# How to uninstall apps on a Mac, including the files they leave behind > Three ways to delete apps on a Mac, where the leftover files hide in the Library folder, and how to remove apps that refuse to go. - URL: https://maccleaner.tech/uninstall-apps-mac/ - Published by: Mac Cleaner Guide, written by the Bytesweep team (Bytesweep is the publisher's own app) - Last updated: November 12, 2026 - Steps checked against Apple's documentation for macOS 27 in November 2026. To uninstall an app on a Mac, open Finder, go to the Applications folder, drag the app to the Trash and empty it. That removes the app but not its settings, caches and support files, which stay in your Library folder. Removing those takes one more step. ## Method 1: Finder 1. Quit the app. If it will not quit, press Option Command Esc and force quit it. 2. Open Finder and click **Applications** in the sidebar. 3. Drag the app to the Trash, or select it and press Command Delete. 4. Enter your password if asked, then empty the Trash. This works for almost every app, whether it came from the App Store or the web. ## Method 2: Storage settings Go to **System Settings > General > Storage** and click the info button next to **Applications**. You get a list of your apps and the space each one takes. Select the ones you do not use and click **Delete**. This is the best view for a clear-out, because it puts the size of every app in front of you. Apps bought from the App Store have one more route. On macOS 26 Tahoe and macOS 27 Golden Gate, click **Apps** in the Dock, hold the app's icon until it jiggles, then click the X. On macOS 15 and earlier the same thing is done in Launchpad, which Apps replaced. ## Method 3: the app's own uninstaller Some apps install pieces outside the Applications folder: drivers, system extensions, background helpers. Adobe apps, Microsoft Office add-ons, VPN clients and antivirus tools are typical. If the app's folder contains an uninstaller, or the app has an uninstall command in its menus or settings, or the developer's site offers one, use it. Apple's own advice is that an included uninstaller is the best way to remove an app and whatever it stored elsewhere. Dragging these apps to the Trash leaves the background parts running. ## Remove the leftover files After the app is gone, look for what it left. In Finder, choose **Go > Go to Folder** and check each of these, searching for the app's name, its developer's, or its bundle identifier, which looks like `com.developer.AppName`: - `~/Library/Application Support` for the app's data, often the largest part - `~/Library/Caches` - `~/Library/Preferences` for files ending in `.plist` - `~/Library/Containers` and `~/Library/Group Containers` for sandboxed apps - `~/Library/Saved Application State` - `~/Library/LaunchAgents` for helpers that start at login Delete only items that clearly carry the app's name. A preference file is a few kilobytes and harmless to leave. An Application Support folder can be several gigabytes and is worth finding. The free app AppCleaner automates this search: drop an app on it and it lists the related files. **Our own app does this too.** Bytesweep's uninstaller removes an app together with its leftovers, shows the size of each part first, and can put the app back for 7 days. An app's own vendor uninstaller, when Bytesweep runs one, cannot be undone, and the app says so. This site is published by the Bytesweep team. Free to try for 3 days; uninstalling needs the one-time USD 29.99 license. [See Bytesweep for Mac](https://bytesweep.app/mac.html). ## When an app will not delete - **"The item can't be moved to the Trash because it's open."** Quit it, or force quit it. If a helper is still running, find it in Activity Monitor and quit that as well. If it still refuses, restart the Mac and try again. - **The app is part of macOS.** Safari, Mail, Music, Notes and similar apps are protected and cannot be removed. They take little space of their own. - **It keeps coming back.** A login item or management profile is reinstalling it. Check **System Settings > General > Login Items & Extensions**, and on a work Mac, ask your IT team. ## How much space will you get back? Usually less than you hope from the app itself and more than you expect from its data. Games, video editors and music tools keep libraries in Application Support that dwarf the app. If uninstalling did not free enough, continue with [the full free-up-space checklist](https://maccleaner.tech/free-up-space-mac/). ## Quick answers ### How do I completely uninstall an app on a Mac? Drag it from the Applications folder to the Trash, then remove the folders carrying its name in ~/Library: Application Support, Caches, Preferences and Containers. ### Does dragging an app to the Trash uninstall it? It removes the app but leaves its settings, caches and support files in your Library folder. ### Why can't I delete an app on my Mac? Either it is still running (quit or force quit it), it is part of macOS, such as Safari or Mail, or a login item or management profile keeps reinstalling it. ## Sources - [Apple Support: Delete or uninstall apps on Mac](https://support.apple.com/en-us/102610) - [App Store User Guide: Install and uninstall purchases from the App Store on Mac](https://support.apple.com/guide/app-store/install-and-uninstall-purchased-apps-fir0fb69db23/mac) - [Mac User Guide: Find and delete files on your Mac](https://support.apple.com/guide/mac-help/find-and-delete-files-on-your-mac-syspf5a64aa6/mac) - [Apple Support: How to force an app to quit on Mac](https://support.apple.com/en-us/102586) - [Mac User Guide: Change Login Items & Extensions settings on Mac](https://support.apple.com/guide/mac-help/change-login-items-extensions-settings-mtusr003/mac) - [Apple Developer: macOS Library directory details](https://developer.apple.com/library/archive/documentation/FileManagement/Conceptual/FileSystemProgrammingGuide/MacOSXDirectories/MacOSXDirectories.html)