How to Uninstall Apps on Mac Completely

How to uninstall apps on Mac with Finder, Launchpad or an app's own uninstaller, then clear leftover files in Library and stop background items.

MacWipe 31 October 2026 7 min read

To uninstall an app on a Mac, quit it, drag it from the Applications folder to the Trash, then choose Finder > Empty Trash. That removes the app itself. Preferences, caches and support files usually stay behind, so a complete uninstall also means checking your Library folder and the login and background items in System Settings.

This guide covers each method on macOS Tahoe 26, Sequoia 15 and Sonoma 14, and says what you should leave alone.

Before you start

Make a Time Machine backup if you plan to delete anything beyond the app itself.
Quit the app. If it won’t close, press Command-Option-Esc and force quit it.
Deleting an app does not delete the documents you made with it. It also does not cancel a subscription you bought through the app. Cancel that separately, as Apple notes.

Method 1: Delete the app in Finder

This works for every app, whether it came from the App Store, a website or a disk image.

Open Finder and choose Go > Applications (or press Shift-Command-A).
Find the app. Some apps live in an Applications folder inside your Home folder, so check Go > Home as well.
Drag the app to the Trash, or select it and choose File > Move to Trash.
Enter your administrator name and password if asked.
Choose Finder > Empty Trash to free the space.

Apple lists a few apps you cannot remove this way, such as Mail, Music, Books, Notes, Podcasts, Maps, News and Stocks. Anything inside the System folder is protected too. Do not try to force these off with Terminal.

Method 2: Launchpad (Sonoma and Sequoia) and Apps (Tahoe)

Sonoma 14 and Sequoia 15. Launchpad can delete apps you installed from the App Store.

Open Launchpad from the Dock, or search for it with Spotlight.
Press and hold any app icon until the icons start to jiggle.
Click the X on the app you want to remove, then confirm.

Apple says the Delete button only appears for apps downloaded from the App Store. Everything else needs Finder.

Tahoe 26. Launchpad has gone. The Apps icon in the Dock replaces it, and Macworld reports that Apps allows no customisation, so you cannot rearrange icons or make folders. Reports say it has no jiggle-and-delete mode, so use Finder (Method 1) instead. Shift-Command-A in Finder opens the Applications folder.

Method 3: Use the app’s own uninstaller

Apple says an uninstaller is the best way to remove a non-Apple app together with its login items, extensions and other stored data. Check these places:

The app’s folder in Applications, which may hold a file named “Uninstall” or similar.
The app’s own menu or Settings window, which may have an uninstall, remove or reset option.
The vendor’s website. Adobe, Microsoft, antivirus tools, VPN clients and audio software often ship a separate uninstaller.

Run it, follow the prompts, and restart if it asks you to. Afterwards, still check the steps below, because uninstallers don’t catch everything.

Remove leftover files from your Library folder

Dragging an app to the Trash removes the app bundle only. The app’s data sits in the Library folder inside your Home folder, which Finder hides by default.

To open it: in Finder, hold the Option key and open the Go menu. Library appears in the list. Click it.

Look in these folders for items named after the app or its developer (for example com.developername.appname):

Folder	What it holds	Safe to remove?
`Application Support`	Settings, databases, plug-ins, saved data	Yes, for the app you removed. This may include your own data, so check first.
`Caches`	Temporary files the app can rebuild	Yes, for the app you removed
`Preferences`	`.plist` files with the app’s settings	Yes, for the app you removed
`Containers` and `Group Containers`	Data for sandboxed apps, including App Store apps	Yes, for the app you removed
`LaunchAgents`	Small files that start helper programs at login	Only if clearly from the removed app
`Saved Application State`	Window positions from the last session	Yes

Rules to keep this safe:

Only delete items you can clearly link to the app you removed. If the name is unfamiliar, leave it.
Never delete the whole Library folder, or the whole of any folder in the table. Remove individual items only.
Do not touch the top-level /Library or /System folders by hand, and stay out of /private/var entirely. Leftovers in the system-wide /Library/LaunchAgents and /Library/LaunchDaemons folders should come off through the app’s uninstaller, not by hand.
Keep anything that holds your own work. If the app stored projects, a mail database or a password vault in Application Support, copy it somewhere safe first.
Move items to the Trash rather than deleting them straight away. Use the Mac for a few days, and empty the Trash once nothing has broken.

A quick way to find things: in the Library folder, press Command-F, set the search to “Library” rather than “This Mac”, and type the app name. Review each result before you drag it.

Also check ~/Library/Application Support for the app’s name if you plan to reinstall later. Keeping that folder means your settings come back. Removing it gives you a fresh start.

Stop login items and background items

Apps often leave helpers that start when you log in. These show up in System Settings even after you remove the app.

Open the Apple menu > System Settings.
Click General in the sidebar, then Login Items & Extensions. You may need to scroll.
Under Open at Login, select any item for the deleted app and click the Remove (minus) button.
Under Allow in the Background, switch off the toggle for helpers from the app you removed.

Apple’s guide for this is Open items automatically when you log in to your Mac. Its steps are the same on Sonoma, Sequoia and Tahoe, though the wording of the section names can vary slightly between versions. If an item still appears after you’ve deleted the app, it is usually a leftover helper. Turn it off, then remove the matching file from ~/Library/LaunchAgents.

If you’re unsure what an item is, switch off one at a time and see whether anything stops working. Leave Apple’s own items alone.

Check how much space you got back

Open System Settings > General > Storage to see the new total. For a deeper look at what is taking space, see our guide to Mac System Data storage. To clear temporary files while you’re at it, read how to clear cache on Mac. If you suspect large forgotten files, try how to find large files on Mac.

A faster way: MacWipe

Hunting through Library folders by hand takes time, and one wrong item can cause trouble. The Apps tool in MacWipe uninstalls an app together with the caches and support files it leaves behind. It shows you every item and why it is safe to remove before anything goes, and nothing is deleted without your say.

MacWipe also has Protection, which checks apps and login items against known adware and flags unsigned apps. It runs on macOS 14 or later, on Apple silicon and Intel, and is signed and notarised by Apple. It collects no tracking or analytics data. Scanning is free and so is your first clean. After that it costs £23.99 a year, with monthly, quarterly and £59.99 lifetime options, and one plan covers up to 3 Macs. There is a 14-day money-back guarantee. See pricing.

FAQ

Does dragging an app to the Trash uninstall it completely?

No. It removes the app bundle, but preferences, caches and support files stay in your Library folder. Background helpers may stay registered too. Use the app’s uninstaller, or clear the leftovers by hand as described above.

Why can’t I delete an app on my Mac?

Check that the app is quit first. If macOS says it is in use, restart your Mac and try again. Built-in apps such as Mail, Music and Notes can’t be removed in Finder.

Will removing an app delete my documents?

No. Files you created with the app stay where you saved them. You may need the app, or another that reads the same format, to open them later.

Where did Launchpad go in macOS Tahoe?

Tahoe 26 replaced Launchpad with the Apps view in the Dock. It lists your apps but doesn’t offer the jiggle-and-delete mode. Delete apps from the Applications folder in Finder instead.