Apple unveils a new MacBook Air during an Apple launch event at the Brooklyn Academy of Music on Oct. 30, 2018 in New York City. Stephanie Keith/Getty Images
Here’s what you need to do: Open Finder. Go to Applications. Choose the app you want to delete. Press Command + Delete (⌘⌫). Click the Empty button in the upper-right corner of the window. Uninstall Mac apps using Trash. Whether you're running macOS Catalina or an earlier macOS, like. How to Delete an App on Mac from Launchpad. The first way we want to recommend to you is using. 2.2 Remove downloaded files from your Mac; 2.3 Follow macOS Storage recommendations; 2.4 Manually clear cache files on your Mac; 2.5 Remove your Mac’s sleepimage file; 2.6 Delete old iPhone, iPad, and iPod backups from your Mac; 2.7 Related Posts.
Removing programs from a Macintosh can be very easy. In many cases, all you have to do is drag the application's icon to the Trash. Sometimes, though, applications store the files they need to run in other locations on your computer's hard drive, and finding them can take some detective work. If you are used to the uninstall option in Windows, you have a little culture shock — macOS does not have this feature built in.
Why would you want to uninstall a program? For the same reason you occasionally tidy your office or clean your garage. Clutter breeds inefficiency. Applications take up space on your hard disk and can slow your computer. Also, a new version of a program may not work correctly unless you get rid of the old one [source: Ritchie].
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Most of the time, uninstalling is this simple:
- Exit the program you want to delete.
- Open the Applications folder, which you'll find by opening a new window in the Finder, or clicking on the hard disk icon.
- Drag the icon of the program you want to uninstall to the Trash.
- Empty the Trash.
When files for the application you want to delete are all stored in one location, dragging the icon to the Trash will take care of most of the work. In Mac talk, apps like this are 'bundled.' To see the files in an application's bundle, click on its icon while holding down the Control key. You should see an option that says, 'show package contents.' Uninstalling applications downloaded from the Mac App Store is even easier — just delete the application from the Applications Folder and its accompanying folder in UserLibraryContainers [source: Tanous].
For some other programs, removal is more complicated. When installed, these programs create files in several locations, often in the System Folder. The first step in removing them is to check the program's documentation to see if there is an uninstall utility. If your program has an uninstall utility associated with it, it may have been installed with the program or included on the disk that came with it. If you downloaded a disk image to install the software, sometimes you'll find an uninstaller there. Running an uninstall utility can make removing a program much easier.
You should be aware that removing an unbundled program by moving it into the Trash can leave behind orphan files on your computer. Preferencefiles are usually small and you might want to ignore them if you're just trying to free up disk space. Background files or support files can be larger, especially for multimedia programs like GarageBand [source: MacRumors]. These files are likely to reside in Library folders in your hard drive or Home folder. They will usually be labeled with the name of the program, like Office or Acrobat, or the developer, such as Microsoft or Adobe. You can search for the relevant names using Spotlight, which is included with the Mac OS. Drag the files you find to the trash to get rid of them [source: Tanous]. .
Check out the next page for tips to make your uninstallation go even more smoothly.
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If searching through obscure corners of your computer for what could be hundreds of files sounds like something a machine could do better than you, you're right. There are plenty of software programs that do just that. They're usually your best bet for really cleaning an app off your Mac, and some of them are free. Popular examples include AppTrap, Appcleaner, and AppZapper.
Some of the files that a program might create on your hard disk are invisible. It may be tempting, especially for neat freaks, to find and delete these files. But some files are deliberately hidden because they are essential to the computer's operating system. Deleting the wrong file could land you in deep trouble [source: Landau]. The best advice is not to go where even experienced techies fear to tread. Uninstall utilities can search out and destroy these files, but doing so on your own invites trouble.
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Another important thing to do is empty your Trash when you're finished uninstalling. Moving a program's icon to the Trash doesn't actually remove the files from your hard disk or clear up any space. Only when you empty the Trash is the application really gone.
Here are some other important tips:
- When you install a program, check to see how to uninstall it. Make a note if it has its own uninstall utility or instructions.
- Before you begin any uninstalling process, check to make sure your Trash is empty or contains nothing you might want to save.
- Log on as your computer's administrator whenever you uninstall. If you're uninstalling at work and don't have administrator privileges, you'll have to consult with your tech people [source: Ritchie].
- If you opt for a third-party uninstall utility, look at the features. Some developers charge for their software, but you may not need the bells and whistles. Free utilities may work fine.
- It often makes sense to leave preference files alone. If you ever reinstall the same software, you won't have to set the preferences.
- Suites of software from a developer, such as the Office suite from Microsoft, often share files. Removing the files of one component may affect the others, so it's good to be cautious with these [source: The X Lab].
- If, after you remove a program, the icon is still in your dock, you can get rid of it by simply dragging it off the dock and letting it go [source: Tech-FAQ].
Removing software from your Mac is a lot less of a hassle than cleaning your office or garage. But clearing away computer clutter and making space on your hard disk can be just as satisfying.
