1. Mac Uninstall App From Terminal
2. Mac Uninstall Apps
3. Mac Uninstall Program

Quick question – how do you uninstall programs on Mac?

Another incredible uninstaller for mac that effortlessly deletes apps from your Mac is “App Cleaner and Uninstaller”. Use it to recover space on your mac, remove supporting files along with system junk, residual files, cache and much more. To remove a particular application, simply select it from the application list and uninstall it. CleanMyMac X tops our list of app uninstallers for Mac. This powerful all-in-one utility has a variety of features designed to help get the most out of your machine, including malware protection and speed optimization. But the app’s Uninstaller module means that it can compete with single-function uninstaller apps.

The logic tells us we should simply drag an unwanted app to the Bin. Alas, it is not quite so. Dragging normal files like documents and movies to the Trash works fine. But doing the same for apps leaves tons of leftover junk files on your hard drive.

• An app is stored in more than one place
• Many apps have small “satellite” apps
• Some apps have unusual locations

For example, Steam games are stored in a custom folder, that’s why deleting such apps is a bit harder. We’re going to show you what gets left behind and what you can do to completely uninstall apps from here on out.

How to uninstall on Mac

If you are trying to delete an old application, reinstall a corrupted software or just free up disk space on your Mac, removing all components of the program is important. These include the app, its preferences and support files, and sometimes other hidden files.

To completely uninstall a program on Mac you have to choose one of three options:

• Using Trash.
• Using Launchpad.
• Using a native uninstaller.

The ways mentioned above include navigating your Mac’s in search of the apps you want to remove and then locating their remaining data. The latter can take even more place than the app itself and can be stored anywhere in your folders.

I prefer clearing my Mac from apps using special software made for this particular task - CleanMyMac X. It’s Uninstaller feature, is an app-killer that sweeps away any program you don’t want on your Mac and clears remaining junk.

Now let’s go ahead and delete some apps!

1. Uninstall Mac apps using Trash

Whether you're running macOS Big Sur or an earlier macOS, like Catalina or Mojave, the process of manually uninstalling apps remains relatively similar. Here’s what you need to do:

1. Open Finder.
2. Go to Applications.
3. Choose the app you want to delete.
4. Press Command + Delete (⌘⌫).
5. Open Trash.
6. Click the Empty button in the upper-right corner of the window.

And the app is gone.

Uninstalling apps on macOS Big Sur still requires getting rid of leftovers, despite the fact that it's the latest and the most sophisticated system for Mac. Apple has done such a good job on recent macOS versions but de-installation to this day remains an issue.

To completely remove programs from Mac manually, you have to find all the associated files that come along with the app. That means not just dragging the app icon to the Trash from your Applications folder, but searching the depths of the system files on your Mac.
For example, here's one app storing cache in different places on your Mac:

We’re going to reveal the locations of the most common files that are associated with apps. To remove the app leftovers from your Mac just navigate to each of these folders and hunt for the app you want to remove. If you find files with the app name you can send them to the Trash.

So, when uninstalling any software, you have to go over each of these folders one by one and remove the following:

• Binary and dock icons are located in /Applications/
• Application support files are located in
  ~/Library/Application Support
• Support Caches can be found in /Library/Caches/ and
  ~/Library/Caches
  
• Plugins are located in ~/Library/Internet Plug-Ins/
• Library can be found in ~/Library/
• App preferences are located in ~/Library/Preferences/
• Crashes are found in
  ~/Library/Application Support/CrashReporter/
  
• App saved states are located in
  ~/Library/Saved Application State/
  

There are many more hidden files, some of which cannot be accessed by the user. And macOS/OS X will prevent you from deleting some app files.

As you can see, it's not that easy to uninstall applications Mac doesn't need, even when you know what to do. By the way, be sure to look for the name of the app in the file names of the files you remove. Don’t remove anything you don’t know! Do your due diligence before removing something from your system.

When you delete software on Mac manually, be sure only to remove an app file or folder when you’re sure of what it is. Look at the name very carefully before you nuke it. Removing the wrong files could cause problems with your system.

Remember, please be careful when deleting system files — you never know how it will affect your Mac if you remove the wrong ones (or the right ones for that matter!).

2. Uninstall Mac programs with Launchpad

How to uninstall on Mac by using the Launchpad? It's easy and this manual method works like this:

1. Click Launchpad icon in your Mac's Dock.
2. Find the app you want to delete.
3. Click and hold the app until it starts shaking.
4. Click X in the top-left corner of the app icon.
5. Click Delete.

This will uninstall the app from your Mac. However, keep in mind that after removing the program, you should also delete its leftovers as we've described above.

How to delete Mac apps that won't delete

Unfortunately, manual methods won’t get everything. Some apps are pre-installed macOS components and protected by the system while others will refuse to delete because they are already open (even though that’s often not true).

