How to Cleanly Uninstall Mac Applications

Step by step

1. 30 sec

   Terminate the active application

   Ensure the application is not running in the background. Right-click the app icon in the Dock and select Quit, or press Command + Q if the app window is active.

   Note: If the app is frozen, press Option + Command + Escape to force quit.
2. 1 min

   Move the application to the Trash

   Open Finder and navigate to the Applications folder. Drag the target application icon to the Trash, or highlight the icon and press Command + Delete.

   Note: Command + Delete
3. 2 min

   Locate hidden support files

   Open Finder and select Go > Go to Folder from the menu bar. Enter ~/Library/Application Support/ and press Return. Search for a folder bearing the name of the developer or the application and move it to the Trash.

   Note: Be precise; do not delete folders related to other active software.
4. 1 min

   Clear preference and cache files

   Within the Go to Folder tool, check ~/Library/Preferences/ for any .plist files associated with the app. Repeat this process for ~/Library/Caches/ to remove stored temporary data.

   Note: Shift + Command + G
5. 30 sec

   Empty the Trash

   Right-click the Trash icon in the Dock and select Empty Trash. This permanently removes the application binary and all associated support files from your drive.

   Note: Restart your Mac to ensure all background processes and cache pointers are cleared.