How to uninstall apps on your Mac
Quit the app, use its uninstaller if it has one or move it to the Trash, then empty the Trash.
Removing an app only takes a minute. These are Apple’s steps, and what an uninstall leaves alone.
Quit the app first
If the app is open, quit it before you start.
Source: Apple Support, Delete or uninstall apps on Mac (opens in a new tab).
Use the app’s uninstaller if it has one
Some apps come with their own uninstaller. Apple says that when an app has one, it’s the best way to delete the app along with any login items, extensions or other data the app stored in other locations.
- Open the Finder and click Applications in the sidebar.
- If the app is inside a folder, open that folder.
- If you see Uninstall [App] or [App] Uninstaller, double-click it and follow the onscreen instructions.
Some apps offer a remove option in their own menus or settings instead.
Source: Apple Support, Install and uninstall apps from the internet or a disc on Mac (opens in a new tab) and Delete or uninstall apps on Mac (opens in a new tab).
Otherwise, move the app to the Trash
- In the Finder, click Applications in the sidebar.
- Drag the app to the Trash, or select it and choose File › Move to Trash.
- If you’re asked, enter the name and password of an administrator account on your Mac.
Source: Apple Support, Delete or uninstall apps on Mac (opens in a new tab).
Apps from the App Store
You can also delete an App Store app from the Apps view.
- Click the Apps icon in the Dock.
- Click and hold the app’s icon until it begins to jiggle.
- Click the Close button on the icon.
If you bought the app with your Apple Account, you can install it again later from the App Store.
Source: Apple Support, Install and uninstall purchases from the App Store on Mac (opens in a new tab).
Empty the Trash to free the space
The app is removed for good, and its space freed, only when the Trash is emptied.
- To empty it, choose Finder › Empty Trash in the Finder.
- Until then, you can get the app back: select it in the Trash and choose File › Put Back.
Source: Apple Support, Install and uninstall apps from the internet or a disc on Mac (opens in a new tab) and Delete or uninstall apps on Mac (opens in a new tab).
What uninstalling doesn’t do
- It doesn’t remove documents or other files you made with the app. Without the app, you may not be able to open them again.
- It doesn’t cancel subscriptions you bought through the app.
- It can’t remove apps your Mac needs, such as Mail, Music and Notes.
Source: Apple Support, Delete or uninstall apps on Mac (opens in a new tab) and Install and uninstall apps from the internet or a disc on Mac (opens in a new tab).
If the app won’t delete
If your Mac says the app is in use, make sure it isn’t open. If it still won’t go, restart your Mac or start up in safe mode, then try again.
Source: Apple Support, Delete or uninstall apps on Mac (opens in a new tab).
Files an app can leave behind
Apple says an app can store data in other locations, and that its uninstaller is the way to remove that data too. When an app has no uninstaller, Apple’s pages give no steps for finding what it leaves behind.
Source: Apple Support, Delete or uninstall apps on Mac (opens in a new tab).
Sources
- Apple Support: Delete or uninstall apps on Mac (opens in a new tab)
- Apple Support: Install and uninstall apps from the internet or a disc on Mac (opens in a new tab)
- Apple Support: Install and uninstall purchases from the App Store on Mac (opens in a new tab)
Every source was checked on 11 October 2026, against macOS 27.
Disk Census finds the files an app leaves behind in your Library, and can remove them with the app once you confirm.
See how Disk Census worksMore how-tos
- How to see what’s using your Mac’s storageStorage settings show how full your disk is, which kinds of files take the most space, and the large files you can remove.
- How to free up space on your MacStart with the recommendations built into macOS, then remove the files, apps and backups you no longer need.
- What System Data means in your Mac’s storageWhat Apple says System Data holds, why you can’t clear it from Storage settings, and what does help.
- How to clear developer caches on your MacXcode, Homebrew, npm and Docker each have their own way to give space back, set out in their own documentation.