So, how to delete the apps on Mac that won't delete? You can try the manual removal after force quitting the app in question (press Command-Option-Esc and if the app is on the list shut it down) or rebooting your Mac.

If you're still unable to delete apps on Mac or if you’re worried you won't do it correctly and want a safer alternative, there’s the easy method of uninstalling apps from your Mac so you don't have to force delete applications. It actually does a better (and safer) job and in a fraction of the time. Read on to learn how to delete apps on Mac automatically.

3. Uninstall apps with CleanMyMac X

When I referred to the easy method of uninstalling apps, I meant using CleanMyMac X. As for me, deleting apps is a pretty tiresome task. I’ve always put away this chore, as it will waste a huge amount of my time. But, my Mac was running low on free storage, so I decided to try CleanMyMac X to fix this problem and uninstall programs on Mac with ease. I used the Uninstaller module to get rid of multiple apps at once. Here’s what you need to do:

1. Download the free version of CleanMyMac X and launch it (takes less than a minute).
2. Go to Uninstaller.
3. Choose All Applications.
4. Check the boxes next to the app you want to remove.
5. Press Uninstall.

As you can see, CleanMyMac X shows precisely how much place each app takes, so it’s easier to detect the heaviest programs. Another benefit is that you can bulk uninstall programs on Mac without dragging each app and its files to the Trash.

Is it possible to delete system files on Mac?

CleanMyMac X doesn’t let you delete system apps like Safari. Neither of Mac cleaners can do that. But, CleanMyMac X allows you to delete the data associated with system apps and reset them completely. Click CleanMyMac X’s menu in the upper-left corner and choose Preferences. Go to Ignore List and click Uninstaller. Here uncheck the box next to “Ignore system applications.”

Now, you can close Preferences and go back to Uninstaller. Click ► next to the app's icon to show its files. Then check the data you want to delete and choose Reset from the drop-down list next to the app’s icon. Then press Remove.

It will help to clear some space on your Mac. Note that your app logs may also disappear after the reset.

4. Use the native uninstaller

Many applications are designed to clean after themselves. They come with a built-in uninstaller — a self-destroying utility bundled with the main app. This is mostly true for third-party apps that you download from the internet. That’s why native uninstallers remain more of a Windows thing, not much heard of in the Mac world.
The original uninstallers can be found in Finder > Applications. If your app looks like a folder (within the Applications folder) most likely it will have a separate uninstaller. The name will read [Your app] Uninstaller or Uninstall [Your App].

Open the folder, find the launcher, and just follow the onscreen instructions. After the removal is complete, you can enjoy your extra storage space!

Clear app leftovers: preferences files and caches

No sane developer wants people to delete their application. As your desperate ex, they would do everything to stay on your Mac, like planting pieces of their software around your Mac so one day they can return. Support files, preference files, and caches — all these will likely remain even if you’ve deleted the app itself.
Here I’ll show you how to root out these remaining traces. I’ll use the Telegram app as an example.

Delete application support files

Click on Finder > Go to Folder… (in the upper menu).
Paste in: ~/Library/Application Support/Your App Name

In my case it's: ~/Library/Application Support/Telegram

Now, delete the content of this folder.

Delete application Preferences

The Preferences folder contains your user settings. These files are tiny but there’s no reason not to delete them, just out of principle.
Click on Finder > Go to Folder…
Paste in: ~/Library/Preferences/

Open the folder. Now type the name of your app in the search bar. Click to search 'Preferences.” Delete the found items.

Delete the caches

In the same vein, you’ll have to delete the remaining app caches.
This time, use the following command to paste in Finder > Go to Folder...
Paste this: ~/Library/Caches/Your App Name

Note: In some cases, you need to search for the app developer's name, rather than the name of the app.

Tip: Don't forget to search for old .DMG installers in the Finder. To completely uninstall application, Mac will show you the list of installers and their size via Search.

Delete leftovers with CleanMyMac X

If you’ve been doing a 'spring cleaning' in your Applications folder, chances are some files are still left somewhere in your Mac’s system. CleanMyMac X detects and collects them into the Leftovers tab.

Go to Uninstaller once again and select Leftovers. Select all the remaining files and press Uninstall to say goodbye to the app remains. If the app is still running, CleanMyMac X will close it, so it's a quick way to force delete an app on Mac.

Now you are just as good at uninstalling applications on Mac as any Apple engineer. Hopefully, you now have plenty of free space. Don't miss a few related articles below.

