How to Uninstall Apps on Mac Completely [3 Methods]

How to uninstall apps on Mac? This blog gathers several effective methods to delete Mac apps from your device, getting rid of unwanted apps and data, freeing up space on your device. You may look into Finder, System Settings, the App Store, as well as uninstallers. Check the detailed steps below to delete apps on Mac.

This is how to uninstall Mac apps with the standard method.

Step 1. Go to Finder, and then click Applications on the sidebar.

Step 2. Locate the unwanted app, then click File in the upper-left corner.

Step 3. Choose Move to Trash. Or, manually drag it to the Trash can. Enter the name/passcode if asked.

Step 4. Go to the Trash, and then click Empty to empty the trash bin. Thus, your space will be released.

*Remember to quit the app first before uninstalling it if you are currently using it.

You can delete apps on Mac using the App Store if you installed them from there.

Step 1. Launch your App Store.

Step 2. Head over to your account profile in the lower-left corner and find the app you need to remove.

Step 3. Click the 3-dot icon > Delete app.

This is how to uninstall application for Mac from the App Store.

The System Settings app is another feature with which you can manage and uninstall applications on Mac, especially for those programs you installed outside the App Store, e.g., the apps’ official websites.

Step 1. Go to System Settings > General.

Step 2. Click Storage > click the information icon beside Applications to check the app list.

Step 3. Select the target app > click Delete and confirm.

This is how to uninstall apps on Mac in System Settings.

No. Simply removing the app by moving it to the Trash or via settings cannot uninstall it completely; there are still things left behind.

What has been removed: the main app itself.

What has been left over:

• App support files

• App caches

• User documents created during use

• Hidden files

• The subscriptions in your app account

To remove apps from Mac completely, you have to remove the related user data as well, manually.

Step 1. Go to Finder > search for the target app in the search bar > select This Mac.

Step 2. Click the plus button on the right and filter the app files with “name”, “matches” > then click the plus sign again > choose “System Files”/”Other” filter.

Step 3. Select all the filtered items > move them to the Trash and empty it.

To further clean it, go to ~/Library/Application Support and delete the leftovers there as well.

Or, you might as well use a dedicated uninstaller and let it cover all things for you. Some app providers like Adobe will provide an official uninstaller; plus, you may try downloading a third-party professional app uninstaller for Mac, just like program uninstallers for Windows devices, IObit Uninstaller, which removes apps and leftovers altogether completely and efficiently.

IObit Uninstaller Free

Batch uninstall and deep scan to remove stubborn programs and residual files, including Windows apps & browser extensions.

Free Download

What if your apps cannot be moved to Trash? There might be several reasons:

• The app is currently in use (like aforementioned).

• It is the built-in system app that cannot be uninstalled.

• It is locked by system permissions or protected.

Try these fixes:

• Close the app. If it fails, click Command + Option + Escape to force-quit it.

• Enter the name or the password to unlock it.

• Restart the Mac and try again.

This is how to delete apps on my Mac in 3 methods and what to do if you cannot remove them. Apart from using Finder, the App Store, and System Settings, which all require you to manually remove the related app data, you can also try uninstallers. Windows users can also look into IObit Uninstaller, e.g., to uninstall Claude Code, Windows built-in apps, any installed programs.