If you have recently switched from a Windows computer to a Mac one, you must have noticed that the procedure of removing programs in the two operating systems is not the same. This is primarily due to another principle of installing applications and another concept of the Apple OS as a whole. But that does not mean that you cannot delete any apps manually. What is more, there is nothing easier than removing software from a Mac. Here you will not find the ‘Uninstall programs’ option in the Control Panel, as in Windows. Everything is much simpler. In this article, we are going to share with you some basic tips on how to remove programs and apps on macOS.
Delete apps downloaded from App Store
- Open Launchpad in the Mac’s Dock (the icon resembles a spaceship). It will open the list of all the installed apps.
- Find the unnecessary app by navigating right or left through the list of all apps.
- Press and hold the app until icons start shaking.
- Click on X in the top-right corner of the icon and then select Delete, when prompted, in order to remove the application. Later, should you wish to have it back, you will be able to download the program again from the App Store.
Note! If there is no Delete button, it means that the app wasn’t installed from App Store and cannot be eliminated in Launchpad.
Delete other apps
- Open the Finder app (the icon looks like a blue face).
- Go to Applications.
- Navigate to the app you wish to remove and perform one of the following:
- For the app in a certain folder: open the directory to check if there is Uninstaller. Should you see the option ‘App Uninstaller’ or ‘Uninstall App,’ just double-click on it and proceed with provided instructions.
- For the app that isn’t stored in the folder or is without Uninstaller: drag the unwanted program to the Trash folder at the end of the Mac’s Dock. If you prefer to use keyboard combinations, all you need to do is to press Command and Delete for moving the app to the Trash folder. After that, go to Finder and select Empty Trash.
Prior to emptying Trash, you can put the app back, if required. Just find the application in Trash, select the program, go to File and choose Put Back.
Note! Once the Trash folder is emptied, all data from there will be permanently deleted from your device. If there are any files created within the application, it may be impossible to open them.
Delete preferences
In addition to removing the app itself, we recommend deleting the application’s preferences in Library and clearing cache on Mac in general. Some programs save separate files with settings and cache. Such leftover files pile up on the hard drive taking up valuable space and slowing down the performance of the computer. So if you want to remove them too, the question is only where such files are located. Usually, you may find them in the following directories:
- Library/ Application Support / (application name)
- Library / Preferences
- Library / Caches / (application name)
Since Mac OS X 10.6 update, Library is hidden on the device by default. Nevertheless, it won’t take much efforts to reveal the folder. For that, just go to Finder, select Go at the top and once the drop-down menu is shown, press the Option key and hold it. The Library will immediately become visible.
Possible difficulties
Most programs on your Mac may be deleted by following the abovementioned instructions in no time. However, removing Microsoft or Adobe programs and various annoyware or semi-utilities might become a ball and chain for Mac users.
You should pay attention to different launch daemons opening hidden apps at boot automatically. Experienced users may resort to Terminal.app command-line in order to search for and delete unwanted files. A more recommended option is to use any graphical finder. It will reveal all the hidden programs that Apple tends to conceal while making usual Spotlight searches. Yet, use these apps with extreme caution to prevent deleting important system files. In fact, watch out for removing software, which requests you to enter the administrator password.
When you are trying to manually get rid of the unnecessary apps on Mac, make sure to delete apps, files or folders only if you know what these are. Check the name carefully because removing the wrong items may lead to serious issues with the system.
Taking everything into account, as you can see, in most cases removing programs from the Mac is a fairly simple procedure. We hope our tips were useful for you and will help to clean up the device even with one hand tied and enjoy the additional storage.