reinstalled by a helper or by a management profile on work Macs. Remove the helper from Login Items, or ask your IT department if the Mac is managed.

How do I uninstall an app I installed with Homebrew?

Run brew uninstall --cask appname for apps, or brew uninstall name for command-line tools. Adding --zap to a cask uninstall also removes the extra files that the cask declares, such as settings and caches; check what it lists before you confirm, because that can include your preferences.

Can I get an App Store app back later?

Yes. Apps you got from the App Store stay in your purchase history, and you can download them again from your account page in the App Store.

What are the .plist files in Preferences?

They store an app's settings, such as window sizes and options. Deleting the file of an app you removed is harmless; deleting it for an app you still use resets that app's settings.