How To Delete Apps Off Of Mac Computer

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

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.

See Also: How To Force Quit Mac Apps In Mac OS X? But in the Mac OS X computer, the uninstall process is simpler. You just need to select the Application that you want to remove (from the Desktop or Finder Applications). Next, right-click on the application icon Move to Trash. Or you can also delete it by dragging the program icon and drop. Remove Search Marquis by clicking on the Remove icon next to its name. Confirm and get rid of Search Marquis and any other suspicious items. Now, click on the three-dotted line in your Chrome upper right corner. Click on Settings. Scroll down to the Search Engine part. Make sure that the Search engine used in the address bar is set to Google. What to Keep in Mind Before Removing a Device From Apple ID. If you want to simply remove an old.

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].

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.

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.

How To Delete Apps Off Of Mac Computer Screen

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

Related Articles

Plenty of free time: Although running Mac OS X on an iOS device isn’t complicated, it is lengthy. Running iphone app on mac.

All appears to be good.I combed through the Login items very carefully – many times. It’s a Catch 22 of sorts, as if I can’t get rid of this there won’t be a donation and I’ll be vaporizing uBlock altogether.B. Hey Lorena (or other reader),After I sent you my previous message I searched for uBlock within Login Items in Clean My Mac. Mac book choose which apps open on startup.

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

Unlike force quitting Apps on Mac, uninstalling Apps on your macOS Sierra or Mac EL Capitan deletes the programs from your Mac or MacBook Pro completely. No matter you want to delete the Apps that you don't use anymore from your Mac or uninstall Apps that have been installed accidentally, you can follow the steps below to uninstall programs on your Mac easily and quickly. Read on to get more details. (If you are also interested in how to remove Apps on iPhone, learn how to delete iPhone Apps here.)

Notice: Looking for the free software to transfer photos from iPhone to computer or from computer to your iPhone? Read the article to get what you want.

How to uninstall Apps on Mac/MacBook Pro

As you may know, you can only uninstall Apps that are from App Store or websites. Apps that are part of your Mac cannot be removed as you wish. No matter you want to uninstall Apps from macOS Sierra or Mac OS X El Capitan, you can choose one of the two tips below to make it. The way to delete Apps that you downloaded from App Store is different from the way to remove programs that you downloaded elsewhere.

Tip 1: Delete Apps downloaded in App Store from Mac

Step 1: Tap on Launchpad in the Dock on your Mac.

Step 2: Press and hold on any of the App's icon until the icons begin to jiggle.

Step 3: Click the Delete button on the App you want to remove. (You can reinstall the App from App Store if you need.)

Tip 2: Uninstall App downloaded elsewhere

Step 1: Open Finder on your Mac.

Step 2: In the Finder sidebar, tap on Applications.

Step 3: If the App you want to install has an Uninstaller in the App's folder, double-click the App Uninstaller to remove the App from your Mac. While if that's not the case, drag the App from the current folder to Trash and then perform Empty Trash in Finder. (You can still get the App back before emptying the trash by clicking the App in Trash and choosing File >Put Back.)

Document annotation app. Easy, right? Just three steps to uninstall programs on your Mac/MacBook Pro. If your Mac is running slow, deleting Apps is also a good way to make it run faster if the problem is caused by full storage on your device. For more tips on how to use your Mac or iDevice, go to iOS & Mac Topics to find what you need.

Notes:

It's highly likely that you are also an iPhone or iPad user. That's why I'd like to recommend a free iOS data transfer tool for you here. The FREEWARE that you will find useful is EaseUS MobiMover Free. With MobiMover installed on your Mac or PC, you can add contents from computer to iPhone/iPad (in iOS 8 or later), back up iPhone/iPad to computer and copy files from one iDevice to another. Contents including photos, videos, audios, contacts, messages, notes, calendars, and more can also be transferred to or out of your iDevice without any cost and limitation. Besides, you can also use MobiMover to delete/edit items existing on your device or add new items to your device from computer.

Sounds perfect? Install it on your Mac or PC and transfer files from your iPhone to computer to have a try.

Step 1. Connect your iPhone to your computer running Windows OS or Mac OS with a USB cable. Tap 'Trust' on your iPhone screen when it pops up. Run EaseUS MobiMover and navigate to the 'Phone to PC' mode. Move your mouse to the right pane and click 'Next' to continue.

Step 2. MobiMover enables you to back up all the supportable data, such as photos, videos, messages, contacts and more. You can set the destination for saving iPhone backup file on your computer. If you don't do any change, MobiMover will save the data to your desktop. Once choose the files and set the location, click 'Transfer' to back up iPhone to computer without iTunes or iCloud

How To Uninstall Apps On Mac Completely And Safely - 3 Ways

Step 3. Wait for a while and let the software finish data transfer. Please don't disconnect the device while transferring. When the process ends, you can view, edit or remove the copied files as you need.