How to Completely Uninstall an App on Your Mac

You can keep your Mac running as new by removing old apps. This is particularly important if your problem is caused by a malicious program. There are many ways to remove an app from your Mac.

How to Remove Apps from a Mac Using Trash

Drag an app from your Applications folder to your Dock. This is the easiest way to remove it. Next, right-click on the Trash icon to select Empty trash.

1. Open a new Finder tab on your Mac. This can be done by clicking on the half-gray/half-blue face icon within your Dock.
2. Next, click Applications in the left panel. The Applications folder can be opened by pressing Command + Shift + A on your keyboard simultaneously.
3. Next, click on the Trash icon and drag an application to your Dock.
4. Next, click on the Trash bin and choose Empty Trash. If you’re using a trackpad you can click on the trash icon and press the Control key.

Not all apps can be removed by simply dragging them to the trash. Although the files left behind are typically small, they can contain malware.

How to uninstall apps on a Mac using third-party uninstallers

You can use App Cleaner to uninstall any app from your Mac. Simply download and install the app. Drag the app to the AppCleanerwindow, and then click Remove.

These steps are for the AppCleaner program. However, there are many other 3 _rd-party deinstallers.

1. Download the AppCleaner app from the AppCleaner website. AppCleaner can be downloaded completely free of charge. It is free to download by clicking the compatible version for your macOS
2. Next, open the downloaded file. Find the installer in your Downloads directory. Drag the app into your Applications folder if you wish to save it.
3. Drag the app to the uninstaller’s window. It may take some time to scan all files associated with the app.
4. Click the Remove or Delete button. Check the boxes to each file to select the files or folders you wish the app to delete.

Use an App Uninstaller to uninstall apps on your Mac

Some apps include their own uninstallers. To make the process of uninstalling the app safer, it is recommended to use the uninstaller that came with it.

1. Open a new Finder window. Click on the desktop to open a new window.
2. In the left sidebar, click Applications.
3. Open the folder containing the application you wish to uninstall. If the app isn’t in a folder it likely doesn’t have an installer.
4. Double-click the uninstaller tool of the app.
5. Follow these instructions to remove the app.

How to uninstall a Mac using the Launchpad

Open Launchpad in your Applications folder to uninstall any apps that you have downloaded from the App Shop. Next, click and hold on the app that you wish to delete. To confirm, click on the “X” button.

1. Open Launchpad on your Mac. You can also open this app from your Applications folder.
2. Next, locate the application you wish to remove.
3. Next, click and hold on the app icon. After a few seconds, the icon will begin to shake and an X in the upper-left corner will appear.
4. Click on the “X”, which will open.
5. Select To confirm, delete

It could be a virus if you can’t uninstall certain applications on your Mac. To learn more, check out our guide on how to remove malware on your Mac.