Originally Published: Aug 8, 2011
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Saba meeting app download. Sources
- Landau, Ted. 'Tutorial: Now you see 'em, now you don't: Invisible files in Mac OS X,' cnet.com, May 19, 2004. (Feb. 14, 2019) https://www.cnet.com/news/tutorial-now-you-see-em-now-you-dont-invisible-files-in-mac-os-x/
- FacRumors. 'Uninstalling Applications in Mac OS X,' MacRumors.com. (Feb. 16, 2019) https://web.archive.org/web/20170715163609/http://guides.macrumors.com/Uninstalling_Applications_in_Mac_OS_Xp
- Ritchie, David. 'How to Uninstall Mac Programs,' TheMacLawyer.com. October 13, 2010. (Feb. 16, 2019) http://www.themaclawyer.com/2010/10/articles/guest-posts/guest-post-how-to-uninstall-mac-programs/
- Tanous, Jim. 'How to Uninstall & Remove Mac OS X Programs and Applications,' The Mac Observer. Feb. 1, 2013. (Feb. 16, 2019) https://www.macobserver.com/tmo/answers/how-to-uninstall-remove-mac-os-x-programs-and-applications
- Tech-FAQ. 'How to Uninstall Programs on a Mac,' Tech-FAQ.com. (Feb. 16, 2019) http://www.tech-faq.com/how-to-uninstall-programs-on-a-mac.html
- The X Lab. 'Uninstalling applications,' TheXLab.com. (Feb. 16, 2019) http://www.thexlab.com/faqs/uninstallingapps.html
When you download some unwanted apps from Mac App Store by mistakes, or want to free up more storage on your Mac, it is very necessary for you to learn how to delete an app on Mac.
Although it's quite easy to uninstall apps on Mac, some new Mac users still don't know the detailed solution. Therefore, in this article, we list 4 best methods for you to uninstall program on Mac.
You can simply delete the unwanted apps in manually way, or download a professional software to get the job done. Keep reading to get what you need.
Part 1: How to Delete an App on Mac from Launchpad
The first way we want to recommend to you is using Launchpadto uninstall programyou don’t want from your Mac. The process is very similar to that of deleting an app on your iPhone or iPad. It can be said the easiest way for Mac users to get rid of an app which is downloaded from Mac App Store. In what follows is the detailed steps of how to delete an app on Mac.
Step 1: Choose Launchpad from Dock or by pressing your keyboard on your Mac.
Step 2: Long press on any app icon until you see all the icons begin to jingle, release it.
Step 3: Now you will see a little X on the right corner of all the apps you can remove to trash.
Click the X on the app icon, which you want to delete and then choose Delete option when you see the pop-up window asking whether to uninstall app on Mac or not.
Part 2: How to Delete Apps on Mac with Finder
You can also solve the problem of how to delete apps on Mac with Finder. It also is a very easy way you can simply get in what follows.
Step 1: Launch Finder on your Mac by clicking on it simply from Mac Dock. Then you can choose Application folder in Finder.
Step 2: Now you need to find the app icon you want to delete and then right click on it.
Step 3: You can see Move to Trash option in the list. Just click on the icon.
Step 4: You need to empty the app you remove to trash just now permanently by opening your trash and right clicking to choose Empty. Here you can get 6 solutions to empty Trash on Macsecurely and permanently.
Part 3: How to Uninstall Apps from MacBook Pro with Dock
Except deleting apps on Mac from Launchpad and Finder, you can also solve the problem of how to uninstall program from MacBook Pro with Dock. If you are interested in how to delete apps on MacBook Pro, you can follow the next easy steps.
Step 1: Find the app you want to remove on your Doc. Or you can open the Applications folder on your Dock and find it there.
Step 2: Now you need to click and hold the app icon you want to delete, and then drag this app icon to the Trash icon which is also in your Dock, and release it.
Step 3: If you want to delete this app permanently and completely, click the Trash to open it, and then find the app icon you removed right now. Choose it by right click and then click Empty.
If you want to remove app from iPad, you can check hereto get full tips.
Part 4: Professional Way to Uninstall Applications on Mac
Here we also want to recommend the most professional way for you to help you solve how to delete apps on Mac. The software introduced in this way is called Mac Cleaner. It is one of the most professional Mac management tool which you can use to remove junk files, unneeded folders, large or old files and monitor your Mac performance.
It really is a safe and efficient which you can clear all your unwanted files, including delete applications for your Mac in a quickly but professional way. What’s more, it is able to monitor your Mac performance in multiple aspects, such as disk utilization, battery status, memory performance as well as CPU usage. If you are interested in how to delete applications on Mac, you can read the next steps.
Step 1: Download Mac Cleaner Best email app mac free.
First of all, download Mac Cleaner on your computer and finish the installation by dragging the icon to Application.
Completely Remove Apps From Mac
Step 2: Launch Mac Cleaner
Now launch this software on your Mac after you install the program successfully. Then it will detect your Mac OS system status automatically. You can find the program as the following screenshot.
Step 3: Choose uninstall app
In the main interface, you can see the key features from the left side of the window. Then choose Uninstaller to delete applications on MacBook Pro. It will take some time to scan all your apps on Mac by this software.
Step 4: Clean apps from Mac
After scanning, you can see all your apps downloaded on Mac. Find the software you want to delete and finish the process of how to remove apps from MacBook Pro. During this process, you can check and clean up various related files created by this app you want to remove. If you deleted some important files by mistake, you can check this post to recover deleted files on Mac.
Part 1: How to Delete an App on Mac from Launchpad
1. How do I remove an app from my Mac’s Dock?
Just place the cursor over the icon of the icon of the Dock item you wish to remove, and then right-click the icon. A pop-up menu will appear. Select the Options > Remove from Dock item from the pop-up Dock menu.
2. How do I hide all icons on my Mac desktop?
Click on its icon in the menu bar and select “Hide Desktop Icons.” It will immediately hide all the icons available on your desktop.
3. Can I delete default apps on Mac?
Delete App From Macbook Pro
It is prohibited to delete standard applications in a regular way. That’s because the removal of built-in applications may damage the viability of the system.
Conclusion
In this article, we introduce 4 best methods for you to solve how to delete an app on Mac. When you need to delete unwanted apps from Mac, you can choose one of the methods as you want to do such a job. If you think this article is helpful, just share it with your friends. Hope you can enjoy the information. Of course, you can also share more comments in the article if you have any other query about the methods to delete an app on your Mac.