# 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.

Checked against macOS 27 on 11 October 2026.

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](https://support.apple.com/en-us/102610).

## 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.

1. Open the Finder and click Applications in the sidebar.
2. If the app is inside a folder, open that folder.
3. 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](https://support.apple.com/guide/mac-help/install-and-uninstall-other-apps-mh35835/mac) and [Delete or uninstall apps on Mac](https://support.apple.com/en-us/102610).

## Otherwise, move the app to the Trash

1. In the Finder, click Applications in the sidebar.
2. Drag the app to the Trash, or select it and choose File › Move to Trash.
3. 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](https://support.apple.com/en-us/102610).

## Apps from the App Store

You can also delete an App Store app from the Apps view.

1. Click the Apps icon in the Dock.
2. Click and hold the app’s icon until it begins to jiggle.
3. 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](https://support.apple.com/guide/app-store/install-and-uninstall-purchased-apps-fir0fb69db23/mac).

## 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](https://support.apple.com/guide/mac-help/install-and-uninstall-other-apps-mh35835/mac) and [Delete or uninstall apps on Mac](https://support.apple.com/en-us/102610).

## 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](https://support.apple.com/en-us/102610) and [Install and uninstall apps from the internet or a disc on Mac](https://support.apple.com/guide/mac-help/install-and-uninstall-other-apps-mh35835/mac).

## 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](https://diskcensus.com/blogs/free-up-space-on-your-mac.md#safe-mode), then try again.

Source: Apple Support, [Delete or uninstall apps on Mac](https://support.apple.com/en-us/102610).

## 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](https://support.apple.com/en-us/102610).

## Sources

- Apple Support: [Delete or uninstall apps on Mac](https://support.apple.com/en-us/102610)
- Apple Support: [Install and uninstall apps from the internet or a disc on Mac](https://support.apple.com/guide/mac-help/install-and-uninstall-other-apps-mh35835/mac)
- Apple Support: [Install and uninstall purchases from the App Store on Mac](https://support.apple.com/guide/app-store/install-and-uninstall-purchased-apps-fir0fb69db23/mac)

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 works](https://diskcensus.com/)