Your system stores a lot of junk data including obsolete apps & programs. Many of these apps & programs you install and stop using over a period of time. Now that many of these apps also run at boot time causing prolonged startup processes and affecting overall system performance negatively. Additionally, it also consumes valuable device storage unnecessarily. If you wonder how to remove applications from Mac while speeding up system performance, here we have discussed different ways to do that. It includes a manual process and using the best Mac cleaner tools.

How to remove applications from Mac manually?

The quick way to remove software from Mac is to use Launchpad. In addition to that, you can also try Finder to uninstall Mac apps. Let’s discuss both the ways here.

Use Launchpad to delete a Mac app

To remove applications from Mac that were downloaded from the App Store, follow these steps:

• Click in the Dock to open Launchpad or open it from the Applications folder.
• If you are not able to see the app in the Launchpad, you need to type the application name in the search field at the top of the screen.
• Once selected, simply press and hold the Option key until the app starts to jiggle. Alternatively, you can click and hold the selected app.
• Click on the ‘X’ icon here to immediately delete the selected app.

Note: If you can’t see the ‘x’ icon, then probably the app is needed by your Mac or it doesn’t come from the App Store. To delete Mac apps that don’t come from the App Store, use the Finder instead.

Use Finder for application uninstall on Mac

To remove applications from Mac using Finder, follow these steps:

Locate the app that you want to delete in the Finder. Most of these apps, you can find in Mac’s Applications folder. Open the Applications folder by clicking it in the sidebar of the Finder window. Alternatively, you can also try Spotlight to find the application that you want to delete. To do this, you need to press and hold the Command key and need to double-click the app in the Spotlight.

• Once selected, simply drag the selected app to the Mac Trash. Alternatively, you can choose the app to delete and go to File > move to Trash.
• When prompted, enter administrator account details.
• No, go to Finder > Empty Trash.

How to remove applications from Mac using third-party apps?

Smart Mac Care

The first best Mac cleaner software to remove unwanted apps is Smart Mac Care. This powerful Mac cleaning software comes with three unique modules to clean and secure your Mac. Using this best app to clean Mac, you can clean, optimize and secure your system for better performance. The three unique cleaning modules of Smart Mac Care include:

Malware Scan

The malware scan module of the app helps you detect and remove all types of malicious content and threats present on your system. It is a useful feature to avoid unwanted crashes and abnormal functioning.

Junk Scan

Under this feature, it will scan, locate and remove all unnecessary data from your device. During the process, it will find & remove cache files, Trash items, temporary files, log files, and other junk files.

Privacy Scan

Under this module, the app will scan all browsers on your system to find and remove cache, cookies, and Internet history.

Advanced Tools

In addition to three unique modules, it also helps you uninstall unwanted apps on Mac, remove duplicate files, delete failed downloads, and manage login items.

CleanMyMac X

The next best Mac cleaner to clean your system is CleanMyMac X. This all-in-one powerful tool helps you clean junk files, uninstall unwanted apps, and optimize your Mac for better performance. You can use this best Mac cleaning software to replace dozens of other tools. It works as a macOS cleaner, a malware remover, a performance booster, and more. You can use this best app to clean Mac and liberate your digital space. It helps you clean useless localizations, logs, obsolete downloads, broken downloads, caches, cookies, unneeded files, and more.

Features of CleanMyMac X:

• ou can use CleanMyMac X to clean the clutter from different apps including Mail, iTunes, Photos, and other apps.
• It offers one-click cleaning to save time.
• In addition to cleaning your Mac, it also helps you secure it by eliminating ransomware, adware, and other malware threats.
• It also helps you keep your privacy intact by removing your browsing history, cache & cookies, and online & offline activity traces.

Onyx

Onyx offers an instant solution to your worry ‘how to remove applications from Mac’. This multifunctional utility helps you verify the structure of the system files and run multiple cleaning and maintenance tasks. You can set and configure different parameters to find & uninstall unnecessary apps and junk data immediately. It works on a clean and interactive interface to deliver a seamless user experience.

Features of Onyx:

It helps you clean junk files, uninstall unwanted apps, and perform maintenance tasks for better Mac performance.

Mac Uninstall App From Terminal

• It is compatible with all Mac versions.
• It helps you rebuild various indexes and databases to avoid performance issues.

So, this was a detailed review of how to remove applications from Mac and delete other unnecessary data to optimize & clean the system for better performance. Do try these steps and share your experience in the comments below.

Mac Uninstall Apps

Summary

Mac Uninstall Program

Mac offers various built-in utilities and features to perform numerous cleaning & optimizations tasks easily. Let’s discuss how to remove applications from Mac and delete other unnecessary junk.

Also Read: 9 Best Free PC Optimizer Software

Emilly Leia is an experienced content writer with a passion for writing content. She is a passionate content marketer with years of experience in writing, she makes the best use of his skills and knowledge to express ideas in his write-ups. An author on PoundingTechno and Techheel.